bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are we wasting our money on food supplements in elder care wards?
Authors: Gosney Margot
Published: July 2003

Background.  It is reported that undernutrition in older hospitalized patients is commonly found, but estimates of its prevalence vary. It is also not clear which treatment approaches are best because poor methodology prevents comparison of outcomes between different studies.

Rationale.  The rationale of this observational study was to look at typical elder care wards in order to determine what food supplements were being prescribed. We wished to determine whether serum albumin and/or body mass index (BMI) were appropriately related to the prescription of sip feeds and also to determine the palatability of supplements provided.

Method.  We monitored the wastage of sip feeds over a 24‐hour period and extrapolated an estimated cost. Ninety‐six patients were studied, including 23 patients with a BMI of less than 20, of whom 30% were on supplementary feeds.

Results.  Seventy percentage of prescribed sip feeds were being given to people with a BMI of 20 or more. The mean wastage in this 24‐hour period was 63% (£79·56) in four wards containing 96 older patients.

Conclusion.  We concluded that there was no relationship between the numbers of patients with a low albumin and BMI and the prescription of sip feeds. We found compliance to be low (37%) because of poor palatability, with a large number of patients who appeared to require sip feeds not being prescribed them and those who received them wasting more than they drank.
Nurses and ‘difficult’ patients: negotiating non‐compliance
Authors: Russell Sarah , Daly Jeanne , Hughes Emma , Hoog Corinne op't
Published: July 2003

Background.  There is a large body of nursing literature on patient non‐compliance. While some articles address non‐compliance as a patient problem to be resolved by nursing interventions, there is also a growing number that critique this approach. This reflects the discomfort many nurses feel about the practice of labelling patients as non‐compliant.

Aim.  The aim of this discussion paper is to build on the critical nursing literature to offer an alternative to the interventions commonly directed at patients who do not follow health care advice. This alternative approach locates patients within their social context and focuses on those who adapt health care advice to fit with their beliefs, life situation and circumstances. The aim is to encourage nurses to learn about how health care treatments affect patients’lives, and not merely their health.

Method.  Specific nursing articles were reviewed to demonstrate the ways in which the concept of compliance is used within the nursing literature. These articles were then used to support an argument that promotes a patient‐centred approach to health care.

Conclusion.  A patient‐centred approach involves transferring power and authority away from health care professionals and towards patients. We encourage nurses to take a leadership role by changing the way in which health care is delivered towards a focus on patients’lives. Learning about patients’ lives may assist nurses to offer health information to patients that is more relevant and, therefore, useful.
Health Belief Model and Reversal Theory: a comparative analysis
Authors: Finfgeld Deborah L. , Wongvatunyu Suporn , Conn Vicki S. , Grando Victoria T. , Russell Cynthia L.
Published: July 2003

Background. In recent years, an increasing number of nurses have demonstrated interest in health behaviour change interventions and research. Despite this heightened enthusiasm, there appears to have been less interest in exploring new and emerging health behaviour change theories.

Aim. The goal of this work is to assist clinicians and researchers to make more informed choices about the use of the Health Belief Model and Reversal Theory in their practice settings and research projects.

Method. Primary sources were analysed using qualitative data analysis methods in order to compare and contrast the two models. Four comparative categories provided the structure for analysis: origins of models, ways of knowing and behaving, role of health care providers in behaviour change, and desired outcomes.

Results. Based, in part, on their historical origins, the Health Belief Model and Reversal Theory offer differing tenets regarding how individuals perceive, understand, and behave. According to Reversal Theory, ways of knowing and behaving are dependent upon innate physiological factors and subjectively structured perceptions. In contrast, the Health Belief Model suggests that health‐related behaviours are largely attributable to cognitive decision‐making processes. As such, health care providers are directed to approach health behaviour change in different ways.

Conclusions. Although the Health Belief Model has been widely implemented, Reversal Theory may offer a more comprehensive framework for health behaviour change interventions and research. Clinicians and researchers are urged to learn more about this theory and how it may apply to their areas of practice and research.
Student nurses’ attitudes towards working with older patients
Authors: McKinlay Andy , Cowan Sue
Published: July 2003

Background. The ageing of the United Kingdom (UK) population means that the care of older people will become an increasingly important part of nurses’ remit. However, employment statistics suggest that this is an unpopular nursing specialism. This may be due to a number of factors, one of which may be nurses’ negative attitudes towards working with older people. This constitutes a potential problem, especially if such attitudes have an impact on the quality of care provided.

Aim. To examine the attitudes held by student nurses towards working with older patients.

Methods. Questionnaires incorporating Likert‐type scales, two vignettes and demographic questions were designed using the theory of planned behaviour. These were distributed to 172 student nurses undertaking preregistration nursing courses in the UK during the academic session 2000–2001.

