bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetic quality and sexual selection: an integrated framework for good genes and compatible genes
Authors: NEFF BRYAN D. , PITCHER TREVOR E. 
Published: January 2005

AbstractWhy are females so choosy when it comes to mating? This question has puzzled and marveled evolutionary and behavioral ecologists for decades. In mating systems in which males provide direct benefits to the female or her offspring, such as food or shelter, the answer seems straightforward — females should prefer to mate with males that are able to provide more resources. The answer is less clear in other mating systems in which males provide no resources (other than sperm) to females. Theoretical models that account for the evolution of mate choice in such nonresource‐based mating systems require that females obtain a genetic benefit through increased offspring fitness from their choice. Empirical studies of nonresource‐based mating systems that are characterized by strong female choice for males with elaborate sexual traits (like the large tail of peacocks) suggest that additive genetic benefits can explain only a small percentage of the variation in fitness. Other research on genetic benefits has examined nonadditive effects as another source of genetic variation in fitness and a potential benefit to female mate choice. In this paper, we review the sexual selection literature on genetic quality to address five objectives. First, we attempt to provide an integrated framework for discussing genetic quality. We propose that the term ‘good gene’ be used exclusively to refer to additive genetic variation in fitness, ‘compatible gene’ be used to refer to nonadditive genetic variation in fitness, and ‘genetic quality’ be defined as the sum of the two effects. Second, we review empirical approaches used to calculate the effect size of genetic quality and discuss these approaches in the context of measuring benefits from good genes, compatible genes and both types of genes. Third, we discuss biological mechanisms for acquiring and promoting offspring genetic quality and categorize these into three stages during breeding: (i) precopulatory (mate choice); (ii) postcopulatory, prefertilization (sperm utilization); and (iii) postcopulatory, postfertilization (differential investment). Fourth, we present a verbal model of the effect of good genes sexual selection and compatible genes sexual selection on population genetic variation in fitness, and discuss the potential trade‐offs that might exist between mate choice for good genes and mate choice for compatible genes. Fifth, we discuss some future directions for research on genetic quality and sexual selection.
Explosive radiation of Cape VerdeConus, a marine species flock
Authors: DUDA THOMAS F. , ROLÁN EMILIO 
Published: January 2005

AbstractNearly 50 species of the marine gastropod genusConusare restricted to the Cape Verde archipelago. This unusual concentration of endemics within a single set of oceanic islands is extremely uncharacteristic of marine taxa. Here we used phylogenetic analyses of 90Conusspecies, including 30 endemics from Cape Verde, to reveal the relationships and origins of the endemic Cape VerdeConus. Results show that these species group in two distinct clades and represent a marine species flock that is restricted to a very narrowly confined geographical area. Species’ originations occurred in exceptionally limited parts of the archipelago and in some cases radiations took place solely within single islands. Finally, comparison of levels of divergence between Cape Verde endemics and otherConusspecies suggests that the radiation ofConusin Cape Verde occurred during the last few million years.
Spatial genetic structure among and within populations of Primula sieboldii growing beside separate streams
Authors: KITAMOTO N. , HONJO M. , UENO S. , TAKENAKA A. , TSUMURA Y. , WASHITANI I. , OHSAWA R. 
Published: January 2005

