The Balkan chamois,an archipelago or a peninsula? Insights from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA

The Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) is widespread on the Balkan Peninsula, along mountain massifs from Croatia in the north to Greece in the south and Bulgaria in the east. Knowledge on the genetic structure of Balkan chamois populations is limited and restricted to local studies. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to use nuclear (16 microsatellites) and mitochondrial (partial 376 base pairs control region) markers to investigate the genetic structure of this chamois subspecies throughout its distribution range and to obtain information on the degree of connectivity of the different (sub)populations. We extracted DNA from bone, dried skin and muscle tissue and successfully genotyped 92 individuals of Balkan chamois and sequenced the partial control region in 44 individuals. The Bayesian analysis suggested 3 genetic clusters and assigned individuals from Serbia and Bulgaria to two separate clusters, while individuals from the other countries belonged to the same cluster. Thirty new haplotypes were obtained from partial mitochondrial DNA sequences, with private haplotypes in all analyzed populations and only two haplotypes shared among populations, indicating the possibility of past translocations. The subspecies genetic composition presented here provides the necessary starting point to assess the conservation status of the Balkan chamois and allows the development of conservation strategies necessary for its sustainable management and conservation.

     

Seed reproductive biology of the rare aquatic carnivorous plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa (Droseraceae)

Despite the unprecedented global decline in extant populations of Aldrovanda vesiculosa in the last century, little is known about the reproductive biology of this iconic aquatic carnivorous plant. This study aimed to investigate the role of seed‐based reproduction in the ecology of A. vesiculosa, with particular focus on the interplay between the regulation of seed dormancy by temperature cues and the efficacy of exogenous ethylene gas to act as a germination stimulant, the desiccation capacity and long‐term storage potential of seeds for conservation purposes. Sexual reproduction appears to be extremely limited in both natural and naturalized populations across three continents, with high variability in the success of flowering and seed set between sites and between seasons. Overall, flowering yielded few fertile fruit (6–19% of flowers producing fertile fruit) and seed viability was variable but generally low (29–88%). Fecundity appears to be influenced by seasonal climatic conditions and microhabitat characteristics. Aldrovanda vesiculosa possesses physiologically dormant seeds, with germination stimulated by exposure to ethylene gas (>90% germination) at 25 °C. Seeds appear sensitive to desiccation and sub‐zero temperature storage, with no germination and markedly reduced embryo growth after storage of seeds for >1 month at 15 °C and 15% relative humidity or after short‐term (24 h) storage at ?18 °C. In the absence of significant conservation and restoration initiatives, the continuing decline of dystrophic freshwater wetland habitats globally leaves A. vesiculosa facing extinction. As the successful long‐term storage of seeds appears unfeasible based on the approaches described in this study, other alternatives for germplasm conservation such as cryostorage of vegetative tissues or zygotic embryos must be considered for establishing long‐term ex situ collections of critical germplasm.     

Diversity of brown trout <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmo</Emphasis> cf. <Emphasis Type="Italic">trutta</Emphasis> in the River Danube basin of Western Balkans as assessed from the structure of their mitochondrial Control Region haplotypes

The part of the River Danube basin in the Western Balkans region (11 sampled localities and 57 in total with using of published data) revealed the remarkable diversity of brown trout assessed using the Control Region (CR) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as a molecular marker. The greatest number of brown trout populations holds brown trout of the Da1 haplotype. Particular distinct haplotypes are limited to isolated brown trout stocks. There are haplotypes of Danubian (Da), and those of Atlantic (At), Adriatic (Ad) and marmoratus (MA) lineages introduced there. Phylogenetic relationships inferred between them implicate the plesiomorhic character of Da*Vr, Da*D? and Da-s6 haplotypes that were resolved as ancestral clades, with the intermediate position between clades holding haplotypes of the non-Danubian lineage and more advanced haplotypes of the Danubian lineage. A uniform rate of evolution was found for all clades. The recent widespread distribution and exclusivity of Da1 haplotype imply its ancestral character among advanced Danubian haplotypes. Populations in the Sava, Drava, Una and Drina revealed an expansion, whereas those in the Kupa and Zapadna Morava catchments revealed both stability in size and great differentiation. Gene flow between stocks was found to be negligible.     