Results. Student nurses displayed positive intentions towards working with older patients. These were based on their own attitudes and beliefs about what others would wish them to do. Participants believed that their behaviour towards older patients was to a large extent under volitional control. Analysis of the beliefs underlying student nurses’ views showed that they differentiated between those participants who had a relatively positive approach to their work with older patients and those with a less positive approach. In addition, the results offered mixed support for the view that more knowledgeable or experienced nurses hold more positive views towards older people.

Conclusions. The findings offer some support for previous studies that have looked at the more general issue of attitudes towards older people. However, the results also indicate that a more rigorous and more highly focused approach to the study of such attitudes is required if the research is to be relevant to the issue of working with older patients. The theoretical, methodological and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
The clinical landscape of critical care: nurses’ decision‐making
Authors: Bucknall Tracey
Published: July 2003

Background. Many studies have tended to explore individual characteristics that impact on nurses’ decision‐making, despite significant acknowledgement that context is a major determinant in decision‐making. The few studies that have examined environmental influences have tended not to study real decisions in the dynamic and complex clinical environment.

Aims. To investigate environmental influences on nurses’ real decisions in the critical care setting.

Method. Naturalistic observations and semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 18 critical care nurses in private, public and rural hospitals. Observations and interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded for themes using content analysis.

Results. All clinical decisions were strongly influenced by the context in which the decision was made. Three main environmental influences were identified: the patient situation, resource availability and interpersonal relationships. Time and risk guided all clinical decisions. Nurses established the state of the situation, the time constraints on decisions and the level of risk involved for both patient and nurse.

Conclusions. Decision‐making is a manifestation of the landscape and although an increased understanding of the landscape is required, more important is the need to measure the impact of contextual variables on nurses’ decision‐making in order to improve health care outcomes.
The Food Standards Agency's antioxidants in food programme – a summary*
Authors: McKevith B. , Kelly C. , Stanner S. , Hughes J. , Buttriss J.
Published: July 2003

Background  In 2001, the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) was contracted to evaluate projects from the Antioxidants in Food research programme, now funded by the Food Standards Agency and previously the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The programme aimed at testing the ‘antioxidant hypothesis’.

Methods  The evaluation was conducted with support and guidance from a Steering Group of experts. The final report sets out BNF's recommendations for the future of the Antioxidants in Food research programme.

Results  It was recommended that future research should consider a wider scope of potential mechanisms of action of substances within foods; more emphasis should be placed on studying bioavailability of a range of plant derived substances, and the impact of genotype, age and disease should be investigated.

Conclusions  The research programme has been important as it has focused attention on disease prevention rather than on treatment, and has helped progress identification of biomarkers. From human observational and intervention studies there is evidence of an association between a diet rich in plant foods (particularly fruit and vegetables) and health benefits. However, as there is no evidence that any particular nutrient or class of bioactive substances makes a special contribution, currently the most prudent public health advice is to increase vegetable and fruit consumption.
What is the problem with breast‐feeding? A qualitative analysis of infant feeding perceptions
Authors: Stewart‐Knox B. , Gardiner K. , Wright M.
Published: July 2003

Aims and objectives  Breast‐feeding rates are low in Northern Ireland (NI) compared with other regions of Europe. The aim of this study has therefore been to define and explore factors determining infant feeding decisions with a view to the planning of future research and intervention needs.

Method  Participants were approached at convenience from the throughput of women attending a large teaching hospital antenatal clinic to take part in focus group discussion.

Results  Dominant themes indicated that the main barriers to breast‐feeding are restricted freedom and independence associated with family issues, return to work, societal embarrassment and perceived social isolation. The dialogue suggested that breast‐feeding leads to inability to carry out everyday activities and social exclusion.

Conclusions  Incompatible social norms make it difficult for mothers to breast‐feed successfully. This implies that future promotional efforts should take a societal approach.
Food prepared in iron cooking pots as an intervention for reducing iron deficiency anaemia in developing countries: a systematic review
Authors: Geerligs P. D. Prinsen , Brabin B. J. , Omari A. A. A.
Published: July 2003

Objective  To complete a systematic review of the effect of preparing food cooked in iron pots on haemoglobin concentrations and to assess compliance with pot use.

Design and Search strategy  We searched The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, The Cochrane Controlled trials Register, The Cochrane Methodology Register, Health Technology Assessment Database and NHS Economic Evaluation Database (Cochrane Library, Issue 3, 2002). Medline (1966 to May 2002) and EMBASE (1988 to May 2002). Reference lists of published trials were examined for other potentially relevant trials and authors of selected trials were contacted to obtain information about ongoing or unpublished trials. Selection criteria included randomized trials which compared the effect of food cooked in cast iron pots with food cooked in noncast iron pots on participants of a minimum age of 4 months. One reviewer applied inclusion criteria to potentially relevant trials. Two reviewers assessed trial quality and extracted data.

Results  Three trials were eligible for inclusion in the review. There is some evidence from these studies that eating food prepared in iron pots increases the haemoglobin concentration of anaemic/iron deficient individuals. This effect seems to be modified by compliance, users age, and the presence of malaria and hookworm. Compliance with pot use varies considerably between countries depending on several factors, including: size of the cooking pot, targeted user group, whether the pot is used as an extra or replacement pot, and familiarity with cast iron pots.

