Diverging effects of host density and richness across biological scales drive diversity-disease outcomes.

Understanding how biodiversity affects pathogen transmission remains an unresolved question due to the challenges in testing potential mechanisms in natural systems and how these mechanisms vary across biological scales. By quantifying transmission of an entire guild of parasites (larval trematodes) within 902 amphibian host communities, we show that the community-level drivers of infection depend critically on biological scale. At the individual host scale, increases in host richness led to fewer parasites per host for all parasite taxa, with no effect of host or predator densities. At the host community scale, however, the inhibitory effects of richness were counteracted by associated increases in total host density, leading to no overall change in parasite densities. Mechanistically, we find that while average host competence declined with increasing host richness, total community competence remained stable due to additive assembly patterns. These results help reconcile disease-diversity debates by empirically disentangling the roles of alternative ecological drivers of parasite transmission and how such effects depend on biological scale.

Frequency-dependent transmission of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in eastern newts.

Transmission is the fundamental process whereby pathogens infect their hosts and spread through populations, and can be characterized using mathematical functions. The functional form of transmission for emerging pathogens can determine pathogen impacts on host populations and can inform the efficacy of disease management strategies. By directly measuring transmission between infected and susceptible adult eastern newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) in aquatic mesocosms, we identified the most plausible transmission function for the emerging amphibian fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Although we considered a range of possible transmission functions, we found that Bsal transmission was best explained by pure frequency dependence. We observed that >90% of susceptible newts became infected within 17 days post-exposure to an infected newt across a range of host densities and initial infection prevalence treatments. Under these conditions, we estimated R0  = 4.9 for Bsal in an eastern newt population. Our results suggest that Bsal has the capability of driving eastern newt populations to extinction and that managing host density may not be an effective management strategy. Intervention strategies that prevent Bsal introduction or increase host resistance or tolerance to infection may be more effective. Our results add to the growing empirical evidence that transmission of wildlife pathogens can saturate and be functionally frequency-dependent.

Toxin-mediated competition in weakly motile bacteria.

Many bacterial species produce toxins that inhibit their competitors. We model this phenomenon by extending classic two-species Lotka-Volterra competition in one spatial dimension to incorporate toxin production by one species. Considering solutions comprising two adjacent single-species colonies, we show how the toxin inhibits the susceptible species near the interface between the two colonies. Moreover, a sufficiently effective toxin inhibits the susceptible species to such a degree that an 'inhibition zone' is formed separating the two colonies. In the special case of truly non-motile bacteria, i.e. with zero bacterial diffusivity, we derive analytical expressions describing the bacterial distributions and size of the inhibition zone. In the more general case of weakly motile bacteria, i.e. small bacterial diffusivity, these two-colony solutions become travelling waves. We employ numerical methods to show that the wavespeed is dependent upon both interspecific competition and toxin strength; precisely which colony expands at the expense of the other depends upon the choice of parameter values. In particular, a sufficiently effective toxin allows the producer to expand at the expense of the susceptible, with a wavespeed magnitude that is bounded above as the toxin strength increases. This asymptotic wavespeed is independent of interspecific competition and due to the formation of the inhibition zone; when the colonies are thus separated, there is no longer direct competition between the two species and the producer can invade effectively unimpeded by its competitor. We note that the minimum toxin strength required to produce an inhibition zone increases rapidly with increasing bacterial diffusivity, suggesting that even moderately motile bacteria must produce very strong toxins if they are to benefit in this way.

Host control and nutrient trading in a photosynthetic symbiosis.

Photosymbiosis is one of the most important evolutionary trajectories, resulting in the chloroplast and the subsequent development of all complex photosynthetic organisms. The ciliate Paramecium bursaria and the alga Chlorella have a well established and well studied light dependent endosymbiotic relationship. Despite its prominence, there remain many unanswered questions regarding the exact mechanisms of the photosymbiosis. Of particular interest is how a host maintains and manages its symbiont load in response to the allocation of nutrients between itself and its symbionts. Here we construct a detailed mathematical model, parameterised from the literature, that explicitly incorporates nutrient trading within a deterministic model of both partners. The model demonstrates how the symbiotic relationship can manifest as parasitism of the host by the symbionts, mutualism, wherein both partners benefit, or exploitation of the symbionts by the hosts. We show that the precise nature of the photosymbiosis is determined by both environmental conditions (how much light is available for photosynthesis) and the level of control a host has over its symbiont load. Our model provides a framework within which it is possible to pose detailed questions regarding the evolutionary behaviour of this important example of an established light dependent endosymbiosis; we focus on one question in particular, namely the evolution of host control, and show using an adaptive dynamics approach that a moderate level of host control may evolve provided the associated costs are not prohibitive.

