bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Warfarin‐associated bleeding events and concomitant use of potentially interacting medicines reported to the Norwegian spontaneous reporting system
Authors: Narum Sigrid , Solhaug Vigdis , Myhr Kirsten , Johansen Per Wiik , Brørs Odd , Kringen Marianne Kristiansen
Published: October 2010

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• Bleeding is the main adverse drug reaction of warfarin use.

• Several medicines, herbal products and dietary supplements may interact with warfarin.

• A high percentage of patients on warfarin receive potentially interacting substances.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

• Potentially interacting medicines were used in more than 50% of the warfarin‐associated bleeding events reported to the Norwegian spontaneous reporting system.

• Only a minority of the concomitant medicines were reported as suspected or interacting in the reporters' assessments.

• There was a higher degree of under‐reporting of pharmacokinetically than of pharmacodynamically interacting medicines.

AIMS To study warfarin associated bleeding events reported to the Norwegian spontaneous reporting system and evaluate the differences in assessment of potentially interacting medicines between reporters and evaluators.

METHODS Data on bleeding events on warfarin were retrieved from the Norwegian spontaneous reporting system database. Key measurements were time to bleeding, use of concomitant medications and the evaluation done by reporters.

RESULTS In 289 case reports a total of 1261 medicines (median 4.0 per patient, range 1–17) was used. The evaluators (authors of this article) identified 546 medicines including warfarin (median 2.0 per patient, range 1–7) that could possibly cause bleeding alone or in combination. Reporters assessed 349 medicines (median 1.0 per patient, range 1–4) as suspect. Evaluators identified 156 pharmacokinetic and 101 pharmacodynamic interactions, compared with 19 pharmacokinetic and 56 pharmacodynamic interactions reported as suspected by the reporters. Time to bleeding was stated in 224 reports. Among the early bleeding events, the reports on warfarin without interacting medicines showed the highest INR (international normalized ratio). Heparin was used in 17/21 reported bleeding events during the first week on warfarin. Among the late bleeding events, reports with pharmacokinetic interacting medicines had the highest INR.

CONCLUSIONS Concomitant use of potentially interacting medicines was involved in the majority of the warfarin‐associated bleeding events reported to the Norwegian spontaneous reporting system. Reporters assessed mostly warfarin as the only contributor to bleeding. In particular, pharmacokinetically interacting medicines were not suspected as contributing to bleeding.
The influence of early life factors on the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Colebatch A N , Edwards C J
Published: October 2010

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that develops as a result of the interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. Although increasing evidence shows the importance of genes in determining the risk of RA, it is clear that environmental factors also have a vital role. Studies to date have tended to concentrate on environmental influences around the time of disease onset. However, a number of pieces of evidence, including the fact that autoantibodies, such as rheumatoid factor (RF), can develop several years before the onset of clinical disease, suggest that environmental factors may influence disease susceptibility during early life. Several recent studies lend weight to this possibility, with an increased risk of RA in the offspring of mothers who smoked during pregnancy and in those with higher birth weight. There has also been a suggestion that the risk of RA is reduced in breast-fed infants. We describe the evidence surrounding the effect of early life factors on the risk of developing RA and possible mechanisms by which they may act.
The interferon-alpha and interleukin-10 responses in neonates differ from adults, and their production remains partial throughout the first 18 months of life
Authors: Vosters O , Lombard C , André F , Sana G , Sokal E M , Smets F
Published: October 2010

Previous studies have suggested that the susceptibility of newborns to infections is linked to the immaturity of their immune system, but very few data are available on the early stages of maturation of the immune response. Therefore, we decided to investigate the evolution of the interferon (IFN)-α and interleukin (IL)-10 responses in neonatal mononuclear cells. To this end, mononuclear cells isolated from cord blood and peripheral blood of 2-, 6- and 18-month-old children and adults were stimulated with unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) 2216 (IFN-α response) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (IL-10 response) for 24 h. The production of IFN-α and IL-10 was then measured in culture supernatants using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or a 6-plex cytokine array, respectively. Compared to adults, we found a significant impairment in both the IFN-α and IL-10 responses of neonatal mononuclear cells. Interestingly, both responses had increased significantly after 2 months, but remained lower than the adult responses throughout the first 18 months of life. This study shows that although the immune response of neonates tends to mature fairly quickly, it remains different when compared to the adult immune response throughout the first 18 months of life. This could have important consequences on children's ability to mount an appropriate immune response to various challenges and to establish tolerance and immune homeostasis.
Captopril increases the intensity of monocyte infection byTrypanosoma cruziand induces human T helper type 17 cells
Authors: Coelho dos Santos J S , Menezes C A S , Villani F N A , Magalhães L M D , Scharfstein J , Gollob K J , Dutra W O
Published: October 2010

