bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ecological risk assessment and its application to elasmobranch conservation and management
Authors: Gallagher A. J. , Kyne P. M. , Hammerschlag N.
Published: March 2012

Ecological risk assessments (ERAs) are employed to quantify and predict the vulnerability of a particular species, stock or population to a specific stressor, e.g. pollution, harvesting, climate change, by‐catch. Data generated from ERAs are used to identify and prioritize species for implementation of effective conservation and management strategies. At this time, ERAs are of particular importance to elasmobranchs, given the ecological importance and documented global population declines of some elasmobranch species. Here, ERAs as a tool for elasmobranch conservation and management are reviewed and a theoretical roadmap provided for future studies. To achieve these goals, a brief history of ERAs and approaches used within them (in the context of elasmobranchs) are given, and a comprehensive review conducted of all ERA studies associated with elasmobranchs published between 1998 and 2011. The hazards assessed, species evaluated and methodological approaches taken are recorded. Chronological and geographical patterns suggest that this tool has grown in popularity as a commercial fishery management instrument, while also signalling a recent precautionary approach to elasmobranch management in commercial fisheries globally. The analysis demonstrates that the predominant parameters incorporated in previous ERAs are largely based on life‐history characteristics, and sharks have received the majority of attention; batoids (including skates) have received less attention. Recreational fishing and habitat degradation are discussed as hazards which warrant future investigation through ERA. Lastly, suggestions are made for incorporating descriptive ecological data to aid in the continued development and evolution of this management tool as it applies to future elasmobranch conservation.
Different incidences of epigenetic but not genetic abnormalities between Wilms tumors in Japanese and Caucasian children
Authors: Haruta Masayuki , Arai Yasuhito , Watanabe Naoki , Fujiwara Yuiko , Honda Shohei , Ohshima Junjiro , Kasai Fumio , Nakadate Hisaya , Horie Hiroshi , Okita Hajime , Hata Jun‐Ichi , Fukuzawa Masahiro , Kaneko Yasuhiko
Published: March 2012

Epidemiological studies show that the incidence of Wilms tumor (WT) in East‐Asian children is half of that in Caucasian children. Abnormalities of WT1, CTNNB1, WTX, and IGF2 were reported to be involved in Wilms tumorigenesis in Caucasians, although none of the studies simultaneously evaluated the four genes. WTX forms the β‐catenin degradation complex; however, the relationship between WTX abnormality and CTNNB1 mutation was uncertain in WTs. We examined abnormalities of the four genes in 114 Japanese with WTs to clarify the relationship between genetic and epigenetic factors and the incidence of WTs. We found that abnormalities of WTX and CTNNB1 were mutually exclusive, and that although CTNNB1 mutation was frequent in WTs with WT1 abnormality, but rare in WTs without, the incidences of WTX abnormality were similar between WTs with or without WT1 abnormality. These findings were consistent with those reported in Caucasian populations, and indicate multiple roles of WTX abnormality. Abnormalities of WT1, WTX and CTNNB1, and loss of IGF2 imprinting (LOI) were detected in 31.6%, 22.8%, 26.3%, and 21.1% of the 114 WTs, respectively. When we selected 101 sporadic WTs, the incidences of WT1, CTNNB1, or WTX abnormality were generally comparable between the two populations, whereas the incidence of IGF2 LOI was lower in Japanese than that of IGF2 LOI reported in Caucasians (P = 0.04). This is the first comprehensive study of the four genes, and the results supported the hypothesis that the lower incidence of IGF2 LOI contributes to the lower incidence of WTs in Japanese children. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 1129–1135)
Associations between self‐reported illness and non‐drinking in young adults
Authors: Ng Fat Linda , Shelton Nicola
Published: March 2012

Aims  This study investigated associations between self‐reported illness, social factors and health behaviours and non‐drinking among young people aged 18–34 years.

Design  Logistic regression analysis of cross‐sectional national survey data, collected from the Health Survey for England 2006 and 2008. Data were collected through face‐to‐face interviews and are self‐reported.

Participants and settings  A total of 2826 male and 3618 females aged 18–34 years drawn from a nationally representative multi‐stage stratified probability sampling design across England.

Measurements  Non‐drinkers were based on those who reported ‘no’ to drinking alcohol currently. Exposure measures included self‐reports of having a limiting long‐standing illness, long‐standing illness or self‐reported poor health. We adjusted for ethnicity, income, education, general physical activity and other factors.

Findings  Having a limiting long‐standing illness during early adulthood increased the odds of being a non‐drinker 1.74 times for men (P < 0.01) and 1.45 times for women (P < 0.01). In both men and women belonging to the lowest income quintile or having no qualifications was associated with increased odds of being a non‐drinker (P < 0.001), indicating that the social gradient in non‐drinking begins at an early age. Men and women aged 18–34 years with the lowest activity levels were also more likely to be non‐drinkers (P < 0.01).

