Pineus boerneri Annand, 1928 (Hemiptera, Adelgidae) - a new species to Brazil: morphology of eggs, nymphs and adults

Pineus boerneri Annand, 1928 (Hemiptera, Adelgidae) _ a new species to Brazil: morphology of eggs, nymphs and adults. Pineus boerneri represents the first Adelgidae species recorded in Brazil. This aphid species forms extensive colonies on branches and trunk of Pinus spp., with apterous oviparous females, eggs and nymphs covered with white wax. The aim of this research is to study the morphology of eggs, nymphs, and adults to provide useful data for species identification in order to solve taxonomic issues. The study was based on morphometric data and optical and scanning electron microscopy images. First instar nymphs are active and can be easily distinguished from the others by their elongate minute yellowish body; well developed legs bearing a pair of sensorial setae at the apex of the second tarsomere; and antenna with three segments with a large rhinarium and distinct apical setae on the last segment. From the second to the fourth instar, nymphs are sessile, with round red body; they loose the third antennal segment and its sensorial structures, as well as the setae on the second tarsomere. The oviparous female is reddish-brown, with round body with about 0.76 mm diameter; legs reduced; antennae one-segmented; ovipositor distinct; numerous wax glands are present, mainly on the head. Accurate characterization of the species and distinction of the nymphal instars of P. boerneri were made possible by canonical analysis of morphometric data and morphological characters.

How do very open economies adjust to large immigration flows? Recent evidence from Spanish regions

In recent years, Spain has received unprecedented immigration flows. Between 2001 and 2006 the fraction of the population born abroad more than doubled, increasing from4.8% to 10.8%. For Spanish provinces with above-median inflows (relative to population),immigration increased by 24% the number of high school dropouts while only increasingcollege graduates by 11%. We study different channels by which regional labor markets haveabsorbed the large increase in relative supply of low educated workers. We identify theexogenous supply shock using historical immigrant settlement patterns by country of origin.Using data from the Labor Force Survey and the decennial Census, we find a large expansion ofemployment in high immigration regions. Disaggregating by industry, the absorption operatedthrough large increases in the share of low-educated workers, compared to the same industry inlow-immigration regions. We do not find changes in sectoral specialization. Overall, andperhaps surprisingly, the pattern of absorption is very similar to the one found in the US.

TV or not TV? Subtitling and English skills

We study the influence of television translation techniques on the quality of the English spoken across the EU and OCDE. We identify a large positive effect for subtitled original version as opposed to dubbed television, which loosely corresponds to between four and twenty years of compulsory English education at school. We also show that the importance of subtitled television is robust to a wide array of specifications.We then find that subtitling and better English skills have an influence on high-tech exports, international student mobility, and other economic and social outcomes.

The quasi-judicial role of large retailers: An efficiency hypothesis of their relation with suppliers

The paper explores an efficiency hypothesis regarding the contractual process between large retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, and their suppliers. The empirical evidence presented supports the idea that large retailers play a quasi-judicial role, acting as "courts of first instance" in their relationships with suppliers. In this role, large retailers adjust the terms of trade to on-going changes and sanction performance failures, sometimes delaying payments. A potential abuse of their position is limited by the need for re-contracting and preserving their reputations. Suppliers renew their confidence in their retailers on a yearly basis, through writing new contracts. This renovation contradicts the alternative hypothesis that suppliers are expropriated by large retailers as a consequence of specific investments.

Test of four colon cancer risk-scores in formalin fixed paraffin embedded microarray gene expression data.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis prediction for resected primary colon cancer is based on the T-stage Node Metastasis (TNM) staging system. We investigated if four well-documented gene expression risk scores can improve patient stratification. METHODS: Microarray-based versions of risk-scores were applied to a large independent cohort of 688 stage II/III tumors from the PETACC-3 trial. Prognostic value for relapse-free survival (RFS), survival after relapse (SAR), and overall survival (OS) was assessed by regression analysis. To assess improvement over a reference, prognostic model was assessed with the area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. All statistical tests were two-sided, except the AUC increase. RESULTS: All four risk scores (RSs) showed a statistically significant association (single-test, P < .0167) with OS or RFS in univariate models, but with HRs below 1.38 per interquartile range. Three scores were predictors of shorter RFS, one of shorter SAR. Each RS could only marginally improve an RFS or OS model with the known factors T-stage, N-stage, and microsatellite instability (MSI) status (AUC gains < 0.025 units). The pairwise interscore discordance was never high (maximal Spearman correlation = 0.563) A combined score showed a trend to higher prognostic value and higher AUC increase for OS (HR = 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.44 to 2.10, P < .001, AUC from 0.6918 to 0.7321) and RFS (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.33 to 1.84, P < .001, AUC from 0.6723 to 0.6945) than any single score. CONCLUSIONS: The four tested gene expression-based risk scores provide prognostic information but contribute only marginally to improving models based on established risk factors. A combination of the risk scores might provide more robust information. Predictors of RFS and SAR might need to be different.

