Evidence for several waves of global transmission in the seventh cholera pandemic

Vibrio cholerae is a globally important pathogen that is endemic in many areas of the world and causes 3-5 million reported cases of cholera every year. Historically, there have been seven acknowledged cholera pandemics; recent outbreaks in Zimbabwe and Haiti are included in the seventh and ongoing pandemic. Only isolates in serogroup O1 (consisting of two biotypes known as 'classical' and 'El Tor') and the derivative O139 can cause epidemic cholera. It is believed that the first six cholera pandemics were caused by the classical biotype, but El Tor has subsequently spread globally and replaced the classical biotype in the current pandemic. Detailed molecular epidemiological mapping of cholera has been compromised by a reliance on sub-genomic regions such as mobile elements to infer relationships, making El Tor isolates associated with the seventh pandemic seem superficially diverse. To understand the underlying phylogeny of the lineage responsible for the current pandemic, we identified high-resolution markers (single nucleotide polymorphisms; SNPs) in 154 whole-genome sequences of globally and temporally representative V. cholerae isolates. Using this phylogeny, we show here that the seventh pandemic has spread from the Bay of Bengal in at least three independent but overlapping waves with a common ancestor in the 1950s, and identify several transcontinental transmission events. Additionally, we show how the acquisition of the SXT family of antibiotic resistance elements has shaped pandemic spread, and show that this family was first acquired at least ten years before its discovery in V. cholerae.     

Influence of soil frost on infiltration of shrub coppice dune and dune interspace soils in southeastern Nevada

The influence of soil frost on the infiltration rate of shrub coppice dune and dune interspace soils was evaluated near Crystal Springs, Nevada, using simulated rainfall. The infiltration rate of the coppice dune soil was greater than the dune interspace soil under frozen or unfrozen conditions. Because of different vegetation cover and surface soil characteristics, coppice dune and dune interspace soils responded differently to freezing, thus imposing a spatial and temporal response to infiltration rate. Infiltration rate of soils with porous concrete frost increased as the soils thawed during simulated rainfall, but soils with nonporous concrete frost allowed very little infiltration to occur. Both coppice dune and dune interspace soils that were classified in January as having granular frost had a higher infiltration rate than the same unfrozen soils in March.     

New species of American Corthylini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

The following species are described as new to science: Monarthrum cordicticum, M. tetradontium, M. conversum, M. bidentatum (Mexico), M. subgranulatum (Honduras), M. morsum, M. carinatum, M. adustum, M. insignatum, M. fastigiorum, M. limulum, M. carinulum, M. infradentatum, M. corculum, M. posticum, M. proximum (Costa Rica), M. proprium, M. notatum (Costa Rica, Panama). M. bifoveatum (Costa Rica, Venezuela), Corthycyclon caliginis, C. furvus, C. morulas (Costa Rica), C. tardus (Costa Rica, Panama), Corthylocurus debilis (Costa Rica, Panama). &;nbsp;     

Electrophoresis of isoenzymes of 16 western shrubs: technique development

Wildland shrubs have gained considerable attention in recent years due to increasing recognition of their values as animal feed, as wildlife habitat, and for land reclamation. Better management of the shrub resource will be possible through clearer taxonomic identification and better understanding of phylogenetic relationships. This study applied polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and further developed this technique to address genetic relationships among 16 paired shrub species (genera: Artemisia, Chrysothamnus, Atriplex, Ceratoides, Sarcobatus, Purshia, Cowania, and Cercocarpus [Compositae, Chenopodiaceae, Rosaceae]). Cluster analysis of similarity values for total protein and 14 isoenzyme systems gave patterns of species relationships expected from classical morphological grounds with two minor exceptions. Isoenzyme analyses showed promise for solving taxonomic, phylogenetic, and population genetics problems.     

Six new Scolytidae (Coleoptera) from Mexico

Alniphagus africanus Schedl, 1963, and Hylesinus africanus Schedl, 1965, were both transferred to Hylesinopsis and thereby become junior homonyms of H. africanus (Eggers, 1933). The new name H. acaciolens is proposed as a replacement for Schedl's 1963 name and H. secutus as a new name for Schedl's 1965 name. Six species from Mexico are described as new to science, including: Hylocurus atkinsoni, H. crotonis, Monarthrum xalapensis, Pseudochramesus jaliscoensis, Pseudopityophthorus durangoensis , and P. xalapae .     

