Sex ratio strategies in species subject to local mate competition (LMC), and in particular their fit to quantitative theoretical predictions, provide insight into constraints upon adaptation. Pollinating fig wasps are widely used in such studies because their ecology resembles theory assumptions, but the cues used by foundresses to assess potential LMC have not previously been determined. We show that Liporrhopalum tentacularis females (foundresses) use their clutch size as a cue. First, we make use of species ecology (foundresses lay multiple clutches, with second clutches smaller than first) to show that increases in sex ratio in multi-foundress figs occur only when foundresses are oviposition site limited, i.e. that there is no direct response to foundress density. Second, we introduce a novel technique to quantify foundress oviposition sequences and show, consistent with the theoretical predictions concerning clutch size-only strategies, that they produce mainly male offspring at the start of bouts, followed by mostly females interspersed by a few males. We then discuss the implications of our findings for our understanding of the limits of the ability of natural selection to produce 'perfect' organisms, and for our understanding of when different cue use patterns evolve.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0136 | DOI Listing |
JAMA Netw Open
January 2025
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Importance: Patients with achalasia face a higher risk of developing esophageal cancer (EC), but the surveillance strategies for these patients remain controversial due to the long disease duration and the lack of identified risk factors.
Objective: To investigate the prevalence of esophageal Candida infection among patients with achalasia and to assess the association of Candida infection with EC risk within this population.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study included patients with achalasia diagnosed at or referred for treatment and monitoring to the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, between January 1, 1980, and May 31, 2024.
Radiology
January 2025
From the Department of Radiology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China (Q.S., P.L., J.Z.); and Department of Diagnostic, Molecular, and Interventional Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY 10029 (Q.S., P.L., R.Y., D.F.Y., C.I.H.).
Background Angiolymphatic invasion (ALI) is an important prognostic indicator in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, few studies focus on radiologic features for predicting ALI in patients with early-stage NSCLCs 30 mm or smaller. Purpose To identify radiologic features for predicting ALI in NSCLCs 30 mm or smaller in maximum diameter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypertension
January 2025
The George Institute for Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Newtown, Australia (L.C., S.Y., N.E., M.W., T.L., Y.G., C.S.A., K.H., X.C., R.P.).
Background: The association between systolic blood pressure and all-cause mortality differs between frail and nonfrail individuals, highlighting uncertainties about the effectiveness of antihypertensive treatments in frail populations.
Methods: Using data from the SHEP trial (Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program), a baseline frailty index (FI), including 55 variables, was constructed. Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard models and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to explore the association between baseline FI and the risks of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause death, as well as to examine whether the impact of antihypertensive treatment on these outcomes was modified by baseline FI.
Background And Aims: Body composition parameters associated with aerobic fitness, mirrored by maximal oxygen consumption (V̇Omax), have recently gained interest as indicators of physical efficiency in facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD). Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) allows a noninvasive and repeatable estimate of body composition but is based on the use of predictive equations which, if used in cohorts with different characteristics from those for which the equation was originally formulated, could give biased results. Instead, the phase angle (PhA), a BIA raw bioelectrical parameter reflecting body fluids distribution, could provide reliable data for such analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Prev Cardiol
March 2025
School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia around the world with an increased risk of a broad spectrum of adverse comorbidities and death. Whether cardiovascular health (CVH) is associated with AF development remains unclear.
Methods: 238,420 participants without cardiovascular disease at baseline were selected from the UK Biobank study cohort from 2006 to 2010.
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