AbstractWe investigated the hierarchical genetic structure of SSR (simple sequence repeats) and cpDNA (chloroplast DNA) polymorphisms among and within populations of Primula sieboldii, a heterostylous clonal herb. Seven out of eight populations at the study site, located in a mountainous region of Nagano Prefecture, had each developed alongside a different stream, and the other occurred on a flat area 70 m from the nearest stream. The magnitude of genetic differentiation among streamside populations in maternally inherited cpDNA (Φ = 0.341) was much higher than that in biparentally inherited SSRs (Φ = 0.011). This result suggests that seed dispersal among streams was restricted, and pollen was the primary agent of gene flow among streamside populations. In contrast, genetic differentiation among subpopulations within streams were low at both markers (Φ = 0.053 for cpDNA, Φ = 0.025 for SSR). This low differentiation among subpopulations in cpDNA compared with that among streamside populations suggest that seed dispersal occur along the stream probably during flooding. This hypothesis was supported by the fact that in cpDNA haplotypes, no clear genetic structure was detected within the streamside population, while a significant genetic structure was found within 20 m in the nonstreamside population. Furthermore, within the streamside populations, two pairs of ramets with identical multilocus genotypes for eight SSR loci were distantly (> 50 m) distributed along the same streamside, suggesting dispersal of clonal propagule. Our study showed that the heterogeneity of the landscape can influence gene flow and hence spatial genetic structure.
Varying degrees of Apis mellifera ligustica introgression in protected populations of the black honeybee, Apis mellifera mellifera, in northwest Europe
Authors: JENSEN ANNETTE B. , PALMER KELLIE A. , BOOMSMA JACOBUS J. , PEDERSEN BO V. 
Published: January 2005

AbstractThe natural distribution of honeybee subspecies in Europe has been significantly affected by human activities during the last century. Non‐native subspecies of honeybees have been introduced and propagated, so that native black honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera) populations lost their identity by gene‐flow or went extinct. After previous studies investigated the remaining gene‐pools of native honeybees in France and Spain, we here assess the genetic composition of eight northwest European populations of the black honeybee, using both mitochondrial (restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the intergenic transfer RNAleu‐COII region) and nuclear (11 microsatellite loci) markers. Both data sets show that A. m. mellifera populations still exist in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, England, Scotland and Ireland, but that they are threatened by gene flow from commercial honeybees. Both Bayesian admixture analysis of the microsatellite data and DraI‐RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis of the intergenic region indicated that gene‐flow had hardly occurred in some populations, whereas almost 10% introgression was observed in other populations. The most introgressed population was found on the Danish Island of Læsø, which is the last remaining native Danish population of A. m. mellifera and the only one of the eight investigated populations that is protected by law. We discuss how individual admixture analysis can be used to monitor the restoration of honeybee populations that suffer from unwanted hybridization with non‐native subspecies.
Nucleotide variation at the myrosinase‐encoding locus, TGG1, and quantitative myrosinase enzyme activity variation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: STRANGER BARBARA E. , MITCHELL‐OLDS THOMAS 
Published: January 2005

AbstractThe Arabidopsis thaliana TGG1 gene encodes thioglucoside glucohydrolase (myrosinase), an enzyme catalysing the hydrolysis of glucosinolate compounds. The enzyme is involved in plant defence against some insect herbivores, and is present in species of the order Capparales (Brassicales). Nucleotide variation was surveyed by sequencing c. 2.4 kb of the TGG1 locus in a sample of 28 worldwide A. thaliana accessions, and one Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. lyrata individual. Myrosinase activity was quantified for 27 of these same A. thaliana accessions, plus five additional others. Overall, estimated nucleotide diversity in A. thaliana was low compared to other published A. thaliana surveys, and the frequency distribution was skewed toward an excess of low‐frequency variants. Furthermore, comparison to the outgroup species A. lyrata demonstrated that A. thaliana exhibited an excess of high‐frequency derived variants relative to a neutral equilibrium model, suggesting a selective sweep. A. thaliana accessions differed significantly in total myrosinase activity, but analysis of variance detected no statistical evidence for an association between quantitative enzyme activity and alleles at the TGG1 myrosinase‐encoding locus. We thus conclude that other, unsurveyed factors primarily affect the observed myrosinase activity levels in this species. The pattern of nucleotide variation was consistent with a model of positive selection but might also be compatible with a completely neutral model that takes into account the metapopulation behaviour of this highly inbreeding species which experienced a relatively recent worldwide expansion.
Accounting for coalescent stochasticity in testing phylogeographical hypotheses: modelling Pleistocene population structure in the Idaho giant salamanderDicamptodon aterrimus
Authors: CARSTENS B. C. , DEGENHARDT J. D. , STEVENSON A. L. , SULLIVAN J. 
Published: January 2005

