bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acorn removal and dispersal by the dung beetleThorectes lusitanicus: ecological implications
Authors: PÉREZ‐RAMOS IGNACIO M. , MARAÑÓN TEODORO , LOBO JORGE M. , VERDÚ JOSÉ R.
Published: July 2007

Abstract1. Plant–animal interactions, and in particular the processes of seed predation and dispersal, are crucial for tree regeneration and forest dynamics. A novel and striking case of interaction between a dung beetle (Thorectes lusitanicus) and twoQuercusspecies (Q. suberandQ. canariensis) in forests of southern Spain is presented here.

2. During the autumn,T. lusitanicusbeetles (endemic to the southern Iberian Peninsula) bury and feed on single‐seeded fruits (acorns) ofQuercus, with important ecological implications.

3. Field experiments found differences in the removal rate of acorns byT. lusitanicus, depending on the type of microsite within the forest, the species of oak, the exclosure of large herbivores, and the forest site.

4. Acorn consumption byT. lusitanicuswas studied under laboratory conditions, confirming for the first time that this dung beetle is a legitimate seed predator.

5. In addition, some buried acorns can be abandoned partially predated or even intact, and emerge as seedlings; thus,T. lusitanicusalso has a potential role as secondary seed disperser.
Effects of larval energetic resources on life history and adult allocation patterns in a caddisfly (Trichoptera: Phryganeidae)
Authors: JANNOT JASON E. , BRUNEAU EVE , WISSINGER SCOTT A.
Published: July 2007

Abstract 1. How populations respond to environmental change depends, in part, on the connection between environmental variance during early life stages and its effect on subsequent life‐history traits. For example, environmental variation during the larval stage can influence the life histories of organisms with complex life cycles by altering the amount of time spent in each stage of the life cycle as well as by altering allocation to life‐history traits during metamorphosis.

2. The effects of larval energetic resources on developmental timing, adult mass, fecundity, mating success, and allocation to adult body structures (thorax, abdomen, wings) were examined in an aquatic caddisfly (Agrypnia deflata Milne, Trichoptera: Phryganeidae). Larval energetic reserves were manipulated by removing larval cases just prior to pupation. In the first experiment, cases of all individuals were removed just prior to pupation; experimental individuals were required to build a new case whereas control individuals were allowed to re‐enter their case without building. In the second experiment, energy differences were maximised between the two treatments by supplementing the larval diet of the control group and removing cases and not supplementing the diet of the experimental group.

3. Male and female development time, adult mass, and female fecundity were not influenced by case removal or diet supplementation. In contrast, allocation to adult body parts indicated a trade‐off between abdominal and thoracic mass among case‐removal females, suggesting that, under larval resource stress, females adjust resource allocation during metamorphosis to alleviate potential negative impacts on clutch size. In addition, latency to copulation increased when cases were removed, indicating larval resource stress could influence male mating success.

4. This study suggests that, under larval energetic stress, the negative impacts on female reproduction might be mitigated by re‐allocating resources during metamorphosis, whereas male allocation strategies might not be as flexible as female strategies.
Contrasting seasonal dynamics in fleas of the Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) in Finland
Authors: HAUKISALMI VOITTO , HANSKI ILPO K.
Published: July 2007

Abstract 1. The seasonal and spatial variation of the adult flea fauna (Siphonaptera) was examined in connection with live‐trapping studies of the Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) in three study areas in southern Finland between 1997 and 2005.

2. The numerically dominant flea species of the Siberian flying squirrel were Tarsopsylla octodecimdentata octodecimdentata and Ceratophyllus (Monopsyllus) indages indages (Ceratophyllidae); the latter being a host specialist of the Siberian flying squirrel. Tarsopsylla octodecimdentata, which also commonly occurs on the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), infected a large proportion of the host population throughout the winter, whereas C. indages occurred predominantly during the summer and autumn, being practically the only flea species in nests during the flying squirrels’ breeding season and on juveniles still inhabiting their natal nest.

3. The use of nest boxes by flying squirrels did not have any positive effects on flea populations, but it may have had a negative impact on T. octodecimdentata.

4. The potentially vulnerable C. i. indages is a predictable, widespread component in the flea fauna of the Siberian flying squirrel at various spatial scales, and it is likely to occur in most of the permanent flying squirrel populations in Finland.
Modelling and analysing evolution of dispersal in populations at expanding range boundaries
Authors: HUGHES CLARE L. , DYTHAM CALVIN , HILL JANE K.
Published: July 2007

Abstract 1. Species would be expected to shift northwards in response to current climate warming, but many are failing to do so because of fragmentation of breeding habitats. Dispersal is important for colonisation and an individual‐based spatially explicit model was developed to investigate impacts of habitat availability on the evolution of dispersal in expanding populations. Model output was compared with field data from the speckled wood butterfly Pararge aegeria, which currently is expanding its range in Britain.