Conclusion  The introduction of iron pots or improving their use in communities in developing countries for the preparation of food maybe a promising innovative intervention for reducing iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia. Further research is required to monitor the use and effectiveness of this intervention.
Meals, snacks and food choices in Brazilian shift workers with high energy expenditure
Authors: De Assis M. A. A. , Nahas M. V. , Bellisle F. , Kupek E.
Published: July 2003

Objective  To describe the food intake of garbage collectors, who works in three shifts, in terms of meal and snack frequency, content, time distribution and the contribution of various popular foods to the total diet.

Methods  Sixty‐six Brazilian garbage collectors, who work in morning, afternoon, and night shift, participated in the present study. The quantitative methods used were a combination of one 24‐h recall and two 24‐h records during three nonconsecutive work days. The qualitative method used was the food‐based classification of eating episodes model modified in order to define meals or snacks in three categories of events: meals with three food groups of high nutrient density (three HND meals), meals with two food groups of high nutrient density (two HND meals) and snacks, composed of only one food category of high nutrient density.

Results  The total number of eating events per day was significantly higher for night shift workers. Over 24‐h, ‘two HND meals’ were the most common events and contributed the most energy, in all three shifts. Night shift workers ate more at dawn and less in the morning than other shifts. In all three shifts, meat was the most important food contributing to energy intake.

Conclusion  Different work schedules did not affect the relative frequency of meal types and snacks or their contribution to daily energy intake, but affected the daily distribution of eating events, with a redistribution of intake from day to night in night shift workers.
Child malnutrition in Vietnam and its transition in an era of economic growth
Authors: Thang N. M. , Popkin B.
Published: July 2003

Objective  In the past decade, Vietnam has achieved an impressive rate of socioeconomic development paralleled by broad improvements in the health sector – but child malnutrition still lags far behind that of most other health indicators. The purpose of this study is to discover inequality in the near‐present situation (1997–98; hereafter referred to as the present situation), changes of child malnutrition over the period from 1992–93 to 1997–98, and factors that might affect the inability to rapidly reduce child malnutrition among the poor, rural, and minority populations.

Design  Data from two nationally representative surveys – the 1992–93 and 1997–98 Vietnam Living Standards Measurement Surveys (LSMS) – of Vietnamese households were utilized in this study. Descriptive and logistic procedures were used for the analyses. The focus was on the variables related to household poverty status, total expenditure levels, rural residence, and minority status with controls for other key economic and demographic measures.

Subjects  A cross‐sectional analysis was conducted on data using 4305 households and 4367 children (2–11 years of age in 1992–93) that were included in both surveys of the Vietnam Living Standard Survey (VLSS) in 1992–93 and 1997–98, conducted under the framework of the LSMS.

Results  Children of rural households, poor households, and ethnic minority backgrounds are significantly more likely to be malnourished than urban residents, children of nonpoor households, and the majority Kinh population. Additionally, avenues to escape malnourishment are limited in the former categories. These results suggest that economic improvements in Vietnam have, for the most part, bypassed the rural poor and minorities, and targeting economic resources towards these groups will be most critical to reduce malnutrition in Vietnam.
Trend to better nutrition on Australian hospital menus 1986–2001 and the impact of cook‐chill food service systems
Authors: McClelland A. , Williams P.
Published: July 2003

Objective  To assess trends in the nutritional quality of hospital menus and examine differences between menus used in hospitals with cook‐chill or cook‐fresh food services.

Design  Standard patient menus were analysed against 28 criteria to assess nutritional standards and compared with results from similar studies in 1986 and 1993.

Setting  Menus were collected from 80 hospitals in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, including 36 using cook‐chill food service systems.

Statistical analysis  Chi‐squared analysis was used to assess differences between the proportions of hospitals meeting the criteria in 1993 and 2001, and between different types of hospitals.

Results  In 2001, compared with 1993, significantly many hospitals offered more than one hot choice at the evening meal, more menus highlighted low fat items and more calcium‐rich foods were available. More than 90% of hospitals allowed patients to select their own menu, offered wholemeal breads and high‐fibre breakfast cereals, fresh fruit, polyunsaturated margarine, a milk dessert at least once a day and two or more hot options at the midday meal. Hospitals with cook‐chill food services had menus that were more likely to meet nutritional recommendations, although they were less likely to offer a choice of serving size. A high proportion of unpopular choices were offered in menus, especially meat dishes and desserts.

Applications/conclusion  Since 1986, NSW hospital menus have improved to offer choices that conform better to dietary guidelines. Cook‐chill food services may have positive and negative impacts on meal choices. The assessment criteria are useful in hospitals to assess their menus.
Five‐year prospective analysis of dietary intake and clinical status in malnourished cystic fibrosis patients
Authors: Walkowiak J. , Przyslawski J.
Published: July 2003

Background  Poor growth and malnutrition still pose a problem in cystic fibrosis (CF). The aim of the present study was to assess nutrition, as well as clinical status, of malnourished CF patients during a nutritional care programme.