AbstractSeveral theoretical studies have demonstrated the importance of accounting for coalescent stochasticity in phylogeographical studies, however, there are few empirical examples that do so in the context of explicit hypothesis testing. Here, we provide an example from the Idaho giant salamander (Dicamptodon aterrimus) using 118 mtDNA sequences, nearly 2 kb in length. This species is endemic to mesic forests in northern and central Idaho, and several a priori hypotheses have been erected based both on palaeoclimatic grounds and from phylogeographical studies of codistributed amphibians. Phylogenetic analysis of theD. aterrimusdata suggests an expansion from a single refugium south of the Salmon River, whereas the inference from nested clade analysis is one of expansion from a single refugium in the Clearwater drainage. Explicit testing of these hypotheses, using geographically structured coalescent simulations to erect null distributions, indicates we can reject expansion from the Clearwater drainage (pCLW = 0.089), but not expansion from the South Fork of the Salmon drainage (pSAL = 0.329). Furthermore, data from codistributed amphibians suggest that there may have been two refugia, and anamovashows that most of the molecular variance partitioned between the Clearwater and the Salmon drainages (54.40%;P < 0.001) and within drainages (43.61%;P < 0.001). As a result, we also tested three a priori hypotheses which predicted that both the Clearwater and Salmon drainages functioned as refugia during the late Pleistocene; we could reject (PCORD = 0.019) divergence dates during the Cordilleran glacial maxima [c.20 000 years before present (ybp)], during the Sangamon interglacial (c.35 000 ybp;pSANG = 0.032), as well as pre‐Pleistocene divergence (c.1.7 Ma;ppP < 0.001). Mismatch distributions and Tajima'sDwithin the individual drainages provide further support to recent population expansion. This work demonstrates coalescent stochasticity is an important phenomenon to consider in testing phylogeographical hypotheses, and suggests that analytical methods which fail to sufficiently quantify this uncertainty can lead to false confidence in the conclusions drawn from these methods.
Using self‐report to identify the broad phenotype in parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders: a study using the Autism‐Spectrum Quotient
Authors: Bishop Dorothy V.M. , Maybery Murray , Maley Alana , Wong Dana , Hill Wayne , Hallmayer Joachim 
Published: January 2005

Background:  The concept of the ‘broad phenotype’ of autism refers to the finding that relatives of people with autism often have mild forms of autistic‐like characteristics, such as social and communicative difficulties. This study used the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a questionnaire devised to assess features of the broad phenotype in adults, with parents of people with autism, to see whether they would be more likely to obtain extreme scores than a control group.Methods:  The AQ was administered to parents of 69 people with an autism spectrum disorder and parents of 52 controls.Results:  On two of the five subscales of the AQ, social skills and communication, parents of people with autism obtained higher scores than control parents. The other three scales, attention to detail, attention switching, and imagination, did not differentiate groups. The correlation between social skills and communication scales was .663. The scales can be combined to give an index of broad phenotype.Conclusions:  The AQ appears to be sensitive to the broad phenotype, provided attention is restricted to the social skills and communication scales.
Can the Children's Communication Checklist differentiate between children with autism, children with ADHD, and normal controls?
Authors: Geurts Hilde M. , Verté Sylvie , Oosterlaan Jaap , Roeyers Herbert , Hartman Catharina A. , Mulder Erik J. , van Berckelaer‐Onnes Ina A. , Sergeant Joseph A. 
Published: January 2005