Recurrent deletions and reciprocal duplications of 10q11.21q11.23 including CHAT and SLC18A3 are likely mediated by complex low-copy repeats.

We report 24 unrelated individuals with deletions and 17 additional cases with duplications at 10q11.21q21.1 identified by chromosomal microarray analysis. The rearrangements range in size from 0.3 to 12 Mb. Nineteen of the deletions and eight duplications are flanked by large, directly oriented segmental duplications of >98% sequence identity, suggesting that nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR) caused these genomic rearrangements. Nine individuals with deletions and five with duplications have additional copy number changes. Detailed clinical evaluation of 20 patients with deletions revealed variable clinical features, with developmental delay (DD) and/or intellectual disability (ID) as the only features common to a majority of individuals. We suggest that some of the other features present in more than one patient with deletion, including hypotonia, sleep apnea, chronic constipation, gastroesophageal and vesicoureteral refluxes, epilepsy, ataxia, dysphagia, nystagmus, and ptosis may result from deletion of the CHAT gene, encoding choline acetyltransferase, and the SLC18A3 gene, mapping in the first intron of CHAT and encoding vesicular acetylcholine transporter. The phenotypic diversity and presence of the deletion in apparently normal carrier parents suggest that subjects carrying 10q11.21q11.23 deletions may exhibit variable phenotypic expressivity and incomplete penetrance influenced by additional genetic and nongenetic modifiers.

Blood pressure normalization in a large population of hypertensive patients treated with perindopril/indapamide combination: results of the OPTIMAX trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the fixed-dose perindopril/indapamide combination (Per/Ind) normalizes blood pressure (BP) in the same fraction of hypertensive patients when treated in everyday practice or in controlled trials. METHODS: In this prospective trial, 17 938 hypertensive patients were treated with Per 2 mg/Ind 0.625 mg for 3-6 months. In Group 1 Per/Ind was initiated in newly diagnosed patients (n = 7032); in Group 2 Per/Ind replaced previous therapy in patients already treated but having either their BP still uncontrolled or experiencing side-effects (n = 7423); in Group 3 Per/Ind was added to previous treatment in patients with persistently high BP (n = 3483). BP was considered normalized when &lt; or = 140/90 mm Hg. A multivariate analysis for predictors of BP normalization was performed. RESULTS: Subjects were on average 62 years old and had a baseline BP of 162.3/93.6 mm Hg. After treatment with Per/Ind, BP normalization was reached in 69.6% of patients in the Initiation group, 67.5% in the Replacement Group, and 67.4% in the Add-on Group (where patients were more frequently at risk, diabetic, or with target organ damage). Mean decreases in systolic BP of 22.8 mm Hg and in diastolic BP of 12.4 mm Hg were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: This trial was established to reflect everyday clinical practice, and a treatment strategy based on the Per/Ind combination, administered as initial, replacement, or add-on therapy, led to normalization rates that were superior to those observed in Europe in routine practice. These results support recent hypertension guidelines which encourage the use of combination therapy in the management of arterial hypertension.

Exact representation of antenna system diversity performance from input parameter description

A simplc formulation Io compute thc envelope correlation of anantenna divemiry system is dcrired. 11 is shown how to compute theenvelope correlation hom the S-parameter descnplian of the antennasystem. This approach has the advantage that i t does not require thecomputation nor the measurement of the radiation panem of theantenna system. It also offers the advantage of providing a clcaunderstanding ofthe effects ofmutual coupling and input match on thediversity performance of the antcnnii system.

Optimum Redundant Array Configurations for Earth Observation Aperture Synthesis Microwave Radiometers

Two-dimensional aperture synthesis radiometry is the technologyselected for ESA's SMOS mission to provide high resolution L-bandradiometric imagery. The array topology is a Y-shaped structure. Theposition and number of redundant elements to minimise instrumentdegradation in case of element failure(s) are studied.

Analyses of six homologous proteins of Protochlamydia amoebophila UWE25 encoded by large GC-rich genes (lgr): a model of evolution and concatenation of leucine-rich repeats.