Analgesic efficacy of the cyclooxygenase-inhibiting nitric oxide donor AZD3582 in postoperative dental pain: Comparison with naproxen and rofecoxib in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the analgesic efficacy of single doses of 4-(nitrooxy)butyl-(2S)-2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl) propanoate (AZD3582) in acute postoperative dental pain after the removal of an impacted mandibular third molar (ie, wisdom tooth). METHODS: Two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies were performed. In a dose-finding study, 242 patients were randomized to AZD3582 375, 750, 1500, or 2250 mg (n = 41, 37, 42, and 41, respectively); naproxen 500 mg (n = 39); or placebo (n = 42). In a comparator study, 282 patients were randomized to AZD3582 500 mg (n = 78) or 750 mg (n = 83), rofecoxib 50 mg (n = 80), or placebo (n = 41). Primary outcomes included time to rescue medication, time to pain relief, and mean pain intensity difference (MPID), as well as safety profile. Pain was rated on a visual analog scale. RESULTS: In the dose-finding study, 52% (126/242) were women; the mean (SD) age was 25.1 (4) years, mean weight was 69.0 kg, and the mean (SD) body mass index (BMI) was 23.7 (3) kg/m2. In the comparator study, 58% (164/282) were women; the mean (SD) age was 27 (6.4) years, mean weight was 71 kg, and mean (SD) BMI was 24.2 (3) kg/m2. In the dose-finding study, the AZD3582 750-, 1500-, and 2250-mg groups were superior to placebo in the primary variables "time to rescue medication (0-8 hours)" (hazard ratios [HRs] [95% CIs], 0.17 [0.07-0.42], P < 0.003; 0.23 [0.11-0.50], P < 0.001; and 0.15 [0.06-0.36], P < 0.001, respectively), "time to meaningful pain relief" (HRs [95% CIs], 3.42 [1.87-6.25], P < 0.003; 2.49 [1.37-4.50], P < 0.003; and 3.07 [1.70-5.55], P < 0.001, respectively), and MPID (analysis of covariance [ANCOVA] least squares mean [LSM] differences [95% CIs], 25.8 [17.3-34.4], P < 0.003; 20.4 [12.1-28.7], P < 0.003; and 29.3 [20.9-37.6], P < 0.001, respectively). AZD3582 and naproxen did not show any statistically significant differences for the 3 primary variables, except that naproxen was superior to the AZD3582 375-mg dose for the variables time to meaningful pain relief (HR difference, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.29-0.78], P < 0.004) and MPID (difference in ANCOVA LSM, -10.2, [95% CI, -18.2 to -2.2], P < 0.012). The median times to meaningful pain relief were 115 minutes for AZD3582 375 mg, 66 minutes for 750 mg, 85 minutes for 1500 mg, 81 minutes for 2250 mg, and 162 minutes for placebo (P = NS, P = 0.003, P < 0.003, and P < 0.001, respectively). The median time to first rescue medication was 144 minutes for placebo, and <50% of the subjects on any of the AZD3582 doses or naproxen took rescue medication within 8 hours after dosing. In the comparator study, AZD3582 750 mg was superior to placebo in "time to rescue medication (0-24 hours)" (HR [95% CI], 0.4 [0.3-0.6], P < 0.001), "time to confirmed perceptible pain relief" (2.1 [1.1-3.8], P = 0.02), and MPID (11.9 [4.2-19.5], P = 0.002). However, inferiority of AZD3582 to rofecoxib for MPID could not be excluded (tolerance limit of 10 mm; P = NS for noninferiority testing). The median times to confirmed perceptible pain relief were 45 minutes for AZD3582 500 mg, 40 minutes for 750 mg, and 37 minutes for rofecoxib. The median times to first rescue medication were 218 minutes for AZD3582 500 mg, 365 minutes for 750 mg, 635 minutes for rofecoxib, and 90 minutes for placebo. Overall, AZD3582 was well tolerated. However, an effect on orthostatic blood pressure could not be excluded because there seemed to be more subjects with dizziness and orthostatic blood pressure reduction who were administered AZD3582 > or =750 mg. The proportions of patients with vertigo and decreased orthostatic blood pressure each group were as follows: AZD3582 500 mg, 6%; AZD3582 750 mg, 12%; rofecoxib, 3%; and placebo, 5%. CONCLUSIONS: AZD3582 750 mg had similar analgesic efficacy as equimolar doses of naproxen, but noninferiority to rofecoxib was not demonstrated.

Efficacy and Safety of Remacemide versus Carbamazepine in Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy: Comparison by Sequential Analysis.

An international trial comparing remacemide hydrochloride with carbamazepine was undertaken in newly diagnosed epilepsy using a novel double-blind, parallel group, double triangular sequential design. Patients with two or more partial or generalized tonic-clonic seizures in the previous year were randomized to 600 mg daily of remacemide or carbamazepine. Subsequent dosage adjustments were allowed while maintaining the blind. The trial completed 20 months after initiation following the second interim analysis. Efficacy data on 449 patients showed carbamazepine to be significantly more effective than remacemide in preventing seizure recurrence (P = 0.003). Median time to first seizure after titration, the primary endpoint, was 112 days for remacemide and 306 days with carbamazepine. Time to second, third, and fourth seizures after randomization all significantly favored carbamazepine. Remacemide was shown unequivocally to be inferior to carbamazepine in this patient population. This study also establishes carbamazepine as a proven treatment for use in subsequent active control comparative trials.