Conclusion  Young adults who have a limiting long‐standing illness are more likely not to drink alcohol even after adjusting for a range of social and demographic measures. Studies on the putative health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption later in life need to take account of early life history.
Quantitative trait loci analysis of a Duroc commercial population highlights differences in the genetic determination of meat quality traits at two different muscles
Authors: Gallardo D. , Pena R. N. , Quintanilla R. , Ramírez O. , Almuzara D. , Noguera J. L. , Amills M.
Published: March 2012

We performed a whole‐genome scan with 110 informative microsatellites in a commercial Duroc population for which growth, fatness, carcass and meat quality phenotypes were available. Importantly, meat quality traits were recorded in two different muscles, that is, gluteus medius (GM) and longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL), to find out whether these traits are determined by muscle‐specific genetic factors. At the whole‐population level, three genome‐wide QTL were identified for carcass weight (SSC7, 60 cM), meat redness (SSC13, 84 cM) and yellowness (SSC15, 108 cM). Within‐family analyses allowed us to detect genome‐wide significant QTL for muscle loin depth between the 3rd and 4th ribs (SSC15, 54 cM), backfat thickness (BFT) in vivo (SSC10, 58 cM), ham weight (SSC9, 69 cM), carcass weight (SSC7, 60 cM; SSC9, 68 cM), BFT on the last rib (SSC11, 48 cM) and GM redness (SSC8, 85 cM; SSC13, 84 cM). Interestingly, there was low positional concordance between meat quality QTL maps obtained for GM and LTL. As a matter of fact, the three genome‐wide significant QTL for colour traits (SSC8, SSC13 and SSC15) that we detected in our study were all GM specific. This result suggests that QTL effects might be modulated to a certain extent by genetic and environmental factors linked to muscle function and anatomical location.
Correlation of TSH with the risk of paediatric thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Chiu Harvey K. , Sanda Srinath , Fechner Patricia Y. , Pihoker Catherine
Published: March 2012

Objective

Risk factors for the rare and unique entity of paediatric thyroid cancer are becoming more clearly defined. This study investigated the association of thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) with the diagnosis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in the paediatric population. No previous studies have correlated the paediatric thyroid cancer risk with TSH levels.

Design

Retrospective case‐controlled study.

Patients

A total of 116 paediatric patients with an indication for thyroidectomy referred to Seattle Children's Hospital, a major paediatric tertiary medical centre, between January 1997 and January 2011 were assessed. Excluding confounders that would directly affect TSH values, 78 patients (29 patients with and 49 patients without thyroid cancer) between the ages of 3 and 20 years were evaluated.

Measurements

Preoperative TSH values correlated with pathology review of en bloc resected thyroid tissue specimens.

Results

The diagnosis of paediatric thyroid carcinoma was significantly associated with elevated TSH levels. The average TSH level (2·32 ± 0·51 mIU/l) was significantly greater than the TSH level (1·08 ± 0·14 mIU/l) noted in patients without malignancy (P = 0·03). A rightward skew of TSH was associated with paediatric patients harbouring paediatric thyroid carcinoma, with a TSH level ≥2·50 mIU/l correlating with a significantly increased odds ratio of thyroid cancer (OR 8·05, 95% CI 1·41–81·39, P = 0·0073) relative to a normal TSH range of 0·40–2·49 mIU/l.

Conclusions

Paediatric thyroid carcinoma is associated with TSH level ≥ 2·50 mIU/l, which may be useful to identify a higher risk of malignancy in a paediatric patient with a thyroid nodule.
How we treat: considerations for physiotherapy in the patient with haemophilia and inhibitors undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery
Authors: FORSYTH A. , ZOURIKIAN N.
Published: March 2012

Ten weeks prior to a scheduled left total knee arthroplasty, a 25‐year‐old man with severe haemophilia A and a high‐titre inhibitor presented to the physical therapist for a preoperative assessment at the haemophilia treatment centre (HTC). Prior to the recommendation to proceed to surgery, the therapist and other members of the multidisciplinary care team had surmised that, despite two previous radiosynovectomies, an arthroscopic synovectomy, and most recently at the age of 18 years, an arthroscopic debridement, the patient continued to have a progression of joint disease manifested by pain, restricted range of motion and reduced strength. Based on these findings and the patient’s history of consistent adherence to and follow‐through with recommended treatments, the HTC staff and orthopaedic surgeon determined that he was a good candidate for total knee replacement. The patient’s pain and joint disease severely limited his mobility and participation in functional activities. The most recent radiographs were notable for severe tricompartmental arthropathy of the left knee with joint deformity, flexion contracture, and osteoporosis. When queried about current haemostatic therapy during the initial preoperative visit with the physical therapist, the patient explained that he was self‐infusing a bypassing agent to treat active bleeds and as prophylactic treatment before participating in vigorous physical activity, as advised by his haematologist. He had previously managed his joint pain with cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors and both short‐ and long‐acting opioids, in addition to physical therapy. His current personal inventory of mobility and rehabilitative aids consisted of crutches, compressive wraps, and a cold‐compression unit. Further assessment of relevant environmental and psychosocial factors revealed that the patient was living with his girlfriend and 3‐year‐old daughter, for whom he was the primary caregiver, in a two‐story home with five steps to enter. He was also working part‐time from home as a computer consultant. The visit concluded with a formal physical assessment and discussion of next steps, including plans for additional preoperative physical therapy sessions. The therapist also informed the patient about what to expect postoperatively in terms of rehabilitation and recovery.
Twenty‐four/seven: a mixed‐method systematic review of the off‐shift literature
Authors: de Cordova Pamela B. , Phibbs Ciaran S. , Bartel Ann P. , Stone Patricia W.
Published: March 2012

de cordova p.b., phibbs c. s., bartel a.p. & stone p.w. (2012) Twenty‐four/seven: a mixed‐method systematic review of the off‐shift literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(7), 1454–1468.

