bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distribution, prevalence and host associations of Hymenoptera parasitic on Calliphoridae occurring in flystrike in New Zealand
Authors: BISHOP D. M. , HEATH A. C. G. , HAACK N. A. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. Between 1920 and 1930, four species of parasitoid Hymenoptera (Tachinaephagus zealandicus, Alysia manducator, Nasonia vitripennisand Brachymeria ucalegon)were imported to New Zealand as an aid in the control of the blowflies causing myiasis in sheep (flystrike). Their long‐term effects have never been investigated and the extent to which they were successful in establishing and enlarging their ranges has been given scant regard over the last 60 years. A long‐term epidemiological study of flystrike in New Zealand between 1986 and 1996 obtained 4061 samples of blowfly larvae from flystruck sheep and carrion and overall 1.1% of these larval samples (most from the North Island) were found to be parasitized. Tachinaephagus zealandicusand A. manducatorwere present in field strikes, together with the endemic Aphaereta aotearecently found to be a parasite of calliphorids. The endemic species Phaenocarpa antipodawas found in association with carrion but not flystrike. Neither N.vitripennisnor B.ucalegonwere isolated from larvae in field strikes, the former because it parasitizes only pupae and the latter may be extinct as it has not been sighted since its introduction in 1919.It is concluded that if parasitoid wasps are able to locate and parasitize blowfly larvae on struck sheep, then their parasitism rate on more accessible larvae on carcases may be correspondingly greater. For this reason their scope for use in integrated management of flystrike could be increased by culturing and field release.
Behaviour of Anopheles albimanus in relation to pyrethroid‐treated bednets
Authors: ARREDONDO‐JIMÉNEZ JUAN I. , RODRIGUEZ MARIO H. , LOYOLA ENRIQUE G. , BOWN DAVID N. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract. Responses of the malaria vector Anopheles albimanus to pyrethroid impregnated bednets made of cotton or nylon, compared with untreated nets, were investigated in houses occupied by two people inside and/or outside two bednets, in coastal Chiapas, México. The pyrethroid used was lambdacyhalothrin 30mga.i./m2. Bioassay mortality rates of An.albimanus exposed to treated nets for 3 or 15min, rose from 40–55% to 90–100% for nylon nets 3–19 weeks post‐treatment, but were consistently lower for treated cotton nets. An.albimanus females (collected unfed on human bait) were released in houses surrounded by curtains for trapping mosquitoes that exited from the house. Floor sheets were used in and around each experimental house for retrieving any mosquitoes knocked‐down and/or killed. During post‐treatment assessment for 17 weeks, An.albimanus blood‐feeding success rates were 23–24% with untreated nets, 14–18% with treated cotton nets and 8–15% with treated nylon nets, significantly reduced when both human baits were inside the treated bednets, but not when one or more baits were outside the treated bednet(s) within the house.Proportions of mosquitoes leaving houses <3 h post‐release were 53–59% from houses with untreated bednets versus 65–78% with treated bednets. Except in one case (when both humans were outside treated cotton nets), these increased early exit rates were significant, whether or not the human baits were inside the treated bednets indoors. Mortality rates of An.albimanus females exiting overnight (22.00–06.00 hours) averaged 15–39% from houses with treated cotton and 16–46% with treated nylon nets, very significantly greater than the control mean rates of 6–8% mortality with untreated nets.Observations on wild‐caught An. albimanus females marked with fluorescent powder and released indoors revealed that few mosquitoes (3–11 %) actually contacted the bednets unless both human baits remained under them ‐ when contact rates were 22% on treated nylon, 23% on treated cotton and 42% on untreated nets (P= 0.05). The mean resting time was significantly longer on untreated (14.4min) than on treated nylon (5.8min) or cotton (9.5 min) bednets, whereas mean resting times on other surfaces indoors were 16.5–19.8min. Proportions exiting within 2h of release were significantly more from houses with treated houses (33–35%) than with untreated nets (8%). However, mortality rates of mosquitoes that landed on treated nets were very significantly greater (90–100%) than after landing on untreated nets (10%). Thus, despite some excito‐repellency, lambdacyhalothrin‐impregnated bednets (especially made of nylon) proved to be effective as an alternative to house‐spraying against An.albimanus.