2. During range expansion, models simulated positive linear relationships between dispersal and distance from the seed location. This pattern was observed regardless of quantity (100% to 10% habitat availability) or distribution (random vs. gradient distribution) of habitat, although higher dispersal evolved at expanding range margins in landscapes with greater quantity of habitat and in gradient landscapes. Increased dispersal was no longer evident in any landscape once populations had reached equilibrium; dispersal values returned to those of seed populations. However, in landscapes with the least quantity of habitat, reduced dispersal (below that of seed populations) was observed at equilibrium.

3. Evolutionary changes in adult flight morphology were examined in six populations of P. aegeria along a transect from the distribution core to an expanding range margin in England (spanning a latitudinal distance of >200 km). Empirical data were in agreement with model output and showed increased dispersal ability (larger and broader thoraxes, smaller abdomens, higher wing aspect ratios) with increasing distance from the distribution core. Increased dispersal ability was evident in populations from areas colonised >30 years previously, although dispersal changes were generally evident only in females.

4. Evolutionary increases in dispersal ability in expanding populations may help species track future climate changes and counteract impacts of habitat fragmentation by promoting colonisation. However, at the highest levels of habitat loss, increased dispersal was less evident during expansion and reduced dispersal was observed at equilibrium indicating that, for many species, continued habitat fragmentation is likely to outweigh any benefits from dispersal.
Genetic diversity, host‐specificity and unusual phylogeography of a cryptic, host‐associated species complex of gall‐inducing scale insects
Authors: COOK LYN G. , ROWELL DAVID M.
Published: July 2007

Abstract 1. Australia has a unique and speciose gall‐inducing scale insect fauna that is primarily associated with Myrtaceae. Much of the diversity is currently undescribed or uncharacterised.

2. This study concerns Apiomorpha munita (Hemiptera), a scale insect that induces characteristic four‐horned galls on eucalypts of subgenus Symphyomyrtus and exhibits extraordinary karyotypic diversity (2n = 6 – 2n > 100). The three described subspecies of A. munita are each confined to hosts in different sections of Eucalyptus. Previous chromosomal data, however, cast doubt on the validity of the groupings, as two of the subspecies share multiple, different karyotypes (2n = 6, 20, 22, and 24).

3. Allozyme data were used to examine species delimitation, chromosome evolution, host associations and population structure in A. munita.

4. A cryptic‐species radiation was revealed, with at least five taxa each restricted to a discrete set of host eucalypt species. This is consistent with host‐associated speciation.

5. Karyotypic variation within A. munita partially fits the five distinct genetic groups, but there are additional chromosomal changes that are not accompanied by detected genetic differentiation.

6. The population structure of taxa within the A. munita species complex suggests that there are high levels of inbreeding, as would be expected for scale insects in which adult females are sessile. Some genotypes, however, are found over great distances (up to 1100 km). This is an unusual population structure because it combines low mobility and local differentiation with occasional long‐distance dispersal, probably mediated by wind‐dispersal of first‐instar nymphs.
Unequal distribution of local mating opportunities in an egg parasitoid
Authors: MARTEL VÉRONIQUE , BOIVIN GUY
Published: July 2007

Abstract 1. The Local Mate Competition (LMC) model predicts that, in gregarious and quasi‐gregarious species, a lone female exploiting a host patch will lay only the minimal number of sons necessary to inseminate all daughters, but as the number of foundresses increases, the proportion of sons deposited by these females also increases.

2. For off‐patch mating to occur, non‐sperm‐depleted males must leave the patch and find virgin females.

3. To investigate the distribution of matings among males, the sperm stock at dispersal and the time of dispersal were quantified for male Trichogramma turkestanica (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae).

4. Matings were not distributed equally among males: some successful males acquired more matings than others. Because of this, a high variability in the sperm stock at dispersal was observed. While few males dispersed almost empty or almost full, the majority of males dispersed with enough sperm to be able to mate with females outside the emergence patch.

5. The mating capacity was thus higher than necessary for local mating and could be explained by an unequal distribution of mating opportunities and the occurrence of off‐patch mating.
The use of honeydew in foraging for aphids by larvae of the ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: IDE TORU , SUZUKI NOBUHIKO , KATAYAMA NOBORU
Published: July 2007

Abstract 1. To clarify the use of honeydew in foraging for aphids by larvae of the ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L., searching behaviour of ladybird larvae for Aphis craccivora Koch and Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris and the abundance of honeydew under aphid colonies were examined in laboratory experiments.

2. More larvae responded by climbing the plants with aphids than responded to plants without aphids. When the plants were replaced with sticks, in order to exclude visual and olfactory cues from plants and aphids, more larvae of C. septempunctata climbed sticks above the area that contained honeydew than climbed sticks above the area that did not contain honeydew. Then, ladybird larvae use honeydew as a contact kairomone when foraging for aphids.

3. Aphis craccivora deposited a larger number of honeydew droplets beneath the plants than did similar numbers of A. pisum. Thus, C. septempunctata larvae licked more frequently the honeydew of A. craccivora than that of A. pisum and spent longer searching on the area containing honeydew of A. craccivora than that of A. pisum. Consequently, a larger number of larvae climbed a stick above honeydew of A. craccivora than that of A. pisum.