Aim.  This article is a report of a review that aimed to synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence of ‘off‐shifts’ (nights, weekends and/or holidays) on quality and employee outcomes in hospitals.

Background.  Healthcare workers provide 24‐hour‐a‐day, 7‐day‐a‐week service. Quality and employee outcomes may differ on off‐shifts as compared to regular hours.

Data sources.  Searches for studies occurred between the years 1985–2011 using computerized databases including Business Source Complete, EconLit, ProQuest, PubMed and MEDLINE.

Review design and methods.  Design was a mixed‐method systematic review with quantitative and qualitative studies. To be included, studies met the following criteria: (1) the independent variable was an off‐shift; (2) the article was a research study and peer‐reviewed; (3) the article could be obtained in English; and (4) the article pertained to health care. Studies were not excluded on design.

Results.  Sixty studies were included. There were 37 quality outcome, 19 employee outcome and four qualitative studies. In the quality outcome studies, researchers often used quantitative, longitudinal study designs with large sample sizes. Researchers found important differences between patients admitted on weekends and mortality. Important differences were also found between nighttime birth and mortality and rotating night work and fatigue, stress and low mental well‐being. Most studies (9 of 12) did not find an important association between patients admitted at night and mortality.

Conclusion.  Patient outcomes on weekends and employee outcomes at night are worse than during the day. It is important to further investigate why care on off‐shifts differs from weekly day shifts.
A minor pest reduces yield losses by a major pest: plant‐mediated herbivore interactions in Indonesian cacao
Authors: Wielgoss Arno , Clough Yann , Fiala Brigitte , Rumede Alfianus , Tscharntke Teja
Published: March 2012

1. Herbivores inducing host‐plant trait changes can indirectly affect the performance, distribution, abundance and behaviour of other herbivores, even when they are temporally or spatially separated. However, it is unclear whether this occurs at scales relevant for applied purposes such as pest control in agricultural crops.

2. We studied the indirect effects of a minor pest, the mirid bug Helopeltis sulawesi, on the major pest of cacao Theobroma cacao in Southeast Asia, the pod‐boring moth Conopomorpha cramerella. For 2 years, we surveyed herbivore damage and yield in 10 focal trees in each of the 43 cacao plantations and analysed patterns of co‐occurrence of the two herbivores. In a two‐choice experiment, we tested whether gravid females of C. cramerella searching for oviposition sites discriminate against pods damaged by H. sulawesi.

3. The proportion of pods affected by both pest species was significantly lower than expected. This pattern could not be ascribed to differential responses to environmental or management variables, but was because of avoidance of H. sulawesi damage by ovipositing C. cramerella females as shown in a two‐choice experiment. The reduction in co‐occurrence of damage by the two herbivores was found at tree and at plot scale and held across three harvest seasons.

4. The differential yield impacts by the two herbivores and the avoidance by C. cramerella of pods damaged by H. sulawesi lead to a yield optimum at a H. sulawesi incidence of 51%.

5. Synthesis and application. Plant‐mediated indirect interactions between minor and major pest insects can be important drivers of yield loss at agriculturally relevant spatial and temporal scales. In cacao, the mirid bug H. sulawesi, a minor pest, generates conspicuous damage which often triggers pest control with insecticides. This practice may be counterproductive, because decreasing H. sulawesi damage benefits the main pest, the cacao pod borer C. cramerella resulting in a marketable yield optimum at intermediate densities of the minor pest. Pest control recommendations should take into account the relative effect of control measures on interacting herbivores to avoid replacing one pest problem with another, potentially more serious one, during the course of a fruiting season.
Prenatal predictors for father–infant attachment after childbirth
Authors: Yu Ching‐Yun , Hung Chich‐Hsiu , Chan Te‐Fu , Yeh Ching‐Hsueh , Lai Chien‐Yu
Published: March 2012

Aims and objectives.  This study aims to assess expectant fathers’ social support, marital intimacy and health status during the third trimester of their partners’ pregnancies. Further, we investigate the predictors of father–infant attachment after childbirth.

Background.  Becoming a father is a transition. Research has focused more on mothers than on fathers, even though the philosophy of the maternal care system is about providing family‐centred care. The psychological status of first‐time fathers and the attachment they have to their infants have received little attention in the research.

Design.  A repeated measures study design.