Material and methods  The study comprised 38 CF patients, aged 1–18 years old. The prospective annual assessment of dietary intake and clinical status was carried out during 1994–98.

Results  The energy intake increased, in comparison with recommended daily allowances, from 83.6 ± 4.8% in 1994 to 107.9 ± 4.9% in 1998. A similar tendency was observed for the percentage of energy derived from fat (30.3 ± 0.8% versus 35.1 ± 0.8%) and protein (11.4 ± 0.4% versus 13.8 ± 0.4%). In subsequent years of the study, an improvement in the fat profile of the diet (with a higher consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids) was observed. The observed increase of vitamin A and E consumption was related chiefly to changes in the doses of supplementation. During these 5 years, an improvement in nutritional status (Z‐score: height −1.34 ± 0.13 versus −1.08 ± 0.14 and weight −1.40 ± 0.09 versus −1.12 ± 0.08) and lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s: 75.5 ± 2.0% versus 77.8 ± 2.2%) was observed.

Conclusion  The nutritional care programme resulted in stable quantitative and qualitative changes in dietary intake. Although the diet does not reach the recommended level of high‐energy intake, the positive impact of increasing nutrient intake on the nutritional and clinical status of malnourished CF patients was documented.
Current practice in the management of children with cerebral palsy: a national survey of paediatric dietitians
Authors: Hartley Hilary , Thomas Julian E
Published: July 2003

Background  Dietitians play a key role in the clinical management of children with cerebral palsy. This survey was conducted with the aim of establishing an overview of current dietetic practice in the management of these children.

Method  A questionnaire which asked for information on aspects of dietetic practice relating to children with cerebral palsy was circulated to members of the British Dietetic Association during May to October 2000.

Results  Many respondents had a small caseload size. However, a larger caseload was linked to membership of a multi‐disciplinary team, a greater proportion of severely disabled children and use of a wider range of anthropometric measurements. Dietitians who were members of a multi‐disciplinary team were more likely to visit children at home.

Conclusions  This survey provides an overview of current dietetic practice in the UK regarding the management of children with cerebral palsy. There is a potential shortfall in specialist dietitians and this survey highlights some of the gaps in service provision. Children with cerebral palsy benefit from dietetic input and there is an increasing need for specialist dietitians to be involved in their management. It will be necessary to continue to identify any gaps and find ways to overcome them.
DNA sequence variation and latitudinal associations in hsp23, hsp26 and hsp27 from natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Frydenberg J. , Hoffmann A. A. , Loeschcke V.
Published: July 2003

Heat shock genes are considered to be likely candidate genes for environmental stress resistance. Nucleotide variation in the coding sequence of the small heat shock genes (hsps) hsp26 and hsp27 from Drosophila melanogaster was studied in flies originating from the Netherlands and eastern Australia. The hsp26 gene was polymorphic for an insertion/deletion of three extra amino acids and two nonsynonymous changes in all populations. The hsp27 gene exhibited two nonsynonymous changes and three synonymous mutations. The hsp26 polymorphism showed a latitudinal cline along the east coast of Australia. This pattern was not confounded by the fact that the shsps are located in the inversion In(3 L)P which also shows a latitudinal cline in eastern Australia. A similar latitudinal cline was found for the previously described variation in hsp23, while frequencies of hsp27 alleles did not change with latitude. These findings suggest that variation at two of the shsps or closely linked loci are under selection in natural populations of D. melanogaster.
The influence of diet on faecal DNA amplification and sex identification in brown bears (Ursus arctos)
Authors: Murphy Melanie A. , Waits Lisette P. , Kendall Katherine C.
Published: July 2003

To evaluate the influence of diet on faecal DNA amplification, 11 captive brown bears (Ursus arctos) were placed on six restricted diets: grass (Trifolium spp., Haplopappus hirtus and Poa pratensis), alfalfa (Lupinus spp.), carrots (Daucus spp.), white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) and salmon (Salmo spp.). DNA was extracted from 50 faecal samples of each restricted diet, and amplification of brown bear DNA was attempted for a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) locus and nuclear DNA (nDNA) locus. For mtDNA, no significant differences were observed in amplification success rates across diets. For nDNA, amplification success rates for salmon diet extracts were significantly lower than all other diet extracts (P < 0.001). To evaluate the accuracy of faecal DNA sex identification when female carnivores consume male mammalian prey, female bears were fed male white‐tailed deer. Four of 10 extracts amplified, and all extracts were incorrectly scored as male due to amplification of X and Y‐chromosome fragments. The potential biases highlighted in this study have broad implications for researchers using faecal DNA for individual and sex identification, and should be evaluated in other species.
Disjunct distribution of highly diverged mitochondrial lineage clade and population subdivision in a marine bivalve with pelagic larval dispersal
Authors: Luttikhuizen P. C. , Drent J. , Baker A. J.
Published: July 2003