4. It may be also considered that C. septempunctata larvae can distinguish honeydew of the two aphid species and respond more strongly to A. craccivora than A. pisum.
Estimating the contribution of carnivorous waterbirds to nutrient loading in freshwater habitats
Authors: HAHN STEFFEN , BAUER SILKE , KLAASSEN MARCEL
Published: July 2007

1. We estimated nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loading into wetlands by carnivorous waterbirds with alternative physiological models using a food‐intake and an excreta‐production approach. The models were applied for non‐breeding and breeding Dutch inland carnivorous waterbird populations to quantify their contribution to nutrient loading on a landscape scale.

2. Model predictions based on food intake exceeded those based on excretion by 59–62% for N and by 2–36% for P, depending on dietary assumptions. Uncertainty analysis indicated that the intake model was most affected by errors in energy requirement, while the excretion model was dependent on faecal nutrient composition.

3. Per capita loading rate of non‐breeders increased with body mass from 0.3–0.8 g N day−1 and 0.15 g P day−1 in little gulls Larus minutus to 4.5–11.5 g N day−1 and 2.1–3.2 g P day−1 in great cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo. For breeding birds, the estimated nutrient loading by a family unit over the entire breeding period ranged between 17.6–443.0 g N and 8.6 g P for little tern Sterna albifrons to 619.6–1755.6 g N and 316.2–498.1 g P for great cormorants.

4. We distinguished between external (i.e. importing) and internal (i.e. recycling) nutrient loading by carnivorous waterbirds. For the Netherlands, average external‐loading estimates ranged between 38.1–91.5 tonnes N and 16.7–18.2 tonnes P per year, whilst internal‐loading estimates ranged between 53.1–140.5 tonnes N and 25.2–39.2 tonnes P and per year. The average contribution of breeding birds was estimated to be 17% and 32% for external and internal loading respectively. Most important species were black‐headed gull Larus ridibundus and mew gull Larus canus for external loading, and great cormorant and grey heron Ardea cinerea for internal loading.

5. On a landscape scale, loading by carnivorous waterbirds was of minor importance for freshwater habitats in the Netherlands with 0.26–0.65 kg N ha−1 a−1 and 0.12–0.16 kg P ha−1 a−1. However, on a local scale, breeding colonies may be responsible for significant P loading.
Predator regime influences innate anti‐predator behaviour in the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis
Authors: DALESMAN SARAH , RUNDLE SIMON D. , COTTON PETER A.
Published: July 2007

1. Predation incurs high fitness costs in aquatic organisms either through direct consumption or through avoidance responses that reduce time for activities such as feeding and reproduction. Hence, avoidance responses of aquatic organisms should vary to match closely the predation threat in their environment.

2. The freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis occurs in a variety of environments which vary in the presence or absence of predatory fish. We used naïve snails reared from six populations of this species experiencing different predator regimes (three co‐occurring with molluscivorous fish and three without) to assess whether populations differed in the type and degree of their avoidance behaviours. Innate behavioural responses to four treatments (control, conspecific alarm cues, fish kairomones and fish kairomones paired with alarm cue) were compared in laboratory trials.

3. The primary anti‐predator behaviour of L. stagnalis in response to fish kairomones was to crawl out of the water rather than seek refuge under water. This response was strongest when fish kairomones were paired with alarm cues, and varied depending on population origin; snails reared from populations co‐occurring with predatory fish showed a stronger response than those raised from populations not experiencing such predators. In addition, populations co‐occurring with predatory fish responded to the fish kairomones presented alone.

4. Our findings suggest that the degree of innate anti‐predator behaviour shown by L. stagnalis, in terms of both the level of risk to which it responds and the degree of response, varies depending on the predator regime experienced by field populations. Together with previous work on cue association, this demonstrates that this gastropod is able to match its avoidance behaviour very closely to short and long term predation threats within its habitat.
Does freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity along a pH‐gradient reflect adaptation to low pH?
Authors: PETRIN ZLATKO , LAUDON HJALMAR , MALMQVIST BJÖRN
Published: July 2007

1. The impacts of anthropogenic surface water acidification are much better known than those of natural acidity. Recent studies have indicated biodiversity is not degraded and species composition unaltered in naturally acidic compared to circumneutral watercourses.

2. Here, we use a geographically extensive dataset comprising sites in more than 200 Swedish streams to test whether the lack of effects on macroinvertebrate species diversity is due to exaptation and adaptation to natural acidity.

3. To this end, we modelled pH associated with spring flood episodes, which inflict the most challenging hydrochemical conditions to the biota. We compared taxonomic richness and species composition along the modelled pH gradient in northern Sweden, where acidity is largely natural, with southern Sweden, a region influenced by significant anthropogenic acidification.

4. We found Plecoptera richness did not respond to varying pH either in northern or southern Sweden. Ephemeroptera richness was sensitive to pH in both regions, while that of Trichoptera increased with increasing pH in southern Sweden, but decreased in the north. The taxonomic composition of Plecoptera changed along the pH gradient in both regions, whereas that of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera changed more strongly with pH in southern Sweden.