Methods.  A total of 195 first‐time fathers were recruited during the third trimester of their partners’ pregnancies. During that time, they completed the Social Support Scale, the Marital Intimacy Scale and the Chinese Health Questionnaire. After childbirth, they completed the Paternal Attachment Inventory during the one‐week postpartum period.

Results.  The fathers who perceived more marital intimacy and support from their partners were more attached to their infants. Moreover, marital intimacy and partner support were important predictors for father–infant attachment.

Conclusions.  Future research is warranted to determine the prenatal predictors of father–infant attachment for high‐risk families.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The philosophy of maternal care is family oriented; for health professionals, pregnancy is an important time to provide information and counsel couples. Interventions should not only target the health and well‐being of expectant mothers but should also actively invite fathers to participate in prenatal care with their partners to facilitate marital intimacy and father–infant attachment.
Experimental assessment of nutrient limitation along a 2‐million‐year dune chronosequence in the south‐western Australia biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Laliberté Etienne , Turner Benjamin L. , Costes Thomas , Pearse Stuart J. , Wyrwoll Karl‐Heinz , Zemunik Graham , Lambers Hans
Published: March 2012

1. The classical model of long‐term ecosystem development suggests that primary productivity is limited by nitrogen (N) on young substrates and phosphorus (P) on older substrates. Measurements of foliar and soil nutrients along soil chronosequences support this model, but direct tests through nutrient‐addition experiments are rare.

2. We conducted a nutrient‐limitation bioassay using phytometer species grown in soils from five stages of a >2‐million‐year dune chronosequence in south‐western Australia. This long‐term chronosequence is located within a region of exceptionally high plant species diversity and has not been previously studied in the context of ecosystem development.

3. Growth of unfertilized phytometers, a proxy for primary productivity, peaked on young soils (hundreds to a few thousand years) and then declined steadily on older soils. This decline was linked to P limitation, and its rapid appearance (<7000 years) compared to other sequences reflects the low P concentration in the parent material. As predicted, growth of canola was N‐limited on the youngest soil (stage 1), co‐limited by multiple nutrients in stage 2 and increasingly P‐limited thereafter.

4. Growth of wheat was P‐limited from stage 2 onwards, yet on the youngest soil it was co‐limited by potassium (K) and micronutrients – most likely iron (Fe). Nitrogen addition also decreased the root:shoot ratio of wheat such that shoot growth was higher than in the control. We attribute these responses to a parent material that is very low in K and N and strongly alkaline (pH [H2O] > 9), being of a marine origin (i.e. carbonate dunes). Fe is poorly soluble at high pH and K likely plays a role in the secretion of Fe‐mobilizing exudates from wheat roots.

5. Synthesis. Our results provide strong support for the long‐term ecosystem‐development model, particularly with regard to the appearance of P limitation and associated declines in productivity. However, our study also shows that N cannot be assumed to invariably be the most important limiting nutrient in young soils, and it is unlikely to be the only limiting nutrient in calcareous soils. This south‐western Australian long‐term chronosequence provides an excellent opportunity to explore edaphic controls over plant species diversity.
Experimental mycobacteriosis in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L.
Authors: Zerihun M A , Colquhoun D J , Poppe T T
Published: March 2012

Piscine mycobacteriosis causes losses in a number of fish species both in the wild and in aquaculture worldwide. Mycobacterium salmoniphilum infections have on several occasions been reported in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. The present study tested and confirmed the susceptibility of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., an important yet relatively novel aquaculture species, to infection with M. salmoniphilum. Atlantic cod injected intraperitoneally with a suspension of this bacterium were maintained together with cohabitant (COH) fish in a flow‐through marine water system at 10–11 °C. The fish were supervised daily and samples taken at 2, 7, 14, 23, 34 and 53 weeks post‐infection and examined pathologically, bacteriologically and using molecular biology. Injected mycobacteria were re‐isolated in high concentrations from both injected and COH fish groups. Death attributable to mycobacterial infection was observed in both injected (47%) and COH (28%) fish groups. Extensive development of granuloma in visceral organs, mainly the mesenteries, spleen, kidney and liver (lesser extent) and at later stages of the infection in heart tissues and gills, was observed in both injected and COH fish. Granulomas underwent a temporal progression of distinct morphological stages, culminating in well‐circumscribed lesions surrounded by normal or healing tissue. Acid‐fast bacilli were detected in both granulomas and non‐granulomatous tissues. This study confirms that Atlantic cod is highly susceptible to M. salmoniphilum infection and that this bacterial species may be a threat to cod both in the wild and in the aquaculture.
Women with intellectual disabilities talk about their perceptions of sex
Authors: Bernert D. J. , Ogletree R. J.
Published: March 2012

Background Sexuality is learned through sexual socialisation that women with intellectual disabilities (IDs) understand and express. Rules of sexual engagement for these women can include barriers for their socialisation, intimate partner selection, and sexual expression. These rules can become more limiting when coupled with rules of femininity that encourage sexual restraint for women.

Methods This ethnography explored how women with IDs perceived their sexuality and how sexuality functioned in their lives. Sources of data included 48 multiple and in‐depth interviews and observations with 14 women. This article specifically describes how the women constructed ‘sex’ and how they described experiencing sex as two of their multiple expressions of sexuality in this study.

