bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cuticular hydrocarbon divergence in the jewel wasp Nasonia: evolutionary shifts in chemical communication channels?
Authors: Buellesbach J. , Gadau J. , Beukeboom L. W. , Echinger F. , Raychoudhury R. , Werren J. H. , Schmitt T. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe evolution and maintenance of intraspecific communication channels constitute a key feature of chemical signalling and sexual communication. However, how divergent chemical communication channels evolve while maintaining their integrity for both sender and receiver is poorly understood. In this study, we compare male and female cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles in the jewel wasp genus Nasonia, analyse their chemical divergence and investigate their role as species‐specific sexual signalling cues. Males and females of all four Nasonia species showed unique, nonoverlapping CHC profiles unambiguously separating them. Surprisingly, male and female phylogenies based on the chemical distances between their CHC profiles differed dramatically, where only male CHC divergence parallels the molecular phylogeny of Nasonia. In particular, N. giraulti female CHC profiles were the most divergent from all other species and very different from its most closely related sibling species N. oneida. Furthermore, although our behavioural assays indicate that female CHC profiles can generally be perceived as sexual cues attracting males in Nasonia, this function has apparently been lost in the highly divergent female N. giraulti CHC profiles. Curiously, N. giraulti males are still attracted to heterospecific, but not to conspecific female CHC profiles. We suggest that this striking discrepancy has been caused by an extensive evolutionary shift in female N. giraulti CHC profiles, which are no longer used as conspecific recognition cues. Our study constitutes the first report of an apparent abandonment of a sexual recognition cue that the receiver did not adapt to.
Variation in costs of parasite resistance among natural host populations
Authors: Auld S. K. J. R. , Penczykowski R. M. , Housley Ochs J. , Grippi D. C. , Hall S. R. , Duffy M. A. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractOrganisms that can resist parasitic infection often have lower fitness in the absence of parasites. These costs of resistance can mediate host evolution during parasite epidemics. For example, large epidemics will select for increased host resistance. In contrast, small epidemics (or no disease) can select for increased host susceptibility when costly resistance allows more susceptible hosts to outcompete their resistant counterparts. Despite their importance for evolution in host populations, costs of resistance (which are also known as resistance trade‐offs) have mainly been examined in laboratory‐based host–parasite systems. Very few examples come from field‐collected hosts. Furthermore, little is known about how resistance trade‐offs vary across natural populations. We addressed these gaps using the freshwater crustacean Daphnia dentifera and its natural yeast parasite, Metschnikowia bicuspidata. We found a cost of resistance in two of the five populations we studied – those with the most genetic variation in resistance and the smallest epidemics in the previous year. However, yeast epidemics in the current year did not alter slopes of these trade‐offs before and after epidemics. In contrast, the no‐cost populations showed little variation in resistance, possibly because large yeast epidemics eroded that variation in the previous year. Consequently, our results demonstrate variation in costs of resistance in wild host populations. This variation has important implications for host evolution during epidemics in nature.
Sexual selection in a hermaphroditic plant through female reproductive success
Authors: Dai C. , Galloway L. F. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractSexual selection is well accepted as a mechanism of shaping traits in animals. However, whether and how floral traits are sexually selected in hermaphroditic plants remains less clear. Here, we use Passiflora incarnata to address how floral traits that affect pollination success are selected via female function. We manipulated the ecological context by limiting pollination and adding resources to expand the phenotypic distribution and alter the intensity of sexual selection. Total sexual selection favoured lower style deflexion because of its impact on pollen receipt and subsequent seed number. However, total selection on style deflexion was not significant, indicating additional selection on style deflexion through routes other than mating. Limited pollination and enhanced resources were expected to alter the distribution of pollen deposition and seed production and therefore intensify the Bateman gradient – the relationship between pollen receipt and seed production. Indeed, the Bateman gradient was strongest when pollination was limited, suggesting potential for sexual selection to influence floral trait evolution under these conditions. Overall, we found floral traits may be shaped by sexual selection through female reproductive success in this hermaphroditic plant. These results support manipulations to enhance the variance in mating as a mechanism to understand patterns of sexual selection.
