Multi-scale effects of nestling diet on breeding performance in a terrestrial top predator inferred from stable isotope analysis

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Inter-individual diet variation within populations is likely to have important ecological and evolutionary implications. The diet-fitness relationships at the individual level and the emerging population processes are, however, poorly understood for most avian predators inhabiting complex terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we use an isotopic approach to assess the trophic ecology of nestlings in a long-lived raptor, the Bonelli's eagle Aquila fasciata, and investigate whether nestling dietary breath and main prey consumption can affect the species' reproductive performance at two spatial scales: territories within populations and populations over a large geographic area. At the territory level, those breeding pairs whose nestlings consumed similar diets to the overall population (i.e. moderate consumption of preferred prey, but complemented by alternative prey categories) or those disproportionally consuming preferred prey were more likely to fledge two chicks. An increase in the diet diversity, however, related negatively with productivity. The age and replacements of breeding pair members had also an influence on productivity, with more fledglings associated to adult pairs with few replacements, as expected in long-lived species. At the population level, mean productivity was higher in those population-years with lower dietary breadth and higher diet similarity among territories, which was related to an overall higher consumption of preferred prey. Thus, we revealed a correspondence in diet-fitness relationships at two spatial scales: territories and populations. We suggest that stable isotope analyses may be a powerful tool to monitor the diet of terrestrial avian predators on large spatio-temporal scales, which could serve to detect potential changes in the availability of those prey on which predators depend for breeding. We encourage ecologists and evolutionary and conservation biologists concerned with the multi-scale fitness consequences of inter-individual variation in resource use to employ similar stable isotope-based approaches, which can be successfully applied to complex ecosystems such as the Mediterranean.Funding for this work was provided by projects CGL2007-64805 and CGL2010-17056 from the ‘‘Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacio´n, Gobierno de Espan˜ a’’, the ‘‘A`rea d’Espais Naturals de la Diputacio´ de Barcelona’’, and Miquel Torres S.A. Fieldwork in France was carried out within the framework of the second National Action Plan for Bonelli’s eagle from the ‘‘Ministe`re franc¸ais de l’E´cologie, de L’E´nergie, du De´veloppement Durable et de la Mer’’ and coordinated by the DREAL LR ‘‘Direction Re´gionale de l’Environnement, de l’Ame´nagement et du Logement-Languedoc-Roussillon’’. J. Resano-Mayor was supported by a predoctoral grant from the ‘‘Departamento de Educacio´n, Gobierno de Navarra; Plan de Formacio´n y de I+D 2008–2009’’, and M. Moleo´n by a postdoctoral grant from the ‘‘Ministerio de Educacio´n, Gobierno de Espan˜ a; Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2008–2011’’. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Lifetime measurement of the metastable 3d 2D5/2 state in the 40Ca+ ion using the shelving technique on a few-ion string

We present a measurement of the lifetime of the metastable 3d 2D5/2 state in the 40Ca+ ion, using the so-called shelving technique on a string of five Doppler laser-cooled ions in a linear Paul trap. A detailed account of the data analysis is given, and systematic effects due to unwanted excitation processes and collisions with background gas atoms are discussed and estimated. From a total of 6805 shelving events, we obtain a lifetime tau=1149+/-14(stat.)+/-4(sys.)ms, a result which is in agreement with the most recent measurements.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. Submitted for publicatio

Distributions of mammals in Southeast Asia: The role of the legacy of climate and species body mass

Aim: Current species distributions are shaped by present and past biotic and abiotic factors. Here, we assessed whether abiotic factors (habitat availability) in combination with past connectivity and a biotic factor (body mass) can explain the unique distribution pattern of Southeast Asian mammals, which are separated by the enigmatic biogeographic transition zone, the Isthmus of Kra (IoK), for which no strong geophysical barrier exists. Location: Southeast Asia. Taxon: Mammals. Methods: We projected habitat suitability for 125 mammal species using climate data for the present period and for two historic periods: mid‐Holocene (6 ka) and last glacial maximum (LGM 21 ka). Next, we employed a phylogenetic linear model to assess how present species distributions were affected by the suitability of areas in these different periods, habitat connectivity during LGM and species body mass. Results: Our results show that cooler climate during LGM provided suitable habitat south of IoK for species presently distributed north of IoK (in mainland Indochina). However, the potentially suitable habitat for these Indochinese species did not stretch very far southwards onto the exposed Sunda Shelf. Instead, we found that the emerged landmasses connecting Borneo and Sumatra provided suitable habitat for forest dependent Sundaic species. We show that for species whose current distribution ranges are mainly located in Indochina, the area of the distribution range that is located south of IoK is explained by the suitability of habitat in the past and present in combination with the species body mass. Main conclusions: We demonstrate that a strong geophysical barrier may not be necessary for maintaining a biogeographic transition zone for mammals, but that instead a combination of abiotic and biotic factors may suffice

