Expert range maps of global mammal distributions harmonised to three taxonomic authorities

AimComprehensive, global information on species' occurrences is an essential biodiversity variable and central to a range of applications in ecology, evolution, biogeography and conservation. Expert range maps often represent a species' only available distributional information and play an increasing role in conservation assessments and macroecology. We provide global range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species harmonised to the taxonomy of the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) mobilised from two sources, the Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) and the Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World (CMW).LocationGlobal.TaxonAll extant mammal species.MethodsRange maps were digitally interpreted, georeferenced, error-checked and subsequently taxonomically aligned between the HMW (6253 species), the CMW (6431 species) and the MDD taxonomies (6362 species).ResultsRange maps can be evaluated and visualised in an online map browser at Map of Life (mol.org) and accessed for individual or batch download for non-commercial use.Main conclusionExpert maps of species' global distributions are limited in their spatial detail and temporal specificity, but form a useful basis for broad-scale characterizations and model-based integration with other data. We provide georeferenced range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species as shapefiles, with species-level metadata and source information packaged together in geodatabase format. Across the three taxonomic sources our maps entail, there are 1784 taxonomic name differences compared to the maps currently available on the IUCN Red List website. The expert maps provided here are harmonised to the MDD taxonomic authority and linked to a community of online tools that will enable transparent future updates and version control

Dilution and the theoretical description of growth-rate dependent gene expression

Expression of a gene is not only tuned by direct regulation, but also affected by the global physiological state of the (host) cell. This global dependence complicates the quantitative understanding of gene regulation and the design of synthetic gene circuits. In bacteria these global effects can often be described as a dependence on the growth rate. Here we discuss how growth-rate dependence can be incorporated in mathematical models of gene expression by comparing data for unregulated genes with the predictions of different theoretical descriptions of growth-rate dependence. We argue that a realistic description of growth effects requires a growth-rate dependent protein synthesis rate in addition to dilution by growth

Acute hepatitis C in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): The "Real-life Setting" proves the concept

Abstract Objectives Outbreaks of sexually transmitted acute HCV infection have been described recently in several cities in the western world. The epidemic affects mainly MSM who are coinfected with HIV and is supposably linked to certain sexual risk practices. Here, we compared our findings with current knowledge and recommendations. Methods HIV-positive patients with the diagnosis of acute HCV infection were included in the retrospective analysis. The patients came from outpatient infectious disease centers in northern German cities. We looked at markers of HIV and HCV infection and compared patients who received treatment and those who did not. Treated patients were followed up to 72 weeks. Results Three hundred nineteen HIV-positive patients with the diagnosis of acute hepatitis C between 2001 and 2008 and were included in the analysis. All patients were male, 315 (99%) patients were of caucasian origin, 296 (93%) declared homosexual contacts as a risk factor for HCV infection, intravenous drug use was declared in 3 (1%) cases. Median age at HCV diagnosis was 40 years (range 20-69 years). Median HCV viral load was 1.2 × 106 IU/mL, 222 patients (70%) had HCV genotype 1, 59 (18%) genotype 4. The median time of HIV infection was 5.5 years (range 0 to 22.4 years). Median HIV viral load was 110 copies/mL (range 25 to 10 × 106 copies/mL). The median CD 4 count was 461 cells/mm3 (range 55- 1331 cells/mm3). Two hundred and fourty-six patients (77%) received anti-HCV treatment, and 175 (55%) had completed therapy by the time of the analysis. Median treatment duration was 33 weeks (IQR 24.1-49.9). 93 of the 175 treated patients (53%) reached a sustained virological response (SVR). In the multivariate analysis, ART at diagnosis, HCV RNA drop at week 12, hemoglobin levels and higher platelets were associated with SVR. Treatment duration was significantly higher in the SVR group (40.6 weeks vs 26.6 weeks, p Conclusions Our findings confirm that acute hepatitis C in HIV infected patients affects mainly MSM who acquire HCV sexually. Patients had a short duration of HIV infection and a stable immunological situation. In this real-life setting from urban regions in northern Germany, treatment rates appear to be high and effective.</p