Protection against a fungal pathogen conferred by the aphid facultative endosymbionts Rickettsia and Spiroplasma is expressed in multiple host genotypes and species and is not influenced by co‐infection with another symbiont
Authors: Łukasik P. , Guo H. , van Asch M. , Ferrari J. , Godfray H. C. J. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractMany insects harbour facultative endosymbiotic bacteria, often more than one type at a time. These symbionts can have major effects on their hosts' biology, which may be modulated by the presence of other symbiont species and by the host's genetic background. We investigated these effects by transferring two sets of facultative endosymbionts (one Hamiltonella and Rickettsia, the other Hamiltonella and Spiroplasma) from naturally double‐infected pea aphid hosts into five novel host genotypes of two aphid species. The symbionts were transferred either together or separately. We then measured aphid fecundity and susceptibility to an entomopathogenic fungus. The pathogen‐protective phenotype conferred by the symbionts Rickettsia and Spiroplasma varied among host genotypes, but was not influenced by co‐infection with Hamiltonella. Fecundity varied across single and double infections and between symbiont types, aphid genotypes and species. Some host genotypes benefit from harbouring more than one symbiont type.
Mix‐planting pubescent and glabrous cassava affects abundance of Typhlodromalus aripo and its prey mite Mononychellus tanajoa
Authors: Onzo A. , Hanna R. , Toko M. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThere is an increasing awareness that vegetation diversity can affect herbivore and natural enemy abundance and that plants can play a major role in directly manipulating natural enemy abundance for protection against herbivore attacks. Using data from cassava fields, we aimed at (i) testing the capacity of the predatory mite Typhlodromalus aripo to control the herbivorous mite Mononychellus tanajoa in a chemical exclusion trial; and (ii) testing, based on the differential preference by T. aripo for cassava cultivars, how combinations of two morphologically different cassava cultivars with differential suitability to the predator can improve its population densities on the non‐favourable cultivar, thereby reducing M. tanajoa densities with subsequent increases in cassava yield. The study was conducted in a cassava field in Benin, West Africa. The experiments confirmed that T. aripo effectively suppresses M. tanajoa populations on both cultivars and showed, in the no‐predator‐exclusion experiments, that cultivar combinations have significant effects on M. tanajoa and T. aripo densities. Indeed, T. aripo load on the non‐preferred cultivar was lowest in subplots where the proportion of T. aripo‐preferred cultivar was also low, while, and as expected, M. tanajoa load on the non‐preferred cultivar showed decreasing trends with increasing T. aripo densities. The possible mechanisms by which cultivar mixing could increase predator load on the non‐favourable cultivar were discussed. Our data showed that appropriate cultivar combinations effectively compensate for morphologically related differences in natural enemy abundance on a normally predator‐deficient cultivar, resulting in lower pest densities on the non‐favourable cultivar. In practical terms, this strategy could, in part, enhance adoption of cultivars that do not support sufficient levels of natural enemies for pest control.
Screening of natural products in the laboratory and the field for control of pollen beetles
Authors: Dorn B. , Jossi W. , Humphrys C. , Hiltbrunner J. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractPollen beetles, Meligethes spp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), are among the most damaging pests of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Increasing populations of pyrethroid‐resistant pollen beetles coupled with the prohibition of synthetic pest control products in organic farming means that other direct control methods are needed. A laboratory study was therefore conducted to evaluate the effect of natural products, combinations of natural products and additives as well as natural and synthetic insecticides on mortality of pollen beetles. In addition, field trials under both integrated and organic production were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of six natural products, nine combinations of natural products, two synthetic insecticides (integrated‐production trials only), two natural insecticides and two additives to reduce pollen beetles. The laboratory trial, using both a curative and preventive approach, showed that two of the eight natural products (lavender oil and stone meal) caused a mortality of over 98% within the first day of application. The other natural products were only partially effective compared with the untreated control. In the field trials, the natural products reduced the number of pollen beetles 1 day after application compared with the untreated control in both trial years and production systems. Promising substances were stone meal, Silico‐Sec and liquid manure. Nevertheless, the efficacy was not consistent, and no effect on oilseed rape yield was observed. In spite of this, these products have the potential to control pollen beetles under field conditions with comparable effects to synthetic insecticides. Further research should therefore focus on timing and frequency of applications as well as on the formulation of the natural products to increase the persistency of the products under field conditions.
Susceptibility of Chrysochus auratus, a natural enemy of spreading dogbane, to insecticides used in wild blueberry production
Authors: Crozier H. L. , Cutler G. C. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractInsect pest management in wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) usually involves insecticidal sprays, which may have detrimental effects on non‐target beneficial insects. Dogbane beetle (Chrysochus auratus Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) feeds almost exclusively on spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium L.), an increasing weed problem in wild blueberry production. Because C. auratus is an important natural enemy of spreading dogbane, we assessed its susceptibility to several insecticides it may be exposed to during insect pest management. In laboratory bioassays, we found adult dogbane beetles were highly susceptible to field rates of phosmet (Imidan) and acetamiprid (Assail) by direct topical contact and ingestion of treated foliage, whereas no mortality was seen with spirotetramat (Movento) and chlorantraniliprole (Altacor). Topical applications of spinetoram (Delegate) did not cause significant mortality of beetles, but high mortality to beetles was found when they ingested spinetoram‐treated foliage. The results suggest that while some insecticides used in blueberry management will be hazardous to C. auratus, options are available that will cause little harm to this natural enemy.
