Molecular tools are increasingly being used to survey the presence of biodiversity and their interactions within ecosystems. Indirect methods, like environmental DNA (eDNA) and invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA), are dependent on sequence databases with accurate and sufficient taxonomic representation. These methods are increasingly being used in regions and habitats where direct detection or observations can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot with a high proportion of endemic species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Here we describe a new resource, VoronaGasyCodes, a curated database of newly published genetic sequences from Malagasy birds. Our database is currently populated with six mitochondrial genes or DNA barcodes for 142 species including 70% of the birds endemic to the island and will be periodically updated as new data become available. We demonstrate the utility of our database with an iDNA study of leech blood meals where we successfully identified 77% of the hosts to species. These types of resources for characterizing biodiversity are critical for insights into species distribution, discovery of new taxa, novel ecological connections, and advancing conservation and restoration measures.

Molecular tools are increasingly being used to survey the presence of biodiversity and their interactions within ecosystems. Indirect methods, like environmental DNA (eDNA) and invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA), are dependent on sequence databases with accurate and sufficient taxonomic representation. These methods are increasingly being used in regions and habitats where direct detection or observations can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot with a high proportion of endemic species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Here we describe a new resource, VoronaGasyCodes, a curated database of newly published genetic sequences from Malagasy birds. Our database is currently populated with six mitochondrial genes or DNA barcodes for 142 species including 70% of the birds endemic to the island and will be periodically updated as new data become available. We demonstrate the utility of our database with an iDNA study of leech blood meals where we successfully identified 77% of the hosts to species. These types of resources for characterizing biodiversity are critical for insights into species distribution, discovery of new taxa, novel ecological connections, and advancing conservation and restoration measures.

This repository contains four zipped folders with data and code related to the manuscript entitled "The B. subtilis replicative polymerases bind the sliding clamp with different strengths to tune DNA replication." The folders contain:Figure data: plotted data organized by manuscript figure number (as MATLAB workspaces, .mat files).Functions: MATLAB functions needed to 1) integrate MicrobeTracker cell segmentation analysis with u-track point source detection and tracking analysis and 2) perform subsequent processing of u-track analysis results (as MATLAB scripts, .m files)Scripts: MATLAB scripts needed to perform different types of data analysis (as MATLAB scripts, .m files). These scripts are organized by type of analysis (radial distribution function analysis, diffusion coefficient analysis, etc).Sequence data: clamp-binding motif (CBM) sequences from C-family polymerases in Firmicutes species, grouped into PolC, DnaE1, and DnaE3 subtypes (as CSV files). Sequences are taken from the "representative polymerases" dataset in Timinskas, et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 2014, 42, 1393.

This repository contains four zipped folders with data and code related to the manuscript entitled "The B. subtilis replicative polymerases bind the sliding clamp with different strengths to tune DNA replication." The folders contain:Figure data: plotted data organized by manuscript figure number (as MATLAB workspaces, .mat files).Functions: MATLAB functions needed to 1) integrate MicrobeTracker cell segmentation analysis with u-track point source detection and tracking analysis and 2) perform subsequent processing of u-track analysis results (as MATLAB scripts, .m files)Scripts: MATLAB scripts needed to perform different types of data analysis (as MATLAB scripts, .m files). These scripts are organized by type of analysis (radial distribution function analysis, diffusion coefficient analysis, etc).Sequence data: clamp-binding motif (CBM) sequences from C-family polymerases in Firmicutes species, grouped into PolC, DnaE1, and DnaE3 subtypes (as CSV files). Sequences are taken from the "representative polymerases" dataset in Timinskas, et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 2014, 42, 1393.

This repository contains three zipped folders with data and code related to the manuscript entitled "The B. subtilis replicative polymerases bind the sliding clamp with different strengths to tune replication processivity and fidelity." The folders contain:Figure data: plotted data organized by manuscript figure number (as MATLAB workspaces, .mat files).Functions: MATLAB functions needed to 1) integrate MicrobeTracker cell segmentation analysis with u-track point source detection and tracking analysis and 2) perform subsequent processing of u-track analysis results (as MATLAB scripts, .m files)Scripts: MATLAB scripts needed to perform different types of data analysis (as MATLAB scripts, .m files). These scripts are organized by type of analysis (radial distribution function analysis, diffusion coefficient analysis, etc).

Do developing country democracies continue to struggle with revenue loss post-trade liberalization? This article revisits the evidence presented in Democracies in Peril and confirms that, despite critiques suggesting otherwise, a substantial revenue shock persists following tariff reductions, and democracies in less developed countries (LDCs) remain particularly vulnerable. Drawing on updated data from the World Development Indicators and supplemental checks with the International Centre for Tax and Development database, we show that democracies have lagged behind nondemocracies in compensating for lost trade tax revenues, even after reforms aimed at expanding income taxes and value-added taxes. Alongside emphasizing ongoing domestic political obstacles in liberalizing democracies, we also examine emerging challenges that impede revenue generation in LDCs. We conclude with directions for future research on the politics of revenue generation in LDC democracies, emphasizing how improvements in public goods provision and global tax initiatives could help end the downward cycle in revenue generation.

Thelearning environment is a complex environment for conducting evaluations. Students,teachers, and schools all play a role in shaping the environment, which canlead to differences in student achievement. Hence designing an evaluation withthe capacity to detect the effectiveness of an educational intervention onstudent achievement requires careful planning. A key part of the planning is astatistical power analysis that considers the multilevel nature of the design. Thisstudy provides empirical estimates of design parameters necessary for planningadequately powered cluster randomized trials that include the student, teacher,and school level and are focused on reading, mathematics, or scienceachievement. The sample in our study includes administrative state datasetsfrom Michigan, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Maryland for grades 3 through 8. Theresults showed that, with few exceptions, the variance in student test scoresis larger between teachers within schools than between schools.

Thelearning environment is a complex environment for conducting evaluations. Students,teachers, and schools all play a role in shaping the environment, which canlead to differences in student achievement. Hence designing an evaluation withthe capacity to detect the effectiveness of an educational intervention onstudent achievement requires careful planning. A key part of the planning is astatistical power analysis that considers the multilevel nature of the design. Thisstudy provides empirical estimates of design parameters necessary for planningadequately powered cluster randomized trials that include the student, teacher,and school level and are focused on reading, mathematics, or scienceachievement. The sample in our study includes administrative state datasetsfrom Michigan, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Maryland for grades 3 through 8. Theresults showed that, with few exceptions, the variance in student test scoresis larger between teachers within schools than between schools.

Student debt heavily shapes the life decisions and outlooks of those living with it. Here we examine the relationship between undergraduates’ views of President Joe Biden’s actions on student debt and their support for him in the 2024 election prior to his dropping out of the race. Using a representative survey from a large private university in the Northeast, we assess how student views of Biden's handling of student loan relief correlated with voting intentions among registered student voters. Our analysis reveals that students who believe the Biden administration has adequately addressed student debt were significantly more likely to support him compared to those who believe he has done too little. Additionally, our findings suggest that while increased student debt relief could have bolstered Biden's support among liberal and very liberal students, its impact on moderate and conservative students was more limited. This study highlights the electoral implications of student debt relief policies, particularly in shaping young voters' preferences, and underscores the potential for targeted economic benefits to influence voter behavior in a highly polarized political environment.

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