bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using occupancy and species distribution models to assess the conservation status and habitat use of the goldline darter (Percina aurolineata) in Georgia, USA
Authors: Albanese Brett , Litts Thomas , Camp Mieko , Weiler Deborah A.
Published: July 2013

The goldline darter (Percina aurolineata) is threatened by recent increases in urbanisation in the Coosawattee River watershed, but no studies have addressed their current status. Similarly, limited data on habitat use make it difficult to understand factors that may impact this species. We compared occurrence data before (1996–2000) and after (2009–2011) a period of rapid development and population growth within the watershed. Single‐season occupancy models were built to account for imperfect species detection and to identify habitat covariates. MaxEnt was used to identify important stream reaches for conservation and to understand landscape scale factors correlated with the distribution of goldline darters. Our results indicate a high proportion of sites occupied upstream of Carters Lake during the historic and recent time periods, with no evidence of decline. However, occurrences of goldline darters for sites in Talking Rock Creek and the lower Coosawattee River were sparse in the historic period and absent during the recent period. The probability of detecting goldline darters is low and was positively associated with the occurrence of small substrate. Species distribution models were strongly influenced by watershed area and elevation and indicated a high probability of suitable habitat within the Coosawattee River and large tributaries upstream of Carters Lake. While goldline darter occupancy is currently stable upstream of Carters Lake, continued urbanisation is a threat to long‐term persistence. We recommend additional monitoring and describe a protocol that allows for precise estimates of species occupancy while minimising the risk of sampling‐related mortality.
Niche conservatism constrains Australian honeyeater assemblages in stressful environments
Authors: Miller E. T. , Zanne A. E. , Ricklefs R. E.
Published: July 2013

The hypothesis of phylogenetic niche conservatism proposes that most extant members of a clade remain in ancestral environments because expansion into new ecological space imposes a selectional load on a population. A prediction that follows is that local assemblages contain increasingly phylogenetically clustered subsets of species with increasing difference from the ancestral environment of a clade. We test this in Australian Meliphagidae, a continental radiation of birds that originated in wet, subtropical environments, but subsequently spread to drier environments as Australia became more arid during the late Cenozoic. We find local assemblages are increasingly phylogenetically clustered along a gradient of decreasing precipitation. The pattern is less clear along a temperature gradient. We develop a novel phyloclimatespace to visualise the expansion of some lineages into drier habitats. Although few species extend into arid regions, those that do occupy larger ranges and thus local species richness does not decline predictably with precipitation.
The ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde fungus’: noble rot versus gray mold symptoms of Botrytis cinerea on grapes
Authors: Fournier Elisabeth , Gladieux Pierre , Giraud Tatiana
Published: July 2013

Many cryptic species have recently been discovered in fungi, especially in fungal plant pathogens. Cryptic fungal species co‐occurring in sympatry may occupy slightly different ecological niches, for example infecting the same crop plant but specialized on different organs or having different phenologies. Identifying cryptic species in fungal pathogens of crops and determining their ecological specialization are therefore crucial for disease management. Here, we addressed this question in the ascomycete Botrytis cinerea, the agent of gray mold on a wide range of plants. On grape, B. cinerea causes severe damage but is also responsible for noble rot used for processing sweet wines. We used microsatellite genotyping and clustering methods to elucidate whether isolates sampled on gray mold versus noble rot symptoms in three French regions belong to genetically differentiated populations. The inferred population structure matched geography rather than the type of symptom. Noble rot symptoms therefore do not seem to be caused by a specific B. cinerea population but instead seem to depend essentially on microclimatic conditions, which has applied consequences for the production of sweet wines.
Transport and survival of Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus) eggs and larvae via particle‐tracking experiments
Authors: Nishikawa Haruka , Yasuda Ichiro , Itoh Sachihiko , Komatsu Kosei , Sasaki Hideharu , Sasai Yoshikazu , Oozeki Yoshioki
Published: July 2013

Particle‐tracking experiments were performed to infer the distribution of larvae of the Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus) and to detect effects of transport environment on sardine recruitment, using the output of a high‐resolution ocean general circulation model and observed data of sardine spawning grounds during 1978–2004. By the 60th day following spawning, approximately 50% of the larvae had been transported to the Kuroshio Extension (KE). Whereas the spawning period and grounds changed markedly in relation to the stock level, the proportion of larvae transported to the KE remained relatively constant and no significant correlations were found between sardine recruitment and the transport proportion. Instead, the recruitment was found to be correlated with physical parameters including the mixed layer depth and the sea surface temperature along several major transport trajectories of sardine larvae. The correlations were most significant for the trajectories in the region 0.5° south to 1° north of the Kuroshio axis (defined as the location of velocity maxima at each longitude) and for larvae spawned in February and March during the high stock period (1978–94), and for larvae spawned in March and April during the low stock period (1995–2004).
Role of compressive tectonics on gas charging into the Ordovician sandstone reservoirs in the Sbaa Basin, Algeria: constrained by fluid inclusions and mineralogical data
Authors: Wazir I. , Pagel M. , Tournier F. , Portier E. , Renac C.
Published: July 2013