Mitochondrial DNA sequence data for 295 individuals of the marine bivalve Macoma balthica (L.) were collected from 10 sites across the European distribution, and from Alaska. The data were used to infer population subdivision history and estimate current levels of gene flow. Inferred historical biogeography was expected to be congruent with colonization of the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific Ocean after the opening of the Bering Strait 3.5 Ma. In addition, the last glacial maximum, about 18 000 years ago, was expected to have been responsible for most of the present‐day distribution of molecular variation within Europe, because the area must have been recolonized after confinement to France and the south of the British Isles during the last glacial maximum. Current gene flow was hypothesized to be high, because the larvae of M. balthica spend 2–5 weeks drifting in the water column. The geographical distribution of one highly diverged haplotype clade was found to be disjunct and was encountered exclusively in samples from the Baltic Sea and Alaska. A molecular clock calibration for marine bivalve cytochrome‐c‐oxidase I dates this clade as having split off from the other haplotypes 9.8–39 Ma. Multiple colonizations of the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific by M. balthica may explain the strong differences found between Baltic Sea and other European populations of this species. The sympatric occurrence of the highly diverged mitochondrial lineages in western parts of the Baltic Sea points to secondary admixture. With the use of coalescent analysis, population divergence times for French vs. other non‐Baltic European populations (‘Atlantic population assemblage’) were estimated at a minimum of about 110 000 years ago, well before the last glacial maximum 18 000 years ago. Signatures of population divergence of M. balthica that appear to have originated during the Pleistocene have thus survived the last glacial maximum. Some of the populations within the Atlantic assemblage are currently isolated, while others appear to be connected by gene flow. Apparently, populations of this species can remain highly subdivided in spite of the potential for high gene flow, implying that their population and evolutionary dynamics can be independent.
What can morphology and isozymes tell us about the history of theDryas integrifolia–octopetalacomplex?
Authors: Philipp M. , Siegismund H. R.
Published: July 2003

An earlier study of the morphological variation in the circumpolar genusDryasin Greenland revealed that populations in east Greenland are highly variable and this variation was interpreted as a hybrid zone betweenD. octopetalaandD. integrifolia.It was proposed that populations ofDryasin east Greenland immigrated postglacially from Svalbard. The purpose of our study was to investigate the population structure of theDryas integrifolia–octopetalacomplex using a combination of morphological and genetic characters. Populations ofDryaswere sampled in Greenland, Svalbard, Iceland and north Scandinavia (Sweden). The morphological traits clearly separated west Greenland from Svalbard, Iceland and north Scandinavia. A large number of individuals from east Greenland and some from north Greenland could be interpreted as hybrids between the morphs. The genetic pattern was, however, partly different as the greatest amount of differentiation among regions was found between west and north Greenland (FRT = 0.65). The highest degree of genetic variation appeared within east Greenland. This was in accordance with the putative hybrid origin of the populations, as concluded based on the morphological results. The total amount of genetic differentiation found among the six regions (FRT = 0.61) was larger than between the two species (FRT = 0.44). The genetic pattern matched the proposed postglacial migration routes.
The phylogeny ofTurnip mosaic virus; comparisons of 38 genomic sequences reveal a Eurasian origin and a recent ‘emergence’ in east Asia
Authors: Tomimura K. , Gibbs A. J. , Jenner C. E. , Walsh J. A. , Ohshima K.
Published: July 2003

The genomes of a representative world‐wide collection of 32Turnip mosaic virus(TuMV) isolates were sequenced and these, together with six previously reported sequences, were analysed. At least one‐fifth of the sequences were recombinant. In phylogenetic analyses, using genomic sequences of Japanese yam mosaic virus as an outgroup, the TuMV sequences that did not show clear recombination formed a monophyletic group with four well‐supported lineages. These groupings correlated with differences in pathogenicity and provenance; the sister group to all others was of Eurasian B‐strain isolates from nonbrassicas, and probably represents the ancestral TuMV population, and the most recently ‘emerged’ branch of the population was probably that of the BR‐strain isolates found only in east Asia. Eight isolates, all from east Asia, were clear recombinants, probably the progeny of recent recombination events, whereas a similar number, from other parts of the world, were seemingly older recombinants. This difference indicates that the presence of clear recombinants in a subpopulation may be a molecular signature of a recent ‘emergence’.
Dynamics in the evolution of sexual traits: losses and gains, radiation and convergence in yellow wagtails (Motacilla flava)
Authors: Ödeen A. , Björklund M.
Published: July 2003

