Elevated extinction rates as a trigger for diversification rate shifts: early amniotes as a case study

Tree shape analyses are frequently used to infer the location of shifts in diversification rate within the Tree of Life. Many studies have supported a causal relationship between shifts and temporally coincident events such as the evolution of “key innovations”. However, the evidence for such relationships is circumstantial. We investigated patterns of diversification during the early evolution of Amniota from the Carboniferous to the Triassic, subjecting a new supertree to analyses of tree balance in order to infer the timing and location of diversification shifts. We investigated how uneven origination and extinction rates drive diversification shifts, and use two case studies (herbivory and an aquatic lifestyle) to examine whether shifts tend to be contemporaneous with evolutionary novelties. Shifts within amniotes tend to occur during periods of elevated extinction, with mass extinctions coinciding with numerous and larger shifts. Diversification shifts occurring in clades that possess evolutionary innovations do not coincide temporally with the appearance of those innovations, but are instead deferred to periods of high extinction rate. We suggest such innovations did not cause increases in the rate of cladogenesis, but allowed clades to survive extinction events. We highlight the importance of examining general patterns of diversification before interpreting specific shifts

Ecological and evolutionary consequences of alternative sex-change pathways in fish

Sequentially hermaphroditic fish change sex from male to female (protandry) or vice versa (protogyny), increasing their fitness by becoming highly fecund females or large dominant males, respectively. These life-history strategies present different social organizations and reproductive modes, from near-random mating in protandry, to aggregate- and harem-spawning in protogyny. Using a combination of theoretical and molecular approaches, we compared variance in reproductive success (V k*) and effective population sizes (N e) in several species of sex-changing fish. We observed that, regardless of the direction of sex change, individuals conform to the same overall strategy, producing more offspring and exhibiting greater V k* in the second sex. However, protogynous species show greater V k*, especially pronounced in haremic species, resulting in an overall reduction of N e compared to protandrous species. Collectively and independently, our results demonstrate that the direction of sex change is a pivotal variable in predicting demographic changes and resilience in sex-changing fish, many of which sustain highly valued and vulnerable fisheries worldwide

Periton Diyalizi Hastalarında Bitkisel Ürün Kullanımı

AmAÇ: Tamamlayıcı ve alternatif tıp uygulamaları hem diyaliz hem de prediyaliz dönemdeki hastalar için umut olarak algılanır. Çalışmamızda, periton diyalizi (PD) hastalarında diyaliz öncesinde ve sırasında bitkisel ürün (BÜ) kullanımını araştırdık.GErEÇ ve YÖntEmlEr: Nefroloji polikliniğinde takip edilen 58 PD hastası çalışmaya dahil edildi. Tek bir araştırıcı tarafından nesnel sorular içeren bir anket dolduruldu.bulGulAr: Çalışmamızdaki 58 hastanın (30 kadın) ortalama yaşı 53,2±14,7 yıl, PD süresi 41,3±8,3 ay idi. Hastaların 13\"ü okuma yazma bilmiyordu. Prediyaliz döneminde 19 hasta ve PD tedavisi sırasında 14 hasta BÜ kullanıyordu. Prediyaliz dönemde BÜ kullanan beş hasta PD\"nin başlamasından sonra da kullanmaya devam etmiştir. PD\"nin başlaması ile BÜ kullanımı arasında ilişki saptanmadı. Çeşitli ot ve bitkiler en sık kullanılan ürünlerdi ve en yaygın olarak sağlandığı yer de aktarlardı. SOnuÇ: Her ne kadar sürekli hekimlerinin kontrolü altında olsalar da PD hastalarında BÜ kullanımı oldukça yaygındır. Bu nedenle her hastanın hekimleri tarafından BÜ kullanımı açısından sorgulanması gerekir ve BÜ kullanımı konusunda farkındalığın artırılmasına ihtiyaç vardır.ObJECtIvE: Complementary and alternative medicine practices are perceived by patients, both in pre-dialysis and dialysis periods, to be hopeful and promising. In our study we searched herbal product (HP) use in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients before dialysis and during dialysis. mAtErIAl and mEtHOdS: 58 peritoneal dialysis patients who were followed in our nephrology outpatient clinic were included in the study. A questionnaire consisting of objective questions was completed with the patients by a single investigator. rESultS: The mean age of 58 patients (30 women) in our study was 53.2±14.7 years and duration of PD was 41.3±8.3 months. Thirteen of the patients were not literate. 19 patients in the pre-dialysis period and 14 PD patients were using herbal products. Five of the patients who used HB in the pre-dialysis period continued using them after the initiation of PD. There was no relationship between the use of HPs and initiation of PD. Various herbs and plants were the most common products used and the most common supply source was sellers of herbs. COnCluSIOn: HP usage is quite common among PD patients even though they are under close supervision by their physicians. Therefore, all patients should be questioned about HP use by physicians and there is a need for increased awareness of the use of HP