Structure‐ and tectonic‐related gas migration into Ordovician sandstone reservoirs and its impact on diagenesis history were reconstructed in two gas fields in the Sbaa Basin, in SW Algeria. This was accomplished by petrographical observations, fluid inclusion microthermometry and stable isotope geochemistry on quartz, dickite and carbonate cements and veins. Two successive phases of quartz cementation (CQ1 and CQ2) occurred in the reservoirs. Two phase aqueous inclusions show an increase in temperatures and salinities from the first CQ1 diagenetic phase toward CQ2 in both fields. Microthermometric data on gas inclusions in quartz veins reveal the presence of an average of 92 ± 5 mole% of CH4 considering a CH4‐CO2 system, which is similar to the present‐day gas composition in the reservoirs. The presence of primary methane inclusions in early quartz overgrowths and in quartz and calcite veins suggests that hydrocarbon migration into the reservoir occurred synchronically with early quartz cementation in the sandstones located near the contact with the Silurian gas source rock at 100–140°C during the Late Carboniferous period and the late Hercynian episode fracturing at temperatures between 117 and 185°C, which increased in the NW‐direction of the basin. During the fracture filling, three main types of fluids were identified with different salinities and formation temperatures. A supplementary phase of higher fluid temperature (up to 226°C) recorded in late quartz, and calcite veins is related to a Jurassic thermal event. The occurrence of dickite cements close to the Silurian base near the main fault areas in both fields is mainly correlated with the sandstones where the early gas was charged. It implies that dickite precipitation is related to acidic influx. Late carbonate cements and veins (calcite – siderite – ankerite and strontianite) occurred at the same depths resulting from the same groundwater precipitation. The absence of methane inclusions in calcite cements result from methane flushing by saline waters.
Acid saline fluid inclusions: examples from modern and Permian extreme lake systems
Authors: Benison K. C.
Published: July 2013

Some of the Earth's most extreme aqueous chemistries are found at acid saline lakes and associated shallow groundwaters. Modern lakes and groundwaters in Western Australia have pHs as low as 1.5, total dissolved solids as high as 32%, unusually high concentrations of Al, Si, Fe, As, and Sb, and many other chemical characteristics atypical of natural waters. Analogous Permian red bed and evaporite lake deposits in the US midcontinent also had extreme water compositions, including negative pH. Fluid inclusions in chemical sediments from modern and Permian acid saline lakes record specific physical, chemical, and biological conditions. Primary inclusions in this bedded halite and gypsum are trapped shallow lake water, air bubbles, crystals of other minerals, and microorganisms and organic compounds. Isolated fluid inclusions in early diagenetic phases of halite are remnants of shallow groundwaters and can be analyzed to determine chemical compositions of past groundwaters. A variety of traditional methods, including petrography, freezing–melting microthermometry and laser Raman spectroscopy, and innovative variations, such as homogenization of artificially nucleated vapor bubbles and UV‐vis petrography, produce data detailing environmental conditions. Other traditionally used methods, such as laser ablation ICP‐MS, are not effective due to the inclusions' high and complex salinity, extremely low pH and/or low pressure. Making synthetic solutions that match the complexity of natural acid saline inclusions is another challenge. Fluid inclusions in acid‐precipitated halite have proven to be excellent repositories for past surface chemical, physical, and biological conditions. Although the methods used and data obtained from acid‐precipitated halite and gypsum are not exactly the same as for neutral‐alkaline evaporites, acid inclusions provide high‐resolution environmental data for modern and ancient extreme environments. These extreme fluids may also have similarities to other past extreme environments, to ore mineralizing fluids, and to past liquids on Mars.
STEAP1 protein overexpression is an independent marker for biochemical recurrence in prostate carcinoma
Authors: Ihlaseh‐Catalano Shadia M , Drigo Sandra A , de Jesus Carlos M N , Domingues Maria Aparecida C , Trindade Filho José Carlos S , de Camargo João Lauro V , Rogatto Silvia R
Published: July 2013

Aims

To investigate the prognostic value of expression levels of the genes STEAP1 and STEAP2, and of STEAP1 protein, in prostate carcinomas (PCa).

Methods and results

STEAP1 and STEAP2 transcript levels were evaluated by RT‐qPCR in samples from 35 PCa, 24 adjacent non‐neoplastic prostate (AdjP) tissues, five cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and two histologically normal prostates (N). STEAP1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in samples from 198 PCa, 76 AdjP, 22 BPH, and two N. The findings were compared with clinical and pathological parameters and patient outcome. STEAP1 and STEAP2 transcript analysis showed no differences between the groups tested. Although not significant, higher STEAP1 mRNA levels were detected in tumours with high Gleason scores and in patients who presented with biochemical recurrence (BCR). STEAP1 overexpression was detected in PCa, and was significantly associated with high‐grade Gleason scores, seminal vesicle invasion, BCR, and worse outcome (metastasis or PCa‐specific death). STEAP1 overexpression was significantly associated with shorter BCR‐free survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that STEAP1 is an independent marker for BCR.

