Phylogenetic and non-phylogenetic structure in trophic links between gall-forming herbivores and their parasitoid natural enemies.

Revealing processes that structure species interactions is central to understanding community assembly and dynamics. Species interact via their phenotypes, but identifying and quantifying the traits that structure species-specific interactions (links) can be challenging. Where these traits show phylogenetic signal, however, link properties are predictable using models that incorporate phylogenies in place of trait data. We analysed variation in link richness, frequency, and identity in a multi-site dataset of interactions between host oak cynipid galls and parasitoid natural enemies, using a Bayesian mixed modelling framework allowing concurrent fitting of terms for phylogenies of both trophic levels. In both link incidence (presence/absence) and link frequency datasets, we identified strong signatures of cophylogeny (related parasitoids attack related host galls) and patterns independent of either phylogeny. Our results are robust to simulations of substantially reduced sample completeness, and are consistent with the structuring of trophic interactions by a combination of phylogenetically conserved and convergently evolving traits at both trophic levels. We discuss our results in light of phenotypic traits thought to structure gall-parasitoid interactions and wider applications of this approach, including inference of underlying community assembly processes and prediction of economically important trophic interactions

Phylogenetic and non-phylogenetic structure in trophic links between gall-forming herbivores and their parasitoid natural enemies.

Revealing processes that structure species interactions is central to understanding community assembly and dynamics. Species interact via their phenotypes, but identifying and quantifying the traits that structure species-specific interactions (links) can be challenging. Where these traits show phylogenetic signal, however, link properties are predictable using models that incorporate phylogenies in place of trait data. We analysed variation in link richness, frequency, and identity in a multi-site dataset of interactions between host oak cynipid galls and parasitoid natural enemies, using a Bayesian mixed modelling framework allowing concurrent fitting of terms for phylogenies of both trophic levels. In both link incidence (presence/absence) and link frequency datasets, we identified strong signatures of cophylogeny (related parasitoids attack related host galls) and patterns independent of either phylogeny. Our results are robust to simulations of substantially reduced sample completeness, and are consistent with the structuring of trophic interactions by a combination of phylogenetically conserved and convergently evolving traits at both trophic levels. We discuss our results in light of phenotypic traits thought to structure gall-parasitoid interactions and wider applications of this approach, including inference of underlying community assembly processes and prediction of economically important trophic interactions

Structure and composition of tritrophic communities associated with Fagaceae-feeding cynipid gallwasps in Sichuan, China

We provide the first description and analysis of species-rich communities of Fagaceae host plants, cynipid gall inducers and Hymenopteran parasitoids from two sites in western Sichuan, China. We use quantified interaction data to test the hypothesis that metabolically intimate cynipid-Fagaceae interactions are more specialised, resulting in more modular networks and stronger signatures of turnover than nestedness for beta diversity, than associations between parasitoids and Fagaceae. Rearing of nearly 27,000 cynipid gall specimens from 22 host plant species in Castanea, Castanopsis, Lithocarpus and Quercus (sections Cerris, Cyclobalanopsis, Ilex and Quercus) yielded 168 morphologically distinct cynipid gall morphotypes, and 3800 parasitoids in 67 morphospecies. The Sichuan parasitoid assemblage is similar in composition to cynipid-centred communities in the Western Palearctic and Nearctic. All of our predictions were confirmed. We discuss our findings in light of the processes thought to structure tritrophic interactions centred on gall inducing insect herbivores

Evolution of host-plant associations and biogeographic patterns on a global scale within the oak gall wasps

Co-evolutionary interactions between insect herbivores and their host plants underlie much contemporary biodiversity and are vital to assembly of natural ecosystems. Assemblages of galls on oaks induced by Cynipini wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) occur across much of the Northern Hemisphere, their diversity peaking in the Nearctic and on white oaks (Quercus section Quercus). However, the evolutionary history of the clade has been debated with respect to geographic origins, direction and timings of dispersal events, and shifts in host plant associations. We examined these questions using a global-scale, 6-gene phylogeny of 430 Cynipini species and a dataset of their associated host plants encompassing all eight sections within Quercus plus five Fagaceae genera. Likelihood-based ancestral state reconstructions demonstrate a Nearctic origin of the Cynipini followed by repeated colonisations of the Palearctic via both westwards and eastwards dispersal. These inferences are robust to bias in taxon sampling across continents and the inclusion of Protobalandricus as the sister lineage to Cynipini sensu stricto. Likewise, the association with white oaks is probably ancestral and has been retained by many Cynipini lineages. However, host shifts to other sections within Quercus and related Fagaceae genera are widely distributed across the cynipid phylogeny. They are associated with both global-scale range shifts and within-bioregion exploitation of alternative hosts, and their frequency typically correlates with host-plant relatedness. These findings highlight the evolutionary success of cynipids on white oak hosts and the connectedness of continental assemblages of gall wasps over evolutionary time

Gemcitabine: Efficacy in the Treatment of Advanced Stage Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in many countries. Approximately half of the patients with non-small cell lung cancer have advanced disease and systemic chemotherapy, especially platinum-based doublets, is currently the standard treatment. Several trials have recently indicated the importance of histological subtype for treatment with molecular target chemotherapy and pemetrexed. Over the last decade, gemcitabine, a pyrimidine nucleoside antimetabolite, has been one of the most effective agents for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. It is unknown whether histological type is a predictor of the outcome of treatment with this agent. This is a review of the past trials and reviews of first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC, focusing on efficacy and safety of treatment with gemcitabine according to histological subtype

Gender differences in sex life issues – A population-based study of migraine sufferers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Migraine is considered to have a negative influence on sex life. The present study was to analyse the perceptions of importance of and satisfaction with sex life as well as the expression of interest in sex among people having migraines in a prospective follow-up mail survey in 1998 and 2003.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The random sample was stratified according to gender and age in four age groups (20–24, 30–34, 40–44, and 50–54 years). Altogether 25 898 individuals responded to the baseline and 19 626 to the follow-up questionnaire (75.8% response rate). We examined as to how the perceptions of sex life of those suffering from migraine changed during a 5-year follow-up. Conditional logistic regression was used to analyse the data of the responses on self-reported migraine in the baseline and follow-up surveys (N = 2 977, 79.2% women). Each person with migraine was assigned a gender- and age-matched control in the analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All three outcome variables tended to decrease in value. Importance of sex life was higher among men with migraine than among their controls. Among women migraine lessened interest in sex life.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggested that migraine has a different impact on sex life among women from that among men.</p