Disparate Distribution Research Articles

The Evolutionary Dynamics of Apomixis in Ferns: A Case Study from Polystichoid Ferns

The disparate distribution of apomixis between the major plant lineages is arguably one of the most paradoxical phenomena in plant evolution. Ferns are particularly interesting for addressing this issue because apomixis is more frequent than in any other group of plants. Here, we use a phylogenetic framework to explore some aspects of the evolution of apomixis in ferns and in particular in the polystichoid ferns. Our findings indicate that apomixis evolved several times independently in three different clades of polystichoid ferns. A lineage-wide perspective across ferns indicates a correlation between apomixis and the species richness of lineages; however BiSSE tests did not recover evidence for a correlation of apomixis and diversification rates. Instead, evidence was recovered supporting an association between the establishment of apomixis and reticulate evolution, especially in the establishment of triploid hybrids. Diversification time estimates supported the hypothesis of short living apomictic lineages and indicated a link between the establishment of apomixis and the strengthening of the monsoons caused by the lifting of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. In general our results supported the hypothesis for the rare establishment of apomictic lineages, high extinction risks, and low speciation rates.

Enabling warping on stereoscopic images

Warping is one of the basic image processing techniques. Directly applying existing monocular image warping techniques to stereoscopic images is problematic as it often introduces vertical disparities and damages the original disparity distribution. In this paper, we show that these problems can be solved by appropriately warping both the disparity map and the two images of a stereoscopic image. We accordingly develop a technique for extending existing image warping algorithms to stereoscopic images. This technique divides stereoscopic image warping into three steps. Our method first applies the user-specified warping to one of the two images. Our method then computes the target disparity map according to the user specified warping. The target disparity map is optimized to preserve the perceived 3D shape of image content after image warping. Our method finally warps the other image using a spatially-varying warping method guided by the target disparity map. Our experiments show that our technique enables existing warping methods to be effectively applied to stereoscopic images, ranging from parametric global warping to non-parametric spatially-varying warping.

Geographic expansion of hermatypic and ahermatypic corals in the Gulf of Mexico, and implications for dispersal and recruitment

The >3000 oil/gas platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) provide shallow hard-substratum in a soft-bottom dominated ecosystem. Excepting the Flower Garden Banks (FGB) and deeper mesophotic banks, no shallow hard substrate has been available offshore since the Holocene. Platforms have facilitated coral geographic expansion in this region. We determined the distribution, abundance, and species diversity patterns on 42 platforms in this region, at ≤37m depth, along four cross-shelf transects: 1) S-SE from Corpus Christi, Texas; 2) S from Lake Sabine, Texas; 3) S from Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana; and 4) S-SW from Mobile, Alabama. Nine hermatypic, two ahermatypic, and one hydrozoan coral were found: hermatypes—Madracis decactis, Diploria strigosa, Montastraea cavernosa, Porites astreoides, Madracis formosa, Colpophyllia natans, Stephanocoenia intercepta, Stephanocoenia michelinii, and Millepora alcicornis (Hydrozoa); ahermatypes—Tubastraea coccinea, Oculina diffusa, and Phyllangia americana. Pattern-seeking analyses identified four community types: one with no hermatypic corals (inner and mid-shelf); one high diversity set of platforms, dominated by abundant Madracis decactis, occurring with four other species per platform (outer shelf); and a third dominated by Madracis decactis, in low abundance, co-dominated by D. strigosa and Millepora alcicornis (outer shelf). Species diversity was highest around the Flower Garden Banks. Hermatypic density and D. strigosa (broadcaster) in particular, was maximum around the FGB, extending northwards. Madracis decactis (brooder) densities peaked at the shelf edge, off Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana. Montastraea cavernosa densities were bimodal, peaking near the FGB and east of the Mississippi River. The FGB appear to be the source of hermatypic corals for most platform populations. Differences between the distribution patterns of Madracis decactis and D. strigosa, Montastraea cavernosa, and O. diffusa suggest that the brooder effects longer recruitment distances by averaging larval dispersal over a broad range of hydrographic conditions throughout the year, while the broadcaster utilizes only one set of conditions over the same period. Averaging respective dispersal strategies over decades may have produced the observed disparate distribution patterns. Ahermatypic coral density exceeded hermatypic density by 10,000 fold, peaking south of Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, due to T. coccinea. Ahermatypic diversity was highest off Matagorda Island, Texas, decreasing from west to east. Multi-variate pattern-seeking analysis (PATN) identified four ahermatypic community types: one dominated by O. diffusa and T. coccinea in low abundances (shelf-wide distribution); one characterized by the absence of ahermatypic corals (generally near-shore); one heavily dominated by T. coccinea, and also by O. diffusa in low abundances (mid-shelf to shelf edge); and one dominated by T. coccinea, co-dominated by both P. americana and O. diffusa in low abundances (shelf-edge). T. coccinea and P. americana appear to be derived from the southern GOM off Mexico or the Caribbean. Unlike shrinking coral populations in other parts of the world, corals have expanded their range substantially in the northern Gulf of Mexico, in areas previously devoid or near devoid of corals, facilitated by thousands of oil/gas platforms deployed for decades throughout the region. It is also possible that coral populations on these platforms may act as potential larval sources for the FGB in the event of a mass coral mortality there.