Results Most of the women had very limited and exclusively heterosexual sexual experiences, and the majority of women reported practicing abstinence. Criteria they identified for sex included having protected sex, marital and monogamous sex for the purpose of procreation or parenting, and having feelings for a sexual partner. Most held negative perceptions of sex they attributed to fear of the first act, fear of experiencing negative consequences, physiological concerns about the act, and perceived or actual lack of pleasure.

Conclusions Although the women displayed some sense of self‐determinism in their sexual behaviour, negative perceptions of sex resulted in self‐imposed abstinence predicated by fear of intercourse, intimacy, or outcome. Central to their sexuality education then is increasing self‐efficacy perceptions and performance of safer sex practices to prevent negative sexual consequence. Sexuality education from a positive perspective that enhances their sexual self‐determinism and encourages sexual health is recommended.
Homosexuality among people with a mild intellectual disability: an explorative study on the lived experiences of homosexual people in the Netherlands with a mild intellectual disability
Authors: Stoffelen J. , Kok G. , Hospers H. , Curfs L. M. G.
Published: March 2012

Background  Empirical research on homosexuality among people with an intellectual disability (ID) is limited and, to date, very little is known regarding the personal experiences of gay and lesbian people with an ID. This study set out to answer the question: What are the lived experiences of a specific cohort of homosexual people with an intellectual disability living in the Netherlands?

Method  To answer this question, a qualitative study was performed in which 21 people with a mild ID were interviewed via semi‐structured interviews. In this study, 19 participants were men and two were women (average age = 40.5 years).

Results  Participants reported positive and negative experiences, and talked about their gay or lesbian identity. Almost half of the participants (n = 10) reported that they had experienced sexual abuse including partner violence (n = 6). Additionally, they indicated that there was a lack of support for homosexual people with an ID.

Conclusion  Specific problems impact the lives of homosexual people with ID, namely the high prevalence of negative sexual experiences, the lack of support, training and sex education, and their search for a suitable partner.
Decreased spontaneous arousability in preterm newborns with impaired neurological outcome
Authors: THIRIEZ GÉRARD , TOURNOUD MAUD , WERMENBOL VANESSA , VERMEYLEN DANIÈLE , ECOCHARD RENÉ , IWAZ JEAN , LIN JIAN SHENG , FRANCO PATRICIA
Published: March 2012

Preterm newborns are at high risk of neurological injury. In this population, we investigated the link between neurological complications and sleep architecture. At term‐corrected gestational age, we studied retrospectively the polysomnography of 45 preterm infants born at < 28 weeks or weighting < 1 kg. These infants were followed‐up by a neuropaediatrician (median age at last follow‐up 50.4 months). Two groups of children were constituted: a group without neurological disorder and a second group with at least one of the following: cerebral palsy, language or mental retardation, visual or hearing disability or attention disorder. A Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes model assessed the relationship between the neurological outcome and two sleep components: spontaneous arousability [number of awakenings and movements per hour of quiet sleep (QS) and active sleep] and QS characteristics (median duration of QS cycles and percentage of QS over total sleep time). Twenty‐six infants had an impaired neurological outcome. There were no statistical differences between the two groups regarding clinical characteristics. Compared to preterm neonates with normal neurological outcome, those with impaired outcomes had a lower spontaneous arousability; i.e. 0.7 (0.5–1) times less awakenings and movements per hour of QS and 0.9 (0.8–1) times less per hour of active sleep than infants with normal outcomes (P = 0.05). The differences in QS characteristics did not reach statistical significance. These findings suggested that, in preterm infants, perinatal neurological injuries could be associated with an abnormal sleep architecture characterized by altered spontaneous arousability.
Effects of pyriproxyfen and buprofezin on immature development and reproduction in the stable fly*
Authors: LIU S. S. , LI A. Y. , LOHMEYER K. H. , PÉREZ DE LEÓN A. A.
Published: March 2012

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), is one of the most significant biting flies that affect cattle. The use of traditional insecticides for stable fly control has only a limited success owing to the insect's unique feeding behaviours and immature development sites. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effects of two insect growth regulator (IGR) products, pyriproxyfen and buprofezin, on the development of the immature stages of the stable fly and the effects of pyriproxyfen on oviposition and egg hatch. Both pyriproxyfen and buprofezin had significant inhibitory effects on immature development. The LC50s of pyriproxyfen and buprofezin were 0.002 and 18.92 p.p.m., respectively. Topical treatment of adult females with different doses of pyriproxyfen had significant negative effects on both female oviposition and egg hatching when 1‐ and 3‐day‐old females were treated, and the effects were dose dependent. A significant reduction in the mean number of eggs laid was observed only at the highest pyriproxyfen dose (8 µg/fly) and egg hatch was unaffected by pyriproxyfen treatment when 5‐day‐old females were treated. Results from the present study indicate that pyriproxyfen has the potential to be used as part of an integrated stable fly management programme.
A handbook for uncovering the complete energetic budget in insects: the van Handel's method (1985) revisited
Authors: FORAY VINCENT , PELISSON PIERRE‐FRANCOIS , BEL‐VENNER MARIE‐CLAUDE , DESOUHANT EMMANUEL , VENNER SAMUEL , MENU FREDERIC , GIRON DAVID , REY BENJAMIN
Published: March 2012