The anti-hypertensive drug captopril is used commonly to reduce blood pressure of patients with severe forms of Chagas disease, a cardiomyopathy caused by chronic infection with the intracellular protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Captopril acts by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), the vasopressor metallopeptidase that generates angiotensin II and promotes the degradation of bradykinin (BK). Recent studies in mice models of Chagas disease indicated that captopril can potentiate the T helper type 1 (Th1)-directing natural adjuvant property of BK. Equipped with kinin-releasing cysteine proteases, T. cruzi trypomastigotes were shown previously to invade non-professional phagocytic cells, such as human endothelial cells and murine cardiomyocytes, through the signalling of G protein-coupled bradykinin receptors (B2KR). Monocytes are also parasitized by T. cruzi and these cells are known to be important for the host immune response during infection. Here we showed that captopril increases the intensity of T. cruzi infection of human monocytes in vitro. The increased parasitism was accompanied by up-regulated expression of ACE in human monocytes. While T. cruzi infection increased the expression of interleukin (IL)-10 by monocytes significantly, compared to uninfected cells, T. cruzi infection in association with captopril down-modulated IL-10 expression by the monocytes. Surprisingly, studies with peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed that addition of the ACE inhibitor in association with T. cruzi increased expression of IL-17 by CD4+ T cells in a B2KR-dependent manner. Collectively, our results suggest that captopril might interfere with host–parasite equilibrium by enhancing infection of monocytes, decreasing the expression of the modulatory cytokine IL-10, while guiding development of the proinflammatory Th17 subset.
Long-term follow-up of patients with type 1 diabetes transplanted with neonatal pig islets
Authors: Valdes-Gonzalez R , Rodriguez-Ventura A L , White D J G , Bracho-Blanchet E , Castillo A , Ramírez-González B , López-Santos M G , León-Mancilla B H , Dorantes L M
Published: October 2010

Pancreas transplantation is an option to achieve better metabolic control and decrease chronic complications in patients with diabetes. Xenotransplantation becomes an important alternative. In this study, we show the clinical outcome of patients with type 1 diabetes transplanted with neonatal pig islets without immunosuppression. In a longitudinal study of 23 patients with type 1 diabetes, who received porcine islets between 2000 and 2004, we registered demographic and clinical characteristics every 3 months and chronic complications evaluation yearly. Porcine C-peptide was measured in urine samples under basal conditions and after stimulation with l-arginine. More than 50% were female, median current age was 20·8 years, median diabetes duration at transplantation 5·5 years, median current diabetes duration 11 years and median time post-transplantation 5·7 years. Their media of glycosylated haemoglobin reduced significantly after the first transplantation. Insulin doses remain with a reduction greater than 33% in more than 50% of the patients. Before transplantation, 14 of the 21 patients presented mild chronic complications and currently only two patients presented these complications. Porcine C-peptide was present in all urine samples under basal conditions and increased post-stimulation with l-arginine. These patients achieved an excellent metabolic control after the first transplantation. This could explain, as well as the remaining function of transplanted cells, the low frequency of chronic complications compared to patients with similar diabetes duration and age.
Simulating decomposition of 14C‐labelled fresh organic matter in bulk soil and soil particle fractions at various temperatures and moisture contents
Authors: Séquaris J.‐M. , Herbst M. , Weihermüller L. , Bauer J. , Vereecken H.
Published: October 2010

14C‐labelled fresh organic matter (FOM) was homogeneously incorporated into an agricultural topsoil of small total organic carbon (TOC) content in order to perform decomposition batch experiments at temperatures (T) ranging from 5 to 45°C and soil gravimetric water contents (w) ranging from 7 to 35%. After 4–6‐month incubation (tend), the residual 14C (Dend) was measured in bulk soil (0–2000 µm) and soil particle size fractions of 0–53, 53–200 and 200–2000 µm by chemical dispersion and sieving. The 14C‐FOM decomposition kinetics from soil were fitted either by a single first‐order reaction (rate constant, k0–2000) assuming only a one‐pool model in the bulk soil or by consecutive first‐order reactions (rate constants, k0–53 and k53–2000) assuming a two‐pool model in the bulk soil aggregate structure. In the latter case, a two‐step reaction mechanism involving a FOM particle‐size decrease along the soil fractions was considered where k0–53 was assumed to be a limiting rate constant. The 14C‐FOM decomposition kinetics was described for the experimental temperature and water ranges by Arrhenius and Michaelis‐Menten relationships, respectively. Additionally, the results obtained by the adapted Arrhenius physicochemical relationship were compared with the function proposed by Kirschbaum (1995). Scaling functions Tm and wm were established and can be used to simulate FOM decomposition rates under different temperature and moisture level conditions. Modelling based on consecutive first‐order reactions supported the hypothesis that the circulation (inflow and outflow) of C into the soil particle small‐size fractions (<53 µm) controls the total C mineralization.
Soil properties prediction of western Mediterranean islands with similar climatic environments by means of mid‐infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy
Authors: D’Acqui L. P. , Pucci A. , Janik L. J.
Published: October 2010

