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Unlike other Cirsium in Korea, Cirsium nipponicum (Island thistle) is distributed only on Ulleung Island, a volcanic island off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, and a unique thistle with none or very small thorns. Although many researchers have questioned the origin and evolution of C. nipponicum, there is not much genomic information to estimate it. We thus assembled the complete chloroplast of C. nipponicum and reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Cirsium. The chloroplast genome was 152,586 bp, encoding 133 genes consisting of 8 rRNA genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 88 protein-coding genes. We found 833 polymorphic sites and eight highly variable regions in chloroplast genomes of six Cirsium species by calculating nucleotide diversity, as well as 18 specific variable regions distinguished C. nipponicum from other Cirsium. As a result of phylogenetic analysis, C. nipponicum was closer to C. arvense and C. vulgare than native Cirsium in Korea: C. rhinoceros and C. japonicum. These results indicate that C. nipponicum is likely introduced through the north Eurasian root, not the mainland, and evolved independently in Ulleung Island. This study contributes to further understanding the evolutionary process and the biodiversity conservation of C. nipponicum on Ulleung Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Plazaster borealis has a unique morphology, displaying multiple arms with a clear distinction between disk and arms, rather than displaying pentaradial symmetry, a remarkable characteristic of echinoderms. Herein we report the first chromosome-level reference genome of P. borealis and an essential tool to further investigate the basis of the divergent morphology. Findings In total, 57.76 Gb of a long read and 70.83 Gb of short-read data were generated to assemble a de novo 561-Mb reference genome of P. borealis , and Hi-C sequencing data (57.47 Gb) were used for scaffolding into 22 chromosomal scaffolds comprising 92.38% of the genome. The genome completeness estimated by BUSCO was 98.0% using the metazoan set, indicating a high-quality assembly. Through the comparative genome analysis, we identified evolutionary accelerated genes known to be involved in morphogenesis and regeneration, suggesting their potential role in shaping body pattern and capacity of regeneration. Conclusion This first chromosome-level genome assembly of P. borealis provides fundamental insights into echinoderm biology, as well as the genomic mechanism underlying its unique morphology and regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As cities are compelled to compete for new sources of investment and revenue, arts‐based economic development strategies have become the norm. The purpose of this paper is to revisit and reevaluate some of the conventional claims about the arts as an important economic development strategy by exploring a case study called "The Space at 2106 Main" in a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood called West Tampa. The results of this study suggest that the arts are indeed assuming a greater role in economic policy under the auspices of West Tampa community redevelopment areas (CRA) and the direct actions of various arts related entrepreneurs. The results however, point to a mixed picture that raises difficult questions about the medium to long‐term effects of this urban redevelopment strategy, especially on the poor and mostly minority residents of West Tampa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from international online databases are analyzed using log-linear regression techniques to test the hypothesis of an inverse association between access to basic utility services and infant mortality. Four basic utility services (potable water, improved sanitation, electricity, and telecommunications) and three controlling factors (health expenditure per capita, women's literacy, and duration of the colonial era) are examined. The hypothesis is confirmed; the predictor variables explain more than half (R2 = 0.57, significant at ⋅ α = 0.000) of the variability in infant mortality. It is recommended that governments in Africa prioritize utility provisioning and women's literacy as an infant mortality reduction strategy. • Study shows a link between access to basic utilities and infant mortality in Africa using loglinear regression. • The hypothesized negative association between the two sets of variables is confirmed. • Access to basic utilities explains 53% of the variability in infant mortality (R-sq. = 0.53). • Policy makers in Africa would do well to invest in basic utilities as a means to reduce infant mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]