New synonymy and new species of American bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), part XI

The following new generic synonymy is proposed: Coptodryas Hopkins (= Microperus Wood), Cyrtogenius Strohmeyer (= Carpophloeus Schedl, Taphroborus Nunberg), Glostatus Schedl (= Ctonocryphus Schedl, Rhopalocryphus Nunberg), Hylurgops LeConte (= Hylescerites Schedl), Hypothenemus Westwood (= Ernophloeus Nunberg), Monarthrum Kirsch (= Eupteroxylon Eggers), Terminalinus Hopkins (= Kelantanius Nunberg), Xylechinus Chapuis (= Pruniphagus Murayama), Xylocleptes Ferrari (= Hylonius Nunberg). New combinations include: Pityophthorus anticus Schedl is transferred to Araptus; Hylesinus machilus Schedl is transferred to Phloeosinus; Phloeophthorus acaciae Lea is transferred to Phloeotribus; Blastophagus squamosus Schedl is transferred to Polygraphus; Chramesus semibrunneus Eggers is transferred to Pseudochramesus; Dacryophthorus capensis Schedl is transferred to Xylechinus; Pseudochramesus imperialis Schedl is transferred to Xylechinus ; and Hoplitontus abyssinicus Schedl is transferred to Xylocleptes . New specific synonymy includes: Hypothenemus sundaensis (Eggers) (= Ernophloeus costalimai Nunberg). A note on the South American Hylesinus antipodius Schedl is included. New names are proposed as follows: Hylesinopsis kenyae for africanus (Schedl 1963) (from Alniphagus ) and Hylesinopsis ugandae for africanus (Schedl 1965) (from Hylesinus ). Species described as new to science include: Ambrosiodmus ferns (Mexico), Ambrosiodomus paucus (Costa Rica), Carphoborus bicornis (USA), Chaetophloeus pouteriae (Mexico), Cnemonyx euphorbiae (Mexico), Corthylus convexifrons (Venezuela), Corthylus senticosus (Mexico), Corthylus sentosus (Mexico), Cryptocarenus pubescens (Brazil), Cryptocarenus spatulatus (Mexico), Dendrocranulus mexicanus (Mexico), Hylesinus caseariae (Mexico), Pityophthorus levis (USA), and Trischidias exigua (Mexico).     

New synonymy and new species of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

  New synonymy in Scolytidae is proposed as follows: Camptocerus opacicollis (Eggers) ( = Camptocerus aquilus Wood), Cladoctonus corumbensis (Eggers) (= Hoplitophthorus bolivianus Wood), Cladoctonus interruptus (Eggers) ( = Hoplitophthorus sentus Wood), Cnemonyx errans (Blandford) ( = Ceratolepis barbatus Schedl), Cnemonyx flavicornis (Chapnis) (= Cnemonyx vianai Schedl), Cnesinus dividuus Schedl (= Cnesinus dryographus Schedl, Cnesinus laevicollis Schedl), Cryptocurus spinipennis Schedl (= Hyloperus caudatus Browne, Hyloperus bicornis Browne), Dendrosinus ater Eggers (= Dendrosinus hirsutus Schedl), Hylesinus aculeatus Say ( = Hylesinus imperialis Eichhoff), Hylesinus cordipennis Lea (= Hylesinus papuanus Eggers), Hylesinus macmahoni (Stebbing) (= Hylesinus alternans Schedl, Leperisinus fraxinoides Beeson, Leperisinus fraxinoides Schedl), Hylesinus niligrinus Eggers (= Trogloditica robusta Schedl), Phloeosinopsoides triseriatus (Schedl) (= Xylechinus papuanus Schedl), Phloeotribus scarabaeoides (Bernard) ( = Phloeotribus americanus Dejean), Scolytogenes darwini Eichhoff ( = Nigritus similis Eggers, Nigritus major Eggers, Scolytogenes cryptolepis Schedl), Scolytodes notatus Eggers ( = Hexacolus pseudobicolor Eggers, Hexacolus subparalleus Eggers, Hexacolus pelicerinus Schedl), Scolytopsis puncticollis Blandford ( = Scolytopsis argentinensis Schedl, Scolytus bruchi Schedl, Scolytopsis toba Wichmann), Tomicus piniperda (Linnaeus) (= Blastophagus khasianus Murayama), Xylechinus spathifer Schedl (= Pteleobius lomatiae Schedl). Species new to science are described as Acanthotomicus ipsimorphus (Costa Rica), Acrantus opimus (Indonesian New Guinea), Bothrosternus hirsutus (Venezuela), Cnesinus discretus (Venezuela) Cnesinus minor (Costa Rica), Corthylus trunacatus (Peru), Hylurgus indicus (India), Pachycotes minor (Australia), Phloeosinopsoides pumilus (Papua New Guinea), Xylechinosomus pilosus (Brazil).           