Use of rDNA‐PCR to investigate the ecological distribution of Anopheles bwambae in relation to other members of the An.gambiae complex of mosquitoes in Bwamba County, Uganda
Authors: HARBACH RALPH E. , TOWNSON HAROLD , MUKWAYA LOUIS G. , ADENIRAN TARA 
Published: March 2008

Abstract Environmental relationships were investigated among three species of the Anopheles gambiae complex of mosquitoes associated with the geothermal springs located in Bwamba County, Uganda. The degree of ecological isolation between An.gambiae and An. bwambae, a sibling species known only from the geothermal springs environment, was assessed on the basis of adult distribution and abundance as well as differences in larval habitats. Field data were gathered during June 1995 without knowing which of the species were being collected. Specimens identified subsequently by rDNA‐PCR were used to interpret the ecological data. Ten of twenty aquatic sites sampled were found positive for immature stages of the An.gambiae complex.Larvae of An.bwambae were associated with ‘springwater’ habitats having much higher conductivity, much greater concentrations of dissolved solids and slightly higher temperature and pH than ‘normal’ fresh water sites inhabited by larvae of An.gambiae. Larval habitats of both species were unshaded: An.bwambae occurred among dense sedge (Cyperus laevigatus) whereas those of An.gambiae were almost devoid of vegetation. One mixed sample showed that larvae of both species occur together in peripheral aquatic sites with intermediate physical and ecological characteristics.In water preference tests, free‐flying females were reluctant to lay eggs on bowls of water in cages; gravid females (with one wing amputated) placed on the surface of water in a cup laid eggs on seasoned rainwater (12/51 An.bwambae; 2/3 An.gambiae) as well as spring‐water (39/51 An.bwambae; 1/3 An.gambiae). All three An.gambiae oviposited on the first water option, whereas 86% of An. bwambae witheld oviposition until being moved to the other type of water after 5–6 h, and 82% (36/44) of these laid eggs on geothermal water in preference to rainwater.Larval and adult collections showed that An.gambiae occurs sympatrically with An.bwambae throughout its range in the humid foothill environment of the geothermal springs, whereas the distribution of An.arabiensis overlaps only slightly with An.bwambae towards the savanna environment north of the springs.
Reproductive success by large, closely related males facilitated by sperm storage in an aggregate breeding amphibian
Authors: CHANDLER C. H. , ZAMUDIO K. R. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe outcome of sexual selection on males may depend on female mate choice and male–male competition as well as postcopulatory processes such as cryptic female choice and sperm competition. We studied the outcome of sexual selection in the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum), specifically examining the role of body size and relatedness on male reproductive success. Using controlled mating experiments in the field, we gave females access to three males of different sizes. We used seven microsatellite loci to determine paternity in the resulting larvae, estimate relatedness (r) between females and their mates, and calculate md2 (a measure of within‐individual genomic divergence), heterozygosity, and standardized heterozygosity in the larvae. Both body size and relatedness to the female were significant predictors of male reproductive success. The relatedness of the males available to a female did not influence the amount of stored sperm she used to sire her larvae. Nonetheless, computer simulations showed that the average md2, heterozygosity, and standardized heterozygosity of the offspring were lower than expected by random mating. These differences are due to the use of stored sperm to fertilize some eggs; md2, heterozygosity, and standardized heterozygosity of larvae sired by stored sperm were significantly lower than those of larvae sired by the experimental males. These results suggest that relatedness may further influence a male's long‐term reproductive success by determining whether his sperm is stored for later breeding seasons. Sexual selection in this salamander likely involves a complex interaction among many factors and may act over many seasons.