In and out of Africa: how did the Strait of Gibraltar affect plant species migration and local diversification?

AbstractAimThe biotic mechanisms by which land bridges influence the formation of regional floras remain poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that some land bridges have biased the migration of species between landmasses according to their biological traits, and that this relative spatial isolation has caused some lineages to diversify more than others.LocationThe Strait of Gibraltar Floristic Region, a major biodiversity hotspot of the Mediterranean Basin.MethodsWe compiled the angiosperm flora of the study region to examine patterns of narrow endemism and species disjunctions between southern Iberia and northern Morocco. We focused on species that occur in the western portion of the Mediterranean Basin (n = 566) but not further east in this region, in order to test for the specific effect of the Strait of Gibraltar. Using phylogenetic supertrees, we tested whether species' life‐history traits were related to their probability of occurring on both sides of the strait. We looked at patterns of narrow endemism in different families and computed birth–death model estimates of local diversification within the region.ResultsSpecies with a short life cycle and propagules dispersed by wind or externally on animals were disproportionately likely to occur on both sides of the strait. Different plant lineages exhibited disparate distribution and endemism patterns across the strait. Some families have experienced disproportionately high rates of local diversification, and these families were systematically characterized by a low migration rate across the strait. We detected no difference of overall rates of local diversification between the southern Iberian and northern Moroccan parts of the study region.Main conclusionsOur results indicate that the Strait of Gibraltar has biased species migration between northern Morocco and southern Iberia and that reduced migration through the strait may have triggered local speciation in certain plant families. This pinpoints the fundamental interplay between species migration and evolutionary diversification in the construction of hotspots of biodiversity and narrow endemism.

Molecular taxonomic reassessment of the Cloud Forest’s Bolitoglossa salamanders (Caudata: Plethodontidae) from Cordillera de Mérida (Mérida state, Venezuela)

Salamanders found at different localities nearby Mérida city, Venezuela, are thus far reported as Bolitoglossa orestes or B.spongai. However, morphological ambiguities among individuals from several populations of both putative species, besidestheir reported disparate geographical distributions, prompted us to clarify the specific identity of these bolitoglossines throughthe sequence analysis of their corresponding 16S rRNA genes. Seventeen specimens belonging to the vertebrates collection ofUniversidad de Los Andes (CVULA), collected at separated cloud forests in Sierra La Culata (San Eusebio, Macho Capaz andSan Javier del Valle) and Sierra Nevada de Mérida (La Mucuy), were used to extract DNA upon tissue digestion. Sequenceanalysis of the 16S rRNA gene supports a biogeographical scenario where, so far, there is only one salamander species for eachsierra: B. orestes, which is widely distributed in Sierra La Culata, and a so far undescribed species of a Venezuelan bolitogloss-ine apparently restricted to Sierra Nevada de Mérida. Based on our molecular results and an examination of morphological evidence, B. spongai should be considered a synonym of B. orestes.

Ethnic gene profile of genes involved in angiogenesis to predict regional bevacizumab efficacy difference in gastric cancer.

