Search results for "Isola"
showing 10 items of 818 documents
Strong reproductive barriers in a narrow hybrid zone of West-Mediterranean green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup) with Plio-Pleistocene divergence
2010
Abstract Background One key question in evolutionary biology deals with the mode and rate at which reproductive isolation accumulates during allopatric speciation. Little is known about secondary contacts of recently diverged anuran species. Here we conduct a multi-locus field study to investigate a contact zone between two lineages of green toads with an estimated divergence time of 2.7 My, and report results from preliminary experimental crosses. Results The Sicilian endemic Bufo siculus and the Italian mainland-origin B. balearicus form a narrow hybrid zone east of Mt. Etna. Despite bidirectional mtDNA introgression over a ca. 40 km North-South cline, no F1 hybrids could be found, and nu…
Sex-pairing pheromones and reproductive isolation in three sympatric Cornitermes species (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae)
2011
International audience; The species-specificity of pairing has been studied in three sympatric Neotropical termites: Cornitermes bequaerti, Cornitermes cumulans and Cornitermes silvestrii (Termitidae, Syntermitinae). Bioassays showed that sex attraction was highly species-specific between C. bequaerti and C cumulans but not between C. cumulans and C. silvestrii. The sex-pairing pheromone of the three species is secreted by the tergal glands of female alates. It consists of a common compound (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol. In C. bequaerti, this polyunsaturated alcohol is the only compound of the sex-pairing pheromone, whereas it is associated with the oxygenated sesquiterpene (E)-nerolid…
Sexual and postmating reproductive isolation between allopatric Drosophila montana populations suggest speciation potential
2011
This work was funded by a European Commission Research Training Grant RTN2-2001-00049, the Centre of Excellence for Evolutionary Research at the University of Jyväskylä and a Marie Curie Initial Training Network, ‘Understanding the evolutionary origin of biological diversity’ (ITN-2008-213780 SPECIATION) Background: Widely distributed species with populations adapted to different environmental conditions can provide valuable opportunities for tracing the onset of reproductive incompatibilities and their role in the speciation process. Drosophila montana, a D. virilis group species found in high latitude boreal forests in Nearctic and Palearctic regions around the globe, could be an excellen…
Size‐selective harvesting fosters adaptations in mating behaviour and reproductive allocation, affecting sexual selection in fish
2019
The role of sexual selection in the context of harvest-induced evolution is poorly understood. However, elevated and trait-selective harvesting of wild populations may change sexually selected traits, which in turn can affect mate choice and reproduction. We experimentally evaluated the potential for fisheries-induced evolution of mating behaviour and reproductive allocation in fish. We used an experimental system of zebrafish (Danio rerio) lines exposed to large, small or random (i.e. control) size-selective mortality. The large-harvested line represented a treatment simulating the typical case in fisheries where the largest individuals are preferentially harvested. We used a full factoria…
Risk factors for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and mortality among solid cancer patients and impact of the disease on anticancer treat…
2020
Background Cancer patients are thought to have an increased risk of developing severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and of dying from the disease. In this work, predictive factors for COVID-19 severity and mortality in cancer patients were investigated. Patients and Methods In this large nationwide retro-prospective cohort study, we collected data on patients with solid tumours and COVID-19 diagnosed between March 1 and June 11, 2020. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality and COVID-19 severity, defined as admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and/or mechanical ventilation and/or death, was one of the secondary endpoints. Results From April 4 to June 11, 2020, 1289…
Influence of microbial symbionts on insect pheromones
2018
Covering: up to 2018 Pheromones serve as chemical signals between individuals of the same species and play important roles for mate localization and mate choice as well as other social interactions in insects. A growing body of literature indicates that microbial symbionts can modulate their hosts' chemical profiles, mate choice decisions and social behavior. This modulation can occur by the direct biosynthesis of pheromone components or the provisioning of precursors, or through general changes in the metabolite pool of the host and its resource allocation into pheromone production. Here we review and discuss the contexts in which microbial modulation of intraspecific communication in inse…
Removing Batch Effects from Longitudinal Gene Expression - Quantile Normalization Plus ComBat as Best Approach for Microarray Transcriptome Data
2016
International audience; Technical variation plays an important role in microarray-based gene expression studies, and batch effects explain a large proportion of this noise. It is therefore mandatory to eliminate technical variation while maintaining biological variability. Several strategies have been proposed for the removal of batch effects, although they have not been evaluated in large-scale longitudinal gene expression data. In this study, we aimed at identifying a suitable method for batch effect removal in a large study of microarray-based longitudinal gene expression. Monocytic gene expression was measured in 1092 participants of the Gutenberg Health Study at baseline and 5-year fol…
Investigating and re-evaluating the role of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta kinase as a molecular target for cardioprotection by using novel pharmaco…
2019
Aims Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) link with the mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore (mPTP) in cardioprotection is debated. We investigated the role of GSK3β in ischaemia (I)/reperfusion (R) injury using pharmacological tools. Methods and results Infarct size using the GSK3β inhibitor BIO (6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime) and several novel analogues (MLS2776-MLS2779) was determined in anaesthetized rabbits and mice. In myocardial tissue GSK3β inhibition and the specificity of the compounds was tested. The mechanism of protection focused on autophagy-related proteins. GSK3β localization was determined in subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM) isolated from Lang…
The desert gerbil Psammomys obesus as a model for metformin-sensitive nutritional type 2 diabetes to protect hepatocellular metabolic damage: Impact …
2017
Introduction While metformin (MET) is the most widely prescribed antidiabetic drug worldwide, its beneficial effects in Psammomys obesus (P. obesus), a rodent model that mimics most of the metabolic features of human diabetes, have not been explored thoroughly. Here, we sought to investigate whether MET might improve insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, lipid profile as well as cellular redox and energy balance in P. obesus maintained on a high energy diet (HED). Materials and methods P. obesus gerbils were randomly assigned to receive either a natural diet (ND) consisting of halophytic plants (control group) or a HED (diabetic group) for a period of 24 weeks. MET (50 mg/kg per os) was…
A Revised Short Form of the Extended Class Play Among Italian Early Adolescents
2019
Among the measures assessing peer reputation, the Extended Class Play (ECP) is now used extensively in North American settings. Little information is available in other cultural contexts. Furthermore, practical considerations suggest developing a shorter form of the ECP to be used in socio-educational environments. This study examined the ECP dimensions of peer assessment in Italy as well as developed a shorter form of the measure. We revised the ECP using factor analyses according to an explorative-confirmatory approach. The original 37-item ECP was shortened to a 22-item version and, subsequently, the properties of the revised measure were evaluated. We performed two studies comprising, r…