bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Transcriptional Foundations of Sp110-mediated Macrophage (RAW264.7) Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra
Authors: Wu Yongyan , Guo Zekun , Yao Kezhen , Miao Yue , Liang Shuxin , Liu Fayang , Wang Yongsheng , Zhang Yong
Published: February 2016

Human tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a leading global health problem, causing 1.3 million deaths each year. The nuclear body protein, Sp110, has been linked to TB resistance and previous work showed that it enhances macrophage apoptosis upon Mtb infection. Here, we report on the role of Sp110 in transcriptional regulation of macrophage responses to Mtb through integrated transcriptome and mechanistic studies. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Sp110 regulates genes involved in immune responses, apoptosis, defence responses and inflammatory responses. Detailed investigation revealed that, in addition to apoptosis-related genes, Sp110 regulates cytokines, chemokines and genes that regulate intracellular survival of Mtb. Moreover, Sp110 regulates miRNA expression in macrophages, with immune and apoptosis-related miRNAs such as miR-125a, miR-146a, miR-155, miR-21a and miR-99b under Sp110 regulation. Additionally, our results showed that Sp110 upregulates BCL2 modifying factor (Bmf) by inhibiting miR-125a and forced expression of Bmf induces macrophage apoptosis. These findings not only reveal the transcriptional basis of Sp110-mediated macrophage resistance to Mtb, but also suggest potential regulatory roles for Sp110 related to inflammatory responses, miRNA profiles and the intracellular growth of Mtb.
DNA–EB in agarose gel assay: a simple methodology in the search for DNA-binders in crude extracts from actinomycetes
Authors: Bauermeister Anelize , Abdel Baqui Munira Muhammad , Beraldo Moraes Luiz Alberto
Published: February 2016

Here, a methodology was proposed to detect DNA-binders in a screening process with crude extracts produced by actinomycetes, positive extracts were subjected to replication studies by LC-MS/MS.
Palygorskite@Fe3O4@polyperfluoroalkylsilane nanocomposites for superoleophobic coatings and magnetic liquid marbles
Authors: Li Lingxiao , Li Bucheng , Fan Ling , Mu Bin , Wang Aiqin , Zhang Junping
Published: February 2016

Magnetic palygorskite@Fe3O4@polyperfluoroalkylsilane nanocomposites were prepared, which can be used for fabricating superoleophobic coatings and magnetic liquid marbles.
Single‐look light‐burden superresolution differential SAR tomography
Authors: Lombardini F. , Viviani F.
Published: February 2016

Research and application is spreading of techniques of coherent combination of complex‐valued synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to extract rich information even on complex observed scenes, fully exploiting existing SAR data archives, and new satellites. Among such techniques, SAR tomography stems from multibaseline interferometry to achieve full‐3D imaging through elevation beamforming (spatial spectral estimation). The Tomo concept has been integrated with the mature differential interferometry, producing the new differential tomography (Diff‐Tomo) processing mode, that allows ‘opening’ the SAR cells in complex non‐stationary scenes, resolving multiple heights and slow deformation velocities of layover scatterers. Consequently, the operational capability limit of differential interferometry to the single scatterer case is overcome. Diff‐Tomo processing is cast in a 2D baseline‐time spectral analysis framework, with sparse sampling. The use of adaptive 2D spectral estimation has demonstrated to allow joint baseline‐time processing with reduced sidelobes and enhanced height–velocity resolution at low computational burden. However, this method requires coherent multilooking processing, thus does not produce full range‐azimuth resolution products, as it would be desirable for urban applications. A new single‐look adaptive Diff‐Tomo processor is presented and tested with satellite data, allowing full range‐azimuth resolution together with height–velocity sidelobe reduction and superresolution capabilities and the low computational burden.
Land use in semi-free ranging Tonkean macaques Macaca tonkeana depends on environmental conditions: A geographical information system approach
Authors: Sueur Cédric , Salze Paul , Weber Christiane , Petit Odile
Published: February 2016