5. Our results support the hypothesis that stream invertebrates are able to tolerate low pH through exaptation or adaptation, but that this capability varies among taxonomic groups.
The role of adaptive plasticity in a major evolutionary transition: early aquatic experience affects locomotor performance of terrestrial snakes
Authors: AUBRET F. , BONNET X. , SHINE R.
Published: July 2007

Many phylogenetic lineages of animals have undergone major habitat transitions, stimulating dramatic phenotypic changes as adaptations to the novel environment. Although most such traits clearly reflect genetic modification, phenotypic plasticity may have been significant in the initial transition between habitat types.

Elapid snakes show multiple phylogenetic shifts from terrestrial to aquatic life. We raised young tigersnakes (a terrestrial taxon closely related to sea‐snakes) in either a terrestrial or aquatic environment for a 5‐month period.

The snakes raised in water were able to swim 26% faster, but crawled 36% more slowly, than did their terrestrially‐raised siblings. A full stomach impaired locomotor performance, but snakes were less impaired when tested in the environment in which they had been raised.

Thus, adaptively plastic responses to local environments may have facilitated aquatic performance (and impaired terrestrial performance) in ancestral snakes as they shifted from terrestrial to aquatic existence.

Such plasticity may have influenced the rate or route of this evolutionary transition between habitats, and should be considered when comparing habitat‐specific locomotor abilities of present‐day aquatic and terrestrial species.
Immune activity suppresses reproduction in food‐limited female tree lizards Urosaurus ornatus
Authors: FRENCH S. S. , JOHNSTON G. I. H. , MOORE M. C.
Published: July 2007

When resources are scarce, organisms are faced with critical challenges trying to optimize competing functions. Reproduction and immune function are both resource intensive and important to most species. Most studies have reported a down‐regulation of immune function during reproduction. Conversely, it is unclear whether mounting an immune response can affect the reproductive process and few studies have examined competition for resources between these two processes.

Here we report evidence for direct competition for resources between the reproductive and immune systems in a vertebrate model system, the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus). We manipulated food intake in reproductive female tree lizards, where half of the females were undergoing cutaneous wound healing and the other half were not. We then measured reproductive investment in all animals and wound healing rate in all wounded animals.

We found that animals with unlimited access to food sustained both reproduction and immune function whereas animals maintained on a restricted diet were not. Specifically, when food was unlimited, females were able to invest in reproduction and heal their wounds. However, when food was limited, females forced to heal a cutaneous wound had significantly smaller follicles than their non‐wounded counterparts. Under extreme food limitation (i.e. no food) both reproductive investment and wound healing were suppressed.

These results clearly demonstrate resource competition between the reproductive and immune systems, whereby physiological trade‐offs between the two systems only arise when resources are limiting. Furthermore, this type of facultative regulation is adjustable and allows animals to respond to changing environmental conditions.
Carotenoid pigmentation does not reflect total non‐enzymatic antioxidant activity in plasma of adult and nestling great tits, Parus major
Authors: ISAKSSON CAROLINE , McLAUGHLIN PATRICIA , MONAGHAN PAT , ANDERSSON STAFFAN
Published: July 2007

Based on carotenoids’ antioxidant and pro‐vitamin functions, carotenoid pigmentation, particularly in birds, has been hypothesized to honestly advertize condition and health. As antioxidants, carotenoids protect the body from oxidative damage caused by internal or external stressors (e.g. growth, infection and anthropogenic pollution). However, the relative importance of carotenoids in the avian antioxidant defence has been questioned, and the positive relationship between colouration and health may be a ‘red herring’.

In the present study, we investigate carotenoid‐based plumage colouration and circulating carotenoids in relation to plasma non‐enzymatic total antioxidant activity (TAA) in adult and nestling great tits (Parus major). The study was conducted in urban vs. rural populations, with documented differences in oxidative stress level and plumage pigmentation.

First, we found that there was no relationship between TAA and plumage pigmentation (carotenoid chroma) or plasma carotenoids. Second, urban environment significantly influenced TAA; old (2+ years) urban birds had higher activity than old rural birds, and also compared to younger (1 year) urban adults. This is likely to be due to the increased demand for plasma antioxidants as a consequence of urban environmental stress. Third, nestlings’ TAA showed no difference between urban and rural environments. However, it was highly influenced by brood, but not related to parental levels, therefore most likely due to differences in the nestling environment.

We suggest that carotenoids are not significant contributors to extra‐cellular antioxidant defence in great tits, and that carotenoid pigmentation may be an overrated health indicator in this respect. Honest carotenoid signalling, when present, is thus likely to be mediated by some other constraint, such as nutrition or uptake, or other health‐modulating mechanisms.
The disappearance of relict permafrost in boreal north America: Effects on peatland carbon storage and fluxes
Authors: TURETSKY M. R. , WIEDER R. K. , VITT D. H. , EVANS R. J. , SCOTT K. D.
Published: July 2007