4026 Background: AVAGAST showed regional bevacizumab (Bev) efficacy difference (RBED), namely, Asian (Asi) patients (pts) with gastric cancer (GC) had no benefit whereas European and Pan-American patients had more benefit from Bev. Recently, germline gene polymorphisms in angiogenesis have been recognized as predictive marker for Bev efficacy. Allele frequency (AF) in gene polymorphisms may vary depending on ethnicity. We tested the hypothesis whether angiogenic pathway gene polymorphisms may have different AF among Asi, Caucasian (Cau), and Hispanic (Hisp) in GC and this disparity may explain RBED. Methods: Three-hundred pts [Japanese (Jap), Cau, and Hisp, 100 from each race] with histopathologically confirmed GC were collected from Japan, USA, Austria, and Italy between 1991 and 2011. These pts were divided into 2 groups as training set (n=50) and validation set (n=50) in each race. Seven functional gene polymorphisms previously reported as predictive marker were selected. All samples were analyzed using PCR-based direct DNA- sequencing. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the distribution of AF among races. Results: Significant disparate distributions in favorable AF for Bev were shown among races in Table. Jap GC pts had significant lower AF of 5 predictive gene polymorphisms in training set, and among these 5, three predictive gene polymorphisms were also validated. Conclusions: Our preliminary results showed significant disparate AF distributions in predictive gene polymorphisms for Bev, and these disparities may explain RBED in AVAGAST. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate RBED. [Table: see text]

Ecological flexibility of brown bears on Kodiak Island, Alaska

Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are a long-lived and widely distributed species that occupy diverse habitats, suggesting ecological flexibility. Although inferred for numerous species, ecological flexibility has rarely been empirically tested against biological outcomes from varying resource use. Ecological flexibility assumes species adaptability and long-term persistence across a wide range of environmental conditions. We investigated variation in population-level, coarse-scale resource use metrics (i.e., habitat, space, and food abundance) in relation to indices of fitness (i.e., reproduction and recruitment) for brown bears on Kodiak Island, Alaska, 1982–97. We captured and radiocollared 143 females in 4 spatially-distinct segments of this geographically-closed population, and obtained ≥30 relocations/individual to estimate multi-annual home range and habitat use. We suggest that space use, as indexed using 95% fixed kernel home ranges, varied among study areas in response to the disparate distribution and abundance of food resources. Similarly, habitat use differed among study areas, likely a consequence of site-specific habitat and food (e.g. berries) availability. Mean annual abundance and biomass of spawning salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) varied >15-fold among study areas. Although bear use of habitat and space varied considerably, as did availability of dominant foods, measures of fitness were similar (range of mean litter sizes = 2.3–2.5; range of mean number of young weaned = 2.0–2.4) across study areas and a broad range of resource conditions. Our data support the thesis that brown bears on Kodiak Island display ecological flexibility. This adaptability is likely representative of the entire species and has helped facilitate its wide geographic distribution and abundance. We suggest variation in brown bear resource use necessitates area-specific management strategies to ensure suitable conditions for their long-term persistence.

Effects of binocular disparity on impressions

AbstractWe examined how the size of binocular disparity, which determines the apparent depth magnitude, affects the impressions in different dimensions in viewing nonrepresentational stereograms and representational stereoscopic pictures by the use of semantic differential method with the scales that are related to the basic dimensions of impression: evaluation, activity, potency, and reality. In viewing nonrepresentational stereograms, which presented a binocular disparity ranging from 0 to approximately 70 min of arc between the central line, or a rectangle with a peripheral frame, the ratings for the scales for the evaluation impression were the highest at approximately 10–20 arc min of disparity, while the ratings for the activity impression increased with the size of the disparity. In viewing the representational and nonrepresentational stereograms, the ratings for the scales, which are related to the evaluation, activity, and reality factors, increased with the size of the disparity if the disparity specified multiple depth layers. These results indicate that the effects of binocular disparity in viewing a stereoscopic picture depend on the disparity distribution and disparity size rather than the representationality of the stereogram.

Food Deserts in Leon County, FL: Disparate Distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program–Accepting Stores by Neighborhood Characteristics

Examine whether neighborhood characteristics of racial composition, income, and rurality were related to distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-accepting stores in Leon County, Florida. Cross-sectional; neighborhood and food store data collected in 2008. Forty-eight census tracts as proxy of neighborhoods in Leon County, Florida. All stores and SNAP-accepting stores were identified from a commercial business directory and a United States Department of Agriculture SNAP-accepting store list, respectively (n = 288). Proportion of SNAP-accepting stores across neighborhoods. Descriptive statistics to describe distribution of SNAP-accepting stores by neighborhood characteristics. Proportions of SNAP-accepting stores were compared by neighborhood characteristics with Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Of 288 available stores, 45.1% accepted SNAP benefits. Of the 48 neighborhoods, 16.7% had no SNAP-accepting stores. Proportions of SNAP-accepting grocery stores were significantly different by neighborhood racial composition and income. Primarily black neighborhoods did not have any supermarkets. Results were mixed with regard to distribution of food stores and SNAP-accepting stores by neighborhood racial composition, income, and rurality. This study suggests disparities in distribution of SNAP-accepting stores across neighborhood characteristics of racial composition, income, and rurality.

