The conservation status of the world’s reptiles

Effective and targeted conservation action requires detailed information about species, their distribution, systematics and ecology as well as the distribution of threat processes which affect them. Knowledge of reptilian diversity remains surprisingly disparate, and innovative means of gaining rapid insight into the status of reptiles are needed in order to highlight urgent conservation cases and inform environmental policy with appropriate biodiversity information in a timely manner. We present the first ever global analysis of extinction risk in reptiles, based on a random representative sample of 1500 species (16% of all currently known species). To our knowledge, our results provide the first analysis of the global conservation status and distribution patterns of reptiles and the threats affecting them, highlighting conservation priorities and knowledge gaps which need to be addressed urgently to ensure the continued survival of the world’s reptiles. Nearly one in five reptilian species are threatened with extinction, with another one in five species classed as Data Deficient. The proportion of threatened reptile species is highest in freshwater environments, tropical regions and on oceanic islands, while data deficiency was highest in tropical areas, such as Central Africa and Southeast Asia, and among fossorial reptiles. Our results emphasise the need for research attention to be focussed on tropical areas which are experiencing the most dramatic rates of habitat loss, on fossorial reptiles for which there is a chronic lack of data, and on certain taxa such as snakes for which extinction risk may currently be underestimated due to lack of population information. Conservation actions specifically need to mitigate the effects of human-induced habitat loss and harvesting, which are the predominant threats to reptiles.

Quality of life after early enteral feeding versus standard care for proven or suspected advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: Results from a randomised trial

Background Malnutrition is common in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and is associated with impaired quality of life (QoL), longer hospital stay and higher risk of treatment-related adverse events. This phase III multi-centre randomised clinical trial tested early enteral feeding versus standard care on postoperative QoL. Methods From 2009 to 2013, 109 patients requiring surgery for suspected advanced EOC, moderately to severely malnourished were enrolled at five sites across Queensland and randomised to intervention (n = 53) or control (n = 56) groups. Intervention involved intraoperative nasojejunal tube placement and enteral feeding until adequate oral intake could be maintained. Despite being randomised to intervention, 20 patients did not receive feeds (13 did not receive the feeding tube; 7 had it removed early). Control involved postoperative diet as tolerated. QoL was measured at baseline, 6 weeks postoperatively and 30 days after the third cycle of chemotherapy. The primary outcome measure was the difference in QoL between the intervention and the control group. Secondary endpoints included treatment-related adverse event occurrence, length of stay, postoperative services use, and nutritional status. Results Baseline characteristics were comparable between treatment groups. No significant difference in QoL was found between the groups at any time point. There was a trend towards better nutritional status in patients who received the intervention but the differences did not reach statistical significance except for the intention-to-treat analysis at 7 days postoperatively (11.8 intervention vs. 13.8 control, p 0.04). Conclusion Early enteral feeding did not significantly improve patients' QoL compared to standard of care but may improve nutritional status.

Growth requirements of some fungi causing maduromycosis

Three strains ofMadurella mycetomi, two ofM. grisea, and two ofRhinocladiella mansonii have been studied for ossible differences in growth requirements which might be used for distinguishing these species. Under the experimental conditions, an incubation temperature of 37C suitedM. mycetomi about as well as 30C.R. mansonii grew less well at 37C than at 30C, andM. grisea did not grow at the higher temperature. M. grisea andR. mansonii further differed fromM. mycetomi in that they required thiamine for growth. The pH tolerance of all the strains was very wide. Asparagine and potassium nitrate were readily utilized by all the strains, but ammonium salts were not. Urea was poorly used byM. mycetomi; the other species did not use it. A possible relationship ofM. grisea andR. mansonii is discusse

Pathogenic variation of Alternaria species associated with leaf blotch and fruit spot of apple in Australia

Four Alternaria species groups (A. longipes, A. arborescens, A. alternata/A. tenuissima and A. tenuissima/A. mali) are associated with leaf blotch and fruit spot of apple in Australia. There is no information on the variability of pathogenicity among the species and isolates within each species causing leaf blotch or fruit spot. We used a detached leaf assay and an in planta fruit inoculation assay to determine the pathogenicity and virulence of the four Alternaria species. Our results showed that isolates within the same species were not specific to either leaf or fruit tissue and showed great variability in pathogenicity and virulence, indicating cross-pathogenicity, which may be isolate dependent rather than species dependent. Generally, virulence of A. tenuissima and A. alternata isolates on leaf and fruit was higher than other species. Isolates of all species groups were pathogenic on leaves of different cultivars, but pathogenicity on fruit of different cultivars varied among isolates and species. Implications of our findings on prevalence of the diseases in different apple-producing regions in Australia and the development of targeted disease management of the diseases are discussed