Conclusions

These findings provide evidence that STEAP1 is a biomarker of worse prognosis in PCa patients.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland: a clinicopathological study of 49 cases and of metallothionein expression with regard to tumour behaviour
Authors: Brazão‐Silva Marco Túllio , Cardoso Sérgio Vitorino , de Faria Paulo Rogério , Dias Fernando Luiz , Lima Roberto Araújo , Eisenberg Ana Lúcia Amaral , Nascimento Marilena Filgueira , Loyola Adriano Mota
Published: July 2013

Aims

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) of the salivary glands shows heterogeneous behaviour, with metastasis as a key indicator of poor prognosis. Metallothionein (MT) expression has been associated with poor prognosis of diverse neoplasms. We evaluated prognostic factors for AdCC and the role played by MT, focusing on metastatic behaviour.

Methods and results

We reviewed the files of the Brazilian National Institute of Cancer between 1997 and 2004, obtaining 49 cases. Fourteen tumours had metastasized during follow‐up. Among these, we identified cases presenting with metastasis at patient admission as showing the poorest survival rates. MT immunostaining of the tumours was performed (using the E9 antibody), and evaluated for the parameters of proportion, intensity and distribution in tumour cells. Extent and intensity of staining, and Quickscore (a combined measure of extent and intensity), were higher in metastatic than non‐metastatic tumours (for Quickscore, P = 0.044), with highest values found for cases of early metastasis. Most cases showing weak staining, and all with a predominantly cytoplasm‐restricted staining pattern, were non‐metastatic. Metastatic tumours of solid type received higher scores than solid non‐metastatic (Intensity, P = 0.0239; Quickscore, P = 0.0481).

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated metastasis to be the most significant indicator of poor prognosis and deterioration for AdCC. Consistent patterns of MT expression were observed to correlate with metastatic behaviour, indicating that MT may potentially serve as a prognostic marker for AdCC.
No Substitute for the Real Thing: The Impact of Prison‐based Work Experience on Students' Thinking about Imprisonment
Authors: Ridley Louise
Published: July 2013

This article discusses an innovative approach to teaching and learning, under which students on the undergraduate criminology, (and related), programmes at Northumbria University are offered work experience positions in prisons in the north‐east of England. Increasing media distortion and populist political rhetoric about imprisonment has influenced the way in which students think and reflect about prison and prisoners. This article explores how introducing prison‐based work experience has had a dramatic effect on students' thinking and understanding of imprisonment. The article outlines the setting up of the scheme in one of the prisons, considers the initial impact on the first cohort of participating students, and discusses the staff and student work experiences to date. It also demonstrates how experiencing the prison in this way ensures that these students leave university with well‐defined ideas about incarceration and better equipped for working in prison environments.
Re‐engaging the interface debate: strong, weak, none, or all?
Authors: Han ZhaoHong , Finneran Rosette
Published: July 2013

In the history of SLA research, the relationship between explicit and implicit knowledge has incited heated debate, culminating in, broadly, three disparate positions: (a) the non‐interface; (b) the weak‐interface; and (c) the strong‐interface. In this paper, we re‐engage the theoretical debate. Unlike the previous discussions, however, which typically find researchers espousing one position against another – usually the non‐interface position, we claim that in the interlanguage of any L2 learners, there is likely both explicit and implicit knowledge, but, more important, three types of relationships co‐existing between them: a strong interface, a weak interface, and no interface. We argue that further advances in SLA research would benefit from a concerted effort to identify which aspects of grammar are susceptible to a strong, weak, or no interface relation.
Rheological, gelling and emulsifying properties of a glycosylated and cross‐linked caseinate generated by transglutaminase
Authors: Song Chun‐Li , Zhao Xin‐Huai
Published: July 2013

The impacts of oligochitosan glycosylation and cross‐linking on some properties of a commercial caseinate were investigated in this study. The glycosylated and cross‐linked caseinate with glucosamine content of 4.74 g kg−1 protein was generated by transglutaminase (TGase) and oligochitosan at pH 7.5 and 37 °C, with fixed substrate molar ratio of 1:3 (acyl donor to glucosamine acceptor), caseinate content of 50 g L−1, TGase of 10 kU kg−1 protein and reaction time of 3 h, respectively. In comparison with the caseinate, the glycosylated and cross‐linked caseinate had decreased reactable amino groups (0.58 vs. 0.51 mol kg−1 protein), higher apparent viscosity, decreased emulsifying activity index (about 14.5%) and statistically unchanged emulsion stability index (92.6 vs. 90.5%). Based on the mechanical spectra of the acid‐induced gels, the glycosylated and cross‐linked caseinate showed shorter gelation time (95 vs. 200 or 220 min) than the caseinate or cross‐linked caseinate. The gels prepared from the glycosylated and cross‐linked caseinate also had enhanced hardness, springiness and cohesiveness. The results indicated that TGase‐mediated oligochitosan glycosylation and cross‐linking has the potential to obtain new protein ingredients.
How to Overcome Deadlock in EU Immigration Politics
Authors: Roos Christof
Published: July 2013