The seabird paradox: dispersal, genetic structure and population dynamics in a highly mobile, but philopatric albatross species
Authors: MILOT EMMANUEL , WEIMERSKIRCH HENRI , BERNATCHEZ LOUIS 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe philopatric behaviour of albatrosses has intrigued biologists due to the high mobility of these seabirds. It is unknown how albatrosses maintain a system of fragmented populations without frequent dispersal movements, in spite of the long‐term temporal heterogeneity in resource distribution at sea. We used both genetic (amplified fragment length polymorphism) and capture–mark–recapture (CMR) data to identify explicitly which among several models of population dynamics best applies to the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) and to test for migration–drift equilibrium. We previously documented an extremely low genetic diversity in this species. Here, we show that populations exhibit little genetic differentiation across the species’ range (ΘB < 0.05, where ΘBis anFSTanalogue). Furthermore, there was no evidence of hierarchical structure or isolation‐by‐distance. Wright'sFSTbetween pairs of colonies were low in general and the pattern was consistent with a nonequilibrium genetic model. In contrast, CMR data collected over the last decades indicated that about one bird per cohort has dispersed among islands. Overall,FSTvalues were not indicative of contemporary dispersal as inferred from CMR data. Moreover, all genotypes grouped together in a cluster analysis, indicating that current colonies may have derived from one ancestral source that had a low genetic diversity. A metapopulation dynamics model including a recent (postglacial) colonization of several islands seems consistent with both the very low levels of genetic diversity and structure within the wandering albatross. Yet, our data suggest that several other factors including ongoing gene flow, recurrent long‐distance dispersal and source‐sink dynamics have contributed to different extent in shaping the genetic signature observed in this species. Our results show that an absence of genetic structuring may in itself reveal little about the true population dynamics in seabirds, but can provide insights into important processes when a comparison with other information, such as demographic data, is possible.
A tale of two worlds: molecular ecology and population structure of the threatened Florida scrub‐jay
Authors: KOENIG WALTER D. , WALTERS ERIC L. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractElsewhere in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Coulon et al. provide a detailed analysis of population structure of the threatened Florida scrub‐jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) using genetic markers and compare it to that inferred from previous demographic surveys and observed dispersal behaviour in this species. In contrast to previous attempts at such comparisons, estimates from the two methods are reasonably congruent. Although challenges remain, Coulon et al.'s analyses demonstrate the potential for closing the gap between these alternative methodologies, and ultimately for future genetic surveys to be used confidently in conservation planning.
What can transgenic parasites tell us about the development of Plasmodium‐specific immune responses?
Authors: THOMPSON J. , MILLINGTON O.R. , GARSIDE P. , BREWER J.M. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARY Malaria infects 500 million people and kills an estimated 2·7 million annually, representing one of the most significant diseases in the world. However, efforts to develop effective vaccines have met with limited success. One reason is our lack of basic knowledge of how and where the immune system responds to parasite antigens. This is important as the early events during induction of an immune response influence the acquisition of effector function and development of memory responses. Our knowledge of the interactions of Plasmodia with the host immune system has largely been derived through in vitro study. This is a significant issue as the component parts of the immune system do not work in isolation and their interactions occur in distinct and specialized micro‐ and macro‐anatomical locations that can only be assessed in the physiological context, in vivo. In this context, the availability of transgenic malaria parasites over the last 10 years has greatly enhanced our ability to understand and evaluate factors involved in host–parasite interactions in vivo. In this article, we review the current status of this area and speculate on what parasite transgenesis approaches will tell us about the development of Plasmodium‐specific immune responses in the future.
Advances in the use of genetically engineered parasites to study immunity to Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: DZIERSZINSKI F. S. , HUNTER C. A. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARY Studying in vivo biology and the host immune response to Toxoplasma gondii has yielded many insights into the pathogenesis of this parasitic organism. It is recognized that this infection in immune competent hosts elicits a strong Th1‐type response, which is characterized by the generation of parasite‐specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that produce IFN‐γ and provide protective immunity. One of the problems associated with studying resistance to Toxoplasma has been the lack of reagents to track parasite‐specific T cell responses with a high degree of specificity. To overcome this difficulty, it is possible to use a combination of transgenic parasites that are engineered to express well‐characterized heterologous reporters or antigens, and T cell hybridomas or naïve T cells that express a T cell receptor specific for the processed peptide. These approaches have provided new insights into parasite dissemination, antigen presDelivered as OEentation, as well as immune regulation.