Horizontal/Vertical Differences in Range and Upper/Lower Visual Field Differences in the Midpoints of Sensory Fusion Limits of Oriented Lines

O'Shea and Crassini (1982, Perception & Psychophysics 32 195-196) demonstrated that fusion persists for vertical lines with an orientation disparity of 8 degrees, but diplopia is experienced in simultaneously presented horizontal lines with the same disparity. They concluded that the neural fusion process fuses larger horizontal disparities than vertical disparities. Kertesz criticised their demonstration because it did not quantify the possible motor component associated with fusing their counter-rotated images. Krekling and Blika argued that the demonstrated anisotropy is due to a disparity bias in the visual system, owing to the temporalward tilt of corresponding vertical meridians. We addressed these criticisms with a novel stimulus and presentation protocol, that rendered compensatory cyclovergence eye movements unlikely and explored a wide range of orientation disparities. We confirmed O'Shea and Crassini's vertical/horizontal anisotropy in orientation fusion limits. In addition, our measurements of vertical lines showed that the distributions of fused responses as a function of orientation disparity in the upper and lower visual fields were shifted relative to each other. Therefore, the distributions of fusible orientation disparities are wider for vertical lines than horizontal lines and are relatively shifted as predicted if the fusional range is centred around the vertical horopter.

ADHD classification by a texture analysis of anatomical brain MRI data

The ADHD-200 Global Competition provides an excellent opportunity for building diagnostic classifiers of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) based on resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and structural MRI data. Here, we introduce a simple method to classify ADHD based on morphological information without using functional data. Our test results show that the accuracy of this approach is competitive with methods based on rs-fMRI data. We used isotropic local binary patterns on three orthogonal planes (LBP-TOP) to extract features from MR brain images. Subsequently, support vector machines (SVM) were used to develop classification models based on the extracted features. In this study, a total of 436 male subjects (210 with ADHD and 226 controls) were analyzed to show the discriminative power of the method. To analyze the properties of this approach, we tested disparate LBP-TOP features from various parcellations and different image resolutions. Additionally, morphological information using a single brain tissue type (i.e., gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and CSF) was tested. The highest accuracy we achieved was 0.6995. The LBP-TOP was found to provide better discriminative power using whole-brain data as the input. Datasets with higher resolution can train models with increased accuracy. The information from GM plays a more important role than that of other tissue types. These results and the properties of LBP-TOP suggest that most of the disparate feature distribution comes from different patterns of cortical folding. Using LBP-TOP, we provide an ADHD classification model based only on anatomical information, which is easier to obtain in the clinical environment and which is simpler to preprocess compared with rs-fMRI data.

Abstract 13: Disparities in Carotid Imaging Among Persons Presenting with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Atherosclerosis from internal carotid artery stenosis is a major cause of stroke. It is identified through imaging of the carotid arteries, which should be routinely performed in the diagnostic workup for acute ischemic stroke. In prior research, we identified black race as an independent predictor of the underuse of carotid imaging. We explored factors that may explain this racial disparity. Methods: Data were obtained from a retrospective study of 3965 persons admitted to 129 Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMC) with ischemic stroke in 2007. To identify a sample who should definitely receive imaging, extensive exclusion criteria were applied such as transfers, inpatient deaths, and high levels of comorbidity. Among 1432 whites versus 610 blacks, we compared receipt of carotid artery imaging between 12 months before admission to 2 months after discharge in bivariate and multivariate analyses. We then compared patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, and the distribution of underuse and disparities across VAMC among whites versus blacks to identify explanations for the racial disparity. Results: Blacks were less likely to receive carotid imaging than whites (81% vs. 89%, p<0.001). In multivariate hierarchical models, blacks remained less likely to receive carotid imaging (odds ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval [0.48 to 0.93] after adjustment for age, presence of atrial fibrillation, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and NIH Stroke Scale, suggesting that clinical factors were not the reason for the disparity. Black patients were more likely to attend larger, higher complexity, urban hospitals, suggesting that hospital characteristics were not responsible for the disparity. The racial disparities at the VAMC level were greatest among those that had the lowest use of carotid imaging. Two VAMCs accounted for 25% of the system-wide magnitude of disparity in the VA. When these two VAMCs were removed from the sample, race was no longer an independent predictor of underuse. Conclusions: Racial disparities of carotid imaging were not mediated by other patient or hospital characteristics. Improving overall receipt of carotid imaging at a few VAMCs can substantially reduce the system-wide magnitude of disparities in the VA.