Prediction of lethal and synthetically lethal knock-outs in regulatory networks

The complex interactions involved in regulation of a cell's function are captured by its interaction graph. More often than not, detailed knowledge about enhancing or suppressive regulatory influences and cooperative effects is lacking and merely the presence or absence of directed interactions is known. Here we investigate to which extent such reduced information allows to forecast the effect of a knock-out or a combination of knock-outs. Specifically we ask in how far the lethality of eliminating nodes may be predicted by their network centrality, such as degree and betweenness, without knowing the function of the system. The function is taken as the ability to reproduce a fixed point under a discrete Boolean dynamics. We investigate two types of stochastically generated networks: fully random networks and structures grown with a mechanism of node duplication and subsequent divergence of interactions. On all networks we find that the out-degree is a good predictor of the lethality of a single node knock-out. For knock-outs of node pairs, the fraction of successors shared between the two knocked-out nodes (out-overlap) is a good predictor of synthetic lethality. Out-degree and out-overlap are locally defined and computationally simple centrality measures that provide a predictive power close to the optimal predictor.Comment: published version, 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables; supplement at http://www.bioinf.uni-leipzig.de/publications/supplements/11-01

Target-Controlled Infusion of Cefepime in Critically Ill Patients:single center experience

Attainment of appropriate pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) targets for antimicrobial treatment is challenging in critically ill patients, particularly for cefepime, which exhibits a relative narrow therapeutic-toxic window compared to other beta-lactam antibiotics. Target-controlled infusion (TCI) systems, which deliver drugs to achieve specific target drug concentrations, have successfully been implemented for improved dosing of sedatives and analgesics in anesthesia. We conducted a clinical trial in an intensive care unit (ICU) to investigate the performance of TCI for adequate target attainment of cefepime. Twenty-one patients treated with cefepime according to the standard of care were included. Cefepime was administered through continuous infusion using TCI for a median duration of 4.5 days. TCI was based on a previously developed population PK model incorporating the estimated creatinine clearance based on the Cockcroft-Gault formula as the input variable to calculate cefepime clearance. A cefepime blood concentration of 16 mg/liter was targeted. To evaluate the measured versus predicted plasma concentrations, blood samples were taken (median of 10 samples per patient), and total cefepime concentrations were measured using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The performance of the TCI system was evaluated using Varvel criteria. Half (50.3%) of the measured cefepime concentrations were within +/- 30% around the target value of 16 mg liter(-1). The wobble was 11.4%, the median performance error (MdPE) was 21.1%, the median absolute performance error (MdAPE) was 32.0%, and the divergence was -3.72% h(-1). Based on these results, we conclude that TCI is useful for dose optimization of cefepime in ICU patients

NGC 4314. IV. Photometry of Star Clusters with Hubble Space Telescope - History of Star Formation in the Vicinity of a Nuclear Ring

Using HST WFPC2 images, we have obtained U, B, V, I, and H-alpha photometry for 76 star clusters in the nuclear star-forming ring of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 4314. These clusters are likely associated with an inner Inner Lindblad Resonance, or IILR. The blue colors and H-alpha emission for most of these clusters imply very young ages of 1-15 Myr. Age estimates based on several reddening-free parameters indicate that the present epoch of star formation has lasted at least 30 Myr. By estimating the masses of stars in the clusters and comparing with the H-alpha luminosity, we conclude that a significant fraction of ongoing star formation in the nuclear ring of NGC 4314 occurs in clusters. The cluster masses identify these as young open clusters, not young globular clusters. Further out in the galaxy, just exterior to the ring of young stars, previous ground-based observations revealed two symmetric stellar spiral arms which may be associated with an outer Inner Lindblad Resonance, or OILR. With our HST data, we have revealed part of this structure and its colors in more detail. The spiral arm colors are consistent with stellar ages between 40 and 200 Myr. The age difference between the inner ring of young stars (IILR) and the larger oval-like feature containing the blue arms (OILR) supports an interpretation of the morphology of the nuclear region of NGC 4314 that requires a reservoir of gas that becomes more compact over time. We speculate that as the gas distribution becomes more centrally concentrated, it interacts with these two resonances. Each resonance triggers star formation, resulting in two distinct epochs of star formation.Comment: To appear in The Astronomical Journal, March 2002. For a version with higher quality figures, see http://clyde.as.utexas.edu/pub/galaxy/N4314NEW/AJPAPER/BenedictR7.ps.g

