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1. The influence of history, geography and environment on patterns of diversification in the western terrestrial garter snake

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14146  

   Hallas, Joshua M. ; Parchman, Thomas L. ; Feldman, Chris R. ( June 2021 , Journal of Biogeography)

   A central aim of biogeography is to understand how biodiversity is generated and maintained across landscapes. Here, we establish phylogenetic and population genetic patterns in a widespread reptile to quantify the influence of historical biogeography and current environmental variation on patterns of genetic diversity.

   Western North America.

   Western terrestrial garter snake,Thamnophis elegans.

   We used double‐digest RADseq to estimate phylogenetic relationships and characterize population genetic structure across the three widespread subspecies ofT. elegans:T. e. vagrans(wandering garter snake),T. e. elegans(mountain garter snake) andT. e. terrestris(coast garter snake). We assessed patterns of dispersal and vicariance across biogeographic regions using ancestral area reconstruction (AAR) and deviations from isolation‐by‐distance across the landscape using estimated effective migration surfaces (EEMS). We identified environmental variables potentially shaping local adaptation in regional lineages using genetic‐environment association (GEA) analyses.

   We recovered three well‐differentiated genetic groups that correspond to the three subspecies. AAR analyses inferred the eastern Cascade Range as the ancestral area, with dispersal to both the east and west across western North America. Populations ofT. e. elegansdisplayed a latitudinal gradient in genetic variation across the Sierra Nevada and northern California, while populations ofT. e. terrestrisshow discrete genetic breaks consistent with well‐known biogeographic barriers. Lastly, GEA analyses identified allele frequency shifts at loci associated with a common set of environmental variables in bothT. e. elegansandT. e. terrestris.

   T. elegansis composed of distinct evolutionary lineages, each with its own geographic range and history of diversification.T. e. elegansandT. e. terrestrisshow unique patterns of diversification as populations dispersed from east to west and while adapting to the new environments they colonized. Historical events, landscape features and environmental variation have all contributed to patterns of differentiation inT. elegans.

    

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2. Teaching little kids big sentences: A randomized controlled trial showing that children with DLD respond to complex syntax intervention embedded within the context of preschool/kindergarten science instruction

   https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12882  

   Owen Van Horne, Amanda J. ; Curran, Maura ; Cook, Susan Wagner ; Cole, Renée ; McGregor, Karla K. ( May 2023 , International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders)

   The language of the science curriculum is complex, even in the early grades. To communicate their scientific observations, children must produce complex syntax, particularly complement clauses (e.g.,I think it will float;We noticed that it vibrates). Complex syntax is often challenging for children with developmental language disorder (DLD), and thus their learning and communication of science may be compromised.

   We asked whether recast therapy delivered in the context of a science curriculum led to gains in complement clause use and scientific content knowledge. To understand the efficacy of recast therapy, we compared changes in science and language knowledge in children who received treatment for complement clauses embedded in a first‐grade science curriculum to two active control conditions (vocabulary + science, phonological awareness + science).

   This 2‐year single‐site three‐arm parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted in Delaware, USA. Children with DLD, not yet in first grade and with low accuracy on complement clauses, were eligible. Thirty‐three 4–7‐year‐old children participated in the summers of 2018 and 2019 (2020 was cancelled due to COVID‐19). We assigned participants to arms using 1:1:1 pseudo‐random allocation (avoiding placing siblings together). The intervention consisted of 39 small‐group sessions of recast therapy, robust vocabulary instruction or phonological awareness intervention during eight science units over 4 weeks, followed by two science units (1 week) taught without language intervention. Pre‐/post‐measures were collected 3 weeks before and after camp by unmasked assessors.

   Primary outcome measures were accuracy on a 20‐item probe of complement clause production and performance on ten 10‐item unit tests (eight science + language, two science only). Complete data were available for 31 children (10 grammar, 21 active control); two others were lost to follow‐up. Both groups made similar gains on science unit tests for science + language content (pre versus post,d= 2.9,p< 0.0001; group,p= 0.24). The grammar group performed significantly better at post‐test than the active control group (d= 2.5,p= 0.049) on complement clause probes and marginally better on science‐only unit tests (d= 2.5,p= 0.051).

   Children with DLD can benefit from language intervention embedded in curricular content and learn both language and science targets taught simultaneously. Tentative findings suggest that treatment for grammar targets may improve academic outcomes.

   We know that recast therapy focused on morphology is effective but very time consuming. Treatment for complex syntax in young children has preliminary efficacy data available. Prior research provides mixed evidence as to children’s ability to learn language targets in conjunction with other information.

   This study provides additional data supporting the efficacy of intensive complex syntax recast therapy for children ages 4–7 with Developmental Language Disorder. It also provides data that children can learn language targets and science curricular content simultaneously.

   As SLPs, we have to talk about something to deliver language therapy; we should consider talking about curricular content. Recast therapy focused on syntactic frames is effective with young children.

    

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3. Factors correlated with intracranial interictal epileptiform discharges in refractory epilepsy

   https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16792  

   Quon, Robert J. ; Meisenhelter, Stephen ; Adamovich‐Zeitlin, Richard H. ; Song, Yinchen ; Steimel, Sarah A. ; Camp, Edward J. ; Testorf, Markus E. ; MacKenzie, Todd A. ; Gross, Robert E. ; Lega, Bradley C. ; et al ( December 2020 , Epilepsia)

   This study was undertaken to evaluate the influence that subject‐specific factors have on intracranial interictal epileptiform discharge (IED) rates in persons with refractory epilepsy.

