Elbow-joint morphology as a guide to forearm function and foraging behaviour in mammalian carnivores

Among the hunting strategies employed by members of the order Carnivora (Mammalia), two, stalk and ambush and sustained pursuit, are particularly prevalent among larger species of the order. It has been difficult to identify morphological traits that support this distinction and ecological observations have shown that most carnivorans adopt a continuum of strategies, depending on available habitat and prey. In this paper, the shape of the distal humerus articulation is analysed, with the aim of exploring the use of the forelimb in prey procurement, and as a guide to such behaviour among fossil carnivorans. The results suggest that manual manipulation and locomotion are conflicting functions. Elbow‐joint morphology supports a division between grapplers (i.e. ambushers) and nongrapplers (i.e. pursuers). Joints of the former are characterized by being relatively wide and the latter, by being relatively narrow and box‐like with pronounced stabilizing features. At intermediate and large body sizes, carnivorans show a pattern suggesting mutually exclusive feeding strategies that involve either grappling with prey or sustained pursuit. The former allows for large body sizes, such as pantherine felids and ursids; the latter includes species of only moderate size, such as hyenids and canids. Elbow‐joint morphology is closely linked to phylogeny, but the morphology of the cheetah converges with that of nongrapplers, showing that strong selective forces may override the phylogenetic component. Two taxa of giant mustelids from the Miocene were analysed to test whether this sort of analysis is applicable to carnivorans of the past. The African Late Miocene species Ekorus ekakeran has a joint morphology comparable to that of modern‐day nongrapplers. Two joint morphologies were found in the North American Late Oligocene‐Early Miocene Megalictis ferox. The first morphology is comparable to that of modern pantherine cats and the second forms an intermediate between grapplers and nongrapplers that is not present in the modern carnivoran fauna. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 142 , 91–104.     

A KOREAN PERSPECTIVE ON DEVELOPING A GLOBAL POLICY FOR ADVANCE DIRECTIVES

Despite the wide and daunting array of cross‐cultural obstacles that the formulation of a global policy on advance directives will clearly pose, the need is equally evident. Specifically, the expansion of medical services driven by medical tourism, just to name one important example, makes this issue urgently relevant. While ensuring consistency across national borders, a global policy will have the additional and perhaps even more important effect of increasing the use of advance directives in clinical settings and enhancing their effectiveness within each country, regardless of where that country's state of the law currently stands. One cross‐cultural issue that may represent a major obstacle in formulating, let alone applying, a global policy is whether patient autonomy as the underlying principle for the use of advance directives is a universal norm or a construct of western traditions that must be reconciled with alternative value systems that may place lesser significance on individual choice. A global policy, at a minimum, must emphasize respect for patient autonomy, provision of medical information, limits to the obligations for physicians, and portability. And though the development of a global policy will be no easy task, active engagement in close collaboration with the World Health Organization can make it possible.     

Reproduction and probing behaviour of the bird cherry‐oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi on detached leaves and leaves on intact seedlings of the winter host,bird cherry Prunus padus

Video recording and electrical penetration graph techniques are used simultaneously to investigate host acceptance (in terms of reproduction) and probing activities of autumn migrants (gynoparae) of the bird cherry‐oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) on detached leaves and on leaves on intact plants of the winter host, bird cherry Prunus padus. There are no significant differences between the times taken to first parturition or the number of nymphs produced over a 6‐ or 18‐h period on intact plants or detached leaves. Stylet probing activities (i.e. total probe duration, xylem ingestion, the time to first phloem contact and phloem salivation) are also similar in the two situations.     

Contribution of TGFβ1 Codon 10 Polymorphism to High Myopia in an Ethnic Kashmiri Population from India

This study looks at novel variants of the TGFβ1 gene and their potential association with high myopia in an ethnic population from Kashmir, India. Allele frequencies of 247 Kashmiri subjects (from India) with high myopia and 176 ethnically matched healthy controls were tested for Hardy–Weinberg disequilibrium. The genotype and allele frequencies were evaluated using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests. One of the three SNPs in codon 10 showed a significant difference between patients and control subjects (rs1982073: p genotype = 0.003, p allele = 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between patients and control subjects for the other two SNPs, rs1800471 at codon 25 and a novel variant at codon 52. SNP rs1982073, substituting proline with leucine, appeared to be significantly associated with high myopia (p < 0.05). In silico predictions show that substitutions are likely to have an impact on the structure and functional properties of the protein, making it imperative to understand their functional consequences in relation to high myopia.     