The proteomic response of sea squirts (genus Ciona) to acute heat stress: A global perspective on the thermal stability of proteins

Congeners belonging to the genus Ciona have disparate distributions limited by temperature. Ciona intestinalis is more widespread with a cosmopolitan distribution ranging from tropical to sub-arctic zones, while Ciona savignyi is limited to temperate-latitudes of the northern Pacific Ocean. To compare the heat stress response between congeners, we quantified changes in protein expression using proteomics. Animals were exposed to 22 °C, 25 °C, and 28 °C for 6 h, then recovered at a control temperature (13 °C) for 16 h (high heat stress experiment). In a second experiment we exposed animals to lower levels of heat stress at 18 °C, 20 °C, and 23 °C, with a 16 °C control. A quantitative analysis, using 2D gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry (with a 69% and 93% identification rate for Ciona intestinalis and Ciona savignyi, respectively), showed changes in a number of protein functional groups, including molecular chaperones, extracellular matrix proteins, calcium-binding proteins, cytoskeletal proteins and proteins involved in energy metabolism. Our results indicate that C. intestinalis maintains higher constitutive levels of molecular chaperones than C. savignyi, suggesting that it is prepared to respond faster to thermal stress. Systematic discrepancies between estimated versus predicted molecular masses of identified proteins differed between protein families and were more pronounced under high heat conditions, suggesting that thermal sensitivities are lower for cytoskeletal proteins and ATP-synthase than for any other protein group represented on 2D gels.

Characterization of a PLP-overexpressing transgenic rat, a model for the connatal form of Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease

Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD) most frequently results from duplication of the Plp1 gene with a correlation between disease severity and increasing copy number of the gene. Animal models of PMD, in particular those overexpressing the Plp1 gene, have been sought in attempts to provide systems in which potential therapies can be tested. Here we describe a rat model of the severe connatal form of PMD and provide a detailed characterization of its pathology and molecular biology, prior to testing therapeutic approaches. We determined the exact copy number of Plp1, and the resulting effects on RNA and protein expression. Distinct differences in myelin and disparate distributions of myelin protein markers in comparison to wild-type controls were observed. Altered expression of Plp1 also caused an increase in the apoptotic cell death of oligodendrocytes. These results provide the platform from which to test the effectiveness of in vivo therapies.

The insensitivity of thermal preferences to various thermal gradient profiles in newts

Many ectotherms possess the ability to behaviourally regulate their body temperatures. Thermoregulatory behaviour is affected by various biotic and abiotic factors, which may cause a substantial bias in the laboratory estimates of preferred body temperatures (Tp). We examined thermoregulatory behaviour in alpine newts, Ichthyosaura (formerly Triturus) alpestris, in both horizontal linear and vertical nonlinear thermal gradients, to evaluate the influence of a disparate water temperature distribution on their thermal preferences. Newt positions in thermal gradients differed from those in constant temperatures, which indicates their thermal preferences in both experimental setups. The mean and range of body temperatures showed similar values in both types of aquatic thermal gradients. We concluded that under a sufficiently wide range of environmental temperatures, newt thermal preferences are largely insensitive to the thermal gradient profile. This supports the suitability of Tp estimates for further experimental and comparative studies in newts.

RICH STATES, POOR STATES: CONVERGENCE AND POLARISATION IN INDIA

ABSTRACTThe distribution dynamics of incomes across Indian states are examined using the entire income distribution. Unlike standard regression approaches this approach allows us to identify specific distributional characteristics such as polarisation and stratification. The period between 1965 and 1997 exhibits the formation of two convergence clubs: one at 50% and another at 125% of the national average income. Income disparities across the states declined over the 1960s and then increased from the 1970s to the nineties. Conditioning exercises reveal that the observed polarisation is associated with the disparate distribution of infrastructure. In particular, education, the extent of irrigation and literacy are found to be associated with the formation of the lower convergence club.