   One hundred fifty subjects with intracranial electrodes performed multiple sessions of a free recall memory task; this standardized task controlled for subject attention levels. We utilized a dominance analysis to rank the importance of subject‐specific factors based on their relative influence on IED rates. Linear mixed‐effects models were employed to comprehensively examine factors with highly ranked importance.

   Antiseizure medication (ASM) status, time of testing, and seizure onset zone (SOZ) location were the highest‐ranking factors in terms of their impact on IED rates. The average IED rate of electrodes in SOZs was 34% higher than the average IED rate of electrodes outside of SOZs (non‐SOZ;p < .001). However, non‐SOZ electrodes had similar IED rates regardless of the subject's SOZ location (p = .99). Subjects on older generation (p < .001) and combined generation (p < .001) ASM regimens had significantly lower IED rates relative to the group taking no ASMs; newer generation ASM regimens demonstrated a nonsignificant association with IED rates (p = .13). Of the ASMs included in this study, the following ASMs were associated with significant reductions in IED rates: levetiracetam (p < .001), carbamazepine (p < .001), lacosamide (p = .03), zonisamide (p = .01), lamotrigine (p = .03), phenytoin (p = .03), and topiramate (p = .01). We observed a nonsignificant association between time of testing and IED rates (morning–afternoonp = .15, morning–eveningp = .85, afternoon–eveningp = .26).

   The current study ranks the relative influence that subject‐specific factors have on IED rates and highlights the importance of considering certain factors, such as SOZ location and ASM status, when analyzing IEDs for clinical or research purposes.

    

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4. Differential geographical and ecological dynamics allow diversification of morphologically convergent giant bromeliads in the Atlantic Forest

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13961  

   Maciel, Jefferson Rodrigues ; Zizka, Georg ; Alves, Marccus ( October 2020 , Journal of Biogeography)

   We investigate the evolutionary mechanisms that allow morphologically convergent lineages to share the same geographical space. We compared the evolutionary events that occurred along the diversification ofKarawataandAechmeasubgen.Chevalierain the Atlantic Forest by (a) verifying whether the climatic niches and habitats ofKarawataandChevalieraare similar; (b) testing whether the two groups had the same pattern of colonization in the Atlantic Forest; and (c) evaluating whether they had the same evolutionary dynamics of environmental space occupation.

   Brazilian Atlantic Forest

   KarawataandAechmeasubgen.Chevaliera(Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae)

   We explored differences in evolutionary dynamics betweenKarawataandChevalieraby (a) analyzing their divergence times using Bayesian inference with a relaxed molecular clock; (b) estimating ancestral ranges and habitats with Dispersion Extinction Cladogenesis Lagrange and Statistical Dispersal Vicariance analyses; (c) testing climatic niche similarity, equivalency and overlap using principal component analysis; and, (d) evaluating shifts in speciation dynamics using Bayesian Analysis of Macroevolutionary Mixtures.

   KarawataandChevalieramost likely originated in the Pliocene and diversified during the Pleistocene. The two clades originated in ombrophilous forests and shared a similar environmental space. However,KarawataandChevalierashow different dynamics in the occupation of geographical and environmental spaces.

   Our results suggest that the São Francisco and Jequitinhonha Rivers acted as geographical barriers forKarawataandChevaliera. Differences in spatial and environmental evolutionary dynamics have allowed the two groups to occupy similar habitats as well as environmental and geographical spaces in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

    

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5. CYP2C19 and STAT6 Variants Influence the Outcome of Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis

   https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000002480  

   Mougey, Edward B. ; Williams, Andre ; Coyne, Ashlan J. Kunz ; Gutiérrez‐Junquera, Carolina ; Fernández‐Fernández, Sonia ; Cilleruelo, Maria Luz ; Rayo, Ana ; Echeverría, Luis ; Román, Enriqueta ; González Lois, Carmen ; et al ( November 2019 , Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition)

   Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are an effective treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE); however, only 30% to 60% of patients respond. Common genetic variants inCYP2C19andSTAT6associate with PPI plasma concentration and magnitude of inflammatory response, respectively. Our objective was to determine if genetic variation in the genes forCYP2C19andSTAT6influence differentiation between PPI responsive esophageal eosinophilia versus PPI nonresponsive EoE (PPI‐REE, PPI‐nonresponsive EoE).

   Genomic DNA was isolated from 92 esophageal tissue biopsies collected from participants of a prospective clinical trial of high‐dose PPI therapy for esophageal eosinophilia in children.

   Of the 92 patients examined, 57 (62%) were PPI‐REE and 35 (38%) were PPI‐nonresponsive EoE. Forty‐six of the 92 patients were further characterized by pH probe monitoring; there was no association between reflux index and carriage ofCYP2C19^*17(P= 0.35). In children who received a PPI dose between ≥1.54 and ⩽2.05 mg/kg/day, binary logistic regression modeling showed that carriage ofCYP2C19^*17associated with PPI‐nonresponsive EoE (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 7.71 [1.21, 49.11],P= 0.031). Carriage ofSTAT6allelic variant rs1059513 predicts PPI‐REE (OR [95% CI] = 6.16 [1.44, 26.4],P= 0.028), whereas carriage ofSTAT6rs324011 synergizes withCYP2C19^*17to predict PPI‐nonresponsive EoE (rs324011 OR [95% CI] = 5.56 [1.33, 20.72],P= 0.022;CYP2C19^*17OR [95% CI] = 8.19[1.42, 50.57],P= 0.023).

   Common variants inCYP2C19andSTAT6associate with a PPI‐nonresponsive EoE outcome of PPI therapy for esophageal eosinophilia suggesting that response rates may be improved by adopting a genotype‐guided approach to PPI dosing.

    

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