Boreal peatlands in Canada have harbored relict permafrost since the Little Ice Age due to the strong insulating properties of peat. Ongoing climate change has triggered widespread degradation of localized permafrost in peatlands across continental Canada. Here, we explore the influence of differing permafrost regimes (bogs with no surface permafrost, localized permafrost features with surface permafrost, and internal lawns representing areas of permafrost degradation) on rates of peat accumulation at the southernmost limit of permafrost in continental Canada. Net organic matter accumulation generally was greater in unfrozen bogs and internal lawns than in the permafrost landforms, suggesting that surface permafrost inhibits peat accumulation and that degradation of surface permafrost stimulates net carbon storage in peatlands. To determine whether differences in substrate quality across permafrost regimes control trace gas emissions to the atmosphere, we used a reciprocal transplant study to experimentally evaluate environmental versus substrate controls on carbon emissions from bog, internal lawn, and permafrost peat. Emissions of CO2 were highest from peat incubated in the localized permafrost feature, suggesting that slow organic matter accumulation rates are due, at least in part, to rapid decomposition in surface permafrost peat. Emissions of CH4 were greatest from peat incubated in the internal lawn, regardless of peat type. Localized permafrost features in peatlands represent relict surface permafrost in disequilibrium with the current climate of boreal North America, and therefore are extremely sensitive to ongoing and future climate change. Our results suggest that the loss of surface permafrost in peatlands increases net carbon storage as peat, though in terms of radiative forcing, increased CH4 emissions to the atmosphere will partially or even completely offset this enhanced peatland carbon sink for at least 70 years following permafrost degradation.
A cost evaluation of treatment alternatives for mild‐to‐moderate bleeding episodes in patients with haemophilia and inhibitors in Brazil
Authors: OZELO M. C , VILLAÇA P. R , DE ALMEIDA J. O. S. C , BUENO T. M. F , DE MIRANDA P. A. P , HART W. M , KARAMALIS M
Published: July 2007

Summary.  The first‐line treatment for mild‐to‐moderate bleeding episodes in patients with haemophilia and inhibitors in Brazil is currently activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC), with recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) used as second‐line therapy or as a last resort. The aim of this study was to determine the cost and effectiveness of these treatments from the perspective of the Brazilian National Health Service. A decision analysis model was constructed to assess total direct medical costs (including drug costs, costs of outpatient or inpatient care, ambulance transportation and cost of concomitant medications) of first‐line treatment with aPCC or rFVIIa. Clinical outcome and resource utilization data were obtained both retrospectively and prospectively and validated by the consensus of an expert panel of Brazilian haematologists. A total of 103 bleeds in 25 patients were included in the analysis. rFVIIa resolved bleeds more quickly (4.4 h) than aPCC (62.6 h) and was more effective (100% vs. 56.7% respectively). Mean total direct medical costs (from initiation to cessation of bleed) were estimated to be US$13 500 (aPCC) and US$7590 (rFVIIa). Extensive sensitivity analyses confirmed the cost‐effectiveness of rFVIIa. Compared with aPCC, rFVIIa was more effective and less expensive when used as first‐line treatment for mild‐to‐moderate bleeding episodes in patients with haemophilia and inhibitors in Brazil. rFVIIa should be considered a first‐line treatment for the management of these patients.
Cytochrome P450s in Papilio multicaudatus and the transition from oligophagy to polyphagy in the Papilionidae
Authors: Mao W. , Schuler M. A. , Berenbaum M. R.
Published: July 2007

Although substrate‐specific CYP6B1 and CYP6B3 enzymes in Papilio polyxenes contribute to specialization on furanocoumarin‐containing host plants, CYP6B4 and CYP6B17 enzymes in the polyphagous Papilio glaucus and Papilio canadensis have a broader range of substrates. Papilio multicaudatus, an oligophage with one furanocoumarin‐containing host, is putatively ancestral to polyphagous Papilio species. Furanocoumarin‐inducible CYP6B33–CYP6B37 and CYP6AB6 were characterized from this species. Heterologous expression of CYP6B33 revealed furanocoumarin metabolism resembling that of CYP6B4–CYP6B17 enzymes from P. glaucus and P. canadensis. Molecular models of CYP6B33 and CYP6B4 indicate that seven conserved aromatic side chains stabilize their hydrophobic catalytic sites and that a Lys484–Ser484 substitution enlarges the CYP6B4 active site pocket to increase the predicted distance between the substrate and reactive oxygen relative to CYP6B1. Loss of specialization in this lineage may have resulted from relatively few mutational changes, allowing acquisition of broader catalytic activities without loss of ancestral furanocoumarin‐metabolizing activities.
Transcription of antifreeze protein genes in Choristoneura fumiferana
Authors: Qin W. , Doucet D. , Tyshenko M. G. , Walker V. K.
Published: July 2007