We analyse patterns of genetic diversity and song complexity in the Palaearctic yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava), a highly polytypic species complex. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA show that the complex is polyphyletic, despite parallel plumage variation in western and eastern clades. In the western clade there is genetic structure among southern subspecies, haplotype diversity decreases with latitude, and northern subspecies show evidence of bottlenecking and rapid expansions, as expected from isolation in glacial refugia followed by postglacial colonization. However, northern subspecies, which have more divergent male plumages, lack genetic structure and sing simpler songs. Loss of song complexity and evolution of plumage in founder populations are consistent with the Kaneshiro model, which posits that variation among species is a consequence of founder‐induced shifts in female preference leading to loss of ancestral male sexual traits. Our results suggest possible postglacial founder‐effect mechanisms for the morhological diversification of the yellow wagtail complex.
Phylogeography of the endangered darkling beetle species of Pimelia endemic to Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)
Authors: Contreras‐Díaz Hermans G. , Moya Oscar , Oromí Pedro , Juan Carlos
Published: July 2003

Phylogenetic and geographical nested clade analysis (NCA) methods were applied to mitochondrial DNA sequences of Pimelia darkling beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) endemic to Gran Canaria, an island in the Canary archipelago. The three species P. granulicollis, P. estevezi and P. sparsa occur on the island, the latter with three recognized subspecies. Another species, P. fernandezlopezi (endemic to the island of La Gomera) is a close relative of P. granulicollis based on partial Cytochrome Oxidase I mtDNA sequences obtained in a previous study. Some of these beetles are endangered, so phylogeographical structure within species and populations can help to define conservation priorities. A total of about 700 bp of Cytochrome Oxidase II were examined in 18 populations and up to 75 individuals excluding outgroups. Among them, 22 haplotypes were exclusive to P. granulicollis and P. estevezi and 31 were from P. sparsa. Phylogenetic analysis points to the paraphyly of Gran Canarian Pimelia, as the La Gomera P. fernandezlopezi haplotypes are included in them, and reciprocal monophyly of two species groups: one constituted by P. granulicollis, P. estevezi and P. fernandezlopezi (subgenus Aphanaspis), and the other by P. sparsa‘sensu lato’. The two species groups show a remarkably high mtDNA divergence. Within P. sparsa, different analyses all reveal a common result, i.e. conflict between current subspecific taxonomic designations and evolutionary units, while P. estevezi and P. fernandezlopezi are very close to P. granulicollis measured at the mtDNA level. Geographical NCA identifies several cases of nonrandom associations between haplotypes and geography that may be caused by allopatric fragmentation of populations with some cases of restriction of gene flow or range expansion. Analyses of molecular variance and geographical NCA allow definition of evolutionary units for conservation purposes in both species‐groups and suggest scenarios in which vicariance caused by geological history of the island may have shaped the pattern of the mitochondrial genetic diversity of these beetles.
Molecular analysis of natural populations of Populus nigra L. intermingled with cultivated hybrids
Authors: Fossati T. , Grassi F. , Sala F. , Castiglione S.
Published: July 2003

In this study six simple sequence repeats (SSR or microsatellites) were selected for their ability to fingerprint a total of 60 commercial clones of Populus deltoides Marsh. and Populus × canadensis Moench (typically derived from crosses between Populus nigra L and P. deltoides) and to characterize a natural population of P. nigra growing along the Ticino river in the North of Italy. Out of six SSRs used, four microsatellite loci were found to have alleles which were species‐specific to P. deltoides and could therefore be used as markers for introgression of P. deltoides into P. nigra. In the studied region hybrid poplars and P. deltoides commercial clones are cultivated as monoclonal stands close to the area where black poplar has its natural habitat. SSR analysis was performed to investigate whether there was evidence of introgression between the natural population and the monoclonal plantations of hybrids and P. deltoides clones cultivated in the surrounding area. Three stages of the natural population were analysed: a group of old trees about a hundred years old, a younger population (aged 2–30 years) and the seedlings of three females of this population. Alleles specific to P. deltoides were detected only in the old cohort of the natural population, while no introgression was observed in the younger individuals and their progenies. These results were also confirmed by isozyme analysis of loci PGI‐B, PGM and LAP‐A, which were previously identified as diagnostic for P. nigra, P. deltoides and P.×canadensis.
A graph‐theoretic approach to the partition of individuals into full‐sib families
Authors: Beyer Jennifer , May Bernie
Published: July 2003

We present an algorithm to partition a single generation of individuals into full‐sib families using single‐locus co‐dominant marker data. Pairwise likelihood ratios are used to create a graph that represents the full‐sib relationships within the data set. Connected‐component and minimum‐cut algorithms from the graph theory are then employed to find the full‐sib families within the graph. The results of a large‐scale simulation study show that the algorithm is able to produce accurate partitions when applied to data sets with eight or more loci. Although the algorithm performs best when the distribution of allele frequencies and family sizes in a data set is uniform, the inclusion of more loci or alleles per locus allows accurate partitions to be created from data sets in which these distributions are highly skewed.
Population genetic structure of rock ptarmigan Lagopus mutus in Northern and Western Europe
Authors: Caizergues A. , Bernard‐Laurent A. , Brenot J.‐F. , Ellison L. , Rasplus J. Y.
Published: July 2003