BACKGROUND: Along the chromosome of the obligate intracellular bacteria Protochlamydia amoebophila UWE25, we recently described a genomic island Pam100G. It contains a tra unit likely involved in conjugative DNA transfer and lgrE, a 5.6-kb gene similar to five others of P. amoebophila: lgrA to lgrD, lgrF. We describe here the structure, regulation and evolution of these proteins termed LGRs since encoded by "Large G+C-Rich" genes. RESULTS: No homologs to the whole protein sequence of LGRs were found in other organisms. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that serial duplications producing the six LGRs occurred relatively recently and nucleotide usage analyses show that lgrB, lgrE and lgrF were relocated on the chromosome. The C-terminal part of LGRs is homologous to Leucine-Rich Repeats domains (LRRs). Defined by a cumulative alignment score, the 5 to 18 concatenated octacosapeptidic (28-meric) LRRs of LGRs present all a predicted alpha-helix conformation. Their closest homologs are the 28-residue RI-like LRRs of mammalian NODs and the 24-meres of some Ralstonia and Legionella proteins. Interestingly, lgrE, which is present on Pam100G like the tra operon, exhibits Pfam domains related to DNA metabolism. CONCLUSION: Comparison of the LRRs, enable us to propose a parsimonious evolutionary scenario of these domains driven by adjacent concatenations of LRRs. Our model established on bacterial LRRs can be challenged in eucaryotic proteins carrying less conserved LRRs, such as NOD proteins and Toll-like receptors.

Array-CGH in patients with a clinical diagnosis of Kabuki syndrome: identification of two cases with terminal 2q37 deletion and no other recurrent rearrangement

Background: Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by specific facial features, mild to moderate mental retardation, postnatal growth delay, skeletal abnormalities, and unusual dermatoglyphic patterns with prominent fingertip pads. A 3.5 Mb duplication at 8p23.1-p22 was once reported as a specific alteration in KS but has not been confirmed in other patients. The molecular basis of KS remains unknown. Methods: We have studied 16 Spanish patients with a clinical diagnosis of KS or KS-like to search for genomic imbalances using genome-wide array technologies. All putative rearrangements were confirmed by FISH, microsatellite markers and/or MLPA assays, which also determined whether the imbalance was de novo or inherited. Results: No duplication at 8p23.1-p22 was observed in our patients. We detected complex rearrangements involving 2q in two patients with Kabuki-like features: 1) a de novo inverted duplication of 11 Mb with a 4.5 Mb terminal deletion, and 2) a de novo 7.2 Mb-terminal deletion in a patient with an additional de novo 0.5 Mb interstitial deletion in 16p. Additional copy number variations (CNV), either inherited or reported in normal controls, were identified and interpreted as polymorphic variants. No specific CNV was significantly increased in the KS group. Conclusion: Our results further confirmed that genomic duplications of 8p23 region are not a common cause of KS and failed to detect other recurrent rearrangement causing this disorder. The detection of two patients with 2q37 deletions suggests that there is a phenotypic overlap between the two conditions, and screening this region in the Kabuki-like patients should be considered.

Iron supplementation in a large Swiss cohort of IBD patients demonstrates a shift from oral to intravenous iron over time

Background: The 2007 European Crohn's and Colitis Organization guidelines on anemia in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) favour intravenous (iv) over oral (po) iron supplementation due to better effectiveness and tolerance. We aimed to determine the percentage of IBD patients under iron supplementation therapy and the dynamics of prescription habits (iv versus po) over time. Methods: Helsana, a leading Swiss health insurance company provides coverage for approximately 18% of the Swiss population, corresponding to about 1.2 million enrollees. Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were analyzed from the anonymised Helsana database. Results: In total, 629 CD (61% female) and 398 UC (57% female) patients were identified, mean observation time was 31.8 months for CD and 31.0 months for UC patients. Of the entire study population, 27.1% were prescribed iron (21.1% in males and 31.1% in females). Patients treated with IBDspecific drugs (steroids, immunomodulators, anti-TNF agents) were more frequently treated with iron compared to patients without any medication (35.0% vs. 20.9%, OR 1.91, 95%- CI 1.41 2.61). The prescription of iv iron increased from 2006/2007 (48.8% of all patients receiving any iron priscription) to 65.2% in 2008/2009 by a factor of 1.89. Conclusions: One third of the IBD population was treated with iron supplementation. A gradual shift from oral to iv iron was observed over time. This switch in prescription habits goes along with the implementation of the ECCO consensus guidelines on anemia in IBD.

