PartitionTest test suite
A new method is developed to estimate the contemporary effective population size ( N ) from linkage disequilibrium between SNPs without information on their location, which is the usual scenario in non-model species. The general theory of linkage disequilibrium is extended to include the contribution of full-sibs to the measure of LD, leading naturally to the estimation of Ne in monogamous and polygamous mating systems, as well as in multiparous species, and non-random distributions of full-sib family size due to selection or other causes. The prediction of confidence intervals for N estimates was solved using a small artificial neural network trained on a dataset of over 10 simulation results. The method, implemented in a user-friendly and fast software ( currentNe ) is able to estimate N even in problematic scenarios with large population sizes or small sample sizes, and provides confidence intervals that are more consistent than parametric methods or resampling.
The clinical prognostic significance of white coat hypertension (WCH) is still controversial. Although recent longitudinal studies have provided preliminary prognostic data on subjects with WCH as compared to patients with sustained hypertension, the possible relation between WCH and vascular risk is still under debate. The purpose ot this study was to compare the circadian pattern of blood pressure (BP) variability between normotensive abd WCH subjects. We studied 917 subjects (495 men and 422 women), 49.5±14.5 (mean±SD) years of age, with diurnal BP mean below 135/85 for systolic/diastolic BP, and hyperbaric index (area of BP excess above a time-specified tolerance interval) below the previously established threshold for diagnosis of hypertension from data obtained by ambulatory BP monitoring [Hypertension. 2000;35:118–125]. Among those subjects, 407 (235 men and 172 women) were diagnosed with WCH (mean from 6 office BP measurements above 140 or 90 mm Hg for systolic or diastolic BP). BP was measured at 20-min intervals from 07:00 to 23:00 hours and at 30-min intervals at night for 48 consecutive hours. Circadian parameters established by population multiple-component analysis [Chronobiol Int. 1998;15:191–204] were compared between normotensive and WCH subjects by nonparametric testing. Patients with WCH are characterized by a significant increase in systolic (3.4 mm Hg; P<0.001) but not in diastolic BP (−0.4 mm Hg, P=0.238 for comparison of 24-hour mean) as compared to normotensive subjects. Although more pronounced during the diurnally active hours, the differences in systolic BP between normotension and WCH were significant throughout the 24 hours of the day. The largest and most significant difference between groups was found around the clock in pulse pressure (3.8 mm Hg in 24-hour mean, P<0.001). In volunteers studied by 48-hour ambulatory monitoring, WCH is characterized by a significant elevation in systolic BP and, especially, in pulse pressure as compared to normotensive subjects. Increased pulse pressure is an independent marker of cardiovascular risk, mainly for myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and cardiovascular deaths. Accordingly, WCH could be associated to a long-term worst prognosis in comparison to true normotension, an issue that deserves further prospective investigation. Am J Hypertens (2004) 17, 41A–42A; doi: 10.1016/j.amjhyper.2004.03.099
Model selection is a topic of special relevance in molecular phylogenetics that affects many, if not all, stages of phylogenetic inference. Here we discuss some fundamental concepts and techniques of model selection in the context of phylogenetics. We start by reviewing different aspects of the selection of substitution models in phylogenetics from a theoretical, philosophical and practical point of view, and summarize this comparison in table format. We argue that the most commonly implemented model selection approach, the hierarchical likelihood ratio test, is not the optimal strategy for model selection in phylogenetics, and that approaches like the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian methods offer important advantages. In particular, the latter two methods are able to simultaneously compare multiple nested or nonnested models, assess model selection uncertainty, and allow for the estimation of phylogenies and model parameters using all available models (model-averaged inference or multimodel inference). We also describe how the relative importance of the different parameters included in substitution models can be depicted. To illustrate some of these points, we have applied AIC-based model averaging to 37 mitochondrial DNA sequences from the subgenus Ohomopterus (genus Carabus) ground beetles described by Sota and Vogler (2001).
Failure to incorporate chronopharmacological principals - including ABPM to derive asleep SBP and SBP dipping to qualify subjects as hypertensive and assess CVD risk - results in deficient study design, dubious findings, and unnecessary medical controversy at the expense of advances in patient care.
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