New generic synonymy and new genera of Scolytidae (Coleoptera)

New generic synonymy in Scolytidae is proposed as follows: Amasa Lea ( = Pseudoxyleborus Eggers), Araptus Eichhoff ( = Brachydendrulus Schedl, Gnathocranus Schedl, Gnathoborus Schedl), Chortastus Schaufuss ( = Afrochramesus Schedl), Cosmoderes Eichhoff ( = Dendriops Schedl), Cryphalus Erichson ( = Acryphalus Tsai & Li, Jugocryphalus Tsai & Li), Cyrtogenius Strohmeyer ( = Eulepiops Schedl, Ozodendron Schedl, Mimidendrulus Schedl, Artepityophthorus Schedl), Dendrographus Schedl ( = Protopityophthorus Schedl), Glostatus Schedl ( = Paraglostatus Schedl), Gnathotrupes Schedl ( = Gnathocortus Schedl, Gnathomimus Schedl, Gnathoglochinus Schedl), Hylesinopsis Eggers ( = Metahylesinus Eggers, Hapalophloeus Schedl, Hemihylesinus Schedl), Hypothenemus Westwood ( = Chondronoderes Schedl, Archeophalus Schedl, Pachynoderes Schedl, Lepiceroides Schedl), Liparthrum Wollaston ( = Dacryophthorus Schedl), Mimiocurus Schedl ( = Micracidendron Schedl, Mimiophthorus Schedl), Miocryphalus Schedl ( = Afromicracis Schedl), Phloeoditica Schedl ( = Xylechinops Browne), Pityophthorus Eichhoff ( = Breviophthorus Schedl, Neomips Schedl), Pseudothysanoes Blackman ( = Bostrichips Schedl, Gretschkinia Sokanovskii, Neoglostatus Schedl), Scolytodes Ferrari ( = Hexacolinus Schedl, Cryphalophilus Schedl), Scolytogenes Eichhoff ( = Xylocryptus Schedl), Taphrorychus Eichhoff ( = Saliciphilus Sokanovskii, Taphroterus Schedl), Tricolus Blandford ( = Pterocyclonoides Schedl), Triotemnus Wollaston ( = Cladoproctus Schedl), Xylosandrus Reitter ( = Apoxyleborus Wood). New specific synonymy in Scolytidae is proposed for: Chortastus agnatus Eggers ( = Afromicracis baguenai Schedl), Pelicerus (now Dendrographus ) pygmaeus Eggers ( = Protopityophthorus durus Schedl). The status of Pseudomicracus Eggers is discussed. The following new genera are proposed in Scolytidae: Phloeographus (type-species: Phloeographus mamibiae Wood), Phloeocurus (type-species: Hylocurus africanus Schedl), Saurotocis (type-species: Micracidendron tomicoides Schedl), and Peridryocoetes (type-species: Ozodendron nitens Schedl). Pseudothysanoes spinatulus, new name, is proposed to replace P. spinatus Wood, 1956.     

New synonymy and new species of American bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), part X

The following species are named as new to science from Mexico: Corthylus exiguus, lustratus, micacirrus, Dendrocranulus sobrinus, Dendroterus fossifrons, modicus, Gnathotrichus alniphagus, Hylocurus dissimilis, micaceus, scitulus, secus, Phloeoterus burserae, Pseudothysanoes mandibularis, simplex, squameus, truncatus. The genus Phloeoterus, with P. burserae as the type-species, is also named as new.