Immigration policy is a very unlikely case for EU integration. EU policy‐making is constrained by member states' sovereignty claims and interest heterogeneity. Still, tentative integration towards EU conditions of entry and residence for some immigrant categories can be observed. By using the example of the skilled labour migration directive, the article explains how deadlock in policy‐making was overcome. It explores the factors that led to agreement in the EU immigration policy area, from the Commission's first proposal on labour migration in 2001 to its adoption in 2009. Explanations for integration in the policy area are member states' venue shopping the EU level for changing domestic legislation, their interest in locking‐in national standards in EU law, and the EU Commission's agenda‐framing. Strategic partitioning of policy was also used by actors to overcome deadlock in policy‐making. The reframing of policies, by reducing their scope to a few narrowly defined immigrant categories, influenced their adoption. This mechanism was observed in studying the eight years of policy‐making leading to the labour migration directive. The longitudinal analysis helps to identify the key dynamics that define this nascent EU policy area.
Detection of the mandibular canal via shaded surface display and multiplanar reconstruction of CT data
Authors: SOLAR P. , GAHLEITNER A. , BEDNAR A. , RODINGER S. , WATZEK G.
Published: July 2013

SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of conventional two‐dimensional (2D) multisection images (multiplanar rendering, MPR) and registered three‐dimensional (3D) shaded surface images (shaded surface display, SSD) of standard axial computed tomography (CT) data for detecting the mandibular canal (MC) in the lower jaw of 136 patients. The patients, who had different indications for mandibular CT, were examined using standard axial CT scanning. Two post‐processing programs were used for 3D visualization of the data sets. The cross‐sectional rendered images and the shaded surface 3D images were graded for detection of the MC, the presence of artefacts, overall quality and clinical relevance. A 3D display of the MC was achieved using the MPR technique in 100% with high image quality. The surface rendered display depicted the MC in 80%. Artefacts markedly degraded the 3D displays obtained using the surface rendering technique; thus, SSD is an inappropriate technique for imaging the entire MC without manual segmentation. MPR‐CT improves the sensitivity of CT imaging in the detection of the MC with very little time needed for post‐processing compared with the SSD method. This post‐processing modality should, therefore, be considered for serial studies of patients undergoing dental CT. The sensitivity of the MPR method is even superior to the standard axial CT slices.
QUALITY OF LIFE OF ADULT CLIENTS ON RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPIES IN NEPAL
Authors: Sapkota Abja , Sedhain Arun , Rai Mana Kumari
Published: July 2013

Aim

To compare the influence of demographic and clinical variables on quality of life (QOL) amongst haemodialysis (HD) and renal transplantation clients in Nepal.

Background

Renal replacement therapy in the form of renal transplant is a newer modality in Nepal. In this study, effectiveness of renal transplant and maintenance HD in clients with end‐stage renal disease were evaluated in a Nepalese context.

Method

A descriptive, cross‐sectional study was conducted to compare the QOL of clients undergoing HD and renal transplantation in two treatment centres in Nepal. Information on QOL was collected by using the WHOQOL‐BREF instrument through interviews.

Result

The clients in the transplantation groups were significantly younger, highly educated and employed. The QOL score of clients with renal transplantation was significantly higher in the physical, psychological and social relationship domains. While assessing QOL score in transplantation groups, females scored significantly higher score in the environmental domain compared with males.

Conclusion

The QOL score in renal transplant recipients was significantly better than that of clients on HD in three of the four WHOQOL‐BREF domains. The limited resources and facilities for renal transplantation and the post‐transplant follow‐up service in Nepal might have contributed to a poorer outcome on the environmental domain in this group.
Using visual modelling to study the evolution of lizard coloration: sexual selection drives the evolution of sexual dichromatism in lacertids
Authors: Pérez i de Lanuza G. , Font E. , Monterde J. L.
Published: July 2013

Sexual selection has been invoked as a major force in the evolution of secondary sexual traits, including sexually dimorphic colourations. For example, previous studies have shown that display complexity and elaborate ornamentation in lizards are associated with variables that reflect the intensity of intrasexual selection. However, these studies have relied on techniques of colour analysis based on human – rather than lizard – visual perception. Here, we use reflectance spectrophotometry and visual modelling to quantify sexual dichromatism considering the overall colour patterns of lacertids, a lizard clade in which visual signalling has traditionally been underrated. These objective methods of colour analysis reveal a large, previously unreported, degree of sexual dichromatism in lacertids. Using a comparative phylogenetic approach, we further demonstrate that sexual dichromatism is positively associated with body size dimorphism (an index of intrasexual selection), suggesting that conspicuous coloration in male lacertids has evolved to improve opponent assessment under conditions of intense male–male competition. Our findings provide the first evidence for the covariation of sexual dichromatism and sexual size dimorphism in lacertids and suggest that the prevalent role of intrasexual selection in the evolution of ornamental coloration is not restricted to the iguanian lineage, but rather may be a general trend common to many diurnal lizards.
Exposure to a novel male during late pregnancy influences subsequent growth of offspring during lactation
Authors: Gale T. , Gibson A. B. , Brooks R. C. , Garratt M.
Published: July 2013

