阿肯色州立大学

Pigeons and doves began to diversify shortly after the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary, subsequently colonizing new land masses via long-distance dispersal. Extant pigeon and dove species occupy a range of habitats and exhibit both migratory and homing behaviors. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing to infer the phylogenetic relationships of 108 pigeon and dove species; a significant expansion of taxa compared to prior phylogenomic studies. Phylogenetic analysis using different methods produced trees that were largely consistent, except with regard to the placement of the genus Macropygia, and generally follows subfamily and genus classification, with two exceptions. Given the similarities between trees, one of the resulting trees was used to examine molecular evolution in a candidate magnetoreceptor in birds, cryptochrome 4. A radical-pair within the cryptochrome 4 protein may allow birds to detect the Earth's magnetic field. Phylogenetic studies have the potential to identify evolutionary changes within the cryptochrome 4 gene and protein sequences that are associated with behavioral changes, and may inform subsequent functional studies. By examining cryptochrome 4 guided by a phylogenomic reconstruction of pigeon and dove species, we find that three amino acid changes in cryptochrome 4 are under positive selection in some species. The three changes occur within two different functional regions within cryptochrome 4, but are not statistically significantly associated with changes in dispersal and foraging behaviors. Long-distance dispersal has shaped the diversification of pigeons and doves, a diverse group of birds, which includes a species capable of homing. To understand the evolutionary relationships of pigeons and doves, 5,464 genes were used to infer an evolutionary tree that includes 108 different species, a significant expansion compared to earlier studies. A phylogenetic tree of pigeons and doves was used to examine the evolution of the cryptochrome 4 gene, which encodes a protein that may allow birds to detect magnetic fields during navigation. The results highlight specific amino acid changes in cryptochrome 4 that may alter magnetic orientation, potentially informing future studies. Las palomas y t & oacute;rtolas comenzaron a diversificarse poco despu & eacute;s del l & iacute;mite Cret & aacute;cico-Pale & oacute;geno (K-Pg), colonizando posteriormente nuevas masas terrestres mediante dispersi & oacute;n a larga distancia. Las especies actuales de palomas y t & oacute;rtolas ocupan una amplia variedad de h & aacute;bitats y exhiben tanto comportamientos migratorios como de retorno al sitio de origen. Aqu & iacute; utilizamos la secuenciaci & oacute;n completa del genoma para inferir las relaciones filogen & eacute;ticas de 108 especies de palomas y t & oacute;rtolas; una expansi & oacute;n significativa del n & uacute;mero de taxones en comparaci & oacute;n con estudios filogen & oacute;micos previos. El an & aacute;lisis filogen & eacute;tico mediante distintos m & eacute;todos produjo & aacute;rboles en gran medida consistentes entre s & iacute;, excepto en lo que respecta a la ubicaci & oacute;n del g & eacute;nero Macropygia, y en general sigue la clasificaci & oacute;n por subfamilia y g & eacute;nero, con 2 excepciones. Dadas las similitudes entre los & aacute;rboles, uno de los & aacute;rboles resultantes se utiliz & oacute; para examinar la evoluci & oacute;n molecular de un potencial magnetorreceptor en aves, el criptocromo 4. Un par radical dentro de la prote & iacute;na criptocromo 4 puede permitir que las aves detecten el campo magn & eacute;tico terrestre. Los estudios filogen & eacute;ticos tienen el potencial de identificar cambios evolutivos en el gen y en las secuencias proteicas de criptocromo 4 que est & eacute;n asociados con cambios conductuales y que puedan orientar estudios funcionales posteriores. Al examinar el criptocromo 4 guiados por una reconstrucci & oacute;n filogen & oacute;mica de especies de palomas y t & oacute;rtolas, encontramos que tres cambios de amino & aacute;cidos en el criptocromo 4 est & aacute;n bajo selecci & oacute;n positiva en algunas especies. Los tres cambios ocurren en dos regiones funcionales distintas dentro del criptocromo 4, pero no est & aacute;n estad & iacute;sticamente asociados de manera significativa con cambios en los comportamientos de dispersi & oacute;n y forrajeo.