Development of a Multiplexed Bead-Based Suspension Array for the Detection and Discrimination of Pospiviroid Plant Pathogens

Efficient and reliable diagnostic tools for the routine indexing and certification of clean propagating material are essential for the management of pospiviroid diseases in horticultural crops. This study describes the development of a true multiplexed diagnostic method for the detection and identification of all nine currently recognized pospiviroid species in one assay using Luminex bead-based suspension array technology. In addition, a new data-driven, statistical method is presented for establishing thresholds for positivity for individual assays within multiplexed arrays. When applied to the multiplexed array data generated in this study, the new method was shown to have better control of false positives and false negative results than two other commonly used approaches for setting thresholds. The 11-plex Luminex MagPlex-TAG pospiviroid array described here has a unique hierarchical assay design, incorporating a near-universal assay in addition to nine species-specific assays, and a co-amplified plant internal control assay for quality assurance purposes. All assays of the multiplexed array were shown to be 100% specific, sensitive and reproducible. The multiplexed array described herein is robust, easy to use, displays unambiguous results and has strong potential for use in routine pospiviroid indexing to improve disease management strategies.

Identification of IDUA and WNT16 phosphorylation-related non-synonymous polymorphisms for bone mineral density in meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies

Protein phosphorylation regulates a wide variety of cellular processes. Thus, we hypothesize that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may modulate protein phosphorylation could affect osteoporosis risk. Based on a previous conventional genome-wide association (GWA) study, we conducted a three-stage meta-analysis targeting phosphorylation-related SNPs (phosSNPs) for femoral neck (FN)-bone mineral density (BMD), total hip (HIP)-BMD, and lumbar spine (LS)-BMD phenotypes. In stage 1, 9593 phosSNPs were meta-analyzed in 11,140 individuals of various ancestries. Genome-wide significance (GWS) and suggestive significance were defined by α = 5.21 × 10–6 (0.05/9593) and 1.00 × 10–4, respectively. In stage 2, nine stage 1–discovered phosSNPs (based on α = 1.00 × 10–4) were in silico meta-analyzed in Dutch, Korean, and Australian cohorts. In stage 3, four phosSNPs that replicated in stage 2 (based on α = 5.56 × 10–3, 0.05/9) were de novo genotyped in two independent cohorts. IDUA rs3755955 and rs6831280, and WNT16 rs2707466 were associated with BMD phenotypes in each respective stage, and in three stages combined, achieving GWS for both FN-BMD (p = 8.36 × 10–10, p = 5.26 × 10–10, and p = 3.01 × 10–10, respectively) and HIP-BMD (p = 3.26 × 10–6, p = 1.97 × 10–6, and p = 1.63 × 10–12, respectively). Although in vitro studies demonstrated no differences in expressions of wild-type and mutant forms of IDUA and WNT16B proteins, in silico analyses predicts that WNT16 rs2707466 directly abolishes a phosphorylation site, which could cause a deleterious effect on WNT16 protein, and that IDUA phosSNPs rs3755955 and rs6831280 could exert indirect effects on nearby phosphorylation sites. Further studies will be required to determine the detailed and specific molecular effects of these BMD-associated non-synonymous variants. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Identification of a novel FGFRL1 MicroRNA target site polymorphism for bone mineral density in meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical post-transcriptional regulators. Based on a previous genome-wide association (GWA) scan, we conducted a polymorphism in microRNAs' Target Sites (poly-miRTS)-centric multistage meta-analysis for lumbar spine (LS)-, total hip (HIP)-, and femoral neck (FN)-bone mineral density (BMD). In stage I, 41,102 poly-miRTSs were meta-analyzed in 7 cohorts with a genome-wide significance (GWS) α=0.05/41,102=1.22×10-6. By applying α=5×10-5 (suggestive significance), 11 poly-miRTSs were selected, with FGFRL1 rs4647940 and PRR5 rs3213550 as top signals for FN-BMD (P-value=7.67×10-6 and 1.58×10-5) in gender-combined sample. In stage II in silico replication (two cohorts), FGFRL1 rs4647940 was the only signal marginally replicated for FN-BMD (P-value=5.08×10-3) at α=0.10/11=9.09×10-3. PRR5 rs3213550 was also selected based on biological significance. In stage III de novo genotyping replication (two cohorts), FGFRL1 rs4647940 was the only signal significantly replicated for FN-BMD (P-value=7.55×10-6) at α=0.05/2=0.025 in gender-combined sample. Aggregating three stages, FGFRL1 rs4647940 was the single stage I-discovered and stages II- and III-replicated signal attaining GWS for FN-BMD (P-value=8.87×10-12). Dual-luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that FGFRL1 3' untranslated region harboring rs4647940 appears to be hsa-miR-140-5p's target site. In a zebrafish microinjection experiment, dre-miR-140-5p is shown to exert a dramatic impact on craniofacial skeleton formation. Taken together, we provided functional evidence for a novel FGFRL1 poly-miRTS rs4647940 in a previously known 4p16.3 locus, and experimental and clinical genetics studies have shown both FGFRL1 and hsa-miR-140-5p are important for bone formation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Elevated CDCP1 predicts poor patient outcome and mediates ovarian clear cell carcinoma by promoting tumor spheroid formation, cell migration and chemoresistance

