Hybrid Dysfunction Expressed as Elevated Metabolic Rate in Male Ficedula Flycatchers

Studies of ecological speciation are often biased towards extrinsic sources of selection against hybrids, resulting from intermediate hybrid morphology, but the knowledge of how genetic incompatibilities accumulate over time under natural conditions is limited. Here we focus on a physiological trait, metabolic rate, which is central to life history strategies and thermoregulation but is also likely to be sensitive to mismatched mitonuclear interactions. We measured the resting metabolic rate of male collared, and pied flycatchers as well as of naturally occurring F1 hybrid males, in a recent hybrid zone. We found that hybrid males had a higher rather than intermediate metabolic rate, which is indicative of hybrid physiological dysfunction. Fitness costs associated with elevated metabolic rate are typically environmentally dependent and exaggerated under harsh conditions. By focusing on male hybrid dysfunction in an eco-physiological trait, our results contribute to the general understanding of how combined extrinsic and intrinsic sources of hybrid dysfunction build up under natural conditions.</p

Differences in incubation behaviour and niche separation of two competing flycatcher species

Food availability sets the stage for incubation behaviour of a female bird and thereby indirectly determines the nest temperature, which in turn affects development and metabolism of avian embryos. Changes in development and metabolism in turn are known to influence offspring's ability to adjust to environmental changes later in life. However, few studies have investigated the role of interspecific differences in incubation behaviour in relation to niche separation between competing sibling species. We studied the effects of habitat quality (in terms of caterpillar availability) on incubation behaviour of two ecologically similar and closely related species, collared and pied flycatchers (Ficedula albicollisandF. hypoleuca), in their hybrid zone on the island of oland, Sweden. Even though both species prefer caterpillar-rich deciduous forests as nesting sites, collared flycatchers, whose nestlings have higher energetic demands, are able to nest only in deciduous forests, whereas pied flycatchers have more flexible habitat requirements. Overall, higher food availability was associated with increased nest attendance, higher incubation temperature and a lower number of foraging trips across species. In addition, collared flycatchers had more frequent and shorter foraging trips across habitat types, allocated more heat to eggs and therefore maintained higher nest temperatures compared to pied flycatchers. We argue that the higher heat allocation or the need to maintain a higher nest temperature for embryo development may constrain collared flycatchers to focus on relatively more profitable prey. Our results highlight the importance of considering incubation behaviour in the context of understanding species differences in niche use. Significance statement Niche separation plays an important role in mitigating effects of competition between closely related species. Whether species differences in incubation behaviour relate to differences in niche use remains unknown. We compared incubation behaviour of two sympatric flycatcher species that differ in sensitivity to food availability. The competitively more dominant and larger species, the collared flycatcher, whose nestlings are more sensitive to food shortages, made more frequent foraging trips but allocated more heat to eggs, leading to higher nest temperature despite lower nest attendance, compared to pied flycatchers. These interspecific differences may be a result of differences in embryo sensitivity or female physiology and contribute to the niche separation between the species, which in turn can facilitate coexistence

The European Forestry Dynamics Model: Concept, design and results of first case studies

The European Forestry Dynamics Model (EFDM) is a joint effort between the European Commission Joint Research Centre and partners in the EU Member States for the development of a forestry dynamics model. The model is expected to project the state of Europe’s forests given different climatic, economic and management scenarios. EFDM was designed as a flexible system to facilitate the different types of data input that are available from the diverse National Forest Inventories. The model captures different typologies such as site productivity, ownership and the probability of natural disturbances. Specifically, EFDM is able to process detailed national-level input data such as National Forest Inventories (NFI) outputs, as well as related national-level expertise in social and economic domains. In this way, the system supports effective utilization of the collaborative expertise in the parameterization of scenarios. This document is intended as a general introduction to the EFDM. Experiences gained from the EFDM test applications by five NFI teams (Austria, Finland, France, Portugal and Sweden) are also summarized in this report.JRC.H.3-Forest Resources and Climat

Evaluating Drug Prices, Availability, Affordability, and Price Components: Implications for Access to Drugs in Malaysia