Improving college access and success for low-income students: Evidence from a large need-based grant program

Using comprehensive administrative data on France's single largest financialaid program, this paper provides new evidence on the impact of large-scaleneed-based grant programs on the college enrollment decisions, persistenceand graduation rates of low-income students. We exploit sharp discontinuitiesin the grant eligibility formula to identify the impact of aid on student outcomesat different levels of study. We find that eligibility for an annual cashallowance of 1,500 euros increases college enrollment rates by up to 5 percentagepoints. Moreover, we show that need-based grants have positive effectson student persistence and degree completion.

Gene-Age Interactions in Blood Pressure Regulation: A Large-Scale Investigation with the CHARGE, Global BPgen, and ICBP Consortia.

Although age-dependent effects on blood pressure (BP) have been reported, they have not been systematically investigated in large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs). We leveraged the infrastructure of three well-established consortia (CHARGE, GBPgen, and ICBP) and a nonstandard approach (age stratification and metaregression) to conduct a genome-wide search of common variants with age-dependent effects on systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), mean arterial (MAP), and pulse (PP) pressure. In a two-staged design using 99,241 individuals of European ancestry, we identified 20 genome-wide significant (p ≤ 5 × 10(-8)) loci by using joint tests of the SNP main effect and SNP-age interaction. Nine of the significant loci demonstrated nominal evidence of age-dependent effects on BP by tests of the interactions alone. Index SNPs in the EHBP1L1 (DBP and MAP), CASZ1 (SBP and MAP), and GOSR2 (PP) loci exhibited the largest age interactions, with opposite directions of effect in the young versus the old. The changes in the genetic effects over time were small but nonnegligible (up to 1.58 mm Hg over 60 years). The EHBP1L1 locus was discovered through gene-age interactions only in whites but had DBP main effects replicated (p = 8.3 × 10(-4)) in 8,682 Asians from Singapore, indicating potential interethnic heterogeneity. A secondary analysis revealed 22 loci with evidence of age-specific effects (e.g., only in 20 to 29-year-olds). Age can be used to select samples with larger genetic effect sizes and more homogenous phenotypes, which may increase statistical power. Age-dependent effects identified through novel statistical approaches can provide insight into the biology and temporal regulation underlying BP associations.