Does dust result in mite outbreaks in apple orchards?
Authors: Pringle K. L. , Heunis J. M. , de Villiers M. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe effect of dust on phytophagous mite numbers was examined in five apple orchards situated in the dry, inland apple producing Ceres area, South Africa. The study was conducted over three seasons. The season with the most dust had the least number of mites. There was no relationship between the amount of dust on leaves and mite numbers from different orchards. Of the 15 correlations between the amount of dust on individual trees and the number of mites on these trees, two were marginally not significant and one was highly significant, but negative. Therefore, seasons during which there is a lot of dust did not result in mite outbreaks nor did dusty orchards harbour elevated mite population levels, and trees with a lot of dust did not necessarily harbour more mites than trees with less dust. However, if there is enough dust to cause stress to the trees, phytophagous mite outbreaks could occur.
Can cancer registries show whether treatment is contributing to survival increases for melanoma of the skin at a population level?
Authors: Shahnam Adel , Roder David M. , Tracey Elizabeth A. , Neuhaus Susan J. , Brown Michael P. , Sorich Michael J. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractRationale, aims and objectivesIt is uncertain whether survival increases from melanoma recorded by some population registries include a treatment effect. The US Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) programme has good data quality control, large numbers of cases enabling high statistical precision and summary stage plus thickness, which we consider to be a best‐case population registry scenario to investigate potential for a treatment effect. We have investigated SEER data to indicate whether survivals increases are fully attributable to earlier diagnosis and other non‐treatment factors.MethodsThrough relative survival regression, the effects of diagnostic period on 5‐year excess mortality were investigated, adjusting for socio‐demographic factors, lesion sub‐site, histology, thickness and stage at diagnosis in 1990–2009 (n = 99 690 cases).ResultsThe reduction in excess mortality (95% confidence interval) between 1990–1999 and 2000–2009 was 31 (20–41)% for localised melanoma, 18 (12–22)% for regional melanoma and 3 (–5–10)% for melanomas with distant spread. Younger age was predictive of a greater percentage reduction. Treatment benefits are inferred from the higher survivals in 2000–2009 but uncertainty remains due to incomplete data to adjust for non‐treatment factors and a lack of treatment data.ConclusionsRegistries should use new information systems to collect more complete data on stage, other prognostic indicators, co‐morbidities and treatment, to provide more definitive and detailed information on population effects of cancer control.
A comprehensive analysis of dyslipidaemia management in a large health care system
Authors: Khatana Sameed Ahmed Mustafa , Jiang Lan , Wu Wen‐Chih 
Published: October 2013

AbstractRationale, aims and objectivesDyslipidaemia is a cardiovascular risk factor, and national screening and treatment guidelines have been established, but achievement of these remains inadequate. Multidisciplinary approaches, such as the chronic care model, have been applied to other chronic diseases and likely would be applicable to the management of dyslipidaemia. We therefore aimed to comprehensively study the different components of a multidisciplinary management approach to dyslipidaemia in a large health care system for patients at a high risk for cardiovascular events.MethodsAll patients at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the United States over 3 years with diabetes and/or coronary artery disease were included. Various clinical and demographic variables were collected and achievement of national cholesterol goals was determined. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the association of different health care variables with improved patient cholesterol guideline achievement.ResultsThere were 3559 patients in the study population and 51.0% had achieved national cholesterol goals. Multivariate analyses showed that patients who had achieved goals were more likely to have attended cardiology clinic [odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.3–2.01] and nutrition clinic (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.04–1.7) and were more likely to have primary care providers who were nurse practitioners (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.2–2.0), practicing full‐time (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.5–2.1) and at the main hospital‐based clinics (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.3–1.9).ConclusionsOur study identifies different components of a multidisciplinary approach to management of dyslipidaemia that are efficacious and these results may help guide future investment in this area.