BACKGROUND: Malaysia's stable health care system is facing challenges with increasing medicine costs. To investigate these issues a survey was carried out to evaluate medicine prices, availability, affordability, and the structure of price components. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The methodology developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Action International (HAI) was used. Price and availability data for 48 medicines was collected from 20 public sector facilities, 32 private sector retail pharmacies and 20 dispensing doctors in four geographical regions of West Malaysia. Medicine prices were compared with international reference prices (IRPs) to obtain a median price ratio. The daily wage of the lowest paid unskilled government worker was used to gauge the affordability of medicines. Price component data were collected throughout the supply chain, and markups, taxes, and other distribution costs were identified. In private pharmacies, innovator brand (IB) prices were 16 times higher than the IRPs, while generics were 6.6 times higher. In dispensing doctor clinics, the figures were 15 times higher for innovator brands and 7.5 for generics. Dispensing doctors applied high markups of 50%–76% for IBs, and up to 316% for generics. Retail pharmacy markups were also high—25%–38% and 100%–140% for IBs and generics, respectively. In the public sector, where medicines are free, availability was low even for medicines on the National Essential Drugs List. For a month's treatment for peptic ulcer disease and hypertension people have to pay about a week's wages in the private sector. CONCLUSIONS: The free market by definition does not control medicine prices, necessitating price monitoring and control mechanisms. Markups for generic products are greater than for IBs. Reducing the base price without controlling markups may increase profits for retailers and dispensing doctors without reducing the price paid by end users. To increase access and affordability, promotion of generic medicines and improved availability of medicines in the public sector are required

Pressure and Chemical Unfolding of an α-Helical Bundle Protein: The GH2 Domain of the Protein Adaptor GIPC1.

When combined with NMR spectroscopy, high hydrostatic pressure is an alternative perturbation method used to destabilize globular proteins that has proven to be particularly well suited for exploring the unfolding energy landscape of small single-domain proteins. To date, investigations of the unfolding landscape of all-β or mixed-α/β protein scaffolds are well documented, whereas such data are lacking for all-α protein domains. Here we report the NMR study of the unfolding pathways of GIPC1-GH2, a small α-helical bundle domain made of four antiparallel α-helices. High-pressure perturbation was combined with NMR spectroscopy to unravel the unfolding landscape at three different temperatures. The results were compared to those obtained from classical chemical denaturation. Whatever the perturbation used, the loss of secondary and tertiary contacts within the protein scaffold is almost simultaneous. The unfolding transition appeared very cooperative when using high pressure at high temperature, as was the case for chemical denaturation, whereas it was found more progressive at low temperature, suggesting the existence of a complex folding pathway

Radiation-induced accelerated aging of the brain vasculature in young adult survivors of childhood brain tumors

Background. Cranial radiotherapy may damage the cerebral vasculature. The aim of this study was to understand the prevalence and risk factors of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in childhood brain tumors (CBT) survivors treated with radiotherapy.Methods. Seventy CBT survivors who received radiotherapy were enrolled in a cross-sectional study at a median 20 years after radiotherapy cessation. The prevalence of and risk factors for CVD were investigated using MRI, MRA, and laboratory testing. Tumors, their treatment, and stroke-related data were retrieved from patients' files.Results. Forty-four individuals (63%) had CVD at a median age of 27 years (range, 16-43 years). The prevalence rates at 20 years for CVD, small-vessel disease, and large-vessel disease were 52%, 38%, and 16%, respectively. Ischemic infarcts were diagnosed in 6 survivors, and cerebral hemorrhage in 2. Lacunar infarcts were present in 7, periventricular or deep WMHs in 34 (49%), and mineralizing microangiopathy in 21 (30%) survivors. Multiple pathologies were detected in 44% of the participants, and most lesions were located in a high-dose radiation area. Higher blood pressure was associated with CVD and a presence of WMHs. Higher cholesterol levels increased the risk of ischemic infarcts and WMHs, and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein and higher waist circumference increased the risk of lacunar infarcts.Conclusions. Treating CBTs with radiotherapy increases the risk of early CVD and WMHs in young adult survivors. These results suggest an urgent need for investigating CVD prevention in CBT patients.</div

Symptoms in the palliative phase of children with cancer.