Insects comprise relevant biological models for investigating nutrient acquisition and allocation processes in the context of life‐history ecology and evolution. However, empirical investigations are still partly limited by the lack of availability of simple methods for simultaneously estimating the four major energetic components (i.e. lipids, free sugars, glycogen and proteins) in the same individual. In the present work, we validate a fast, reproducible and cheap method for overcoming this problem that uses different solvents successively. First, proteins are solubilized in a phosphate‐lysis buffer and then quantified according to the classical Bradford assay procedure. In a second step, a chloroform–methanol mixture is added to the aqueous phase, which allows assay of the total lipid fraction, as well as the free sugars and glycogen in the same insect homogenate. In addition, a micro‐separation procedure is adapted to partition the total lipids into neutral (mainly stored lipids) and polar (mainly structural lipids) components. Although these assays are conducted sequentially in the same individual, the sensitivity of our method remains high: the estimated amount of each energetic compartment does not differ from that obtained with former, partial methods. Our method should thus largely improve our knowledge about nutrient acquisition and allocation among insects not only in laboratory‐reared individuals, but also in animals caught in the wild. Descriptions and recommendations are given at each step of the protocol to adapt the procedure to various insect species. Finally, to prevent misinterpretation of data generated in accordance with this protocol, the limits of our method are discussed in the light of life‐history studies.
Swell impact on reef sedimentary processes: A case study of the La Reunion fringing reef
Authors: CORDIER EMMANUEL , POIZOT EMMANUEL , MÉAR YANN
Published: March 2012

Two surface‐sediment sampling campaigns were carried out in November and December 2003, before and after a strong swell event, in the back‐reef area of a microtidal fringing reef on the western coast of La Reunion, Indian Ocean. The spatial distributions of the mean grain size, sorting and skewness parameters are determined, and grain‐size trend analysis is performed to estimate the main sediment transport pathways in the reef. The results of this analysis are compared with hydrodynamic records obtained in the same reef area during fair weather conditions and during swell events. Sediment dynamics inferred from the hydrodynamic records show that significant sediment erosion and transport occur only during swell events and under strongly agitated sea states. Under normal wave conditions, there is a potential for onshore sediment transport from the reef‐flat to the back‐reef, but this transport is episodic and occurs principally during high‐tide stages. Sediment transport trends revealed by the grain‐size trend analysis method show onshore and alongshore low‐energy transport processes that are in agreement with the hydrodynamic records. The grain‐size trend analysis method also provides evidence of an offshore high‐energy transport trend that could be interpreted as a real physical process associated with return flow from the shore to the reef. The impact of swell on the reef sediment dynamics is clearly demonstrated by onshore and alongshore transport. Considering different combinations of the vector transport trends computed through the grain‐size trend analysis approach, more realistic and pertinent results can be obtained by applying an exclusive OR operation (XOR case) on the vectors. The main results presented here highlight a trend towards the accumulation of carbonate sands in the back‐reef area of the fringing reef. These sediments can only be resuspended during extreme events such as storms or tropical cyclones.
Phytochrome‐imposed oscillations in PIF3 protein abundance regulate hypocotyl growth under diurnal light/dark conditions in Arabidopsis
Authors: Soy Judit , Leivar Pablo , González‐Schain Nahuel , Sentandreu Maria , Prat Salomé , Quail Peter H. , Monte Elena
Published: March 2012

Arabidopsis seedlings display rhythmic growth when grown under diurnal conditions, with maximal elongation rates occurring at the end of the night under short‐day photoperiods. Current evidence indicates that this behavior involves the action of the growth‐promoting bHLH factors PHYTOCHROME‐INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4) and PHYTOCHROME‐INTERACTING FACTOR 5 (PIF5) at the end of the night, through a coincidence mechanism that combines their transcriptional regulation by the circadian clock with control of protein accumulation by light. To assess the possible role of PIF3 in this process, we have analyzed hypocotyl responses and marker gene expression in pif single‐ and higher‐order mutants. The data show that PIF3 plays a prominent role as a promoter of seedling growth under diurnal light/dark conditions, in conjunction with PIF4 and PIF5. In addition, we provide evidence that PIF3 functions in this process through its intrinsic transcriptional regulatory activity, at least in part by directly targeting growth‐related genes, and independently of its ability to regulate phytochrome B (phyB) levels. Furthermore, in sharp contrast to PIF4 and PIF5, our data show that the PIF3 gene is not subject to transcriptional regulation by the clock, but that PIF3 protein abundance oscillates under diurnal conditions as a result of a progressive decline in PIF3 protein degradation mediated by photoactivated phyB, and consequent accumulation of the bHLH factor during the dark period. Collectively, the data suggest that phyB‐mediated, post‐translational regulation allows PIF3 accumulation to peak just before dawn, at which time it accelerates hypocotyl growth, together with PIF4 and PIF5, by directly regulating the induction of growth‐related genes.
Alternatives to conventional antimicrobial drugs: a review of future prospects
Authors: Lloyd David H.
Published: March 2012

Background – Growing antimicrobial resistance poses the threat that before long no suitable drugs will be available for treatment of common infections. This review examines promising new strategies for treatment and control of microbial diseases, with an emphasis on staphylococcal infection.