Background:  The Children's Communication Checklist (CCC; Bishop, 1998) is a questionnaire that was developed to measure pragmatic language use and may be completed by parents and teachers. Two studies are reported, which were designed to investigate: (1) whether children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) encounter pragmatic language problems in comparison with normal controls (NC), (2) whether children with ADHD and children with High Functioning Autism (HFA) can be differentiated using the CCC, (3) the usefulness of the CCC for parents and teachers in a clinical and in a research setting, and (4) the role of age in pragmatic language use in ADHD and HFA.Method:  In the first study (clinical sample) 50 children with ADHD, 50 children with HFA, and 50 NC were compared to each other using the CCC. In the second study (research sample) CCC data was gathered on 23 children with ADHD (without co‐morbid disorders), 42 children with HFA, and 35 NC.Results:  Compared to NC, children with HFA showed pragmatic deficits on all CCC scales. Children with ADHD demonstrated deficits compared to NC as well. Moreover, the ADHD and HFA groups differed from each other on most of the scales. Discriminant analyses showed that CCC scales were relevant for case identification in these samples. Furthermore, profiles of impairment seen in children with HFA and ADHD did not vary with age.Conclusion:  Pragmatic difficulties do occur in both HFA and ADHD. The present studies indicate that the CCC is a useful instrument to obtain information concerning pragmatic language use in both a clinical and a research setting. Although the information of parents is more tightly linked to the diagnosis, combining the information of both parent and teacher slightly improves case identification.
Time trends in adolescent mental health
Authors: Collishaw Stephan , Maughan Barbara , Goodman Robert , Pickles Andrew 
Published: January 2005

Background: Existing evidence points to a substantial rise in psychosocial disorders affecting young people over the past 50 years (Rutter & Smith, 1995). However, there are major methodological challenges in providing conclusive answers about secular changes in disorder. Comparisons of rates of disorder at different time points are often affected by changes in diagnostic criteria, differences in assessment methods, and changes in official reporting practices. Few studies have examined this issue using the same instruments at each time point.Methods: The current study assessed the extent to which conduct, hyperactive and emotional problems have become more common over a 25‐year period in three general population samples of UK adolescents. The samples used in this study were the adolescent sweeps of the National Child Development Study and the 1970 Birth Cohort Study, and the 1999 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey. Comparable questionnaires were completed by parents of 15–16‐year‐olds at each time point (1974, 1986, and 1999).Results and conclusions: Results showed a substantial increase in adolescent conduct problems over the 25‐year study period that has affected males and females, all social classes and all family types. There was also evidence for a recent rise in emotional problems, but mixed evidence in relation to rates of hyperactive behaviour. Further analyses using longitudinal data from the first two cohorts showed that long‐term outcomes for adolescents with conduct problems were closely similar. This provided evidence that observed trends were unaffected by possible changes in reporting thresholds.
The European Union after 9/11: The Demise of a Liberal Democratic Asylum Regime?
Authors: Levy Carl 
Published: January 2005

AbstractThis article examines the domestic and international pressures since 11 September 2001 on the liberal democratic asylum regime practised within the European Union. It looks at three areas of confrontation. The pressures exerted upon national governments by anti-immigrant and anti-asylum seeker/refugee far right populist parties. It examines the attempts by the European Union and its member states to arrive at a Common European Asylum System in light of policy developments over the past 20 years, and places these long-standing processes within the events of 11 September 2001. It discusses whether or not the liberal democratic tradition of asylum embodied in the Geneva Convention of 1951 been sacrificed to the dual pressures of the electoral victories of the far right in Europe and a new form of terrorism that threatens European societies.
Can Presidentialism Work Like Parliamentarism?
Authors: Colomer Josep M. , Negretto Gabriel L. 
Published: January 2005