Subcutaneous C.E.R.A. for the Treatment of Chronic Renal Anemia in Predialysis Patients.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of once-monthly administration of C.E.R.A. in erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) naive predialysis patients with CKD for anemia treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Single arm, open label study. METHODS: A total of 75 patients (mean (SD) age was 52.8 (16.4) years, 76.0% were female) were included in this study conducted between 12 August 2008 and 30 October 2009 in 9 centers across Turkey. The mean change in Hb concentration (g/dL) between baseline (week 0) and the efficacy evaluation period (EEP) was the primary efficacy parameter evaluated in three consecutive periods including a dose titration period (DTP; with initial 1.2 μg/kg dose of C.E.R.A., subcutaneously, 28 weeks), EEP (8 weeks) and a long-term safety period (16 weeks). RESULTS: Our analysis revealed an improvement in Hb levels from baseline value of 9.4 (0.4) g/dL to time adjusted average level of 11.4 (0.7) g/dL in EEP in the per protocol (PP) population and from 9.3 (0.5) g/dL to 11.1 (1.0) g/dL in intent-to-treat (ITT) population. Mean (SD) change in Hb levels from baseline to EEP was 2.0 (0.7) g/dl in the PP population (primary endpoint) and 1.7 (1.1) g/dL in the ITT population. The percentage of patients whose Hb concentrations remained within the target range of 10.0-12.0 g/dL throughout the EEP was 43.9% (95% CI: 28.5-60.3%) in the PP population and 38.7% (95% CI: 27.6% to 50.6%) in the ITP population. A total of 206 adverse events (AE) were reported in 77.0% of patients with hypertension (20%) as the most frequent AE. CONCLUSION: Once-monthly subcutaneous C.E.R.A. administration is effective and safe in the treatment of anemia in pre-dialysis patients with CKD, who are not currently treated with ESAs

Ultrastructural Analyses Of The Novel Chimeric Hemostatic Agent Generated Via Nanotechnology, Abs Nanohemostat, At The Renal Tissue Level

Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS), a hemostatic agent of plant origin, has been registered for the prevention of clinical hemorrhages. Currently there is no data regarding the ultrastructural analysis of ABS at the tissue level. The aim of this study is to assess renal tissue effects via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses for the ABS and ABS nanohemostat (formed by the combination of self-assembling peptide amphiphile molecules and ABS). SEM experiments were performed with FEI Nova NanoSEM 230, using the ETD detector at low vacuum mode with 30 keV beam energy. SEM analyses revealed that significant erythroid aggregation are present inside the capillary bed of the renal tissue. However, neither the signs of necrosis nor any other sign of tissue damage are evident in the surrounding renal tissue supplied by the microcapillary vasculature. Our study is important for several reasons. Firstly, in our study we used ABS nanohemostat which was recently developed. This study adds valuable information to the literature regarding ABS nanohemostat. Secondly, this study is the first ultrastructural analysis of ABS that was performed at the tissue level. Thirdly, we disclosed that ABS nanohemostat could induce vital erythroid aggregation at the renal tissue level as detected by SEM. Lastly, we detected that ABS nanohemostat causes no harm to the tissues including necrosis and any other detrimental effects.PubMedWoSScopu

Simple methanesulfonates are hydrolyzed by the sulfatase carbonic anhydrase activity

This study was financed by Turkish Republic Prime Ministry State Planning Organization (DPT), (Project no: 2010K120440) for (MS). Work from Supuran lab was financed by an FP 7 EU grant (Metoxia project)