Decoupling of Genetic and Cultural Inheritance in a Wild Mammal

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Cultural inheritance, the transmission of socially learned information across generations, is a non-genetic, ‘second inheritance system’ capable of shaping phenotypic variation in humans and many non-human animals[1-3]. Studies of wild animals show that conformity[4, 5] and biases toward copying particular individuals [6, 7] can result in the rapid spread of culturally transmitted behavioural traits and a consequent increase in behavioural homogeneity within groups and populations [8, 9]. These findings support classic models of cultural evolution [10, 11] which predict that many-to-one or one-to-many transmission erodes within-group variance in culturally inherited traits. However, classic theory [10, 11] also predicts that within-group heterogeneity is preserved when offspring each learn from an exclusive role model. We tested this prediction in a wild mammal, the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), in which offspring are reared by specific adult carers that are not their parents, providing an opportunity to disentangle genetic and cultural inheritance of behaviour. We show using stable isotope analysis that young mongooses inherit their adult foraging niche from cultural role models, not from their genetic parents. As predicted by theory, one-to-one cultural transmission prevented blending inheritance and allowed the stable coexistence of distinct behavioral traditions within the same social groups. Our results confirm that cultural inheritance via role models can promote rather than erode behavioral heterogeneity in natural populations.The research was funded by a European Research Council Consolidator’s Grant (309249) and Natural Environment Research Council (UK) Standard Grant (NE/J010278/1) awarded to M.A.C

Association of Genetic Markers with CSF Oligoclonal Bands in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Objective:to explore the association between genetic markers and Oligoclonal Bands (OCB) in the Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF) of Italian Multiple Sclerosis patients.Methods:We genotyped 1115 Italian patients for HLA-DRB1*15 and HLA-A*02. In a subset of 925 patients we tested association with 52 non-HLA SNPs associated with MS susceptibility and we calculated a weighted Genetic Risk Score. Finally, we performed a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) with OCB status on a subset of 562 patients. The best associated SNPs of the Italian GWAS were replicated in silico in Scandinavian and Belgian populations, and meta-analyzed.Results:HLA-DRB1*15 is associated with OCB+: p = 0.03, Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% Confidence Limits (CL) = 1.1-2.4. None of the 52 non-HLA MS susceptibility loci was associated with OCB, except one SNP (rs2546890) near IL12B gene (OR: 1.45; 1.09-1.92). The weighted Genetic Risk Score mean was significantly (p = 0.0008) higher in OCB+ (7.668) than in OCB- (7.412) patients. After meta-analysis on the three datasets (Italian, Scandinavian and Belgian) for the best associated signals resulted from the Italian GWAS, the strongest signal was a SNP (rs9320598) on chromosome 6q (p = 9.4×10-7) outside the HLA region (65 Mb).Discussion:genetic factors predispose to the development of OCB

A Quantitative, Non-Destructive Methodology for Habitat Characterisation and Benthic Monitoring at Offshore Renewable Energy Developments

Following governments' policies to tackle global climate change, the development of offshore renewable energy sites is likely to increase substantially over coming years. All such developments interact with the seabed to some degree and so a key need exists for suitable methodology to monitor the impacts of large-scale Marine Renewable Energy Installations (MREIs). Many of these will be situated on mixed or rocky substrata, where conventional methods to characterise the habitat are unsuitable. Traditional destructive sampling is also inappropriate in conservation terms, particularly as safety zones around (MREIs) could function as Marine Protected Areas, with positive benefits for biodiversity. Here we describe a technique developed to effectively monitor the impact of MREIs and report the results of its field testing, enabling large areas to be surveyed accurately and cost-effectively. The methodology is based on a high-definition video camera, plus LED lights and laser scale markers, mounted on a “flying array” that maintains itself above the seabed grounded by a length of chain, thus causing minimal damage. Samples are taken by slow-speed tows of the gear behind a boat (200 m transects). The HD video and randomly selected frame grabs are analysed to quantify species distribution. The equipment was tested over two years in Lyme Bay, UK (25 m depth), then subsequently successfully deployed in demanding conditions at the deep (>50 m) high-energy Wave Hub site off Cornwall, UK, and a potential tidal stream energy site in Guernsey, Channel Islands (1.5 ms−1 current), the first time remote samples from such a habitat have been achieved. The next stage in the monitoring development process is described, involving the use of Remote Operated Vehicles to survey the seabed post-deployment of MREI devices. The complete methodology provides the first quantitative, relatively non-destructive method for monitoring mixed-substrate benthic communities beneath MPAs and MREIs pre- and post-device deployment