Response of Marine Ecosystems to Global Change: Ecological Impact of Appendicularians. Edited by Gorsky G., Youngbluth M. J. and Deibel D. Editions Scientifiques, Paris, 2005. 434 pp. ISBN 2847030298 (paperback). {euro}59. www.eacgb.com + 1 colour plate.

This book arose from a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)Advance Research Workshop held in December 2001 at the OceanologicalObservatory, Villefranche-sur-Mer, where the first editor andR. Fenaux are based. It starts with a tribute by the first editorto Robert Fenaux, his former doctoral supervisor and constantresearch partner. Like mentor like student, both are pioneersof research and underwater observations of appendicularians.Then follow an Introduction and 19 mainly multiauthored chapters. The title might lead     

Mouse lymphoma thymidine kinase gene mutation assay: meeting of the International Workshop on Genotoxicity Testing, San Francisco, 2005, recommendations for 24-h treatment

The Mouse Lymphoma Assay (MLA) Workgroup of the International Workshop on Genotoxicity Testing (IWGT), comprised of experts from Japan, Europe and the United States, met on September 9, 2005, in San Francisco, CA, USA. This meeting of the MLA Workgroup was devoted to reaching a consensus on issues involved with 24-h treatment. Recommendations were made concerning the acceptable values for the negative/solvent control (mutant frequency, cloning efficiency and suspension growth) and the criteria to define an acceptable positive control response. Consensus was also reached concerning the use of the global evaluation factor (GEF) and appropriate statistical trend analysis to define positive and negative responses for the 24-h treatment. The Workgroup agreed to continue their support of the International Committee on Harmonization (ICH) recommendation that the MLA assay should include a 24-h treatment (without S-9) in those situations where the short treatment (3-4 h) gives negative results.     

Septal pore apparatus and nuclear division of Auriscalpium vulgare

Ultrastructure of the septal pore apparatus and nuclear division of Auriscalpium vulgare (Russulales) was examined with freeze substitution and is presented for inclusion in the AFTOL Structural and Biochemical Database (http://aftol.umn.edu). Previously unreported septal characters for the Russulales (Agaricomycotina) were observed: Septa of the hymenophore had bell-shaped perforated septal pore caps that may extend along the septum and a zone of organelle exclusion surrounded the septal pore apparatus. Metaphase I of meiosis and metaphase of mitosis were similar. Globular spindle pole bodies with electron-opaque inclusions were set within polar fenestrae of the nuclear envelope. The nuclear envelope was mostly intact with occasional gaps. Fragments of endoplasmic reticulum were present near the spindle pole bodies but did not form a polar cap. Structural characters may distinguish one or more clades of the Agaricomycotina and provide additional signal in phylogenetic analyses.     

Mutations in CUL4B, which encodes a ubiquitin E3 ligase subunit, cause an X-linked mental retardation syndrome associated with aggressive outbursts, seizures, relative macrocephaly, central obesity, hypogonadism, pes cavus, and tremor

We have identified three truncating, two splice-site, and three missense variants at conserved amino acids in the CUL4B gene on Xq24 in 8 of 250 families with X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). During affected subjects' adolescence, a syndrome emerged with delayed puberty, hypogonadism, relative macrocephaly, moderate short stature, central obesity, unprovoked aggressive outbursts, fine intention tremor, pes cavus, and abnormalities of the toes. This syndrome was first described by Cazebas et al., in a family that was included in our study and that carried a CUL4B missense variant. CUL4B is a ubiquitin E3 ligase subunit implicated in the regulation of several biological processes, and CUL4B is the first XLMR gene that encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase. The relatively high frequency of CUL4B mutations in this series indicates that it is one of the most commonly mutated genes underlying XLMR and suggests that its introduction into clinical diagnostics should be a high priority.     

Restoring Rivers One Reach at a Time: Results from a Survey of U.S. River Restoration Practitioners

Despite expenditures of more than 1 billion dollars annually, there is little information available about project motivations, actions, and results for the vast majority of river restoration efforts. We performed confidential telephone interviews with 317 restoration project managers from across the United States with the goals of (1) assessing project motivations and the metrics of project evaluation and (2) estimating the proportion of projects that set and meet criteria for ecologically successful river restoration projects. According to project managers, ecological degradation typically motivated restoration projects, but post‐project appearance and positive public opinion were the most commonly used metrics of success. Less than half of all projects set measurable objectives for their projects, but nearly two‐thirds of all interviewees felt that their projects had been “completely successful.” Projects that we classified as highly effective were distinct from the full database in that most had significant community involvement and an advisory committee. Interviews revealed that many restoration practitioners are frustrated by the lack of funding for and emphasis on project monitoring. To remedy this, we recommend a national program of strategic monitoring focused on a subset of future projects. Our interviews also suggest that merely conducting and publishing more scientific studies will not lead to significant improvements in restoration practice; direct, collaborative involvement between scientists, managers, and practitioners is required for forward progress in the science and application of river restoration.     