This study investigated the suitability of mid‐infrared diffuse reflectance Fourier transform (MIR‐DRIFT) spectroscopy, with partial least squares (PLS) regression, for the determination of variations in soil properties typical of Italian Mediterranean off‐shore environments. Pianosa, Elba and Sardinia are typical of islands from this environment, but developed on different geological substrates. Principal components analysis (PCA) showed that spectra could be grouped according to the soil composition of the islands. PLS full cross‐validation of soil property predictions was assessed by the coefficient of determination (R2), the root mean square error of cross‐validation and prediction (RMSECV and RMSEP), the standard error (SECV for cross‐validation and SEP for prediction), and the residual predictive deviation (RPD). Although full cross‐validation appeared to be the most accurate (R2 = 0.95 for organic carbon (OC), 0.96 for inorganic carbon (IC), 0.87 for CEC, 0.72 for pH and 0.74 for clay; RPD = 4.4, 6.0, 2.7, 1.9 and 2.0, respectively), the prediction errors were considered to be optimistic and so alternative calibrations considered to be more similar to ‘true’ predictions were tested. Predictions using individual calibrations from each island were the least efficient, while predictions using calibration selection based on a Euclidian distance ranking method, using as few as 10 samples selected from each island, were almost as accurate as full cross‐validation for OC and IC (R2 = 0.93 for OC and 0.96 for IC; RPD = 3.9 and 4.7, respectively). Prediction accuracy for CEC, pH and clay was less accurate than expected, especially for clay (R2 = 0.73 for CEC, 0.50 for pH and 0.41 for clay; RPD = 1.8, 1.5 and 1.4, respectively). This study confirmed that the DRIFT PLS method was suitable for characterizing important properties for soils typical of islands in a Mediterranean environment and capable of discriminating between the variations in soil properties from different parent materials.
A profiling TDR probe for water content and electrical conductivity measurements of soils
Authors: Persson M. , Dahlin T.
Published: October 2010

Measurements of water content profiles are of great interest in hydrology and soil science. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is a well‐established method for water content measurements; however, most TDR probe designs are suitable for measurements in only a small soil volume. In this article, a 1‐m long TDR profiling probe with five measurement sections is described. Unlike most other previous profiling probes, our probe allows for both dielectric permittivity (ε) and electrical conductivity (σa) measurements. The accuracy of the ε and σa measurements was excellent; the precision of the measurements was, however, significantly poorer than with a 0.20‐m long standard three rod TDR probe. The new probe was installed in a field and successfully measured water content profiles during the growing season of 2009. During an infiltration experiment it was shown that because of its geometry, the profiling probe over‐estimated the wetting‐front velocity. At a 0.10‐m depth, the over‐estimation was almost 30%. The over‐estimate will be less significant at greater depths.
Mobilization of Zn upon waterlogging riparian Spodosols is related to reductive dissolution of Fe minerals
Authors: Van Laer L. , Degryse F. , Leynen K. , Smolders E.
Published: October 2010

Contaminated riparian soils can release metals to surface water. Periodic waterlogging affects metal mobility but the processes and soil factors governing net trends are not well understood. Experiments were combined with geochemical modelling to identify processes explaining the dynamics of zinc (Zn) in contaminated soils following waterlogging. Samples were collected from 12 Spodosols near streams in a metal‐contaminated area and four similar but uncontaminated soils were sampled in a reference area. Air‐dried samples were submerged and incubated under N2. The soil redox potential decreased from 470 mV initially to approximately 30 mV over 2 months. The pore‐water Zn concentrations surprisingly increased over the same period by, on average, a factor of 18 (range 0.6–80; immobilization in one soil only) despite an increase in pH of 1.8 units, on average. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the soil solution increased during waterlogging but the observed increase in Zn solubility could not be explained by increased complexation with DOM, because the estimated Zn2+ activity also increased by a factor of 18 on average (range 0.2–82). Speciation modelling suggests that Zn mobilization during waterlogging results from Fe2+ displacing sorbed Zn2+ from particulate organic matter and from dissolution of Zn‐bearing Fe/Mn oxyhydroxides. This hypothesis is supported by the significant positive correlation (r = 0.87, n = 13) between the factor change in pore‐water Zn concentration and the ratio of dithionite‐extractable Fe to organic carbon content. These results show that Fe dynamics are important for predicting the fate of trace metals in anoxic soils.
Necl‐5/PVR enhances PDGF‐induced attraction of growing microtubules to the plasma membrane of the leading edge of moving NIH3T3 cells
Authors: Minami Akihiro , Mizutani Kiyohito , Waseda Masazumi , Kajita Mihoko , Miyata Muneaki , Ikeda Wataru , Takai Yoshimi
Published: October 2010

Microtubules (MTs) search for and grow toward the leading edge of moving cells, followed by their stabilization at a specific structure at the rear site of the leading edge. This dynamic re‐orientation of MTs is critical to directional cell movement. We previously showed that Necl‐5/poliovirus receptor (PVR) interacts with platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor and integrin αvβ3 at the leading edge of moving NIH3T3 cells, resulting in an enhancement of their directional movement. We studied here the role of Necl‐5 in the PDGF‐induced attraction of growing MTs to the leading edge of NIH3T3 cells. Necl‐5 enhanced the PDGF‐induced growth of MTs and attracted them near to the plasma membrane of the leading edge of NIH3T3 cells in an integrin αvβ3‐dependent manner. Furthermore, Necl‐5 enhanced the PDGF‐induced attraction of the plus‐end‐tracking proteins (+TIPs), including EB1, CLIP170, an intermediate chain subunit of cytoplasmic dynein, and p150Glued, a subunit of dynactin, near to the plasma membrane of the leading edge. Thus, Necl‐5 plays a role in the attraction of growing MTs to the plasma membrane of the leading edge of moving cells.
Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of the p24/p22 subunit, DNC‐3, is essential for the formation of the dynactin complex by bridging DNC‐1/p150Glued and DNC‐2/dynamitin
Authors: Terasawa Masahiro , Toya Mika , Motegi Fumio , Mana Miyeko , Nakamura Kuniaki , Sugimoto Asako
Published: October 2010

