Genetic differentiation in Scottish populations of the pine beauty moth Panolis flammea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Pine beauty moth, Panolis flammea (Denis & Schiffermüller), is a recent but persistent pest of lodgepole pine plantations in Scotland, but exists naturally at low levels within remnants and plantations of Scots pine. To test whether separate host races occur in lodgepole and Scots pine stands and to examine colonization dynamics, allozyme, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and mitochondrial variation were screened within a range of Scottish samples. RAPD analysis indicated limited long distance dispersal (FST = 0.099), and significant isolation by distance (P < 0.05); but that colonization between more proximate populations was often variable, from extensive to limited exchange. When compared with material from Germany, Scottish samples were found to be more diverse and significantly differentiated for all markers. For mtDNA, two highly divergent groups of haplotypes were evident, one group contained both German and Scottish samples and the other was predominantly Scottish. No genetic differentiation was evident between P. flammea populations sampled from different hosts, and no diversity bottleneck was observed in the lodgepole group. Indeed, lodgepole stands appear to have been colonized on multiple occasions from Scots pine sources and neighbouring populations on different hosts are close to panmixia.A.J. Lowe, B.J. Hicks, K. Worley, R.A. Ennos, J.D. Morman, G. Stone and A.D. Wat

Clinical outcomes in a randomized controlled study comparing azathioprine and prednisolone versus prednisolone alone in the treatment of severe leprosy type 1 reactions in Nepal

The ILEP nerve function impairment and reaction research programme (INFIR 2) was a group of clinical trials conducted to identify second-line treatments for severe leprosy type 1 reactions (T1R). This paper presents the clinical results of one of these trials in which azathioprine was used in combination with short-course prednisolone to ascertain if the combination was effective in controlling the symptoms and signs of reaction. Forty patients were alternately assigned to a 12-week treatment with either AP (12 weeks azathioprine at 3 mg/kg/d plus 8 week reducing course prednisolone starting at 40 mg/d) or P (12-week reducing course prednisolone starting at 40 mg/d). Evaluation included serial quantitative clinical assessments. The overall frequency of side effects was similar in both groups. Results show that there was no difference in clinical outcome in the AP and P groups and a similar number of patients in each group required extra prednisolone for worsening clinical features. We conclude that a 12-week course of azathioprine at 3 mg/kg/day plus an 8 week reducing course of prednisolone starting at 40 mg/d is as effective as a 12 week reducing course of prednisolone starting at 40 mg/d and that the combination therapy is well-tolerated in severe leprosy T1R patients

Fenland communities A study on total historical geography

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:8318.17085F(ESRC/DOO--24/2009)fiche / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

On the Change of Japanese Name of Our Museum

Immunogenetics and cellular immunology of bacterial infectious disease

A test of fitness consequences of hybridization in sibling species of Lake Victoria cichlid fish

International audienceSeveral hundred species of haplochromine cichlid fish have evolved rapidly in Lake Victoria. Divergent sexual and ecological selection probably played an important role in this radiation, generating divergent mating preferences and preference-trait covariance. However, the segregation of hybrid inviability or infertility genes could also potentially generate preference-trait covariance, and the mechanisms that cause the evolution of divergent mating preferences have not been investigated in detail in any cichlid species pair. We investigated intrinsic fitness of hybrids between two sister species in the genus Pundamilia, one of the most species-rich genera of Lake Victoria cichlids. Fitness-related traits were measured in nonhybrid offspring of both species, and in the first and second hybrid generations. There were no differences in fecundity, fertility, sex ratio or growth rates either between the sister species or between these and their hybrids. By contrast, there was a difference in offspring survival between the two sister species. Offspring survival was dependent only on the species of the mother, regardless of whether the cross was conspecific or heterospecific. Further, eggs tended to be larger in the hybrids than in one of the parental species. Hence, hybrids suffered no intrinsic fitness reduction relative to nonhybrids. Our data suggest that intrinsic hybrid incompatibilities are unlikely to have caused speciation in Pundamilia, nor to maintain species boundaries in this system