The development of meningococcal disease, caused by the human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis, is preceded by the colonization of the epithelial layer in the nasopharynx. After initial adhesion to host cells meningococci form aggregates, through pilus-pilus interactions, termed microcolonies from which the bacteria later detach. Dispersal from microcolonies enables access to new colonization si...

Both present-day and past processes can shape connectivity of populations. Pleistocene vicariant events and dispersal have shaped the present distribution and connectivity patterns of aquatic species in the Indo-Pacific region. In particular, the processes that have shaped distribution of amphidromous goby species still remain unknown. Previous studies show that phylogeographic breaks are obser...

Continued on back page The most recent invasive species threatening Illinois’ aquatic ecosystems are the bighead and silver carps, two of four species commonly called Asian carps. These fish grow quickly to more than 50 lbs by consuming 30– 50% of their body weight each day in small algae and other tiny organisms. They also reproduce quickly and migrate long distances to spawn. Currently, in th...

Explicit formulae are given for the effects of a barrier to gene flow on random fluctuations in allele frequency; these formulae can also be seen as generating functions for the distribution of coalescence times. The formulae are derived using a continuous diffusion approximation, which is accurate over all but very small spatial scales. The continuous approximation is confirmed by comparison w...

Barrier islands are heavily influenced by external drivers such as sea-level rise, storm-related disturbances, and other complex factors that affect net sediment exchange. Numerous ecological processes (e.g., dispersal, competition, and facilitation) interact with these drivers and ultimately influence barrier-island state change and therefore stability. Our synthesis of physical and ecological...

Early blight of tomato caused by Alternaria solani, is responsible for severe yield losses in tomato. The conidia survive on soil surface and old dry lower leaves of the plant and spread when suitable climatic conditions are available. Macroclimatic study reveals that highest inoculum concentration of Alternaria spores appeared in May 2012 to 2013 and lowest concentration during January 2012 to...

Despite the theoretical link between the ecology and the population genetics of species, little empirical evidence is available that corroborates the association. Here, we examined genetic variation in 40 codistributed species of lowland Neotropical rain forest birds that have populations isolated on either side of the Andes, the Amazon River, and the Madeira River. We found widely varying leve...

Marine biologists have gone through a paradigm shift, from the assumption that marine populations are largely 'open' owing to extensive larval dispersal to the realization that marine dispersal is 'more restricted than previously thought'. Yet, population genetic studies often reveal low levels of genetic structure across large geographic areas. On the other side, more direct approaches such as...

Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed the major role played by the uplift of the Andes in the extraordinary diversification of the Neotropical flora. These studies, however, have typically considered the Andean uplift as a single, time-limited event fostering the evolution of highland elements. This contrasts with geological reconstructions indicating that the uplift occurred in discrete pe...