447 research outputs found

    Modeling effects of nonbreeders on population growth estimates

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    Acknowledgements We thank the Beissinger lab and reviewers for helpful comments on manuscript drafts. This research was funded by a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (project NON- BREEDERS). The contents of this paper reflect the views of the researchers, not the views of the European Commission. Data Accessibility R-code available from the Dryad Digital Repository: http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.t56cn (Lee, Reid & Beissinger, 2016).Peer reviewedPostprin

    Inbreeding parents should invest more resources in fewer offspring

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    Inbreeding increases parent-offspring relatedness and commonly reduces offspring viability, shaping selection on reproductive interactions involving relatives and associated parental investment (PI). Nevertheless, theories predicting selection for inbreeding versus inbreeding avoidance and selection for optimal PI have only been considered separately, precluding prediction of optimal PI and associated reproductive strategy given inbreeding. We unify inbreeding and PI theory, demonstrating that optimal PI increases when a female’s inbreeding decreases the viability of her offspring. Inbreeding females should therefore produce fewer offspring due to the fundamental trade-off between off-spring number and PI. Accordingly, selection for inbreeding versus inbreeding avoidance changes when females can adjust PI with the degree that they inbreed. In contrast, optimal PI does not depend on whether a focal female is herself inbred. However, inbreeding causes optimal PI to increase given strict monogamy and associated biparental investment compared to female-only investment. Our model implies that understanding evolutionary dynamics of inbreeding strategy, inbreeding depression, and PI requires joint consideration of the expression of each in relation to the other. Overall, we demonstrate that existing PI and inbreeding theories represent special cases of a more general theory, implying that intrinsic links between inbreeding and PI affect evolution of behaviour and intra-familial conflict

    Searches for Interstellar HCCSH and H₂CCS

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    A longstanding problem in astrochemistry is the inability of many current models to account for missing sulfur content. Many relatively simple species that may be good candidates to sequester sulfur have not been measured experimentally at the high spectral resolution necessary to enable radioastronomical identification. On the basis of new laboratory data, we report searches for the rotational lines in the microwave, millimeter, and submillimeter regions of the sulfur-containing hydrocarbon HCCSH. This simple species would appear to be a promising candidate for detection in space owing to the large dipole moment along its b-inertial axis, and because the bimolecular reaction between two highly abundant astronomical fragments (CCH and SH radicals) may be rapid. An inspection of multiple line surveys from the centimeter to the far-infrared toward a range of sources from dark clouds to high-mass star-forming regions, however, resulted in nondetections. An analogous search for the lowest-energy isomer, H₂CCS, is presented for comparison, and also resulted in nondetections. Typical upper limits on the abundance of both species relative to hydrogen are 10^(−9)–10^(−10). We thus conclude that neither isomer is a major reservoir of interstellar sulfur in the range of environments studied. Both species may still be viable candidates for detection in other environments or at higher frequencies, providing laboratory frequencies are available

    A proteomic approach based on peptide affinity chromatography, 2-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify multiprotein complexes interacting with membrane-bound receptors

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    There is accumulating evidence that membrane-bound receptors interact with many intracellular proteins. Multiprotein complexes associated with ionotropic receptors have been extensively characterized, but the identification of proteins interacting with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has so far only been achieved in a piecemeal fashion, focusing on one or two protein species. We describe a method based on peptide affinity chromatography, two-dimensional electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and immunoblotting to identify the components of multiprotein complexes interacting directly or indirectly with intracellular domains of GPCRs or, more generally, any other membrane-bound receptor. Using this global approach, we have characterized multiprotein complexes that bind to the carboxy-terminal tail of the 5-hydroxytryptamine type 2C receptor and are important for its subcellular localization in CNS cells (Bécamel et al., EMBO J., 21(10): 2332, 2002)

    On publicness theory and its implications for supply chain integration:The case of criminal justice supply chains

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    The literature has extensively discussed whether and how public organizations differ from private ones. Publicness theory argues that the degree of publicness is determined by ownership, funding, goal setting, and control structure of an organization. However, these theoretical ideas have not yet been extended to the interorganizational level. The need for further research is reflected in the sustained debate on the applicability of for-profit management approaches in public contexts and supply chains. Starting from the premise of the dimensional publicness theory, this study focuses on theory elaboration. We focus our empirical study on the criminal justice supply chain, which encompasses the process of bringing a criminal case to court. This chain provides an interesting public case to explore how specific dimensions of publicness affect or limit supply chain integration mechanisms. The results of our series of embedded cases focusing on Dutch criminal justice supply chains show that control structures, embodied in laws and regulations, define the governance of relationships between supply chain partners. In addition to these formalized ties, extensive known for-profit information and operational integration mechanisms can be observed, along with limited relational integration. Surprisingly, although similar integration mechanisms are used as in for-profit contexts, integration serves a different role in several of the relationships investigated: dealing with tensions stemming from the specific goal setting and stakeholders of criminal justice chains. Although our findings specifically relate to criminal justice supply chains, they have important implications for other supply chains using contracts and laws and those being selective in applying supply chain integration in cases of contrasting objectives. Moreover, we provide a stepping-stone for the extension of publicness theory to the interorganizational level

    Variation in the CXCR1 gene (IL8RA) is not associated with susceptibility to chronic periodontitis

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The chemokine receptor 1 CXCR-1 (or IL8R-alpha) is a specific receptor for the interleukin 8 (IL-8), which is chemoattractant for neutrophils and has an important role in the inflammatory response. The polymorphism rs2234671 at position Ex2+860G > C of the <it>CXCR1 </it>gene causes a conservative amino acid substitution (S276T). This single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) seemed to be functional as it was associated with decreased lung cancer risk. Previous studies of our group found association of haplotypes in the <it>IL8 </it>and in the <it>CXCR2 </it>genes with the multifactorial disease chronic periodontitis. In this study we investigated the polymorphism rs2234671 in 395 Brazilian subjects with and without chronic periodontitis.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Similar distribution of the allelic and genotypic frequencies were observed between the groups (p > 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The polymorphism rs2234671 in the <it>CXCR1 </it>gene was not associated with the susceptibility to chronic periodontitis in the studied Brazilian population.</p

    Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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    BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London
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