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are encoded by approximately 17 genes in the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana. Northern analysis using 6 different cDNA probes showed isoform‐specific patterns that varied during development. Transcripts for the majority of isoforms were most abundant in the second instar overwintering stage, but some were also detected in first instar and even in egg stages. In situ hybridization using riboprobes corresponding to two 9 kDa protein isoforms showed differential AFP expression even in second instars; CfAFP10 RNA was detected in all tissues, but CfAFP337 RNA distribution was more limited. Two genomic regions encoding three AFP genes have been isolated. Presumptive regulatory regions conferred transcriptional activity when placed upstream of a luciferase reporter sequence and transfected into a C. fumiferana cell line. The CfAFP2.26 core promoter is an 87 bp sequence containing a TATA box, whereas the CfAFP2.7 core promoter is a 76 bp sequence with both a TATA box and CAAT box, which directed higher reporter activities when tested in vitro. Reporter activity was not enhanced with five different hormones, although lower activities were observed with all intron‐containing constructs. AFP message half‐life, as assessed using reporter assays, was not appreciably influenced by isoform‐specific‐3′UTRs. These studies successfully demonstrate the temporal and spatial diversity of AFP expression encoded by this small gene family, and underscore the complexity of their regulation.
Cloning and interspecific altered expression of heat shock protein genes in two leafminer species in response to thermal stress
Authors: Huang Li‐Hua , Kang Le
Published: July 2007

Studies have demonstrated differences in temperature tolerance between two Liriomyza species, L. huidobrensis and L. sativae. To investigate whether the heat shock proteins (Hsps) in the two species have different expression profiles during temperature stress, we cloned hsp90, 70, 60, 40 and 20, and analysed their expression profiles across temperature gradients by real‐time quantitative PCR and Western blotting. The results revealed that the number of TATA‐box‐like elements and A/T‐rich insertion/deletions within the 5′ UTRs of the hsps are different in the two species. The temperatures for onset (Ton) or maximal (Tmax) induction of hsp expression in L. huidobrensis were generally 2.5–10 °C lower than those in L. sativae, and the Ton were highly consistent with the temperature limits of the northern boundary of the range of these two leafminer species. These studies confirmed, in terms of gene expression levels, that L. huidobrensis is more cold tolerant than L. sativae, which is more heat tolerant, and suggest that the Ton (or Tmax) of hsps can represent the differences in temperature tolerance of these two leafminer species, and may be used to determine their natural geographical distribution limits.
Gene organization of a novel defensin of Ixodes ricinus: first annotation of an intron/exon structure in a hard tick defensin gene and first evidence of the occurrence of two isoforms of one member of the arthropod defensin family
Authors: Rudenko N. , Golovchenko M. , Grubhoffer L.
Published: July 2007

Antimicrobial peptides (defensins) are effectors of the immune system. Herein, we describe a novel Ixodes ricinus defensin gene(s), analyse its structure and compare it with other known antimicrobial peptides from different tick species. For the first time, an intron/exon structure is discovered in a hard‐tick defensin gene. The intron/exon genomic organization of the gene is similar to the organization in Ornithodoros moubata, but not to that of the intronless defensins of Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis. The analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of different recombinants from the I. ricinus cDNA library reveals the presence of two defensin isoforms with three amino acid substitutions. Whether or not these substitutions affect the biological properties of the peptides is currently unknown. The expression of the defensin gene is strongly induced in the tick midgut after infection with Borrelia burgdorferi.
X‐linked QTL for knockdown resistance to high temperature in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Norry F. M. , Sambucetti P. , Scannapieco A. C. , Gomez F. H. , Loeschcke V.
Published: July 2007

Knockdown Resistance to High Temperature (KRHT) is an adaptive trait of thermotolerance in insects. An interval mapping was performed on chromosome X of Drosophila melanogaster to search for quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting KRHT. A backcross population was obtained from two lines that dramatically differ for KRHT. Microsatellites were used as markers. Composite interval mapping identified a large‐effect QTL in the region of band 10 where putative candidate genes map. To further test for this QTL a set of recombinant (but non‐inbred) lines was obtained from backcrosses between the parental lines used for the interval mapping. Recombinant line analysis confirmed that one QTL is targeted by band 10. We identify and discuss candidate loci contained within our QTL region.
The mouse mammary carcinoma 4T1: characterization of the cellular landscape of primary tumours and metastatic tumour foci
Authors: DuPre´ Sally A. , Redelman Doug , Hunter Kenneth W.
Published: July 2007

The murine mammary carcinoma 4T1 causes a leukemoid reaction with profound granulocytosis coincident with the production of tumour‐derived growth factors. Here, we study the evolving cellular landscape of primary tumours and metastatic tumour foci and correlate haematopoietic cell infiltration with the production of tumour‐derived chemokines. Flow cytometric analysis of enzyme digested primary tumours at different times after transplantation revealed a progressively increasing CD45+ haematopoietic cell infiltrate consisting predominantly of CD11b+ myeloid cells. Most of these cells had an F4/80+/CD11c+ phenotype, many of which also stained Gr‐1+. Smaller numbers of Gr‐1+CD11b+ granulocytes and lymphoid cells were also identified. Progressive increases in Gr‐1+ granulocytes were observed in enzymatic digests of livers and lungs with metastatic tumour foci. Cultured 4T1 tumour cells expressed mRNA transcripts for the myeloid cell chemokines RANTES, MCP‐1 and KC, and enzymatically digested cells from primary 4T1 tumours partially depleted of CD45+ cells expressed transcripts for these chemokines and also MIP‐1α and MIP‐1β. These data demonstrate that 4T1 tumour‐bearing mice have mixed myeloid cell infiltrates of primary tumours and granulocytic infiltrates of metastatic organs. This pathologic presentation correlated with the expression of tumour‐derived chemokines.
Interplay between DtxR and nitric oxide reductase activities: a functional genomics approach indicating involvement of homologous protein domains in bacterial pathogenesis
Authors: Gupta Shwetank , Bansal Saurabh , Deb Jahar K , Kundu Bishwajit
Published: July 2007