New drugs and targets – Advances in microbial genomics have provided tools identifying many new targets for antimicrobial drugs. Of particular interest amongst these are inhibition of microbial efflux pump activity, interruption or diversion of riboswitches controlling bacterial metabolism, and metagenomics, which allows analysis of genes from unculturable organisms.

Biological approaches – Advances are also being made in biological systems for disease control, with the exploitation of antimicrobial peptides to attack micro‐organisms and modulate immune responses, and the use of bacteriophages or their lysins to eliminate bacteria. There are new approaches in the development and targeting of vaccines and immunoglobulin preparations based on advanced knowledge of microbial physiology and immunoregulation.

Working with the biome – With increasing recognition of the value of the normal microbiota in modulating immunity and the establishment of pathogens, there is growing interest in understanding the mammalian microbiome. Strategies are being developed to promote or maintain the normal microbiota, including the use of probiotics, and there is re‐evaluation of the potential of bacterial interference.

Looking ahead – Whilst these approaches are likely to generate new methods of disease control, few will yield usable products within the near future. There will be a continuing need for careful use of existing drugs based on firm diagnosis, rigorous hygiene and prudent antimicrobial stewardship.
Infrequent detection of papillomaviral DNA within canine cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas, haemangiosarcomas and healthy skin on the ventrum of dogs
Authors: Waropastrakul Sununta , Munday John S. , French Adrienne F.
Published: March 2012

Background –  Canine squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) most frequently develop on the ventral abdomen and are thought to be caused by ultraviolet (UV) light. Papillomaviruses (PVs) have been associated with cutaneous SCCs in multiple species, including dogs.

Hypothesis –  That PVs act as cofactors in canine UV‐induced SCCs.

Animals –  The study was performed on skin from the ventrum of 60 dogs. These samples included 20 SCCs, 20 haemangiosarcomas and 20 samples of clinically normal skin. Two canine viral plaques were included as positive controls for PV.

Methods –  PCR was used to amplify PV DNA from all samples. Primers used included two sets of consensus primers and two sets of primers that were designed specifically to amplify PV DNA sequences detected in the viral plaques.

Results –  The MY09/11 consensus primers amplified PV DNA from both viral plaques. One plaque contained a DNA sequence (CfPV‐JM) that had been previously reported from a dog with multiple cutaneous SCCs. The other plaque contained a previously unreported PV DNA sequence. No PV DNA was amplified by either consensus primer from any of the ventrum skin samples. Primers designed specifically to amplify the CfPV‐JM sequence amplified DNA from one SCC, but no other sample. No PV DNA was amplified using the other specific PCR primer set.

Conclusions and clinical importance –  These results do not support a significant role for PVs in SCC development from the ventrum of dogs. However, they contribute another PV sequence to the list of PVs that have been associated with viral plaque development in dogs.
Associations of pre‐transplant anemia management with post‐transplant delayed graft function in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Molnar Miklos Z. , Kovesdy Csaba P. , Rosivall Laszlo , Bunnapradist Suphamai , Hoshino Junichi , Streja Elani , Krishnan Mahesh , Kalantar‐Zadeh Kamyar
Published: March 2012

Background

Delayed graft function (DGF) complicates kidney allograft outcomes in the immediate post‐transplantation period. We hypothesized that in hemodialysis patients more severe anemia, iron deficiency, the requirement for higher doses of erythropoietin‐stimulating agents (ESA), or blood transfusions prior to transplantation are associated with higher risk of DGF.

Methods

Linking five‐yr hemodialysis patient data of a large dialysis organization to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we identified 11 836 hemodialysis patients. Using logistic regression analyses we examined the association between pre‐transplant parameters and post‐transplant DGF.

Results

Patients were 49 ± 14 (mean ± SD) yr old and included 38% women, 27% blacks, and 26% diabetics. After adjusting for relevant covariates, pre‐transplant blood transfusion was associated with 33% higher DGF risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19–1.48); and each 5000 U/wk increase of pre‐transplant ESA dose with 5% higher DGF (OR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02–1.09). Compared to pre‐transplant blood hemoglobin of 12–12.99 g/dL, there was 25% higher risk of DGF with blood hemoglobin 10–10.99 g/dL (OR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.01–1.55), whereas blood hemoglobin ≥13 g/dL exhibited 15% higher risk of DGF (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 0.98–1.34).