Hematogenous metastases are rarely present at diagnosis of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCC). Instead dissemination of these tumors is characteristically via direct extension of the primary tumor into nearby organs and the spread of exfoliated tumor cells throughout the peritoneum, initially via the peritoneal fluid, and later via ascites that accumulates as a result of disruption of the lymphatic system. The molecular mechanisms orchestrating these processes are uncertain. In particular, the signaling pathways used by malignant cells to survive the stresses of anchorage-free growth in peritoneal fluid and ascites, and to colonize remote sites, are poorly defined. We demonstrate that the transmembrane glycoprotein CUB-domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) has important and inhibitable roles in these processes. In vitro assays indicate that CDCP1 mediates formation and survival of OCC spheroids, as well as cell migration and chemoresistance. Disruption of CDCP1 via silencing and antibody-mediated inhibition markedly reduce the ability of TOV21G OCC cells to form intraperitoneal tumors and induce accumulation of ascites in mice. Mechanistically our data suggest that CDCP1 effects are mediated via a novel mechanism of protein kinase B (Akt) activation. Immunohistochemical analysis also suggested that CDCP1 is functionally important in OCC, with its expression elevated in 90% of 198 OCC tumors and increased CDCP1 expression correlating with poor patient disease-free and overall survival. This analysis also showed that CDCP1 is largely restricted to the surface of malignant cells where it is accessible to therapeutic antibodies. Importantly, antibody-mediated blockade of CDCP1 in vivo significantly increased the anti-tumor efficacy of carboplatin, the chemotherapy most commonly used to treat OCC. In summary, our data indicate that CDCP1 is important in the progression of OCC and that targeting pathways mediated by this protein may be useful for the management of OCC, potentially in combination with chemotherapies and agents targeting the Akt pathway.

Involvement of Ca2+-dependent hyperpolarization in sleep duration in mammals

The detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of sleep duration in mammals are still elusive. To address this challenge, we constructed a simple computational model, which recapitulates the electrophysiological characteristics of the slow-wave sleep and awake states. Comprehensive bifurcation analysis predicted that a Ca2+-dependent hyperpolarization pathway may play a role in slow-wave sleep and hence in the regulation of sleep duration. To experimentally validate the prediction, we generate and analyze 21 KO mice. Here we found that impaired Ca2+-dependent K+ channels (Kcnn2 and Kcnn3), voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (Cacna1g and Cacna1h), or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinases (Camk2a and Camk2b) decrease sleep duration, while impaired plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (Atp2b3) increases sleep duration. Pharmacological intervention and whole-brain imaging validated that impaired NMDA receptors reduce sleep duration and directly increase the excitability of cells. Based on these results, we propose a hypothesis that a Ca2+-dependent hyperpolarization pathway underlies the regulation of sleep duration in mammals.