In mammals, allocation to reproduction can either be primed or suppressed in relation to cues from other individuals. Some conspecifics (e.g. potential mates) may enhance an individual's ability to reproduce but others may have a detrimental effect on reproductive success. One widely studied response to conspecific cues, the ‘Bruce effect’, occurs when pregnant females abort their pregnancies after exposure to a novel male. It has been suggested that this response has evolved as a counter‐tactic to the threat of infanticide posed by novel males. In some species, like mice, pregnancy termination will only occur if females are exposed to the unfamiliar male during a brief critical period early in pregnancy, which is surprising considering that an unfamiliar male threatens infanticide whenever present, and in particular near to birth. We demonstrate that female mice experiencing novel males during late pregnancy also alter their investment in progeny, but in a more subtle manner than previously observed. Females exposed to an unfamiliar male during late pregnancy give birth to offspring of a comparable weight to those produced by females exposed to the paternal male, but these offspring grow more slowly over lactation. As a consequence, offspring from these females weigh less at weaning. Modification of their growth trajectory, however, allows these offspring to catch up to normal weights by adulthood. Thus, cues of unfamiliar males, and possibly their associated threat of infanticide, can produce more wide‐ranging effects on maternal investment than previously recognized.
The differential contributions of herkogamy and dichogamy as mechanisms of avoiding self‐interference in four self‐incompatible Epimedium species
Authors: Li X.‐X. , Zou Y. , Xiao C.‐L. , Gituru R. W. , Guo Y.‐H. , Yang C.‐F.
Published: July 2013

Self‐interference is one of the most important selective forces in shaping floral evolution. Herkogamy and dichogamy both can achieve reductions in the extent of self‐interference, but they may have different roles in minimizing self‐interference in a single species. We used four self‐incompatible Epimedium species to explore the roles of herkogamy and dichogamy in avoiding self‐interference and to test the hypothesis that herkogamy and dichogamy may be separated and become selected preferentially in the taxa. Two species (E. franchetii and E. mikinorii) expressed strong herkogamy and weak protogyny (adichogamy), whereas another two species (E. sutchuenense and E. leptorrhizum) expressed slight herkogamy and partial protandry. Field investigations indicated that there was no physical self‐interference between male function and female function regarding pollen removal and pollen deposition in all species. Self‐pollination (autonomous or facilitated) was greater in species with slight herkogamy than in those with strong herkogamy. Artificial pollination treatments revealed that self‐pollination could reduce outcrossed female fertility in all species, and we found evidence that self‐interference reduced seed set in E. sutchuenense and E. leptorrhizum in the field, but not in E. franchetii and E. mikinorii. These results indicate that well‐developed herkogamy is more effective compared with dichogamy in avoiding self‐interference in the four species. In genus Epimedium, herkogamy instead of dichogamy should be selected preferentially and evolved as an effective mechanism for avoiding self‐interference and might not need to evolve linked with dichogamy.
Deleterious effects of recombination and possible nonrecombinatorial advantages of sex in a fungal model
Authors: López‐Villavicencio M. , Debets A. J. M. , Slakhorst M. , Giraud T. , Schoustra S. E.
Published: July 2013

Why sexual reproduction is so prevalent in nature remains a major question in evolutionary biology. Most of the proposed advantages of sex rely on the benefits obtained from recombination. However, it is still unclear whether the conditions under which these recombinatorial benefits would be sufficient to maintain sex in the short term are met in nature. Our study addresses a largely overlooked hypothesis, proposing that sex could be maintained in the short term by advantages due to functions linked with sex, but not related to recombination. These advantages would be so essential that sex could not be lost in the short term. Here, we used the fungusAspergillus nidulansto experimentally test predictions of this hypothesis. Specifically, we were interested in (i) the short‐term deleterious effects of recombination, (ii) possible nonrecombinatorial advantages of sex particularly through the elimination of mutations and (iii) the outcrossing rate under choice conditions in a haploid fungus able to reproduce by both outcrossing and haploid selfing. Our results were consistent with our hypotheses: we found that (i) recombination can be strongly deleterious in the short term, (ii) sexual reproduction between individuals derived from the same clonal lineage provided nonrecombinatorial advantages, likely through a selection arena mechanism, and (iii) under choice conditions, outcrossing occurs in a homothallic species, although at low rates.
Inter‐ and intrasexual genetic correlations of exaggerated traits and locomotor activity
Authors: Fuchikawa T. , Okada K.
Published: July 2013

Exaggerated traits in males can be costly and therefore can negatively affect fitness. Although these costs are thought to be male specific, traits that have a negative effect due to exaggeration are often shared between the sexes as life‐history traits. When there are genetic intersexual correlations for these shared characters, the evolution of the exaggerated traits can impose these costs on nonadorned females through the intersexual correlation. Thus, the exaggerated traits can constrain optimum development of female characters, even if the females lack these exaggerations completely. However, investigation of this pattern has been largely ignored, and thus, it is necessary to investigate genetic architectures of these traits within and across the sexes. Male flour beetles, Gnatocerus cornutus, have enlarged mandibles that are used in male–male competition, but females lack this character completely. Using a traditional full‐sib/half‐sib breeding design, we detected a negative intrasexual genetic correlation between male weapon size and locomotor activity, but not an intersexual genetic correlation for locomotor activity. After subjecting this weapon to 17 generations of bidirectional selection, we found a correlated response to locomotor activity in the male, whereas there was no correlated response in the female. Our results suggest that the costs of exaggerated traits to locomotion are not imposed on females and would be male specific. This is partly explained by genetic decoupling of locomotor activities across the sexes.
On the limits of interpreting some plastic responses through a cooperator/cheater prism. A comment on Harrison
Authors: Alizon S.
Published: July 2013