Conclusions

Pre‐transplant blood transfusion, higher ESA dose, and either high or low blood hemoglobin but not iron markers are associated with higher risk of DGF.
Brain death induced by cerebral haemorrhage – a new porcine model evaluated by CT angiography
Authors: HVAS C. L. , NIELSEN T. K. , BARKLIN A. , SØRENSEN J. C. H. , PEDERSEN M. , ANDERSEN G. , TØNNESEN E.
Published: March 2012

Background

Brain death and complications to brain death affects the function of organs in the potential donor. Previous animal models of brain death have not been able to fully elucidate the mechanisms behind this organ dysfunction, and none of the available animal models mimic the most common insult prior to brain death: intracerebral haemorrhage. The objective of this study was to develop a large animal model of brain death based on a controlled intracerebral haemorrhage and verified by computerised tomographic angiography (CTA).

Methods

Twenty pigs (range: 26.6–31.2 kg) were randomised to brain death or control. Brain death was induced by infusion of blood through a stereotaxically placed needle in the internal capsule. Brain death was confirmed by the measured intracranial pressure (ICP), lack of corneal and pupillary light reflexes, and atropine test. CTA was performed 120–180 min after brain death. The pigs were observed for 8 h after brain death.

Results

Brain death was declared when the ICP exceeded mean arterial pressure after a median of 36 min (range: 28–51 min). Significant increases in heart rate, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were followed by a steep decrease. With fluid therapy, the animals demonstrated haemodynamic stability. Reflexes disappeared, and atropine did not induce an increase in heart rate in the brain dead animals. CTA confirmed loss of cerebral circulation.

Conclusion

This study offers a standardised, clinically relevant porcine model of brain death induced by a haemorrhagic attack. Brain death was verified by the disappearance of corneal and pupil reflex, atropine test, and CTA.
Integrating candidate gene and quantitative genetic approaches to understand variation in timing of breeding in wild tit populations
Authors: LIEDVOGEL MIRIAM , CORNWALLIS CHARLIE K. , SHELDON BEN C.
Published: March 2012

Two commonly used techniques for estimating the effect of genes on traits in wild populations are the candidate gene approach and quantitative genetic analyses. However, whether these two approaches measure the same underlying processes remains unresolved. Here, we use these two methods to test whether they are alternative or complementary approaches to understanding genetic variation in the timing of reproduction – a key trait involved in adaptation to climate change – in wild tit populations. Our analyses of the candidate gene Clock show weak correlates with timing variables in blue tits, but no association in great tits, confirming earlier results. Quantitative genetic analyses revealed very low levels of both direct (female) and indirect (male) additive genetic variation in timing traits for both species, in contrast to previous studies on these traits, and much lower than generally assumed. Hence, neither method suggests strong genetic effects on the timing of breeding in birds, and further work should seek to assess the generality of these conclusions. We discuss how differences in the genetic control of traits, species life‐history and confounding environmental variables may determine how useful integrating these two techniques is to understand the phenotypic variation in wild populations.
Phylogeography of the Cape velvet worm (Onychophora: Peripatopsis capensis) reveals the impact of Pliocene/Pleistocene climatic oscillations on Afromontane forest in the Western Cape, South Africa
Authors: McDONALD D. E. , DANIELS S. R.
Published: March 2012

Habitat specialists such as soft‐bodied invertebrates characterized by low dispersal capability and sensitivity to dehydration can be employed to examine biome histories. In this study, the Cape velvet worm (Peripatopsis capensis) was used to examine the impacts of climatic oscillations on historical Afromontane forest in the Western Cape, South Africa. Divergence time estimates suggest that the P. capensis species complex diverged during the Pliocene epoch. This period was characterized by dramatic climatic and topographical change. Subsequently, forest expansion and contraction cycles led to diversification within P. capensis. Increased levels of genetic differentiation were observed along a west‐to‐south‐easterly trajectory because the south‐eastern parts of the Cape Fold Mountain chain harbour larger, more stable fragments of forest patches, have more pronounced habitat heterogeneity and have historically received higher levels of rainfall. These results suggest the presence of three putative species within P. capensis, which are geographically discreet and genetically distinct.
The high‐throughput yeast deletion fitness data and the theories of dominance
Authors: MANNA F. , GALLET R. , MARTIN G. , LENORMAND T.
Published: March 2012

The development of high‐throughput fitness measurement methods provides unprecedented power to test evolutionary theories. However, with this comes new challenges regarding data quality and data analysis. We illustrate this by reanalysing the fitness distribution in several environments of yeast mutants (homo‐ and heterozygous) from the yeast deletion project. Originally created to study functional properties of genes, evolutionary biologists took advantage of this database to study evolutionary questions, such as dominance for fitness of mutations. We uncover several problems in this data set strongly affecting these questions that have remained unnoticed despite the numerous studies based on it. High‐throughput methodologies are necessarily challenging, both experimentally and for data analysis: our point is not to criticize these approaches, but to pinpoint these challenges and to propose several improvements that may help avoid several shortcomings. Further, in the light of this finding, we question the conclusions regarding theories of dominance that have been made using this data set. We show that the data on deletion of small effects are not sufficiently reliable to be informative on this question. On the other hand, deletions of large effect exhibit no correlation between homo‐ and heterozygous fitness effects, a pattern that sheds new light on the h–s correlation issue, with several consequences for the debate over the different theories of dominance.