Contraception in Namibia : usage, methods and the impact of education

Användningen av preventivmedel har blivit en allt viktigare fraga i utvecklingsländerna idag, speciellt i Namibia dar fruktsamheten och HIV-prevalensen är höga. Kondomen är det enda allmänt tillgängliga preventivmedlet som skyddar mot könssjukdomar, medan ocksä injektioner, p-piller och andrà metoder kan användas för att förhindra graviditet. Användningen av preventivmedel har upptäckts korrelera med vissa sociodemografiska faktorer, bland annat utbildningsnivå och förmögenhet. Malet med denna undersökning var att studera användningen av preventivmedel, avsikter att använda preventivmedel samt kunskap om HIV/AIDS och andra könssjukdomar bland kvinnor i Namibia. Detta gjordes frän ett historiskt perspektiv genom att studerà användningsmönster frän 1990 till slutet av 2000-talet. Dessutom undersöktes sociodemografiska faktorers, speciellt utbildningens, inverkan på användningen av preventivmedel, likasä sambandet mellan skolningsnivå och preventivmedelsanvändning pä regionnivå. Undersökningen gjordes utgäende frän statistiska Namibia Demographic and Health Survey -material samlade 1992, 2000 och 2006-2007. Prevalenser och användningen av specifika metoder studerades skilt för olika bakgrundsvariabler 1992, 2000 och 2006-2007, och enligt utbildningsnivå och region är 2006-2007. Utbildning mattes skilt pä individ- och aggregatnivå. Sambandet mellan preventivmedelsanvändning och utbildning undersöktes med hjälp av logistisk regression, i vilken sociodemografiska bakgrundsfaktorer kontrollerades i sex modeller. Resultaten visade att användningen av preventivmedel har fördubblats sedan början av 1990-talet. Skillnader mellan kvinnor med olika utbildningsnivåer existerade redan i början av 1990-talet, likaså mellan olika yrkesgrupper. Undersökningen visade att högre utbildning ökar på reventivmedelsanvändningen, också då sociodemografisk bakgrundfaktorer, även utbildning och användning av preventivmedel på aggregatnivå, kontrollerades. Undersökningen antyder att utbildning på aggregatnivå inte ensam påverkar användningen av preventivmedel hos en individ. De sistnämnda resultaten var dock inte statistiskt signifikanta och kan inte generaliseras över namibiska kvinnor i allmänhet.

Visualization Summit 2007: Ten research goals for 2010

At the first international Visualization Summit, more than 100 international researchers and practitioners defined and assessed nine original and important research goals in the context of Visualization Science, and proposed methods for achieving these goals by 2010. The synthesis of the whole event is presented in the 10th research goal. This article contributes a building block for systemizing visualization research by proposing mutually elaborated research goals with defined milestones. Such a consensus on where to go together is only one step toward establishing visualization science in the long-term perspective as a discipline with comparable relevance to chemistry, mathematics, language, or history. First, this article introduces the conference setting. Second, it describes the research goals and findings from the nine workshops. Third, a survey among 62 participants about the originality and importance of each research goal is presented and discussed. Finally, the article presents a synthesis of the nine research goals in the form of a 10th research goal, namely Visualizing Future Cities. The article is relevant for visualization researchers, trend scouts, research programme directors who define the topics that get funds. © 2007 Palgr aveMacmillan Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arcipreste de Talavera, parte I : las paremias en el esquema de los pecados capitales

Integran este número de la revista ponencias presentadas en Studia Hispanica Medievalia VIII: Actas de las IX Jornadas Internacionales de Literatura Española Medieval, 2008, y de Homenaje al Quinto Centenario de Amadis de Gaula.

Prácticas culturales en los Refranes que dizen las viejas tras el fuego del Marqués de Santillana

Resumen: La amplia difusión de enunciados paremiológicos en la literatura medieval se afinca en la existencia de una mentalidad proverbial propia del hombre de la época, que se extiende a todos los estratos sociales e impregna las diversas manifestaciones culturales. En este trabajo me propongo estudiar el fenómeno en los Refranes que dizen las viejas tras el fuego del Marqués de Santillana, pues el refranero constituye un corpus muy apropiado para observar las prácticas culturales sobre las que se moldea el pensamiento. Me centraré en los proverbios que aluden al ámbito culinario, ya que revelan con claridad el carácter empírico, costumbrista y situacional de los refranes

Sapientia, 1951, Vol. VI, nº 19 (número completo)

Contenido: Filosofía y originalidad / La Dirección – La idea de posible y el sentido de la existencia : génesis de esta idea / André Marc – Carácter existencial de la demostración de la existencia de Dios / Octavio N. Derisi – La naturaleza en la ciencia físico-matemática / Raimundo Paniker – Razones seminales y formas substanciales : agustinismo y tomismo / F. J. Thonnard – Notas y comentarios -- Bibliografía

Antiguo Oriente: Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente, 2006, n° 4 (número completo)

How old is the Kingdom of Edom? A review of new evidence and recent discussion / Eveline Van Der Steen ; Piotr Bienkowski -- A problem of pedubasts? / Dan´El Kahn -- Le ciel selon l´Hymne Orphique à Ouranos et selon des textes funéraires égyptiens (PT, CT, BD): une brève comparaison préliminaire / Amanda–Alice Marvelia -- An epigraphic reanalysis of Two Stelae from Firs Intermediate Period Dendera in the Cairo Museum / Tracy Musacchio -- Mass production in Mesopotamia / Morris Silver -- Iron Age “negative” pottery: a reassessment / Juan Manuel Tebes -- The Cordage from the 2001- Season of the excavations at Berenike (Egyptian Red Sea Coast): preliminary results / André J. Veldmeijer -- Article review. Carr, David M., Writing of the Tablet of the Heart: origins of scripture and literature / Itamar Singer -- Reseñas bibliográficas -- Política editorial