Alpine species may be losing habitat because of global warming. Setting management priorities for such species is thus urgent and cannot be achieved without data on population structure. We studied the structure of rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) populations in the Pyrenees, Alps and Norway, using six microsatellites. We found that rock ptarmigan in the Pyrenees were genetically impoverished compared with those in the Alps and Norway, and displayed a greater divergence (Pyrenees vs. Alps or Norway: θST = 0.16, Alps vs. Norway, θST = 0.04). In the Alps, despite a weak genetic differentiation between localities up to 200 km apart (θST = 0.011), a significant isolation‐by‐distance (IBD) effect was detected. When computed for each sex separately this IBD effect was significant for males but not for females, suggesting that males are highly philopatric.
Long‐distance colonization, isolation by distance, and historical demography in a relictual Mexican pinyon pine (Pinus nelsoniiShaw) as revealed by paternally inherited genetic markers (cpSSRs)
Authors: Cuenca A. , Escalante A. E. , Piñero D.
Published: July 2003

Pinus nelsoniiis a relictual pinyon pine distributed across a wide altitudinal range in semiarid zones in Mexico near the border between the States of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. It also occurs in small patches in the State of San Luis Potosí.Pinus nelsoniiis classified in the monotypic subsectionNelsoniae, separated from other pinyon pines (subsectionCembroides), because it possesses several distinctive characters including persistent fascicle sheaths, connate needles, and a distinctive wood anatomy. In the present study, chloroplast simple sequence repeats (cpSSRs) were used to estimate genetic variation in most known populations (nine) ofP. nelsonii. The genetic variation (HT = 0.73; 27 haplotypes in 256 individuals) is moderate when compared to other pine species. Population differentiation ranged between low and moderate (FST = 0.13 andRST = 0.05), as did the Nei and Goldstein genetic distances between populations. However, this pattern varied depending on whether the infinite alleles or stepwise mutation model was used. In the former case a significant isolation by distance was found, but not in the latter. A significant association between geographical and genetic structure in one clade, through a nested clade analysis, was found, which suggested long‐distance colonization between 125 000 and 309 000 years ago. We found weak evidence for a population expansion. A mismatch distribution suggests thatP. nelsoniipopulations underwent an expansion 4.25 times their size between 59 000 and 146 000 years ago. On the other hand, the populations’ star‐like phylogeny and a slight parabolic relationship between coalescence times and lineage number also suggest weak population expansion. Overall, this species appears to have been in demographic stasis for a large proportion of the time detected by the markers used.
Genetic structure of kestrel populations and colonization of the Cape Verde archipelago
Authors: Hille S. M. , Nesje M. , Segelbacher G.
Published: July 2003

Genetic diversity and population structure were studied in eight populations of the kestrelFalco tinnunculusto identify the genetic consequences of spatial distribution and to infer the colonization patterns of the Cape Verde archipelago. We studied genetic differentiation and gene flow among seven island populations and one mainland population using nine microsatellite loci. Within the archipelago, differentiation was strong and genetic diversity and heterozygosity were low but variable among populations. Two subspeciesF. tinnunculus neglectuson the northwestern islands andF. tinnunculus alexandrion all the other islands were identified as genetically distinct units.F. t. alexandricould be further separated into two groups on eastern and southern islands. Populations are probably founded by birds originating from the mainland. Immigration is more likely to the eastern and southern populations, whereas the northwestern islands with the lowest genetic diversity and highest differentiation are likely to exhibit fewer founding events by immigrants. The number of founding events on each island may depend not only on geographical distance to neighbouring populations, but also on directional immigration due to the northeastern trade winds. This may explain differences in genetic differentiation and diversity between populations and subspecies and may enable allopatric speciation.
Lack of molecular genetic divergence between sea‐ranched and wild sea trout (Salmo trutta)
Authors: Palm S. , Dannewitz J. , Järvi T. , Petersson E. , Prestegaard T. , Ryman N.
Published: July 2003

The supportive breeding programme for sea trout (Salmo trutta) in the River Dalälven, Sweden, is based on a sea‐ranched hatchery stock of local origin that has been kept ‘closed’ to the immigration of wild genes since the late 1960s (about seven generations). In spite of an apparent potential for substantial uni directional gene flow from sea‐ranched to wild (naturally produced) trout, phenotypic differences with a presumed genetic basis have previously been observed between the two ‘stocks’. Likewise, two previous studies of allozyme and mitochondrial DNA variation based on a single year of sampling have indicated genetic differentiation. In the present study we used microsatellite and allozyme data collected over four consecutive years, and tested for the existence of overall genetic stock divergence while accounting for temporal heterogeneity. Statistical analyses of allele frequency variation (F‐statistics) and multilocus genotypes (assignment tests) revealed that wild and sea‐ranched trout were significantly different in three of four years, whereas no overall genetic divergence could be found when temporal heterogeneity among years within stocks was accounted for. On the basis of estimates of effective population size in the two stocks, and of FST between them, we also assessed the level of gene flow from sea‐ranched to wild trout to be ≈ 80% per generation (with a lower confidence limit of ≈ 20%). The results suggest that the reproductive success of hatchery and naturally produced trout may be quite similar in the wild, and that the genetic characteristics of the wild stock are largely determined by introgressed genes from sea‐ranched fish.
Comparison of microsatellite and blood protein diversity in sheep: inconsistencies in fragmented breeds
Authors: Tapio M. , Miceikiené I. , Vilkki J. , Kantanen J.
Published: July 2003