Micro‐organisms are known to exhibit phenotypic plasticity in response to changes in their environment. Recent studies have shown that a parasite strain can adjust its host exploitation strategies to the presence of unrelated strains, e.g. for Plasmodium chabaudi by adjusting its sex‐ratio. J. Evol. Biol. 2013; 26: 1370–1378 claims to report a similar plastic response to the presence of unrelated strains in the case of siderophore‐producing bacteria. I argue that she does not provide sufficient evidence to support the interpretation of the plastic response she observes (increasing siderophore production in the presence of cheaters) through a cooperator/cheater framework. I show that known plastic responses to physicochemical factors, such as siderophore or iron concentration, seem to offer a clearer and more parsimonious explanation. Finally, I also challenge the parallel she makes between the process she observes in siderophore‐producing bacteria and compensation in bi‐parental care models.
The scope and strength of sex‐specific selection in genome evolution
Authors: Wright A. E. , Mank J. E.
Published: July 2013

Males and females share the vast majority of their genomes and yet are often subject to different, even conflicting, selection. Genomic and transcriptomic developments have made it possible to assess sex‐specific selection at the molecular level, and it is clear that sex‐specific selection shapes the evolutionary properties of several genomic characteristics, including transcription, post‐transcriptional regulation, imprinting, genome structure and gene sequence. Sex‐specific selection is strongly influenced by mating system, which also causes neutral evolutionary changes that affect different regions of the genome in different ways. Here, we synthesize theoretical and molecular work in order to provide a cohesive view of the role of sex‐specific selection and mating system in genome evolution. We also highlight the need for a combined approach, incorporating both genomic data and experimental phenotypic studies, in order to understand precisely how sex‐specific selection drives evolutionary change across the genome.
Assessing the accuracy and reliability of direct height measurement for use in adult neurological patients with contractures: a comparison with height from ulna length
Authors: Finch H. , Arumugam V.
Published: July 2013

Background

It is not possible to measure the height of a patient with contractures in the normal way. On occasions, health professionals need to measure the height directly of patients with contractures because: (i) the patient is unable to report his/her height as a result of a lack of mental capacity and (ii) there is no‐one available to report the height or the reported height is obviously inaccurate. Height derived from ulna length is an option but, in some individuals, it can be conspicuously inaccurate. Therefore, we have attempted to develop and validate a simple bedside method using a tape measure.

Methods

Twenty‐four normal healthy adult volunteers were recruited into the study. They were positioned on a hospital bed in three different standardised positions simulating patients with typical contractures. They were measured in each position by four measurers using blanked out tape measures. The participants were then measured standing giving a ‘true’ height. Ulna length was also measured.

Results

The mean of the tape‐measured heights was 2.3 cm taller than the ‘true’ height (95% confidence interval = 4.6−9.3). The measurement in all three positions gave an over‐estimate of the height, whereas the ulna‐derived height gave an under‐estimate (2.2 cm). The estimated reliability between measurers (intraclass correlation coefficient) was 0.94 with a 95% confidence interval (0.91–0.96).

Conclusions

This new method is giving an acceptable estimate of the height of contracted patients with a good inter‐rater reliability. It comprises a useful additional tool for measuring the height of people with contractures.
Effects of low pCO2 conditions on sea urchin larval size
Authors: Suwa Ryota , Nojiri Yukihiro , Ono Tsuneo , Shirayama Yoshihisa
Published: July 2013

Ocean acidification results from an increase in the concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) impacts on marine calcifying species, which is predicted to become more pronounced in the future. By the end of this century, atmospheric pCO2 levels will have doubled relative to the pre‐industrial levels of 280 ppm. However, the effects of pre‐industrial pCO2 levels on marine organisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of pre‐industrial pCO2 conditions on the size of the pluteus larvae of sea urchins, which are known to be vulnerable to ocean acidification. The larval size of Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus significantly increased when reared at pre‐industrial pCO2 level relative to the present one, and the size of Anthocidaris crassispina larvae decreased as the pCO2 levels increased from the pre‐industrial level to the near future ones after 3 days' exposure. In this study, it is suggested that echinoid larvae responded to pre‐industrial pCO2 levels. Ocean acidification may be affecting some sensitive marine calcifiers even at the present pCO2 level.
New insights on the trophic ecology of bathyal communities from the methane seep area off Concepción, Chile (~36° S)
Authors: Zapata‐Hernández Germán , Sellanes Javier , Thurber Andrew R. , Levin Lisa A. , Chazalon Frédéric , Linke Peter
Published: July 2013