Item does not contain fulltextBACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to make a comprehensive inventory of the physical, psychological, and social symptoms of children with cancer and their parents during the palliative phase and the extent to which health professionals address those symptoms. PROCEDURE: Forty parents of children who died 1-3 years prior to data collection (structured questionnaire) were invited to participate in the study. RESULTS: The response rate was 32 out of 40 parents (80%). Most frequently mentioned physical symptoms were pain, poor appetite, and fatigue. The children's most mentioned psychological symptoms were sadness, difficulty in talking to their parents about their feelings regarding illness and death and fear of being alone. The symptoms of fear of death of the child and fear of physical symptoms were most frequently mentioned parents' psychological symptoms. Health professionals addressed 82% of the children's physical symptoms, 43% of the children's psychological symptoms, and 56% of the parents' psychological symptoms. Parents indicated that after professional attention the proportion of children's physical symptoms that were completely or partially resolved was 18 and 26%, respectively. For children's psychological symptoms the figures were 9 and 25%, respectively, and for parents' psychological symptoms 2 and 23%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of symptoms of the child with cancer during the palliative phase and their parents is high. Health professionals focus mainly on the physical symptoms of the child. Relief of symptoms could not be achieved for a large proportion of symptoms. Further prospective research is necessary to investigate the kind, frequency and intensity of symptoms in order to tailor optimal palliative care to the needs of both child and parent

What has more impact on relationship conflict : childhood maltreatment, psychopathy or emotional intelligence?

This study is the first to investigate the possible associations between four predictor variables: childhood maltreatment experiences, psychopathy, emotional intelligence (trait), emotional intelligence (ability), arid the outcome variable relationship conflict in a community-based sample. In addition to exploring the associations between the predictor variables and the outcome variable, this study explored the associations between the predictor variables and proposed a model predicting relationship conflict on the basis of the predictor variables. Participants were 197 non-random community-based males and females contacted through network sampling and online advertisements. Participants completed an online survey comprised of the following instruments, which measured the predictive variables: The Childhood Maltreatment Interview Schedule — Short Form (CMIS-SF; Briere, 1992) measured self-reported childhood maltreatment experiences, two of which formed the childhood maltreatment experiences variable (i.e., physical abuse and sexual abuse); the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale III (SRP-III; Williams, Nathanson, & Paulhus, 2003) measured self-reported psychopathy; the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i; Bar-On, 1997) measured self-reported ability-based emotional intelligence; and twenty-eight streaming video clips, four for each of the seven universal emotional facial expressions (i.e., happy, sad, fear, surprise, anger, disgust, contempt) from the Micro Expression Training Tool (METT; Ekman, 2003-2006) used to measure ability based emotional intelligence. The total score of four subscales (e.g., psychological aggression, physical assault, sexual coercion, physical injury) from the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2; Straus, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996) comprised the outcome variable relationship conflict. Poisson regressions were completed and results indicated that psychopathy is the variable most predictive of relationship conflict in this sample. This is followed by childhood maltreatment experiences. Trait-based emotional intelligence gained significance as a predictor of relationship conflict but with a marginal effect size. Ability-based emotional intelligence and gender were not predictive in the model that took into account all the predictor variables. These findings and others are discussed in terms of their relevance in predicting relationship conflict in a community-based sample.Arts, Faculty ofPsychology, Department ofGraduat

Childhood maltreatment experiences and adult attachment style in male offenders

John Bowlby began to study childhood maltreatment, attachment and offending behavior many years before he conceived of attachment theory; through work with maladjusted children he came to believe that actual family experiences were key factors in the etiology of emotional disturbances. The present study examined the childhood maltreatment experiences and adult attachment representations, as defined by Bartholomew (1990) of 40 adult male offenders incarcerated at a medium security federal institution in the Fraser Valley. A control group, of 23 University of British Columbia male undergraduates, was also examined. Childhood maltreatment and other familial experiences were gathered using a modified version of the Family Attachment Interview (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991); adult attachment representations were assessed using the Peer Attachment Interview (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991), and coded using the four-category attachment framework developed by Bartholomew (1990). Participants also completed a questionnaire package that will not be analyzed for purposes of this thesis. It was found that the offender sample did experience significantly more childhood maltreatment on 5 of the 6 maltreatment variables than did the undergraduate sample; however no significant difference was found on the emotional neglect variable. In terms of attachment representations, results indicate that the inmate population is significantly more insecure in their attachment representations than are the university undergraduates; however, when compared to similar samples in the literature, both groups were significantly different in their attachment representations. Significant differences in childhood maltreatment, and attachment representation were not found. Discussion focuses on the limitations of the present samples, the need for future research on this issue with larger samples, and the usefulness of the attachment paradigm in understanding the impact of childhood maltreatment and family of origin variables on offenders; from both treatment and risk management perspectives.Arts, Faculty ofPsychology, Department ofGraduat