Dynactin is a multisubunit protein complex required for the activity of cytoplasmic dynein. In Caenorhabditis elegans, although 10 of the 11 dynactin subunits were identified based on the sequence similarities to their orthologs, the p24/p22 subunit has not been detected in the genome. Here, we demonstrate that DNC‐3 (W10G11.20) is the functional counterpart of the p24/p22 subunit in C. elegans. RNAi phenotypes and subcellular localization of DNC‐3 in early C. elegans embryos were nearly identical to those of the known dynactin components. All other dynactin subunits were co‐immunoprecipitated with DNC‐3, indicating that DNC‐3 is a core component of dynactin. Furthermore, the overall secondary structure of DNC‐3 resembles to those of the mammalian and yeast p24/p22. We found that DNC‐3 is required for the localization of the DNC‐1/p150Glued and DNC‐2/dynamitin, the two components of the projection arm of dynactin, to the nuclear envelope of meiotic nuclei in the adult gonad. Moreover, DNC‐3 physically interacted with DNC‐1 and DNC‐2 and significantly enhanced the binding ability between DNC‐1 and DNC‐2 in vitro. These results suggest that DNC‐3 is essential for the formation of the projection arm subcomplex of dynactin.
Effects of genotyping errors on parentage exclusion analysis
Authors: WANG JINLIANG
Published: October 2010

Genetic markers are widely used to determine the parentage of individuals in studies of mating systems, reproductive success, dispersals, quantitative genetic parameters and in the management of conservation populations. These markers are, however, imperfect for parentage analyses because of the presence of genotyping errors and undetectable alleles, which may cause incompatible genotypes (mismatches) between parents and offspring and thus result in false exclusions of true parentage. Highly polymorphic markers widely used in parentage analyses, such as microsatellites, are especially prone to genotyping errors. In this investigation, I derived the probabilities of excluding a random (related) individual from parentage and the probabilities of Mendelian‐inconsistent errors (mismatches) and Mendelian‐consistent errors (which do not cause mismatches) in parent–offspring dyads, when a marker having null alleles, allelic dropouts and false alleles is used in a parentage analysis. These probabilities are useful in evaluating the impact of various types of genotyping errors on the information content of a set of markers in and thus the power of a parentage analysis, in determining the threshold number of genetic mismatches that is appropriate for a parentage exclusion analysis and in estimating the rates of genotyping errors and frequencies of null alleles from observed mismatches between known parent–offspring dyads. These applications are demonstrated by numerical examples using both hypothetical and empirical data sets and discussed in the context of practical parentage exclusion analyses.
Comparison of Th‐cell Immunity Against Human Bocavirus and Parvovirus B19: Proliferation and Cytokine Responses are Similar in Magnitude but More Closely Interrelated with Human Bocavirus
Authors: Kumar A. , Filippone C. , Lahtinen A. , Hedman L. , Söderlund‐ Venermo M. , Hedman K. , Franssila R.
Published: October 2010

Human parvovirus B19 (B19) has been, for decades, the only parvovirus known to be pathogenic in humans. Another pathogenic human parvovirus, human bocavirus (HBoV), was recently identified in respiratory samples from children with acute lower respiratory tract symptoms. Both B19 and HBoV are transmitted by the respiratory route. The vast majority of adults are IgG seropositive for HBoV, whereas the HBoV‐specific Th‐cell immunity has not much been studied. The aim of this study was to increase our knowledge on HBoV‐specific Th‐cell immunity by examining HBoV‐specific T‐cell proliferation, Interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ), IL‐10 and IL‐13 responses in 36 asymptomatic adults. Recombinant HBoV VP2 virus‐like particles (VLP) were used as antigen. HBoV‐specific responses were compared with those elicited by B19 VP2 VLP. Proliferation, IFN‐γ and IL‐10 responses with HBoV and B19 antigens among B19‐seropositive subjects were statistically similar in magnitude, but the cytokine and proliferation responses were much more closely correlated in HBoV than in B19. Therefore, at the collective level, B19‐specific Th‐cell immunity appears to be more divergent than the HBoV‐specific one.
Change in bone mineral density at one year following glucocorticoid withdrawal in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Ing Steven W. , Sinnott Loraine T. , Donepudi Sirisha , Davies Elizabeth A. , Pelletier Ronald P. , Lane Nancy E.
Published: October 2010