Studies of the trophic structure in methane‐seep habitats provide insight into the ecological function of deep‐sea ecosystems. Methane seep biota on the Chilean margin likely represent a novel biogeographic province; however, little is known about the ecology of the seep fauna and particularly their trophic support. The present study, using natural abundance stable isotopes, reveals a complex trophic structure among heterotrophic consumers, with four trophic levels supported by a diversity of food sources at a methane seep area off Concepción, Chile (~36° S). Although methanotrophy, thiotrophy and phototrophy are all identified as carbon fixation mechanisms fueling the food web within this area, most of the analysed species (87.5%) incorporate carbon derived from photosynthesis and a smaller number (12%) use carbon derived from chemosynthesis. Methane‐derived carbon (MDC) incorporation was documented in 22 taxa, including sipunculids, gastropods, polychaetes and echinoderms. In addition, wide trophic niches were detected in suspension‐feeding and deposit‐feeding taxa, possibly associated with the use of organic matter in different stages of degradation (e.g. from fresh to refractory). Estimates of Bayesian standard ellipses area (SEAB) reveal different isotopic niche breadth in the predator fishes, the Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides and the combtooth dogfish Centroscyllium nigrum, suggesting generalist versus specialist feeding behaviors, respectively. Top predators in the ecosystem were the Patagonian toothfish D. eleginoides and the dusky cat shark, Bythaelurus canescens. The blue hake Antimora rostrata also provides a trophic link between the benthic and pelagic systems, with a diet based primarily on pelagic‐derived carrion. These findings can inform accurate ecosystem models, which are critical for effective management and conservation of methane seep and adjacent deep‐sea habitats in the Southeastern Pacific.
Breeding cycle of the red squat lobster Pleuroncodes monodon H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (Decapoda, Muninidae) from deepwater Pacific of Costa Rica
Authors: Hernáez Patricio , Wehrtmann Ingo S.
Published: July 2013

Reproduction and larval development of the red squat lobster Pleuroncodes monodon is strongly linked to temperature changes provoked by upwelling along the Chilean coast. Here, we propose the hypothesis that both the breeding cycle and the spatial distribution of egg‐bearing females of P. monodon in Costa Rica are related to decreasing water temperatures during seasonal coastal upwelling. To describe the breeding cycle, squat lobsters were collected between February 2007 and January 2008 from the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The presence of egg‐bearing females in other areas of the Costa Rican coast was studied from samples collected during two latitudinal research cruises (August 2008: rainy season; May 2009: dry season). Our results revealed that P. monodon has a marked seasonal breeding period (from November to March), which is associated with decreasing water surface temperatures registered during coastal upwelling events. All females with embryos close to hatching were found in areas surrounding the Gulf of Nicoya, when upwelling events have been reported. The near absence of egg‐bearing females in zones where upwelling does not occur suggests the existence of a strong correlation between upwelling events and the breeding cycle of P. monodon. Our information should be considered when developing management measures for the sustainable use of this potential fishery resource in the Pacific coast of Central America.
Host specificity shapes population structure of pinworm parasites in Caribbean reptiles
Authors: Falk Bryan G. , Perkins Susan L.
Published: July 2013

Host specificity is one of the potential factors affecting parasite diversification because gene flow may be facilitated or constrained by the number of host species that a parasite can exploit. We test this hypothesis using a costructure approach, comparing two sympatric pinworm parasites that differ in host specificity – Parapharyngodon cubensis and Spauligodon anolis – on the Puerto Rican Bank and St. Croix in the Caribbean. Spauligodon anolis specializes on Anolis lizards, whereas P. cubensis parasitizes Anolis lizards as well as many other species of lizards and snakes. We collected lizards from across the Puerto Rican Bank and St. Croix, sampled them for S. anolis and P. cubensis and generated nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data from the parasites. We used these data to show that P. cubensis is comprised of multiple cryptic species that exhibit limited population structure relative to S. anolis, which is consistent with our prediction based on their host specificity. We also provide evidence that the distribution of P. cubensis species is maintained by competitive exclusion, and in contrast to previous theoretical work, the parasites with the greatest number of host species also reach the highest prevalence rates. Overall, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that host specificity shapes parasite diversification, and suggest that even moderate differences in host specificity may contribute to substantial differences in diversification.
Nano‐ and micro‐encapsulated systems for enhancing the delivery of resveratrol
Authors: Augustin Mary Ann , Sanguansri Luz , Lockett Trevor
Published: July 2013

There has been interest in the use of trans‐resveratrol as a natural preventative agent for improving health and alleviating a range of diseases. However, resveratrol has low bioavailability, and this has been associated with its poor water solubility, its low stability against environmental stress, and its inability to reach a target site in the body to exert the desired health effect. Encapsulation offers a potential approach for enhancing the solubility of resveratrol, stabilizing it against trans‐to‐cis isomerization, and improving its bioavailability. A range of encapsulant materials, formulations, and technologies have been examined for enhancing the delivery of resveratrol. Research on the efficacy of encapsulated resveratrol formulations and relevant doses for specific applications is required before recommendations may be made for the use of these formulations for human health outcomes.
Resveratrol‐based combinatorial strategies for cancer management
Authors: Singh Chandra K. , George Jasmine , Ahmad Nihal
Published: July 2013