Finnsheep, Romanov, Oxford Down and three local breeds from Finland or northwestern Russia were assessed at 15 microsatellite and 7 protein loci. A novel albumin allele was identified. Diversity patterns were mostly concordant between marker types, but discrepancies appeared for the local Viena and Vepsia sheep, both demonstrating frequent linkage disequilibria for both marker types and excess of homozygotes for microsatellites, and in the case of Vepsia also for proteins as signs of breed fragmentation. On the basis of microsatellite data, the neighbour‐joining tree and two‐dimensional map constructed from DA distances suggested that difference in longitude of breed origin would relate to breed relationship, whereas on the basis of protein data latitude would have this quality. These different impressions resulted because genetic distances involving Vepsia sheep were relatively low for protein variation compared with microsatellites. Microsatellite variation correlated positively with protein variation, but for the local Viena sheep protein variation was comparatively low. Populations had significant differences in allelic richness, but not in genetic diversity. Analysis implied that at least 30 polymorphic loci were needed to detect a difference in diversity between populations using a paired t‐test, if the true mean diversity difference was 0.2. In the total sample, proteins demonstrated larger θ‐values, but this was reversed for Finnsheep, for which model‐based clustering of microsatellite genotypes revealed a structure associated with coat colour. Imported and rare sheep exhibited lowered allelic variability and increased frequency of pairwise disequilibria between unlinked markers. Our results emphasize that more loci are required for studying fragmented breeds.
Out of Anatolia: longitudinal gradients in genetic diversity support an eastern origin for a circum‐Mediterranean oak gallwasp Andricus quercustozae
Authors: Rokas Antonis , Atkinson Rachel J. , Webster Lucy , Csóka György , Stone Graham N.
Published: July 2003

Many studies have addressed the latitudinal gradients in intraspecific genetic diversity of European taxa generated during postglacial range expansion from southern refugia. Although Asia Minor is known to be a centre of diversity for many taxa, relatively few studies have considered its potential role as a Pleistocene refugium or a potential source for more ancient westward range expansion into Europe. Here we address these issues for an oak gallwasp, Andricus quercustozae (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), whose distribution extends from Morocco along the northern coast of the Mediterranean through Turkey to Iran. We use sequence data for a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b and allele frequency data for 12 polymorphic allozyme loci to answer the following questions: (1) which regions represent current centres of genetic diversity for A. quercustozae? Do eastern populations represent one refuge or several discrete glacial refugia? (2) Can we infer the timescale and sequence of the colonization processes linking current centres of diversity? Our results suggest that A. quercustozae was present in five distinct refugia (Iberia, Italy, the Balkans, southwestern Turkey and northeastern Turkey) with recent genetic exchange between Italy and Hungary. Genetic diversity is greatest in the Turkish refugia, suggesting that European populations are either (a) derived from Asia Minor, or (b) subject to more frequent population bottlenecks. Although Iberian populations show the lowest diversity for putatively selectively neutral markers, they have colonized a new oak host and represent a genetically and biologically discrete entity within the species.
Using faecal DNA sampling and GIS to monitor hybridization between red wolves (Canis rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans)
Authors: Adams J. R. , Kelly B. T. , Waits L. P.
Published: July 2003

The US Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Red Wolf Recovery Program recognizes hybridization with coyotes as the primary threat to red wolf recovery. Efforts to curb or stop hybridization are hampered in two ways. First, hybrid individuals are difficult to identify based solely on morphology. Second, managers need to effectively search 6000 km2 for the presence of coyotes and hybrids. We develop a noninvasive method to screen large geographical areas for coyotes and hybrids with maternal coyote ancestry by combining mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis of faeces (scat) and geographic information system (GIS) technology. This method was implemented on the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (1000 km2) in northeastern North Carolina. A total of 956 scats were collected in the spring of 2000 and 2001 and global positioning system (GPS) coordinates were recorded. Seventy‐five percent of the scats were assigned to species and five coyote/hybrid scats were detected. Placement of scat location coordinates on a map of the experimental population area revealed that four of the coyote/hybrid scats were detected within the home ranges of sterilized hybrids. The other coyote/hybrid scat indicated the presence of a previously unknown individual. We suggest this method be expanded to include more of the experimental population area and be optimized for use with nuclear markers to improve detection of hybrid and back‐crossed individuals.