Wild animals use their habitat according to ecological pressures such as predation, resource availability or temperature, yet little is known about how individuals use their environment in semi free-ranging conditions. We assessed whether a semi-free ranging group of Tonkean macaques Macaca tonkeana used its wooded parkland in a heterogeneous way. GIS and GPS were used to determine whether individuals adjusted their behaviors according to variation in environmental constraints over time of day and the course of a year. We demonstrated that social and resting activities occurred in high altitude areas and areas with a high density of bushes, whereas the group foraged in areas where the density of bushes and grass was low. In general, the animals used areas exposed to the sun that were not on a slope. Semi-free ranging Tonkean macaques seemed to behave like their wild counterparts in terms of activity budget, land use per activity and thermoregulation.
Memory for location and visual cues in white-eared hummingbirds Hylocharis leucotis
Authors: Pérez Guillermo , Lara Carlos , Viccon-Pale José , Signoret-Poillon Martha
Published: February 2016

In nature hummingbirds face floral resources whose availability, quality and quantity can vary spatially and temporally. Thus, they must constantly make foraging decisions about which patches, plants and flowers to visit, partly as a function of the nectar reward. The uncertainty of these decisions would possibly be reduced if an individual could remember locations or use visual cues to avoid revisiting recently depleted flowers. In the present study, we carried out field experiments with white-eared hummingbirds Hylocharis leucotis, to evaluate their use of locations or visual cues when foraging on natural flowers Penstemon roseus. We evaluated the use of spatial memory by observing birds while they were foraging between two plants and within a single plant. Our results showed that hummingbirds prefer to use location when foraging in two plants, but they also use visual cues to efficiently locate unvisited rewarded flowers when they feed on a single plant. However, in absence of visual cues, in both experiments birds mainly used the location of previously visited flowers to make subsequent visits. Our data suggest that hummingbirds are capable of learning and employing this flexibility depending on the faced environmental conditions and the information acquired in previous visits.
A cognitive model’s view of animal cognition
Authors: D’mello Sidney , Franklin Stan
Published: February 2016

Although it is a relatively new field of study, the animal cognition literature is quite extensive and difficult to synthesize. This paper explores the contributions a comprehensive, computational, cognitive model can make toward organizing and assimilating this literature, as well as toward identifying important concepts and their interrelations. Using the LIDA model as an example, a framework is described within which to integrate the diverse research in animal cognition. Such a framework can provide both an ontology of concepts and their relations, and a working model of an animal’s cognitive processes that can compliment active empirical research. In addition to helping to account for a broad range of cognitive processes, such a model can help to comparatively assess the cognitive capabilities of different animal species. After deriving an ontology for animal cognition from the LIDA model, we apply it to develop the beginnings of a database that maps the cognitive facilities of a variety of animal species. We conclude by discussing future avenues of research, particularly the use of computational models of animal cognition as valuable tools for hypotheses generation and testing.
Do black-furred animals compensate for high solar absorption with smaller hairs? A test with a polymorphic squirrel species
Authors: Fratto Melanie A. , Davis Andrew K.
Published: February 2016

In polymorphic mammalian species that display multiple color forms, those with dark, or melanic pelage would be prone to overheating, especially if they live in warm climates, because their fur absorbs solar energy at a higher rate. However, experimental studies indicate that certain physical properties of fur of dark individuals appear to prevent, or minimize heat stress, although it is not clear what properties do so. Here, we tested the possibility that black-furred individuals simply have shorter or thinner hair fibers, which would create a lighter (in terms of weight) coat or one that allows greater air flow for evaporative cooling. We examined museum specimens of eastern fox squirrels Sciurus niger, a species native to the United States and one that displays brown, grey or all-black pelage color, and used image analysis procedures to quantify hairs from the dorsal surface and tail. From examination of 43 specimens (19 brown, 9 black and 15 grey), and 1,720 hairs, we found no significant difference in hair lengths across color morphs, but significant differences in hair fiber widths. Black squirrels had thinner body hairs than other forms (7% thinner), but thicker tail hairs (9% thicker) than the others. Given that the dorsal surface would be directly exposed to solar radiation, we interpret this to be an adaptation to prevent heat stress during the day. The thicker tail hairs may be an adaptation for nighttime thermoregulation, since squirrels sleep with their tails wrapped around their bodies. These results add to a growing literature body of the functional significance of mammalian pelage.
Breeding ecology of ground tits in northeastern Tibetan plateau, with special reference to cooperative breeding system
Authors: Lu Xin , Huo Ran , Li Yang , Liao Wenbo , Wang Chen
Published: February 2016