In recent years combination chemoprevention has been increasingly appreciated and investigated as a viable and effective strategy for cancer management. A plethora of evidence suggests that a combination of agents may afford synergistic (or additive) advantage for cancer management by multiple means, such as by (1) enhancing the bio‐availability of chemopreventive agents, (2) modifying different molecular targets, and (3) lowering the effective dose of agent/drug to be used for cancer management. Resveratrol has been shown to afford chemopreventive and therapeutic effects against certain cancers. Recent studies are suggesting that resveratrol may be very useful when given in combination with other agents. The two major advantages of using resveratrol in combination with other agents are synergistically or additively enhancing the efficacy against cancer and limiting the toxicity and side effects of existing therapies. However, concerted and multidisciplinary efforts are needed to identify the most optimal combinatorial strategies.
Interplay between metabolism and transport of resveratrol
Authors: Maier‐Salamon Alexandra , Böhmdorfer Michaela , Riha Juliane , Thalhammer Theresia , Szekeres Thomas , Jaeger Walter
Published: July 2013

Resveratrol exhibits a variety of biological and pharmacological activities despite its extensive metabolism to sulfates and glucuronides in the intestine and liver. The metabolism of resveratrol is cell specific and strongly correlates with enzyme expression levels. However, a high rate of biotransformation, in concert with the action of the efflux transporters MRP2, MRP3, and ABCG2, reduces intracellular resveratrol concentrations, and may thereby decrease its pharmacological activity. Interestingly, biotransformation is also dependent on disease status. For example, significantly greater sulfation of resveratrol occurs in human breast tumor tissue than in adjacent nonmalignant tissue. The observed differences, however, do not correlate with the expression of sulfotransferases responsible for catalyzing resveratrol sulfation, but rather with significantly higher steroid sulfatase mRNA levels. The in vitro activity of resveratrol sulfates may not necessarily reflect their in vivo function, given the fact that ubiquitously existing human sulfatases can convert the metabolites back to active resveratrol in humans.
Retracted: Cytokines induce MMP‐3‐regulated proliferation of embryonic stem cell‐derived odontoblast‐like cells
Authors: Ozeki N , Yamaguchi H , Kawai R , Hiyama T , Nakata K , Mogi M , Nakamura H
Published: July 2013

Objectives

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐3 expression increases after pulpectomy and accelerates angiogenesis in rat dental pulp by an uncharacterised mechanism. Odontoblasts, a major component of dental pulp, could represent a therapeutic target. We investigated whether MMP‐3 activity is induced by cytokines and/or is associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis in embryonic stem cell‐derived odontoblast‐like cells.

Materials and Methods

We used reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, an MMP‐3 activity assay, a BrdU‐cell proliferation enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and DNA fragmentation analysis to evaluate siRNA‐mediated downregulation of MMP‐3 expression and activity, and any changes in the proliferative and apoptotic responses associated with this reduced expression.

Results

Pro‐inflammatory cytokines (interleukin‐1β, tumour necrosis factor‐α and interferon‐γ, at relatively low concentrations) induced MMP‐3 mRNA and protein expression, and increased MMP‐3 activity and cell proliferation, but not apoptosis. MMP‐3 silencing produced a potent and significant suppression of cytokine‐induced MMP‐3 expression and activity, decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. These effects were rescued by application of exogenous MMP‐3.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that pro‐inflammatory cytokines induce MMP‐3‐regulated cell proliferation and anti‐apoptosis effects in odontoblast‐like cells derived from embryonic stem cells, in addition to their well‐documented destructive role in inflammation.
Origin and evolution of the Pseudorhyncocyonidae, a European Paleogene family of insectivorous placental mammals
Authors: Hooker Jerry J.
Published: July 2013

Two new species of pseudorhyncocyonid, Fordonia lawsoni sp. nov. and Leptictidium prouti sp. nov. from the UK earliest Eocene, described here, are older than any previously recorded member of the family. They are represented by teeth from numerous loci, which allow a better understanding of the sparsely known dentitions of currently known pseudorhyncocyonids. This facilitates the recognition of two further species of Leptictidium, L. listeri sp. nov. from the Middle Eocene of Germany and L. storchi sp. nov. from the Late Eocene of France. Study of occlusal relationships also helps to fill gaps in our knowledge of missing tooth loci. Cladistic analysis of pseudorhyncocyonids with their previously judged closest relatives, the Leptictidae, Pantolesta and Palaeanodonta, shows that two European species, Diaphyodectes prolatus and Palaeictops? levei, formerly thought to be leptictids, are instead primitive pseudorhyncocyonids, extending the range of the family further back in time to the Middle Paleocene. P? levei is placed in the new genus Phakodon gen. nov. The analysis also shows that the Pseudorhyncocyonidae are sister group to the other three groups combined and that family‐level differentiation in this probable clade took place as early as the earliest Paleocene.