Ing SW, Sinnott LT, Donepudi S, Davies EA, Pelletier RP, Lane NE. Change in bone mineral density at one year following glucocorticoid withdrawal in kidney transplant recipients.  Clin Transplant 2011: 25: E113–E123. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy induces deleterious effects on the skeleton in kidney transplantation but studies of GC discontinuation in this population are limited. This study evaluated changes in areal bone mineral density (BMD) with GC withdrawal. Subjects were enrolled one yr after renal transplantation and randomized to continue or stop prednisone; all subjects continued cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil. BMD measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry was performed at enrollment and repeated at one yr and values were standardized. Mean ± standard deviation of annualized change in standardized BMD between GC withdrawal vs. continuation group at the lumbar spine was +4.7% ± 5.5 vs. +0.9% ± 5.3 (p = 0.0014); total hip +2.4% ± 4.2 vs. −0.4% ± 4.2 (p = 0.013), and femoral neck +2.1% ± 4.6 vs. +1.0% ± 6.0 (p = 0.37). There was no confounding by prednisone dose prior to enrollment, change in creatinine clearance, weight, or use of bone‐active medications following study entry. Multivariate analysis determined that the change in BMD was positively associated with baseline alkaline phosphatase and creatinine clearance and negatively associated with baseline BMD. BMD improves with GC withdrawal after renal transplantation, and this gain in BMD is dependent on the baseline bone turnover, renal function, and BMD.
Haplotypes covering the TNFSF10 gene are associated with bronchial asthma
Authors: Weckmann Markus , Kopp Matthias Volkmar , Heinzmann Andrea , Mattes Joerg
Published: October 2010

To cite this article: Weckmann M, Kopp MV, Heinzmann A, Mattes J. Haplotypes covering the TNFSF10 gene are associated with bronchial asthma. Pediatric Allergy Immunology 2011: 22: 25–30.

Tumour necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) is elevated in the airways of subjects with asthma and has been linked to the development of allergic airway disease by promoting STAT6‐dependent T helper 2 cell (TH2) effector functions. To determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFSF10 gene are associated with bronchial asthma we genotyped 498 Caucasian subjects living in Southern Germany for eight SNPs in the TNFSF10 by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. In contrast to single SNPs, haplotypes constructed from eight SNPs were robustly associated with asthma (p = 0.00012). A small haplotype approach returned four alleles consisting of two (rs3136586/ rs3136598), three (rs12488654/rs3136586/rs3136598 and rs3136586/rs3136598/rs3136604), and four SNPs (rs12488654/ rs3136586/ rs3136598/ rs3136604) that were highly associated with asthma (p = 0.00005, p = 0.00008, p = 0.00017 and p = 0.00038). Combinations of SNPs in the TNFSF10 allele were strongly associated with asthma supporting the concept that TRAIL is important in the development of hallmark features of this disease.
Predation‐ and competition‐mediated brain plasticity in Rana temporaria tadpoles
Authors: GONDA A. , TROKOVIC N. , HERCZEG G. , LAURILA A. , MERILÄ J.
Published: October 2010

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated phenotypic plasticity in brain size and architecture in response to environmental variation. However, our knowledge on how brain architecture is affected by commonplace ecological interactions is rudimentary. For example, while intraspecific competition and risk of predation are known to induce adaptive plastic modifications in morphology and behaviour in a wide variety of organisms, their effects on brain development have not been studied. We studied experimentally the influence of density and predation risk on brain development in common frog (Rana temporaria) tadpoles. Tadpoles grown at low density and under predation risk developed smaller brains than tadpoles at the other treatment combinations. Further, at high densities, tadpoles developed larger optic tecta and smaller medulla oblongata than those grown at low densities. These results demonstrate that ecological interactions – like intraspecific competition and predation risk – can have strong effects on brain development in lower vertebrates.
Recombination and selection in the maintenance of the adaptive value of inversions
Authors: PEGUEROLES C. , ORDÓÑEZ V. , MESTRES F. , PASCUAL M.
Published: October 2010

A huge amount of data seem to confirm the adaptive value of inversions inDrosophila. The inhibition of recombination in heterokaryotypes mediated by inversions seems fundamental in maintaining their adaptive role. This study shows that recombination is highly suppressed inDrosophila subobscurabecause of chromosomal inversions, not only inside the inversions but also outside them. It seems that the region outside the inversion where recombination is inhibited is asymmetrical and independent of the inversion length. Despite the difficulty of crossovers taking place near inversion breakpoints, the only two recombination events detected inside inversions were located close to the breakpoint. Thus, selection could be largely responsible for the recombination reduction maintaining sets of adaptive alleles inside the inverted region. Heterokaryotype descendants were always in higher frequency than inbred or outbred homokaryotypes, regardless of the geographical origin of the chromosome, suggesting that chromosomes carrying the same arrangement, although with a different set of alleles for neutral markers, could be submitted to the same selection processes.
Intraspecific conflict over host manipulation between different larval stages of an acanthocephalan parasite
Authors: DIANNE L. , RIGAUD T. , LÉGER E. , MOTREUIL S. , BAUER A. , PERROT‐MINNOT M.‐J.
Published: October 2010