Data on breeding ecology of a color-band marked population of the ground tit Parus humilis were collected in north Qinghai on the Tibetan plateau, during 2008 and 2009. In spring the birds excavated 0.8-3.2 m long nesting burrows under the ground. First-egg laying occurred between late April and late June during which a pair produced one brood. Incubation was done by female alone for 15-16 days and nestling-feeding by both sexes and helpers in any for 23-25 days. Average brood size at fledging was 5.8 (± 1.4 SD, 3-8) and all the 27 observed nesting attempts fledged at least one young. At the population level, brood sex ratio did not differ from 1:1. The birds are a territory-living resident, with annual resight rates being 48% (22 of 46) in adult breeders and 10% (7 of 67) in yearlings. Pairs were socially monogamous, of which 23% (9 of 40) contained one and sometimes two male helpers, most likely being philopatric sons of the breeders. The formation of cooperative groups is similar to the population in central Tibet but differs from that in south Guansu where breeding ground tits exhibit a high level of annual turnover.
Social networks improve leaderless group navigation by facilitating long-distance communication
Authors: Bode Nikolai W. F. , Wood A. Jamie , Franks Daniel W.
Published: February 2016

Group navigation is of great importance for many animals, such as migrating flocks of birds or shoals of fish. One theory states that group membership can improve navigational accuracy compared to limited or less accurate individual navigational ability in groups without leaders (“Many-wrongs principle”). Here, we simulate leaderless group navigation that includes social connections as preferential interactions between individuals. Our results suggest that underlying social networks can reduce navigational errors of groups and increase group cohesion. We use network summary statistics, in particular network motifs, to study which characteristics of networks lead to these improvements. It is networks in which preferences between individuals are not clustered, but spread evenly across the group that are advantageous in group navigation by effectively enhancing long-distance information exchange within groups. We suggest that our work predicts a base-line for the type of social structure we might expect to find in group-living animals that navigate without leaders [Current Zoology 58 (2): 329–341, 2012].
Analyses towards determining Madagascar’s place in global biogeography
Authors: Procheş Şerban , Ramdhani Syd
Published: February 2016

The relationships of Madagascan plant and animal taxa have been the object of much fascination, Madagascar sharing numerous lineages with Africa, others with Asia, Australia, or the Americas, and many others being of uncertain relationships. In commonly accepted global regionalization schemata, Madagascar is treated together with Africa for animals, and with Africa, tropical Asia and the Pacific islands in the case of plants. Here we examine the similarities between the biotic assemblages of (i) tropical Africa, (ii) Madagascar, and (iii) the rest of the world, on a basic taxonomic level, considering the families of vascular plants and vertebrates as analysis units. The percentages of endemic families, families shared pair-wise between regions, or present in all three, are roughly similar between the two broad groups, though plant families with ranges limited to one region are proportionally fewer. In dendrograms and multidimensional scaling plots for different groups, Madagascar clusters together with Africa, Asia or both, and sometimes with smaller Indian Ocean Islands, but quite often (though not in plants) as a convincingly separate cluster. Our results for vertebrates justify the status of full zoogeographic region for Madagascar, though an equally high rank in geobotanical regionalization would mean also treating Africa and Tropical Asia as separate units, which would be debatable given the overall greater uniformity of plant assemblages. Beyond the Madagascan focus of this paper, the differences between plant and vertebrate clusters shown here suggest different levels of ecological plasticity at the same taxonomic level, with plant families being much more environmentally-bound, and thus clustering along biome lines rather than regional lines.
Mate choice decisions by searchers
Authors: Wiegmann Daniel D. , Angeloni Lisa M. , Seubert Steven M. , Gordon J.
Published: February 2016