Why tuberculosis service providers do not follow treatment guideline in Ethiopia: a qualitative study
Authors: Mala George , Moser Albine , Dinant Geert‐Jan , Spigt Mark 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAimLittle is known about the reasons why tuberculosis (TB) service providers do not follow TB treatment guidelines. A better understanding of their real‐world experiences associated with non‐compliance with guideline may highlight opportunities for enhanced TB care. Whether the problem is actual or perceived may also affect the type of intervention needed to overcome the barrier. This study aimed to explore TB service providers' reasons for not complying with TB treatment guidelines.MethodA descriptive qualitative design was used. Focus group discussions were held with 39 service providers involved in TB care. The study was carried out in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, in four of the six zonal hospitals. Data were analysed using content analysis.ResultsThe main reasons for non‐compliance with TB treatment guidelines were: (1) insufficient diagnostic modalities, limiting the capacity to correctly diagnose TB and provide the right regimen; (2) ambiguity in guideline recommendations especially for specific subgroups of patients, making it difficult to prioritize them to the right regimen; and (3) poor documentation concerning referred patients, with no appropriate examination and difficulty obtaining information from previously treated patients.ConclusionNon‐compliance may reflect valid questions about the applicability of guideline recommendations in the local context of health care. Special consideration should be given to previously treated patients, as an important factor influencing guideline compliance. Guideline compliance may also be improved by a better strategy to retest those patients whose initial tests are negative in health care contexts where TB is frequently missed.
Medical specialists' views on the impact of reducing alcohol consumption on prognosis of, and risk of, hospital admission due to specific medical conditions: results from a Delphi survey
Authors: Mdege Noreen D. , Raistrick Duncan , Johnson Graham 
Published: October 2013

AbstractRationale, aims and objectivesTo find consensus, or lack thereof, on the impact of reducing alcohol consumption on prognosis and the risk of hospital admissions for a number of alcohol‐attributable disorders.MethodsA modified two‐round Delphi survey utilizing web‐based questionnaires to collect quantitative and qualitative data was used. Alcohol treatment experts from cardiology, emergency medicine, gastroenterology and oncology in the United Kingdom were invited to participate. The main outcomes were median impact ratings (on a scale of 1–9) and consensus (unanimous, strong, moderate, weak or no consensus).ResultsOf 192 experts invited to participate, 59 completed first questionnaires. The overall retention rate to the second questionnaires was about 51% (30/59). There was strong support that reducing alcohol consumption could result in improvement in prognosis for gastroenterology and emergency medicine patients; but uncertainty on the benefits for cardiology and oncology patients. Overall, the responses from the expert panel did not reflect the assumption that reducing alcohol consumption would result in benefits on hospital admissions for any of the specialties. The specialists viewed the severity of disorders as important when considering the impact of reducing alcohol consumption.ConclusionsThe highest impact of treatment for problem drinking in hospitals is considered to be for alcohol‐related disorders associated with gastroenterology and emergency medicine. At policy level, if targeted screening for alcohol problems by presenting disease or condition is the strategy of choice, it would be logical to implement screening and easily accessible interventions or addiction specialists within these areas where alcohol treatment is considered as having a high impact.
Tissue distribution of hepatopancreatic parvo‐like virus of shrimp in freshwater rice‐field crab, Paratelphusa hydrodomous (Herbst)
Authors: Madan N , Rajkumar T , Sundar Raj N , Farook M A , Nambi K S N , Abdul Majeed S , Sahul Hameed A S 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAn attempt was made to determine the replication efficiency of hepatopancreatic parvo‐like virus (HPV) of shrimp in different organs of freshwater rice‐field crab Paratelphusa hydrodomous (Herbst) using bioassay, PCR, RT‐PCR, ELISA, Western blot and q‐PCR analyses. Another attempt was made to use this crab as an alternative to penaeid shrimp for the large‐scale production of HPV. This crab was found to be highly susceptible to HPV by intramuscular injection. The systemic HPV infection was confirmed by PCR and Western blot analyses in freshwater crab. The expression of capsid protein gene in different organs of infected crab was revealed by RT‐PCR analysis. Indirect ELISA was used to quantify the capsid protein in different organs of the crab. The copy number of HPV in different organs of the infected crab was quantified by q‐PCR. The results revealed a steady decrease in CT values in different organs of the infected crab during the course of infection. The viral inoculum that was prepared from different organs of the infected crab caused significant mortality in post‐larvae of tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon (Fabricius). The results revealed that this rice‐field crab could be used as an alternative host for HPV replication and also for large‐scale production of HPV.
The flood risk management plan: towards spatial water governance
Authors: Hartmann T. , Driessen P. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe flood risk management plan challenges both water engineers and spatial planners. It calls for a new mode of governance for flood risk management. This contribution analyses how this mode of governance distinguishes from prevalent approaches. Spatial planning and water management in Europe are explored in terms of their actor relation, their institutional context, and their approach to the object. These three characteristics of the modes of governance are compared with the governance requirements that flood risk management demands. It is concluded that the governance of flood risk management in Europe should strike a balance between comprehensive and hierarchical planning on the one hand, and interactive planning on the other hand, leading to a spatial water governance.