AbstractInter-institutional cooperation between the congress and the presidency may be the best way to promote good governance in a regime of separation of powers. In order to evaluate the performance of different political institutions, especially the different frameworks associated with ‘presidentialism’ and ‘parliamentarism’, we adopt the criterion that policy outcomes coinciding with the median voter's preference can produce the highest satisfaction or social utility. From this perspective, proportional representation in congress can be very appropriate since it tends to establish a close correspondence between the median party's and the median voter's preferences. Likewise, cooperation – rather than conflict or mutual checks – between the median party in congress and the presidency for both legislative decisions and cabinet formation can favour socially efficient outcomes. A survey of some recent institutional reforms in democratic presidential regimes in Latin America shows that ‘parliamentarization’ of presidentialism is gaining acceptance, although intermediate formulae may be more conflictual than a global, more coherent institutional reform.
Detection of AirborneStachybotrys chartarumMacrocyclic Trichothecene Mycotoxins on Particulates Smaller than Conidia
Authors: Brasel T. L. , Douglas D. R. , Wilson S. C. , Straus D. C. 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACTHighly respirable particles (diameter, <1 μm) constitute the majority of particulate matter found in indoor air. It is hypothesized that these particles serve as carriers for toxic compounds, specifically the compounds produced by molds in water-damaged buildings. The presence of airborneStachybotrys chartarumtrichothecene mycotoxins on particles smaller than conidia (e.g., fungal fragments) was therefore investigated. Cellulose ceiling tiles with confluentStachybotrysgrowth were placed in gas-drying containers through which filtered air was passed. Exiting particulates were collected by using a series of polycarbonate membrane filters with decreasing pore sizes. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to determine the presence of conidia on the filters. A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for macrocyclic trichothecenes was used to analyze filter extracts. Cross-reactivity to various mycotoxins was examined to confirm the specificity. Statistically significant (P< 0.05) ELISA binding was observed primarily for macrocyclic trichothecenes at concentrations of 50 and 5 ng/ml and 500 pg/ml (58.4 to 83.5% inhibition). Of the remaining toxins tested, only verrucarol and diacetylverrucarol (nonmacrocyclic trichothecenes) demonstrated significant binding (18.2 and 51.7% inhibition, respectively) and then only at high concentrations. The results showed that extracts from conidium-free filters demonstrated statistically significant (P< 0.05) antibody binding that increased with sampling time (38.4 to 71.9% inhibition, representing a range of 0.5 to 4.0 ng/ml). High-performance liquid chromatography analysis suggested the presence of satratoxin H in conidium-free filter extracts. These data show thatS. chartarumtrichothecene mycotoxins can become airborne in association with intact conidia or smaller particles. These findings may have important implications for indoor air quality assessment.
Seasonal Change in Bacterial Flora and Biomass in Mountain Snow from the Tateyama Mountains, Japan, Analyzed by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing and Real-Time PCR
Authors: Segawa Takahiro , Miyamoto Koji , Ushida Kazunari , Agata Kiyokazu , Okada Norihiro , Kohshima Shiro 
Published: January 2005

ABSTRACT

The bacterial flora and biomass in mountain snow from the Tateyama Mountains, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, one of the heaviest snowfall regions in the world, were analyzed by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis followed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and DNA quantification by real-time PCR. Samples of surface snow collected in various months during the melting season contained a psychrophilic bacterium,
Cryobacterium psychrophilum
, and two psychrotrophic bacteria,
Variovorax paradoxus
and
Janthinobacterium lividum
. Bacterial colonies that developed in an in situ meltwater medium at 4°C were revealed to be
V. paradoxus
. The biomasses of
C. psychrophilum
,
J. lividum
, and
V. paradoxus
, as estimated by real-time PCR, showed large increases during the melting season from March to October (2.0 × 10
5
-fold, 1.5 × 10
5
-fold, and 1.0 × 10
4
-fold increases, respectively), suggesting their rapid growth in the surface snow. The biomasses of
C. psychrophilum
and
J. lividum
increased significantly from March to April, reached a maximum in August, and dropped at the end of the melting season. In contrast, the biomass of
V. paradoxus
did not increase as rapidly during the early melting season but continued to increase from June until October. The differences in development observed among these bacterial species suggest that their growth was promoted by different nutrients and/or environmental conditions in the snow. Since these three types of bacteria have also been reported to be present in a glacier in Antarctica and a Greenland ice core, they seem to be specialized members of the snow biota that are distributed in snow and ice environments in various parts of the world.