Competitive interactions between coinfecting parasites are expected to be strong when they affect transmission success. When transmission is enhanced by altering host behaviour, intraspecific conflict can lead to ‘coinfection exclusion’ by the first‐in parasite or to a ‘sabotage’ of behavioural manipulation by the youngest noninfective parasite. We tested these hypotheses in the acanthocephalan parasitePomphorhynchus laevis, reversing phototaxis in its intermediate hostGammarus pulex. No evidence was found for coinfection exclusion in gammarids sequentially exposed to infection. Behavioural manipulation was slightly weakened but not cancelled in gammarids infected with mixed larval stages. Therefore, coinfecting infective and noninfective larvae both suffered competition, potentially resulting in delayed transmission and increased risk of mortality, respectively. Consequently, noninfective larva is not just a ‘passive passenger’ in the manipulated host, which raises interesting questions about the selective pressures at play and the mechanisms underlying manipulation.
Within‐host viral evolution in a heterogeneous environment: insights into the HIV co‐receptor switch
Authors: ALIZON S. , BOLDIN B.
Published: October 2010

A virus infecting a host faces a heterogeneous and a spatially structured environment. Using a mathematical model that incorporates two types of target cells and spatial structuring, we investigate conditions for viral within‐host diversification. We show that branching occurs for a wide range of parameters but that it always requires some spatial structure. Applying our model to the case of HIV, we show that it captures three main properties of the ‘co‐receptor switch’ observed in many HIV infections: the initial dominance of virus strains that infect CCR5+ cells, the late switch in some (but, importantly, not all) HIV infections and the associated drop in the number of uninfected T‐cells. This suggests that the co‐receptor switch could result from gradual adaptation of the virus population to target cell heterogeneity. More generally, we argue that evolutionary ecology can help us better understand the course of some infections.
Phylogenetic comparative approaches for studying niche conservatism
Authors: COOPER N. , JETZ W. , FRECKLETON R. P.
Published: October 2010

Analyses of phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC) are becoming increasingly common. However, each analysis makes subtly different assumptions about the evolutionary mechanism that generates patterns of niche conservatism. To understand PNC, analyses should be conducted with reference to a clear underlying model, using appropriate methods. Here, we outline five macroevolutionary models that may underlie patterns of PNC (drift, niche retention, phylogenetic inertia, niche filling/shifting and evolutionary rates) and link these to published phylogenetic comparative methods. For each model, we give recent examples from the literature and suggest how the methods can be practically applied. We hope that this will help clarify the niche conservatism literature and encourage people to think about the evolutionary models underlying niche conservatism in their study group.
Nuptial coloration varies with ambient light environment in a freshwater fish
Authors: MORRONGIELLO J. R. , BOND N. R. , CROOK D. A. , WONG B. B. M.
Published: October 2010

Visual signals play a vital role in many animal communication systems. Signal design, however, often varies within species, raising evolutionarily important questions concerning the maintenance of phenotypic diversity. We analysed nuptial colour variation within and among nine populations of southern pygmy perch (Nannoperca australis Günther) along an environmental light gradient. Within populations, larger males were redder and blacker, and better‐condition males were blacker. Among populations, red colour was positively correlated with the amount of orange‐red light present, suggesting that males are likely optimizing signal conspicuousness by producing proportionally larger and redder patches in broad spectrum environments with more orange‐red light. Signal contrast, in this regard, is maximized when red colour, appearing bright because of the prevalence of red wavelengths, is viewed against the water‐column background. Together, our results are concordant with the sensory drive hypothesis; selection favours signal adaptations or signal plasticity to ensure communication efficacy is maximized in different light environments.
Alteration of pathogenicity‐linked life‐history traits by resistance of its host Solanum tuberosum impacts sexual reproduction of the plant pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora infestans
Authors: CLÉMENT J. A. J. , MAGALON H. , PELLÉ R. , MARQUER B. , ANDRIVON D.
Published: October 2010

Although sexual reproduction implies a cost, it represents an evolutionary advantage for the adaptation and survival of facultative sexual pathogens. Understanding the maintenance of sex in pathogens requires to analyse how host resistance will impact their sexual reproduction through the alteration of their life‐history traits. We explored this experimentally using potato (Solanum tuberosum) and one of its pathogens, the heterothallic oomycete Phytophthora infestans. Sexual reproduction was highest on hosts favouring asexual multiplication of the pathogen, suggesting similar nutritional requirements for both sexual and asexual sporulation. Sexual reproduction was also highest on hosts decreasing the latent period, probably because of a trade‐off between growth and reproduction. Distinguishing host effects on each pathogenic trait remains however uneasy, as most life‐history traits linked to pathogenicity were not independent of each other. We argue that sexual reproduction of P. infestans is an adaptation to survive when the host is susceptible and rapidly destroyed.
Linguistic analysis of verbal and non‐verbal communication in the operating room
Authors: Moore Alison , Butt David , Ellis‐Clarke Jodie , Cartmill John
Published: October 2010

Surgery can be a triumph of co‐operation, the procedure evolving as a result of joint action between multiple participants. The communication that mediates the joint action of surgery is conveyed by verbal but particularly by non‐verbal signals. Competing priorities superimposed by surgical learning must also be negotiated within this context and this paper draws on techniques of systemic functional linguistics to observe and analyse the flow of information during such a phase of surgery.
Nigral and striatal regulation of angiotensin receptor expression by dopamine and angiotensin in rodents: implications for progression of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Villar‐Cheda Begoña , Rodríguez‐Pallares Jannette , Valenzuela Rita , Muñoz Ana , Guerra Maria J. , Baltatu Ovidiu C. , Labandeira‐Garcia Jose L.
Published: October 2010

