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  • Sex and deleterious mutations
    Publication . Gordo, I.; Campos, P.R.A.
    The evolutionary advantage of sexual reproduction has been considered as one of the most pressing questions in evolutionary biology. While a pluralistic view of the evolution of sex and recombination has been suggested by some, here we take a simpler view and try to quantify the conditions under which sex can evolve given a set of minimal assumptions. Since real populations are finite and also subject to recurrent deleterious mutations, this minimal model should apply generally to all populations. We show that the maximum advantage of recombination occurs for an intermediate value of the deleterious effect of mutations. Furthermore we show that the conditions under which the biggest advantage of sex is achieved are those that produce the fastest fitness decline in the corresponding asexual population and are therefore the conditions for which Muller's ratchet has the strongest effect. We also show that the selective advantage of a modifier of the recombination rate depends on its strength. The quantification of the range of selective effects that favors recombination then leads us to suggest that, if in stressful environments the effect of deleterious mutations is enhanced, a connection between sex and stress could be expected, as it is found in several species
    2008-05Journal article Open access Show more
  • Dynamics and control of measles in Portugal: Accessing the impact of anticipating the age for the first dose of MMR from 15 to 12 months of age
    Publication . Paulo, A. C.; Gomes, M. C.; Gomes, M. G. M.
    The all-time low incidence of measles in Portugal in the recent years, raises questions regarding whether the disease has been eliminated, the role of recent control measures, and the epidemiological consequences of the rise in the proportion of newborns to vaccinated mothers, as opposed to those born to mothers who acquired immunity by natural infection. We estimate the vaccination coverage against measles in Portugal. on a cohort-by-cohort basis, and incorporate this information into an age-structured seasonally-driven mathematical model aimed at reproducing measles dynamics in the past decades. The model reproduces documented trends in disease notifications and the serological profile of the Portuguese population, as estimated by a recent National Serological, Survey. We provide evidence that the effective reproduction number (R-e) of measles has been driven below 1 in Portugal, and that sustained measles elimination is crucially dependent upon the maintenance of a high (>95%) coverage with the MMR I vaccine in the future. If the vaccination coverage decreases to levels around 90% the anticipation of the first dose of the MMR I from 15 to 12 months of age, will. ensure that R-e remains below 1. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All. rights reserved
    2008-05Journal article Open access Show more