Accurate identification of evolutionarily significant units of rare and threatened organisms provides a foundation for effective management and conservation. Up to seven subspecies of the critically endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) have been described, four of which were commonly recognised pre-2014. In the absence of genotypic data, C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany highly recognizable species lack genetic data important for conservation due to neglect over their hyperabundance. This likely applies to the Sulfur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), one of the world's most iconic parrots. The species is native to Australia, New Guinea, and some surrounding Melanesian islands of the latter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a member of the TEC family of kinases, is an essential effector of B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling. Chronic activation of BTK-mediated BCR signaling is a hallmark of many hematological malignancies, which makes it an attractive therapeutic target. Pharmacological inhibition of BTK enzymatic function is now a well-proven strategy for the treatment of patients with these malignancies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMutation rate is a fundamental parameter in population genetics. Apart from being an important scaling parameter for demographic and phylogenetic inference, it allows one to understand at what rate new genetic diversity is generated and what the expected level of genetic diversity is in a population at equilibrium. However, except for well-established model organisms, accurate estimates of de novo mutation rates are available for a very limited number of organisms from the wild.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe African continent was subjected to periodic climatic shifts during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. These habitat changes greatly affected the evolutionary processes and tempo of diversification in numerous, widely distributed mammals. The Otomyini (Family Muridae) comprises three African rodent genera, Parotomys, Otomys and Myotomys, characterized by unique laminated-shaped molars.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Ponto-Caspian region is an endemicity hotspot that harbours several crustacean radiations, among which amphipods are the most diverse. These poorly known species are severely threatened in their native range, while at the same time they are invading European inland waters with significant ecological consequences. A proper taxonomic knowledge of this fauna is paramount for its conservation within the native region and monitoring outside of it.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe unique aquatic Pontocaspian (PC) biota of the Black Sea Basin (BSB) is in decline. The lack of detailed knowledge on the status and trends of species, populations, and communities hampers a thorough risk assessment and precludes effective conservation. This paper reviews PC biodiversity trends in the BSB (Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia) using endemic mollusks as a model group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Lake Victoria basin is one of the most persistent hotspots of schistosomiasis in Africa, the intestinal form of the disease being studied more often than the urogenital form. Most schistosomiasis studies have been directed to Schistosoma mansoni and their corresponding intermediate snail hosts of the genus Biomphalaria, while neglecting S. haematobium and their intermediate snail hosts of the genus Bulinus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Caspian Sea has been a highly dynamic environment throughout the Quaternary and witnessed major oscillations in lake level, which were associated with changes in salinity and habitat availability. Such environmental pressures are considered to drive strong phylogeographic structures in species by forcing populations into suitable refugia. However, little is actually known on the effect of lake-level fluctuations in the Caspian Sea on its aquatic biota.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDefining and recording the loss of species diversity is a daunting task, especially if identities of species under threat are not fully resolved. An example is the Pontocaspian biota. The mostly endemic invertebrate faunas that evolved in the Black Sea - Caspian Sea - Aral Sea region and live under variable salinity conditions are undergoing strong change, yet within several groups species boundaries are not well established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe disability, mortality and costs caused by non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures are enormous. Existing osteoporosis therapies are highly effective at reducing vertebral but not non-vertebral fractures. Cortical bone is a major determinant of non-vertebral bone strength.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHyalomma Koch, 1844 are ixodid ticks that infest mammals, birds and reptiles, to which 27 recognized species occur across the Afrotropical, Palearctic and Oriental regions. Despite their medical and veterinary importance, the evolutionary history of the group is enigmatic. To investigate various taxonomic hypotheses based on morphology, and also some of the mechanisms involved in the diversification of the genus, we sequenced and analysed data derived from two mtDNA fragments, three nuclear DNA genes and 47 morphological characters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose Preliminary studies suggested that telotristat ethyl, a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, reduces bowel movement (BM) frequency in patients with carcinoid syndrome. This placebo-controlled phase III study evaluated telotristat ethyl in this setting. Patients and Methods Patients (N = 135) experiencing four or more BMs per day despite stable-dose somatostatin analog therapy received (1:1:1) placebo, telotristat ethyl 250 mg, or telotristat ethyl 500 mg three times per day orally during a 12-week double-blind treatment period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess the safety and efficacy of dual sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT) 1 and SGLT2 inhibition with sotagliflozin as adjunct therapy to insulin in type 1 diabetes.
Research Design And Methods: We treated 33 patients with sotagliflozin, an oral dual SGLT1 and SGLT2 inhibitor, or placebo in a randomized, double-blind trial assessing safety, insulin dose, glycemic control, and other metabolic parameters over 29 days of treatment.
Results: In the sotagliflozin-treated group, the percent reduction from baseline in the primary end point of bolus insulin dose was 32.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab
April 2015
Context: Carcinoid syndrome (CS) is associated with elevated serotonin, diarrhea, flushing, and increased risk of valvular heart disease. Many patients respond to somatostatin analogs initially, but response diminishes in most patients. Additional options are needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSerotonin produced by neuroendocrine tumors is believed to be a principal cause of the diarrhea in carcinoid syndrome. We assessed the safety and efficacy of telotristat etiprate, an oral serotonin synthesis inhibitor, in patients with diarrhea associated with carcinoid syndrome. In this prospective, randomized study, patients with evidence of carcinoid tumor and ≥4 bowel movements (BMs)/day despite stable-dose octreotide LAR depot therapy were enrolled in sequential, escalating, cohorts of four patients per cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScreening gene function in vivo is a powerful approach to discover novel drug targets. We present high-throughput screening (HTS) data for 3 762 distinct global gene knockout (KO) mouse lines with viable adult homozygous mice generated using either gene-trap or homologous recombination technologies. Bone mass was determined from DEXA scans of male and female mice at 14 weeks of age and by microCT analyses of bones from male mice at 16 weeks of age.
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