The AAE14 gene encodes the Arabidopsis o‐succinylbenzoyl‐CoA ligase that is essential for phylloquinone synthesis and photosystem‐I function
Authors: Kim Hyun Uk , Oostende Chloë van , Basset Gilles J.C. , Browse John 
Published: March 2008

SummaryPhylloquinone is the one‐electron carrier at the A1 site of photosystem I, and is essential for photosynthesis. Arabidopsis mutants deficient in early steps of phylloquinone synthesis do not become autotrophic and are seedling lethals, even when grown on sucrose‐supplemented media. Here, we identify acyl‐activating enzyme 14 (AAE14, At1g30520) as the o‐succinylbenzoyl‐coenzyme A (OSB‐CoA) ligase acting in phylloquinone synthesis. Three aae14 mutant alleles, identified by reverse genetics, were found to be seedling lethal, to contain no detectable phylloquinone (< 0.1 pmol mg−1 fresh weight) compared with 10 pmol mg−1 fresh weight in wild‐type leaves, and to accumulate OSB. AAE14 was able to restore menaquinone biosynthesis when expressed in an Escherichia coli mutant disrupted in the menE gene that encodes the bacterial OSB‐CoA ligase. Weak expression of an AAE14 transgene in mutant plants (controlled by the uninduced XVE promoter) resulted in chlorotic, slow‐growing plants that accumulated an average of 4.7 pmol mg−1 fresh weight of phylloquinone. Inducing the XVE promoter in these plants, or expressing an AAE14 transgene under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter, led to full complementation of the mutant phenotype. aae14‐mutant plants were also able to synthesize phylloquinone when provided with 1,4‐dihydroxy‐2‐naphthoate, an intermediate in phylloquinone synthesis downstream of the OSB‐CoA ligase reaction. Expression of an AAE14:GFP reporter construct indicated that the protein accumulated in discrete foci within the chloroplasts. This and other evidence suggests that the enzymes of phylloquinone synthesis from isochorismate may form a complex in the chloroplast stroma to facilitate the efficient channeling of intermediates through the pathway.
Diagnostic Evaluation of Fat to Protein Ratio in Prolonged Calving to Conception Interval Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Analyses
Authors: Podpečan O , Mrkun J , Zrimšek P 
Published: March 2008

ContentsEvaluation of fat to protein ratio (FPR) in milk was performed for the prediction of calving to conception interval (CC) in dairy cows. Reproduction parameters of 51 high yielding dairy cows were calculated from farm recording data and milk data record from a regular dairy control. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between reproductive parameters of the herd and the milk data record. In the time interval of 75–90 days postpartum the highest correlation was found between FPR and CC (r = 0.414, p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the FPR to distinguish between cows with different CC. The optimal cut‐off value at FPR of 1.34 provided the best discrimination power according to CC of 120 days. FPR at 1.44 enabled us 91.7% correct identification of cows with CC above 140 days, where the highest area under the ROC curve of 0.759 and likelihood ratio of 7.2 were observed. FPR ≤1.19 was 2.86 times as likely to be found in cows with CC below as in cows with CC above 90 days. The FPR has been shown to be of benefit in the prediction of reproductive efficiency in dairy herds.
Calcineurin inhibitors and post‐transplant weight gain
Authors: ERSOY ALPASLAN , BARAN BULENT , ERSOY CANAN , KAHVECIOGLU SERDAR , AKDAG IBRAHIM 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARY:Aim:  Excessive weight gain that leads to obesity is quite common after kidney transplantation. This is often attributed to immunosuppression. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the effect of calcineurin inhibitors on post‐transplant weight gain.Methods:  A total of 99 patients were studied. The patients were divided into cyclosporine A (CyA) and tacrolimus (Tac) groups and were evaluated for weight changes and risk factors related to weight gain.Results:  The weights of patients in both groups significantly increased after the sixth month. The median weight gain at 12 months was 3.5 and 8.0 kg compared with pretransplant dry weight in the Tac and CyA groups, respectively. The increases in the CyA group were significant compared with those of the Tac group. The prevalences of obese and overweight patients in both groups did not differ during a 12‐month follow‐up. The frequencies of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia were comparable in both groups. The decrease in systolic blood pressure (BP) of the Tac group was significant compared with the decrease in the CyA group at the 12th month. In the 12‐month follow‐up period, the increases in triglyceride, total‐ and low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol values of the CyA group were significantly higher than those of the Tac group. The weight change between 0 and 12 months was negatively correlated with pretransplant body mass index (BMI) and positively with cumulative corticosteroid doses, total‐cholesterol and BP changes.Conclusion:  Only pretransplant BMI, creatinine clearance, CyA usage, being hypertensive and dysplipidemic were independent predictors of weight gain at the 12th month. Our results suggested that the type of immunosuppression may affect post‐transplant weight gain.
Anaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease: Management with epoetin beta in primary care setting in New Zealand
Authors: MADHAN KRISHAN K , CHAMBERLAIN MICHELLE , ANDERSON ELIZABETH 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARY:Aim:  Anaemia is a major complication of advancing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is amenable to treatment with epoetin. In order to manage the large number of CKD patients, it is essential that much of the care take place in primary care practices.Methods:  We describe a programme to treat anaemia with epoetin beta (EPO), using a simple referral and management protocol, by general practitioners remotely supported by a nephrologist and nurse coordinator team.Results:  Data for 79 patients treated between May 2005 and May 2007 was analysed. Patients were treated with stepwise alterations of EPO dose, beginning with 4000 units/week, and were followed up for a mean of 11 months (range 3–25). The mean age was 73 years and 91% were of Caucasian origin. Sixty‐seven per cent had stage 4 CKD and 27% were at stage 3. Mean haemoglobin increased from 92.9 (standard deviation (SD) 7.1) to 118.5 (SD 11.7) g/L (P < 0.01). More than 75% achieved Hb of 110 g/L or more by the fifth month of therapy. Mean starting dose of EPO was 58.8 (SD 25.0) and increased to 79.9 (SD 55.6) units/kg/week (P < 0.01). Mean serum ferritin decreased (P = 0.05), but transferrin saturation was not significantly altered. Estimated glomerular filtration rate remained stable. There was non‐significant elevation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure during treatment.Conclusion:  The study demonstrates that treatment of anaemia with EPO can be successfully accomplished in primary care setting by general practitioners without the need for many patients to attend a nephrology clinic.
NARROW BAND IMAGING IN THE DETECTION OF COLORECTAL POLYP: KOREAN EXPERIENCE
Authors: Byeon Jeong‐Sik , Kim Joo Sung , Lee Chang Kyun , Park Jae Myung , Chang Dong Kyung , Kim Young Bae , Kim Yong Sik , Lee Yong Chan , Jee Sam‐Ryong , Choi Kyu Yong 
Published: March 2008

Background:  Although white light (WL) colonoscopy is a gold standard to detect colorectal polyps, substantial polyps are missed. Narrow band imaging (NBI) is a new technology that enables a more detailed visualization of the mucosal surface. The aim of the present study was to determine whether NBI can improve the detection of colorectal polyps.Methods:  We prospectively enrolled 188 (M : F = 99:89, 21–80 years) subjects undergoing colonoscopy as a screening procedure in nine referral centers. After a careful WL examination of the whole colorectum, rectosigmoid colon (0–30 cm from the anal verge) was reobserved by NBI. Size, macroscopic morphology, and the histology of all the polyps detected during WL and NBI examination were analyzed.Results:  WL examination detected 162 polyps in 188 subjects, of which 106 lesions were neoplastic, while NBI of rectosigmoid colon detected an additional 61 polyps of which eight lesions were neoplastic. Only 10 (6.2%) of 162 polyps discovered during WL examination were flat polyps compared to 10 (16.4%) of 61 newly detected polyps during NBI being flat type (P = 0.002). The mean polyp size detected by NBI was smaller than that found by WL colonoscopy (2.8 ± 1.0 mm vs 6.5 ± 4.5 mm, P < 0.001).Conclusion:  Many additional colorectal polyps, especially flat type, could be detected by NBI examination for normal‐looking rectosigmoid mucosa. The role of NBI in colorectal neoplasm screening needs to be further investigated in future studies.