The basal ganglia have a local renin–angiotensin system and it has been shown that the loss of dopaminergic neurons induced by neurotoxins is amplified by local angiotensin II (AII) via angiotensin type 1 receptors (AT1) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) complex activation. Recent studies have revealed a high degree of counter‐regulatory interactions between dopamine and AII receptors in non‐neural cells such as renal proximal tubule cells. However, it is not known if this occurs in the basal ganglia. In the striatum and nigra, depletion of dopamine with reserpine induced a significant increase in the expression of AT1, angiotensin type 2 receptors (AT2) and the NADPH subunit p47phox, which decreased as dopamine function was restored. Similarly, 6‐hydroxydopamine‐induced chronic dopaminergic denervation induced a significant increase in expression of AT1, AT2 and p47phox, which decreased with L‐dopa administration. A significant reduction in expression of AT1 mRNA was also observed after administration of dopamine to cultures of microglial cells. Transgenic rats with very low levels of brain AII showed increased AT1, decreased p47 phox and no changes in AT2 expression, whereas mice deficient in AT1 exhibited a decrease in the expression of p47 phox and AT2. The administration of relatively high doses of AII (100 nm) decreased the expression of AT1, and the increased expression of AT2 and p47phox in primary mesencephalic cultures. The results reveal an important interaction between the dopaminergic and local renin–angiotensin system in the basal ganglia, which may be a major factor in the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Banting Memorial Lecture 2010∧. Type 2 diabetes as an ‘infectious’ disease: is this the Black Death of the 21st century?
Authors: Matthews D. R. , Matthews P. C.
Published: October 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 2–9 (2011)

We are currently facing a global pandemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. In some settings, the population prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is 50%, and half of those affected will die from diabetes‐related complications. Eight centuries ago, an epidemic of bubonic plague swept across Europe, killing at least half of its victims. We here draw comparisons between these two pandemics, proposing close analogies between the ‘Black Death’ of the 14th century and the modern‐day equivalent of Type 2 diabetes. Both diseases can be considered in terms of an aetiological agent, a reservoir, a vector and a predisposing toxic environment; populations can be considered as highly susceptible to the transmissable agents of Type 2 diabetes in the setting of calorie excess, inadequate food labelling, poorly regulated advertising and sedentary lifestyles. As for tackling a pandemic of a contagious microbial pathogen, we believe that breaking the cycle of transmission in the diabetes epidemic must be underpinned by political will and prompt, decisive legislation backed by the medical community. Far from fearing that such measures edge us towards a ‘nanny state’, we believe individuals should expect a responsible government to safeguard them from the toxic milieu that puts them at risk of obesity and its complications, and that communities and populations have the right to have their health protected.
AN INDUSTRIOUS REVOLUTION IN AN EAST ASIAN MARKET ECONOMY? TOKUGAWA JAPAN AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GREAT DIVERGENCE
Authors: Saito Osamu
Published: October 2010

This paper addresses a question raised by Jan de Vries' on the relationship between industriousness and the rise of the market in East Asia. Was the growing industriousness in Tokugawa Japan, as de Vries suggests, a substitute ‘for the absence of markets’? The examination refers to two versions of Chayanov's peasant farm model and their empirical relevance to the Tokugawa agrarian history, with special reference to the formation of labour‐intensive peasant farming (Akira Hayami's version of an industrious revolution), product specialisation, and the markets for production factors, land, and labour. Its implications for the Great Divergence debate are also discussed.
PHYSICAL STATURE IN NINETEENTH‐CENTURY NEW ZEALAND: A PRELIMINARY INTERPRETATION
Authors: Inwood Kris , Oxley Les , Roberts Evan
Published: October 2010

During the late nineteenth century, the physical stature of New Zealand‐born men stagnated, despite an apparently beneficial public health environment and growth in per‐capita incomes. We examine trends and differentials in male stature through World War I enlistment and casualty records. Stature varied by social class, with professionals and men in rural occupations substantially taller than their peers. There is not enough evidence to show that the indigenous Maori population differed in height from men of European descent. Stagnation in stature in late nineteenth‐century New Zealand is consistent with patterns observed in Australia, North America, and Western Europe.
USING AUTOBIOGRAPHIES IN BUSINESS HISTORY: A NARRATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF JULES JOUBERT'SSHAVINGS AND SCRAPES
Authors: Reveley James
Published: October 2010

Entrepreneur autobiographies provide business historians with the opportunity to connect storytelling and identity, topics that are now prominent in economic debate. Yet lingering concern about the subjectivity of life writing prevents wider use of autobiographies within business history. This article seeks to allay such concern by applying the narratological method to the colonial entrepreneur Jules Joubert's autobiography,Shavings and Scrapes. Joubert's narrative identity is as an ‘adventurer’. This identity shored up his self‐image and was used by him to enhance his reputation. Narratology shows that an autobiography can stabilise and publicise the colonial entrepreneur's narrative identity, thereby benefiting their business career.
A Dynamic Network with Individual Mobility for Designing Vaccination Strategies
Authors: Mao Liang , Bian Ling
Published: October 2010