Corynebacterium diphtheriae pathogenesis depends on the production of toxin (Dtx), which in turn depends on a micromolar concentration of nitric oxide (NO)‐mediated deactivation of DtxR (an iron‐dependent regulator). Inside a host, the pathogen often encounters excess of NO that acts as an oxidative toxicant. Therefore a critical level of NO needs to be maintained by the pathogen. This necessitates reduction of excess NO by the presence of a reductase, namely nitric oxide reductase (NOR). Similar to the expression of toxin, the expression of NOR is possibly regulated by another regulator NorR, as has been found in other gram positive and gram‐negative bacteria. Therefore, a correlation between concentration of NO on the deactivation of DtxR and transactivation of NorR becomes apparent. However, unlike many other pathogens the presence of NOR and NorR in C. diphtheriae has not been established. We applied a combination of bioinformatics and comparative genomics approach on C. diphtheriae genome using Escherichia coli as a model organism to find some structural and functional homologoues for the two genes in question. The various domain characteristics for the two proteins (NOR and NorR) have been taken into account in this analysis. Through extensive genome and proteome search we have been able to identify key regulatory genes, which are possibly involved in coordination and control of NO stress in C. diphtheriae. Our finding will progress the understanding of the complete regulatory mechanism for evasion and maintenance of pathogenesis by this and other pathogenic organisms.
Bond strength of two total‐etching bonding systems on caries‐affected and sound primary teeth dentin
Authors: TOSUN GUL , KOYUTURK ALP ERDIN , SENER YAGMUR , SENGUN ABDULKADIR
Published: July 2007

Aim.  As bond strength of currently available adhesive systems in caries‐affected teeth dentin on primary tooth dentin was not well known, the bond strength of two bonding systems (PQI and OptiBond Solo Plus) was evaluated on caries‐affected and sound primary molar tooth dentin and observed the micromorphology of the adhesive–dentin interfaces.

Methods.  By grinding both the sound (n = 30) and caries‐affected (n = 30) approximal surfaces of teeth, flat dentin surfaces were obtained. The prepared surfaces were bonded with one of the each adhesive systems and a composite resin. After storing the bonded specimens in water at 37 °C for 24 h, the samples were sectioned and the bond strength of the adhesive systems was tested by the microshear test method. The data were statistically analysed.

Results.  Microshear bond strengths of PQI group for caries‐affected and sound primary tooth dentin were 9.43 ± 2.44 (MPa) and 9.32 ± 2.95 (MPa) (P > 0.05), respectively, and the bond strengths of OptiBond Solo Plus group for caries‐affected and sound primary tooth dentin were 15.33 ± 3.59 (MPa) and 11.96 ± 2.30 (MPa) (P < 0.05), respectively. Micromorphological features between sound and caries‐affected dentin were similar in both PQI and OptiBond Solo Plus groups.

Conclusion.  Both the adhesives showed significantly different bond strengths in caries‐affected dentin but showed similar bond strengths in sound dentin.
Effect of Nei–Guan point (P6) acupressure on ketonuria levels, nausea and vomiting in women with hyperemesis gravidarum
Authors: Shin Hye Sook , Song Young A , Seo Sunhee
Published: July 2007

Title.  Effect of Nei–Guan point (P6) acupressure on ketonuria levels, nausea and vomiting in women with hyperemesis gravidarum

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to examine the effect of Nei–Guan point acupressure on nausea, vomiting and ketonuria levels in women diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum.

Background.  Previous studies have shown that acupressure application on the Nei–Guan point is effective in relieving nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy and surgery. However, no findings have been supported by physiological data.

Method.  A randomized control group pretest–post‐test design was implemented from 1 April 2003 to 30 April 2004 using three groups: a Nei–Guan point acupressure group, a placebo group and a control group which received only conventional intravenous treatment. The participants were 66 women admitted to two general hospitals in Korea with hyperemesis gravidarum.

Results.  The degree of nausea and vomiting was statistically significantly lower in the Nei–Guan point acupressure group in comparison with the placebo and control groups. Ketonuria levels were reduced over time and, on days three and four of hospitalization, levels in the treatment group were statistically significantly lower than in the placebo or control groups (P < 0·05).

Conclusion.  Nei–Guan point acupressure is a useful treatment for relieving symptoms experienced by women with hyperemesis gravidarum.
Northwick Park Care Needs Assessment: adaptation for inpatient neurological rehabilitation settings
Authors: Williams Heather , Harris Ruth , Turner‐Stokes Lynne
Published: July 2007

Title.  Northwick Park Care Needs Assessment: adaptation for inpatient neurological rehabilitation settings

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to establish which timings and assumptions of the Northwick Park Dependency Scale and Care Needs Assessment are appropriate to the inpatient rehabilitation setting and which, if any, require adjustment.