A Molecular Phylogeny of Living Primates

Comparative genomic analyses of primates offer considerable potential to define and understand the processes that mold, shape, and transform the human genome. However, primate taxonomy is both complex and controversial, with marginal unifying consensus of the evolutionary hierarchy of extant primate species. Here we provide new genomic sequence (∼8 Mb) from 186 primates representing 61 (∼90%) of the described genera, and we include outgroup species from Dermoptera, Scandentia, and Lagomorpha. The resultant phylogeny is exceptionally robust and illuminates events in primate evolution from ancient to recent, clarifying numerous taxonomic controversies and providing new data on human evolution. Ongoing speciation, reticulate evolution, ancient relic lineages, unequal rates of evolution, and disparate distributions of insertions/deletions among the reconstructed primate lineages are uncovered. Our resolution of the primate phylogeny provides an essential evolutionary framework with far-reaching applications including: human selection and adaptation, global emergence of zoonotic diseases, mammalian comparative genomics, primate taxonomy, and conservation of endangered species.

Disparities in Amputations in Minorities

As a result of the impact of health disparities on the healthcare system such as their influence on arenas significant to healthcare distribution, including cost, quality, and access, identification and resolution of health disparities is a primary national agenda item. Resolution of disparities in amputation is an area of opportunity that warrants further consideration. The purposes of our review are to highlight current data on disparities in amputation in minorities and to consider future goals related to an elimination of this disparity. Studies on disparities in amputation were accessed using the following databases: PubMed, Cinahl, OVID/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases. In each database, a search of title/abstract was performed for the search terms "disparities and amputation," "race and amputation," and "diabetes and amputation." Each search was limited by human and English language. Where are we now? A disparity exists in both frequency and level of amputation in minorities both in the presence and absence of a diagnosis of diabetes. Where do we need to go? A need exists for future research involving a more deliberate examination of the use of preventive screening for patients at high risk for amputation across medical settings. How do we get there? Research in this area would benefit from funding, large-scale data collection, and physician exposure to education on high-risk patients and preventive screening opportunities.

From Politics to Parity: Using a Health Disparities Index to Guide Legislative Efforts for Health Equity

We created an index quantifying the longitudinal burden of racial health disparities by state and compared this index to variables to guide the construction of, and validate support for, legislative efforts aimed at eliminating health disparities. We evaluated 5 focus areas of greatest racial disparities in health from 1999 to 2005 and compiled state health disparities index (HDI) scores. We compared these scores with variables representing the purported social determinants of health. Massachusetts (0.35), Oklahoma (0.35), and Washington (0.39) averaged the fewest disparities. Michigan (1.22), Wisconsin (1.32), and Illinois (1.50) averaged the greatest disparities. The statistical reference point for nationwide average racial disparities was 1.00. The longitudinal mixed model procedure yielded statistically significant correlations between HDI scores and Black state population percentage as well as with the racial gap in uninsured percentages. We noted a trend for HDI correlations with median household income ratios. On the basis of the HDI-established trends in the extent and distribution of racial health disparities, and their correlated social determinants of health, policymakers should consider incorporating this tool to advise future efforts in minority health legislation.

The limited distribution of Helitrons to vesper bats supports horizontal transfer

Transposable elements (TEs) have the unique ability to move and replicate within the genome and therefore engender dramatic changes to genome architecture. Among different types of TEs, rolling-circle transposons ( Helitrons) are well known for their ability to capture and amplify host gene fragments. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that Helitrons constitute ~ 3% of the Myotis lucifugus, (little brown bat) genome, while no Helitrons were found in any of the other 44+ sequenced mammalian genomes. Recently horizontal transfer has been implicated for some of the M. lucifugus Helitrons, in part explaining this disparate distribution among mammals. The purpose of this work is to determine both the distribution of Helitrons among bats and to estimate the number of independent invasions. We employed a combination of in silico, PCR and hybridization based techniques to identify Helitrons from diverse bat species belonging to ten different families. This work reveals that Helitrons invaded the vesper bat lineage, at least once. Indeed, Helitrons were not identified in the sister taxa ‘Miniopterus’, which suggests that the amplification of Helibat occurred (30–36 mya) only in the vesper bat lineage. The estimated age of amplification of the Helibats and the rapid radiation of vesper bats are roughly coincidental and suggest that the invasion and amplification of these elements might have influenced their evolutionary trajectory potentially contributing to phenotypic and genotypic diversity.