Chilodonella spp. at Four Fish Farms in Northern Finland

A total of 4.1% infestation with Chilodonella spp. was found among fish studied in 144 tanks in 1987–1989, representing 14.0% of the tanks in which fish are reared at four salmonid farms in northern Finland. Two species were found, C. hexasticha and C. piscicola, and both occurred on salmon (Salmo salar L.), sea trout [S. trutta m. trutta (L.)] and brown trout [S. t. m. lacustris (L.)]. Variability was observed in the length and width of the C. piscicola specimens and the number of ciliary rows or kineties. Large specimens which had more kinetics than average for C. piscicola were found mainly on the skin of salmon aged 1–2 years. The number of kinetics in the right ciliary band was found in stepwise logistic regression analysis to be of importance when typing C. piscicola specimens. Fingerlings were found to be more susceptible to Chilodonella infestation than older fish, and mortality varied in the range 2–10% in the course of the epizootics in the three fish species. Most mortality cases were caused by C. hexasticha, occurring mainly on the gills of the fish. Chilodonella piscicola was most often found in salmon and occurred at lower water temperatures than C. hexasticha (mean water temperature when found for the first time being 13° C and 16° C, respectively).     

Envelope diversity, characteristics of V3 region and predicted co-receptor usage of human immunodeficiency viruses infecting north indians

Subtypes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 circulating in 21 north Indian patients were characterized based on the partial sequence of the gp120 envelope protein. A majority of viruses (85.7%, 18/21) were subtype C, while 14.3% (3/21) were subtype A. Sequence analysis revealed that the V3 region was highly conserved compared with V4 and V5. The predicted use of co-receptors indicated exclusive usage of R5, except for two subtype A viruses (AIIMS279 and AIIMS281). Our results demonstrate conservation within the V3 loop of subtype C viruses, and suggest the emergence of non-clade C viruses in the north Indian population.     

MYP2 locus genes: Sequence variations,genetic association studies and haplotypic association in patients with High Myopia

High Myopia (HM) is a common complex-trait eye disorder. There is essential evidence that genetic factors play a significant role in the development of nonsyndromic high myopia. Identification of susceptibility genes of high myopia will shed light on the pathophysiological mechanism underlying their genesis. This was a case control study examining the prospect of association of DLGAP1, EMILIN2 & MYOM1 genes on MYP2 locus in purely ethnic (Kashmiri) population representing a homogeneous cohort. Genomic DNA was extracted using phenol chloroform and salting out method. Extracted DNA was genotyped for polymorphic variations in MYOM1, EMILIN2 and DLGAP1 genes involving Sanger di-deoxy method. Allele frequencies were tested for Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium in 224 cases and compared with 220 emmetropic controls. In DLGAP1, documented single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP); Pro517Pro was observed. A previously reported Asn451Asn SNP was observed in EMILIN2. MYOM1 showed five polymorphic variations; two in coding region (Gly333Gly & Gly341Ala) and three intronic (c.1022+23, G>A; c.3418+44 G>T & c.3418+65; C>G). All of the elucidated SNPs were having statistical significant role in increasing or decreasing the risk of disease. Although not statistically significant, a novel Glu507Lys SNP was observed in DLGAP1 (P>0.05). In silico predictions showed MYOM1 Gly341Ala to be benign & tolerated substitution while as DLGAP1 Glu507Lys to be possibly damaging substitution. The studied SNPs followed Over-Dominant, Recessive and Co-Dominant mode of inheritance with specific haplotypes associated with the disease. Our study reveals the involvement of MYP2 locus candidate gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of HM.