The heterosis estimates for growth and survival traits in sterlet and Siberian sturgeon purebreds and hybrids

The aim of the present study was to estimate and compare the growth and survival traits of the hybrids and purebreds produced by crossing the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) (S) and sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) (St) in order to determine the heterosis effect in the F1 generation. We compared the breeding conditions, mean body weight (BW) and cumulative survival in the artificially produced hybrid crosses of sterlet and Siberian sturgeon with respect to their pure parental species in indoor and outdoor aquaculture systems at different developmental stages. Fertilization and hatching rates were found to be significantly higher in S × S purebred compared to St × S hybrid. The highest values of BW were recorded in St × S hybrid (557.54 ± 179.7 g) on 862 days post-hatch (dph) while the highest cumulative survival was recorded in S × S purebred (14.3%). The recorded cumulative survival and mean BW was significantly lower in St × St purebred. The highest positive heterosis was recorded for mean BW of St × S hybrid (51.3% on 862 dph) throughout the sampling points. The studied sturgeon hybrids had higher mean BW compared to St × St purebred under suboptimal rearing conditions. Although there was no clear demonstration of the superiority in performance of reciprocal hybrids over purebreds, the St × S hybrid can be used for achieving better productivity in aquaculture systems.     

Informing evidence-based decision-making for patients with comorbidity: availability of necessary information in clinical trials for chronic diseases

Background

The population with multiple chronic conditions is growing. Prior studies indicate that patients with comorbidities are frequently excluded from trials but do not address whether information is available in trials to draw conclusions about treatment effects for these patients.

Methods and Findings

We conducted a literature survey of trials from 11 Cochrane Reviews for four chronic diseases (diabetes, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke). The Cochrane Reviews systematically identified and summarized trials on the effectiveness of diuretics, metformin, anticoagulants, longacting beta-agonists alone or in combination with inhaled corticosteroids, lipid lowering agents, exercise and diet. Eligible studies were reports of trials included in the Cochrane reviews and additional papers that described the methods of these trials. We assessed the exclusion and inclusion of people with comorbidities, the reporting of comorbidities, and whether comorbidities were considered as potential modifiers of treatment effects. Overall, the replicability of both the inclusion criteria (mean [standard deviation (SD)]: 6.0 (2.1), range (min-max): 1–9.5) and exclusion criteria(mean(SD): 5.3 (2.1), range: 1–9.5) was only moderate. Trials excluded patients with many common comorbidities. The proportion of exclusions for comorbidities ranged from 0–42 percent for heart failure, 0–55 percent for COPD, 0–44 percent for diabetes, and 0–39 percent for stroke. Seventy of the 161 trials (43.5%) described the prevalence of any comorbidity among participants with the index disease. The reporting of comorbidities in trials was very limited, in terms of reporting an operational definition and method of ascertainment for the presence of comorbidity and treatments for the comorbidity. It was even less common that the trials assessed whether comorbidities were potential modifiers of treatment effects.

Conclusions

Comorbidities receive little attention in chronic disease trials. Given the public health importance of people with multiple chronic conditions, trials should better report on comorbidities and assess the effect comorbidities have on treatment outcomes.     

Inhibition of carcinogen-induced cellular transformation of human fibroblasts by drugs that interact with the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase system. Initial evidence for the development of transformation resistance

Two types of interactions of 13 drugs with human fibroblasts were determined: I50 of nuclear poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, as assayed with isolated nuclei in vitro, and the non-toxic concentration of drugs that prevented carcinogen-induced cell transformation of intact fibroblasts (RCF1). In general, RCF1 was much lower than I50, and one antitransformer did not inhibit the enzyme in vitro, indicating that low-affinity enzyme inhibitory sites appear to play no role in the mechanism of prevention of cell transformation. Two enzyme inhibitors, caffeine and 1-methylnicotinamide, exhibited no antitransforming activity. Benzamide when applied in population doubling 1 induced resistance to cell transformation in population doubling 6 by carcinogens added at this stage.     

The Ability of Tetrahymena utriculariae (Ciliophora,Oligohymenophorea) to Colonize Traps of Different Species of Aquatic Carnivorous Utricularia

The host specificity of the recently described ciliate species Tetrahymena utriculariae was tested in a greenhouse growth experiment, which included 14 different species of aquatic Utricularia as potential host plants. We confirmed the high specificity of the interaction between U. reflexa and T. utriculariae, the former being the only tested host species able to maintain colonization for prolonged time periods. We conclude that this plant–microbe relationship is a unique and specialized form of digestive mutualism and the plant–microbe unit a suitable experimental system for future ecophysiological studies.