Conserving migratory birds requires a detailed understanding of their full annual cycle, including nonbreeding distributions, migratory pathways, migratory phenology, and patterns of migratory connectivity. This information could be particularly important for managing Limnothlypis swainsonii (Swainson's Warbler), a Nearctic-Neotropical migrant of conservation concern. We tracked L. swainsonii from across their breeding distribution in the southeastern U.S. to identify migration routes and nonbreeding locations. In addition to traditional light-level geolocators, we used barometric pressure data collected by multisensor geolocators (pressure tags), which we combined with a global weather reanalysis and a movement model (GeoPressureR) to estimate precise, continuous locations, and collect previously unavailable flight behavior data. We deployed 43 pressure tags and 43 light-level geolocators on breeding male L. swainsonii across 6 states in 2021. We recaptured 31 (36%) tagged individuals in 2022, with 26 tags used for analysis. Light-level geolocators (n = 12) experienced chronic shading, resulting in broad nonbreeding estimates and little information during migration. Pressure tags (n = 14), however, provided accurate nonbreeding estimates (similar to 10-40 km) and all stopover regions. We found a longitudinal divide in nonbreeding distributions: western breeders of the Mississippi Valley and Missouri Ozarks migrated across the Gulf of Mexico to spend the nonbreeding season in the Yucatan Peninsula; eastern breeders from the Appalachians and Atlantic Coastal Plains migrated to Cuba and the Bahamas, with en route stops in Florida and Georgia. Pressure tags also revealed precise details of migratory movements, including phenology, flight durations, and altitudes. Most notably, individuals traveled significantly faster and spent less time at stopovers during fall migration than in spring, antithetical to current understanding. Migratory pathways and wintering grounds of L. swainsonii suggest eastern and western breeding populations experience different environmental conditions, ecological and anthropogenic barriers, and habitat quality during migration.How to CiteRhyne, G.S., A. M. Peele, L. P. Bulluck, T. J. Boves, D. A. Buehler, J. Tyrrell, M. Johnson, D. W. Rader, R. Nussbaumer, and P. C. Stouffer (2026). Rangewide connectivity and migration ecology in Limnothlypis swainsonii (Swainson's Warbler) uncovered with barometric geolocators. Ornithological Applications 128:duag018. It is critical to track migratory birds throughout their annual to better understand migratory connectivity and ecology. There is little information about the migration ecology of Limnothlypis swainsonii (Swainson's Warbler), a species of conservation concern. We deployed 86 barometric and light-level geolocators on L. swainsonii across their breeding range in 2021, recovered 31 geolocators (36%) in 2022, and used 26 tags for analysis. Whereas light-level data provided broad (100+ km) nonbreeding estimates, barometric data revealed more accurate estimates, as well as continuous stopover sites, exact migratory phenology, and novel flight data. We found L. swainsonii exhibits a longitudinal pattern of migratory connectivity: individuals from the west crossed the Gulf of Mexico to spend the nonbreeding season in the Yucatan Peninsula, while from the east, individuals migrated down peninsular Florida to the Caribbean. Data showed birds migrated faster in the fall than in the spring. La conservaci & oacute;n de aves migratorias requiere una comprensi & oacute;n detallada de su ciclo anual completo, incluyendo las distribuciones no reproductivas, las rutas migratorias, la fenolog & iacute;a migratoria y los patrones de conectividad migratoria. Esta informaci & oacute;n podr & iacute;a ser particularmente importante para el manejo de Limnothlypis swainsonii, un migrante ne & aacute;rtico-neotropical de inter & eacute;s para la conservaci & oacute;n. Rastreamos a L. swainsonii a lo largo de toda su distribuci & oacute;n reproductiva en el sureste de Estados Unidos para identificar rutas migratorias y & aacute;reas no reproductivas. Adem & aacute;s de geo-localizadores tradicionales basados en niveles de luz, utilizamos datos de presi & oacute;n barom & eacute;trica recolectados por geo-localizadores multi-sensor (dispositivos de presi & oacute;n), que combinamos con un re-an & aacute;lisis meteorol & oacute;gico global y un modelo de movimiento (GeoPressureR) para estimar ubicaciones precisas y continuas, y recopilar datos de comportamiento de vuelo previamente no disponibles. Colocamos 43 dispositivos de presi & oacute;n y 43 geo-localizadores de nivel de luz en machos reproductores de L. swainsonii en seis estados durante 2021. Recapturamos 31 individuos marcados (36%) en 2022, con 26 dispositivos utilizados para el an & aacute;lisis. Los geo-localizadores basados en niveles de luz (n = 12) experimentaron sombreado cr & oacute;nico, lo que result & oacute; en estimaciones generales de las & aacute;reas no reproductivas y escasa informaci & oacute;n durante la migraci & oacute;n. En cambio, los dispositivos de presi & oacute;n (n = 14) proporcionaron estimaciones precisas de las & aacute;reas no reproductivas (similar to 10-40 km) y de todas las regiones de parada. Encontramos una divisi & oacute;n longitudinal en las distribuciones no reproductivas: los individuos reproductores occidentales del valle del Misisipi y los Ozarks de Misuri migraron a trav & eacute;s del Golfo de M & eacute;xico para pasar la temporada no reproductiva en la pen & iacute;nsula de Yucat & aacute;n; los reproductores orientales de los Apalaches y las planicies costeras del Atl & aacute;ntico migraron a Cuba y las Bahamas, con paradas intermedias en Florida y Georgia. Los dispositivos de presi & oacute;n tambi & eacute;n revelaron detalles precisos de los movimientos migratorios, incluyendo la fenolog & iacute;a, las duraciones de vuelo y las altitudes. De manera destacada, los individuos se desplazaron significativamente m & aacute;s r & aacute;pido y pasaron menos tiempo en las & aacute;reas de parada durante la migraci & oacute;n oto & ntilde;al que en la primaveral, en contraposici & oacute;n al conocimiento actual. Las rutas migratorias y las & aacute;reas de invernada de L. swainsonii sugieren que las poblaciones reproductoras orientales y occidentales experimentan diferentes condiciones ambientales, barreras ecol & oacute;gicas y antr & oacute;picas, y calidades de h & aacute;bitat durante la migraci & oacute;n.