Background.  Cost‐effective provision of nursing care relies on being able to adjust staffing levels in accordance with patient dependency. The Northwick Park Dependency Scale and Care Needs Assessment enables direct assessment of nursing care needs in community settings.

Method.  An observational study was conducted in 2004 to record the time taken to complete direct nursing care interventions in a rehabilitation ward and to compare these times with simultaneously recorded time‐estimates provided by the Care Needs Assessment. A total of 1168 nursing interactions were timed for 50 care episodes.

Results.  There was considerable variation in the time taken for each nursing intervention, depending on overall patient dependency and the number of nurses required. Although there was good correlation between observed care times and those estimated by the Care Needs Assessment, observation confirmed that most interventions took substantially less time than the estimates. There was also a very different pattern of care in hospital compared with the community, with shorter, more frequent interactions as nurses distribute their time between different patients, and activities other than direct patient care.

Conclusion.  The Northwick Park Care Needs Assessment tool already has widespread application in other countries and its continued use for estimating community care needs remains relevant. The tool, once fully developed, will have the potential to contribute to international rehabilitation nursing workforce planning and research.
Male reproductive senescence: the price of immune‐induced oxidative damage on sexual attractiveness in the blue‐footed booby
Authors: TORRES ROXANA , VELANDO ALBERTO
Published: July 2007

In animals, male reproduction is commonly a function of sexual attractiveness, based on the expression of sexually dimorphic traits that advertise genuinely the male's quality. Male performance may decline with age because physiological functions underlying sexual attractiveness may be affected by senescence.

Here we show that a sexual signal (foot colour) declines with age, due probably to the deleterious effects of oxidative damage.

We found that in the blue‐footed booby Sula nebouxii foot colour during courtship was less attractive in senescent than in middle‐aged males.

In addition, we increased reactive oxygen species experimentally by immunizing males with lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial cell wall component that induces marked oxidative stress in animals. The immune system activation induced greater lipid peroxidation and invoked changes on colour expression (less attractive), particularly in senescent males.

These results support the idea that oxidative stress affects reproductive senescence, and suggest that oxidative damage might be a proximal mechanism underlying age‐reproductive patterns in long‐lived animals.
The Viggers & Hearn conundrum: a kangaroo home range study with no implications for land management
Authors: MARTIN JENNIFER K. , COULSON GRAEME , DI STEFANO JULIAN , RITCHIE EUAN G. , GREENFIELD ANDREW , CATANCHIN HELEN , EVANS LISA N.
Published: July 2007

Viggers & Hearn (2005) examined the encroachment of native herbivores on to farmland. They presented kangaroo home range estimates and pasture biomass data for three sites in south‐eastern Australia, then made broad management recommendations regarding the preservation of remnant habitat.

While Viggers & Hearn identified potentially important patterns, we believe that their data were neither sufficient nor appropriate to reveal the processes that underlie these patterns.

Specifically, their study was unreplicated at the land‐use level, used inappropriate density estimates for their study populations, failed to measure resources adequately, used flawed methods of home range analysis, and demonstrated limited understanding of key concepts and of their study species and thus could not draw valid conclusions.

Synthesis and applications. In view of these fundamental problems, we recommend that decisions on the management of kangaroos and remnant vegetation not be based on the work reported by Viggers & Hearn.
Positive linear relationship between productivity and diversity: evidence from the Eurasian Steppe
Authors: BAI YONGFEI , WU JIANGUO , PAN QINGMIN , HUANG JIANHUI , WANG QIBING , LI FUSHENG , BUYANTUYEV ALEXANDER , HAN XINGGUO
Published: July 2007

Understanding the productivity–diversity relationship (PDR) is a key issue in biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research, and has important implications for ecosystem management. Most studies have supported the predominance of a hump‐shaped form of PDR in which species richness peaks at an intermediate level of productivity. However, this view has been challenged recently on several grounds.

Based on data from 854 field sites across the Inner Mongolia region of the Eurasian Steppe, we tested the form of PDR at different organizational levels (association type, vegetation type and biome) and multiple spatial scales (local, landscape and regional).

Our results showed that a positive linear, rather than hump‐shaped, form was ubiquitous across all organizational levels and spatial scales examined. On the regional scale, this monotonic PDR pattern corresponded closely with the gradient in mean annual precipitation (MAP) and soil nitrogen. Increasing species dissimilarity with productivity could also contribute to the positive linear form of PDR.

Our results also indicated that grazing decreased both primary productivity and species richness but, intriguingly, not the form of PDR.

Synthesis and applications.This study provides the first direct test of the productivity–diversity relationship for the world's largest contiguous terrestrial biome – the Eurasian Steppe. The predominance of a positive linear relationship in this region defies the commonly held view that a unimodal form of PDR dominates terrestrial ecosystems, supported mainly by studies in Africa, Europe and North America. It suggests that precipitation has a greater control on the productivity–diversity relationship in the Eurasian Steppe than grasslands elsewhere. Also, the positive linear relationship is surprisingly robust to grazing. Our results provide new insight into the productivity–diversity relationship and have several implications for restoring degraded lands and understanding ecological consequences of climate change in the Eurasian Steppe.