Molecular evolution of the Drosophila olfactory system

The olfactory system is an attractive model to study the genetic mechanisms underlying evolution of the nervous system. This sensory system mediates the detection and behavioural responses to an enormous diversity of volatile chemicals in the environment and displays rapid evolution, as species acquire, modify and discard olfactory receptors and circuits to adapt to new olfactory stimuli. Drosophilids provide an attractive model to study these processes. The availability of 12 sequenced genomes of Drosophila species occupying diverse ecological niches provides a rich resource for genomic analyses. Moreover, one of these species, Drosophila melanogaster, is amenable to a powerful combination of genetic and electrophysiological analyses. D. melanogaster has two distinct families of olfactory receptors to detect odours, the well-characterised Odorant Receptors (ORs) and the recently identified lonotropic Receptors (IRs). In my thesis, I have provided new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying olfactory system evolution through three distinct, but interrelated projects. First, I performed a comparative genomic analysis of the IR repertoire in 12 sequenced Drosophila species, which has revealed that the olfactory IRs are highly conserved across species. By contrast, a large fraction of IRs that are not expressed in the olfactory system - and which may be gustatory receptors - are much more variable in sequence and gene copy number. Second, to identify ligands for IR expressing olfactory sensory neurons, I have performed an electrophysiological screen in D. melanogaster using a panel of over 160 odours. I found that the IRs respond to a number of amines, aldehydes and acids, contrasting with the chemical specificity of the OR repertoire, which is mainly tuned to esters, alcohols and ketones. Finally, the identification of ligands for IRs in this species allowed me to investigate in detail the molecular and functional evolution of a tandem array of IRs, IR75a/IR75b/IR75c, in D. sechellia. This species is endemic to the Seychelles archipelago and highly specialised to breed on the fruits of Morinda citrifolia, which is repulsive and toxic for other Drosophila species. These studies led me to discover that receptor loss, changes in receptor specificity and changes in receptor expression have likely played an important role during the evolution of these IRs in D. sechellia. These changes may explain, in part, the unique chemical ecology of this species. - Le système olfactif est un excellent modèle pour étudier les mécanismes génétiques impliqués dans l'étude de l'évolution du système nerveux. Ce système sensoriel permet la détection de nombreux composés volatils présents dans l'environnement et est à la base des réponses comportementales. Il est propre à chaque espèce et évolue rapidement en modifiant ou en éliminant des récepteurs et leurs circuits olfactifs correspondants pour s'adapter à de nouvelles odeurs. Pour étudier le système olfactif et son évolution, nous avons décidé d'utiliser la drosophile comme modèle. Le séquençage complet de 12 souches de drosophiles habitant différentes niches écologiques permet une analyse génomique conséquente. De plus, l'une de ces espèces Drosophila melanogaster permet la combinaison d'analyses génétiques et électrophysiologiques. En effet, D. melanogaster possède 2 familles distinctes de récepteurs olfactifs qui permettent la détection d'odeurs: les récepteurs olfactifs (ORs) étant les mieux caractérisés et les récepteurs ionotropiques (IRs), plus récemment identifiés. Au cours de ma thèse, j'ai apporté des nouvelles connaissances qui m'ont permis de mieux comprendre les mécanismes génétiques à la base de l'évolution du système olfactif au travers de trois projets différents, mais interdépendants. Premièrement, j'ai réalisé une analyse génomique comparative de l'ensemble des IRs dans les 12 souches de drosophiles séquencées jusqu'à présent. Ceci a montré que les récepteurs olfactifs IRs sont hautement conservés parmi l'ensemble de ces espèces. Au contraire, une grande partie des IRs qui ne sont pas exprimés dans le système olfactif, et qui semblent être des récepteurs gustatifs, sont beaucoup plus variables dans leur séquence et dans le nombre de copie de gènes. Deuxièmement, pour identifier les ligands des récepteurs IRs exprimés par les neurones sensoriels olfactifs, j'ai réalisé une étude électrophysiologique chez D. melanogaster e η testant l'effet de plus de 160 composés chimiques sur les IRs. J'ai trouvé que les IRs répondent à un nombre d'amines, d'aldéhydes et d'acides, contrairement aux récepteurs olfactifs ORs qui eux répondent principalement aux esthers, alcools et cétones. Finalement, l'identification de ligands pour les IRs dans ces espèces m'a permis d'étudier en détail l'évolution fonctionnelle et moléculaire des IR75a/IR75b/IR75c dans D. sechellia. Cette espèce est endémique de l'archipel des Seychelles et se nourrit spécifiquement du fruit Morinda citrifolia qui est répulsif et toxique pour d'autres souches de drosophiles. Ces études m'ont poussé à découvrir que, la perte de IR75a, le changement dans la spécificité de IR75b ainsi que le changement dans l'expression de IR75c ont probablement joué un rôle important dans l'évolution des IRs chez D. sechellia. Ces changements peuvent expliquer, en partie, l'écologie chimique propre à cette espèce. Résumé français large public Le système olfactif permet aux animaux de détecter des milliers de molécules odorantes, les aidant ainsi à trouver de la nourriture, à distinguer si elle est fraîche ou avariée, à trouver des partenaires sexuels, ainsi qu'à éviter les prédateurs. Selon l'environnement et le mode de vie des espèces, le système olfactif doit détecter des odeurs très diverses ; en effet, un moustique qui recherche du sang humain pour se nourrir doit détecter des odeurs bien différentes d'une abeille qui recherche des fleurs. Dans ma thèse, j'ai essayé de comprendre comment les systèmes olfactifs d'une espèce évoluent pour s'adapter aux exigences induites par son environnement. Un très bon modèle pour étudier cela est la drosophile dont les différentes espèces se nichent dans des habitats très divers. Pour ce faire, j'ai étudié les récepteurs olfactifs de différentes espèces de la drosophile. Ces récepteurs sont des protéines qui se lient à des odeurs spécifiques. Lorsqu'ils se lient, ils activent un neurone qui envoie un signal électrique au cerveau. Ce signal est ensuite traité par ce dernier qui indique à la mouche si l'odeur est attractive ou répulsive. J'ai identifié les récepteurs olfactifs de plusieurs espèces de drosophile et étudié s'il y avait des différences entre elles. La plupart des récepteurs sont similaires entre les espèces, cependant dans l'une d'entre elles, certains récepteurs sont différents. Ce fait est particulièrement intéressant car cette espèce de drosophile se nourrit de fruits que les autres espèces n'apprécient pas. Comme nous ne savons pas quels récepteurs se lient à quelles odeurs, j'ai testé un grand nombre de composants odorants. Ceci m'a permis de constater que, effectivement, certains changements produits dans ces récepteurs expliquent pourquoi cette espèce aime particulièrement ces fruits. En outre, mes résultats contribuent à mieux comprendre les changements génétiques qui sont impliqués dans l'évolution du système olfactif.