The increasing penetration of intermittent renewable energy demands innovative solutions to maintain grid stability, resilience, and security in the body of smart cities. This paper presents a novel framework that redefines Bitcoin mining as a form of virtual energy storage, a flexible and controllable load capable of delivering large-scale demand response services, positioning it as a competitive alternative to traditional energy storage systems, including electrical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrochemical storage solutions. By strategically aligning mining activities with grid conditions, Bitcoin mining can absorb excess electricity during periods of oversupply, converting it into digital assets, and reduce operations during times of scarcity, effectively emulating the behavior of conventional energy storage systems without the associated capital expenditures and material requirements. Beyond its operational flexibility, this paper explores the cyber-physical benefits of integrating Bitcoin mining into the power transmission systems as a defensive mechanism against false data injection (FDI) cyberattacks in smart city infrastructure. To achieve this goal, a decentralized and adaptive control strategy is proposed, in which mining loads dynamically adjust based on authenticated grid-state information, thereby improving system observability and hindering adversarial efforts to disrupt state estimation. In addition, to handle the proposed approach, this paper introduces a high-performance algorithm, a combination of quantum-augmented particle swarm optimization and wavelet-oriented whale optimization (QAPSO-WOWO). Simulation results confirm that strategic deployment of mining loads improves grid sustainability by utilizing curtailed renewables, enhances resilience by mitigating load-generation imbalances, and bolsters cybersecurity by reducing the impacts of FDI attacks. This work lays the foundation for a transdisciplinary paradigm shift, positioning Bitcoin mining not as a passive energy consumer but as an active participant in securing and stabilizing the future power grid in smart cities.

This study examines how financial institutions influence CO2 emissions in G20 countries over the period 1994–2021. Although the link between energy use and emissions is well established, evidence on the finance–emission relationship remains mixed. Using the Financial Institutions Index alongside a disaggregated energy mix and macroeconomic controls, we explore how financial development and energy consumption jointly affect emissions. The results indicate that the finance–emissions nexus is heterogeneous across development stages: in high-income or developed economies, stronger financial institutions are associated with lower emissions, consistent with improved capital allocation and greater support for cleaner technologies. In contrast, in developing or upper-middle-income economies, financial expansion is associated with higher emissions, consistent with scale effects and continued reliance on fossil-fuel-based industrial activity. Overall, the findings suggest that green-finance strategies should be tailored to countries’ development conditions and energy structures.

Plant-based expression systems, known as molecular farming, have emerged as sustainable and scalable platforms for producing recombinant proteins used in pharmaceuticals, industrial enzymes, and agricultural products. Among the key determinants of transgene performance, promoter elements play a central role in defining transcriptional strength, specificity, and regulation. This review highlights current advances in promoter engineering tailored for plant systems, encompassing natural, synthetic, hybrid, inducible, and tissue-specific promoters used in stable transgenic plants, transient expression systems, and plant cell cultures. The structural and functional features of promoter elements are discussed, along with strategies to mitigate challenges such as transcriptional silencing, genomic context dependency, and variability cross species and production platform. Emerging synthetic biology tools, such as CRISPR-based transcriptional control, high-throughput screening, and machine learning–assisted promoter design, are enabling the creation of tunable, orthogonal promoters suited for complex multigene expression. As promoter engineering continues to evolve, it remains foundational to advancing plant molecular farming and expanding the role of plants as versatile biofactories for high-value recombinant proteins.