Vaccination is a primary means to control infectious diseases. Few studies on vaccination strategies have explicitly considered the mobility of individuals. This article aims to evaluate the efficacy of three vaccination strategies in a dynamic social network, in which individuals are mobile between and within communities. The three vaccination strategies are applied to this social network for evaluation, including a travel‐based, a contact‐based, and a random vaccination strategy. Simulation results show that the contact‐based strategy, commonly seen in previous studies, is not always the most effective strategy in dynamic networks. This strategy is preferable for a population with a large number of intercommunity travelers, for instance in urban areas. On the other hand, the travel‐based strategy, although directly accounting for individual mobility, is not necessarily the most effective in dynamic networks either. This strategy is recommended for a population with a small number of intercommunity travelers, such as rural areas. In addition, one advantage of the travel‐based strategy over the other two is its efficacy in confining the spatial extent of affected areas. Results suggest that the intercommunity travel of individuals should be a major consideration for choosing proper vaccination strategies. By adding the spatial context into vaccination strategies, this research provides new insights into community‐based planning for infectious disease control.
Stereological Estimation of Uncertain and Changing Objects from Remote Sensing Image Mining
Authors: Stein Alfred , Yifru Mamushet Zewuge
Published: October 2010

This article combines stereology with image mining. Image mining identifies and models objects from a series of remote sensing images and communicates this information to stakeholders. Stereology is the science of deriving properties of objects from lower dimensional features. This article first applies stereology to quantify properties of crisp objects on single images. Next it addresses the development of an object in space and time. Finally, it quantifies uncertainty of fuzzy objects. The article is illustrated with a case study from Cambodia, where flooding regularly occurs along the Mekong River. Nine Landsat images have been mined to assess the size of the flooding in space and time. Areal estimates obtained with stereology from single images show a high precision. Estimates of a space–time volume of the size of flooding in space and time include uncertainty estimates that could be ascribed to atmospheric distortion and limited resolution. Finally stereology is applied to estimate the effects on area estimates of fuzzified boundaries. All information can be transferred to stakeholders, e.g. to quantify the size of a disaster. The article concludes that stereology successfully and concisely quantifies phenomena and their uncertainties in a remote sensing image mining context.
Thirty Years of Research on Spatial Data Quality: Achievements, Failures, and Opportunities
Authors: Devillers Rodolphe , Stein Alfred , Bédard Yvan , Chrisman Nicholas , Fisher Peter , Shi Wenzhong
Published: October 2010

This article reflects on the past 30 years of academic research in the field of spatial data quality and tries to identify the main achievements, failures, and opportunities for future research. Most of this reflection results from a panel discussion that took place during theSixth International Symposium on Spatial Data Quality(ISSDQ) in July 2009.
Enhancing the Reliability of 3D Subsurface Models through Differential Weighting and Mathematical Recombination of Variable Quality Data
Authors: MacCormack Kelsey E , Eyles Carolyn H
Published: October 2010

One of the first stages of the three‐dimensional (3D) subsurface modeling process involves collation and analysis of available borehole and/or outcrop data to identify individual subsurface units, usually distinguished by the grain size of the sediment, and the elevation of their bounding contacts. Input data can come from a variety of sources and may be categorized according to their reliability and/or quality. The output from the 3D model is a prediction of subsurface conditions based on these data and the reliability of the output model is highly dependent on both the quality of input data and the types of interpolation methods used. This article presents a new quality weighting methodology that allows the user to assign a differential weighting factor to data points of variable quality in the modeling process. Input data are categorized into high and low quality datasets which are then recombined using a grid math process in which a differential “weighting” factor is applied. This allows the 3D modeling program to maximize the use and effectiveness of data from all available sources while giving high quality data greater influence on the final model output, and will result in the generation of more accurate and reliable 3D subsurface models.
The Influence of Land Cover on Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Elevations in Low‐relief Areas
Authors: LaLonde Tara , Shortridge Ashton , Messina Joseph
Published: October 2010

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), the first relatively high spatial resolution near‐global digital elevation dataset, possesses great utility for a wide array of environmental applications worldwide. This article concerns the accuracy of SRTM in low‐relief areas with heterogeneous vegetation cover. Three questions were addressed about low‐relief SRTM topographic representation: to what extent are errors spatially autocorrelated, and how should this influence sample design? Is spatial resolution or production method more important for explaining elevation differences? How dominant is the association of vegetation cover with SRTM elevation error? Two low‐relief sites in Louisiana, USA, were analyzed to determine the nature and impact of SRTM error in such areas. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data were employed as reference, and SRTM elevations were contrasted with the US National Elevation Dataset (NED). Spatial autocorrelation of errors persisted hundreds of meters spatially in low‐relief topography; production method was more critical than spatial resolution, and elevation error due to vegetation canopy effects could actually dominate the SRTM representation of the landscape. Indeed, low‐lying, forested, riparian areas may be represented as substantially higher than surrounding agricultural areas, leading to an inverted terrain model.