A Long-Acting PYY3–36 Analog Mediates Robust Anorectic Efficacy with Minimal Emesis in Nonhuman Primates

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Numerical integration of the master equation in some models of stochastic epidemiology

The processes by which disease spreads in a population of individuals are inherently stochastic. The master equation has proven to be a useful tool for modeling such processes. Unfortunately, solving the master equation analytically is possible only in limited cases (e.g., when the model is linear), and thus numerical procedures or approximation methods must be employed. Available approximation methods, such as the system size expansion method of van Kampen, may fail to provide reliable solutions, whereas current numerical approaches can induce appreciable computational cost. In this paper, we propose a new numerical technique for solving the master equation. Our method is based on a more informative stochastic process than the population process commonly used in the literature. By exploiting the structure of the master equation governing this process, we develop a novel technique for calculating the exact solution of the master equation--up to a desired precision--in certain models of stochastic epidemiology. We demonstrate the potential of our method by solving the master equation associated with the stochastic SIR epidemic model. MATLAB software that implements the methods discussed in this paper is freely available as Supporting Information S1.     

Autosomal genome-wide linkage analysis to identify loci for gallbladder wall thickness in Mexican Americans

The significance of gallbladder wall thickness (GBWT) in regard to gallbladder disease (GBD) is not completely understood. Thickening of the gallbladder wall has been observed in patients with acute calculous and acalculous cholecystitis and chronic cholecystitis. However, various pathologic processes, such as gallbladder cancer and nonbiliary disorders such as liver cirrhosis and viral hepatitis, could also cause thickening of the gallbladder wall. To date, there is no report available on the genetic factors influencing GBWT. Therefore we sought to estimate the heritability (h2) of GBWT and to perform a genome-wide search to identify the susceptibility genes for GBWT, using data from the San Antonio Family Diabetes/Gallbladder Study (SAFDGS), a family study of Mexican Americans. GBWT was measured by ultrasound. After adjusting for the significant effects of age, sex, GBD (i.e., asymptomatic gallstones), metabolic syndrome, and duration of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), GBWT was found to be under significant and appreciable additive genetic influences (h2 +/- SE = 0.38 +/- 0.09, P < 0.0001). The strongest evidence for linkage occurred between markers D11S912 and D11S968 on chromosome 11q24-q25 (LOD = 2.7), where we have already shown suggestive evidence for linkage of GBD (LOD = 2.7) in a subset of our SAFDGS data. Potential evidence for linkage occurred at markers D1S1728 (1p31.1; LOD = 1.4) and D16S748 (16p13.1; LOD = 1.4), respectively. In conclusion, our study provides suggestive evidence for linkage of GBWT on chromosome 11q in Mexican Americans, and future tasks of mapping susceptibility gene(s) for GBD and its related traits, such as GBWT, in this chromosomal region can be fruitful.     

The bone-muscle ratio of fetal lambs is affected more by maternal nutrition during pregnancy than by maternal size

Bone formation and loss are related to the strain imposed on bone by muscle forces. Bone mineral content (BMC) and lean mass (LM) of fetal lambs was determined at day 140 of pregnancy in 8 groups of ewes, which were of either large or small body size, on either high (ad libitum) or maintenance pasture intake from day 21 of pregnancy, or carrying either singletons or twins. BMC and LM (using DXA scanning) of fetal hindquarters/spine were corrected to leg length. BMC and LM were less in twin than singleton groups (P < 0.001). Large ewes on high intake produced single fetuses with a (group mean) BMC/LM ratio that was higher (P < 0.002) than that in fetuses of large ewes with singletons on maintenance intake or twins on either high or maintenance intakes, the ratios of which were not different. In single fetuses from small ewes on high intake, the BMC/LM ratio was higher than those from small ewes with singletons on maintenance intake or twins on either high or maintenance intakes, the ratios of which were not different. The ratio was not different in singleton fetuses of ewes on high intake, whether they were large or small. Different fetal environments resulted in a given amount of muscle being associated with a higher or lower bone mass. Dietary intake during pregnancy was more important than maternal size in affecting the ratio. We conclude that intrauterine environmental factors may be important in determining bone mass postnatally, and possibly later in life.