For more than two decades rudimentary versions of the fixed sample and sequential search strategies have provided the primary theoretical foundation for the study of mate choice decisions by searchers. The theory that surrounds these models has expanded markedly over this time period. In this paper, we review and extend results derived from these models, with a focus on the empirical analysis of searcher behavior. The basic models are impractical for empirical purposes because they rely on the assumption that searchers—and, for applied purposes, researchers—assess prospective mates based on their quality, the fitness consequences of mate choice decisions. Here we expound versions of the models that are more empirically useful, reformulated to reflect decisions based on male phenotypic characters. For some organisms, it may be possible to use preference functions to derive predictions from the reformulated models and thereby avoid difficulties associated with the measurement of male quality per se. But predictions derived from the two models are difficult to differentiate empirically, regardless of how the models are formulated. Here we develop ideas that illustrate how this goal might be accomplished. In addition, we clarify how the variability of male quality should be evaluated and we extend what is known about how this variability influences searcher behavior under each model. More general difficulties associated with the empirical study of mate choice decisions by searchers are also discussed.
Evolutionary implications of deception in mimicry and masquerade
Authors: Nelson Ximena J.
Published: February 2016

Aggressive mimicry occurs when an organism resembles some aspect of another organism (the model) in order to obtain prey through its deceptive resemblance. This may function either through the overt response of the receiver or through the lack of response of the receiver. Reviewing selected examples, I discuss some of the difficulties in ascribing a model for the mimic. I also discuss how a single animal can have multiple ploys in its armoury of deceptive signals, thus belonging within two or more categories of deceptive signalling. In addition to aggressive mimicry, these may include crypsis or camouflage, masquerade (mimicry of inanimate objects), and Batesian or protective mimicry. Each of these examples of deception has multiple evolutionary pathways, and some deceptive signals may be more costly to receivers than others, but no single organism is subject to a single selection pressure, leading to the reality that many evolutionary pathways contribute to the diversity we see around us. New technologies are opening new channels of investigation into deceptive signaling in many different sensory modalities, and this is reflected in the recent increase in studies investigating the structure and function of deceptive signals. In turn, these studies are beginning to expose the fascinating complexity of deceptive signaling systems, allowing us to discover the myriad, non-mutually exclusive, solutions that can be selected for to obtain prey.
Interspecies variation in DNA damage induced by pollution
Authors: Sebbio Claudia , Carere Claudio , Nascetti Giuseppe , Bellisario Bruno , Mosesso Pasquale , Cimmaruta Roberta , Angeletti Dario
Published: February 2016

The choice of a suitable species to translate pollution signals into a quantitative monitor is a fundamental step in biomonitoring plans. Here we present the results of three years of biomonitoring at a new coal power plant in central Italy using three different aquatic and terrestrial wildlife species in order to compare their reliability as sentinel organisms for genotoxicity. The comet assay was applied to the common land snail Helix spp., the lagoon fish Aphanius fasciatus, and the green frog Rana esculenta sampled in the area potentially exposed to the impact of the power station. The tissue concentration of some expected pollutants (As, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr) was analysed in parallel samples collected in the same sampling sites. The three species showed different values in the comet assay (Tail Intensity) and different accumulation profiles of heavy metals. Aphanius fasciatus showed an increasing genotoxic effect over time that paralleled the temporal increase of the heavy metals, especially arsenic, and the highest correlation between heavy metals and DNA damage. Helix spp. showed levels of damage inversely related to the distance from the source of pollution and in partial accordance with the total accumulation of trace elements. On the contrary, Rana esculenta showed a low capability to accumulate metals and had inconsistent results in the comet test. The fish appeared to be the most efficient and sensitive species in detecting chemical pollution. Overall, both the fish and the snail reflected a trend of increasing pollution in the area surrounding the power plant across time and space.
Are flight paths of nocturnal songbird migrants influenced by local coastlines at a peninsula?
Authors: Nilsson Cecilia , Bäckman Johan , Alerstam Thomas
Published: February 2016

By recording nocturnally migrating passerines with tracking radar we have investigated how coastlines affect the migrants’ flight paths. Birds could use coastlines as an orientation aid or as a reference cue to compensate for wind drift while migrating. However, on the small scale of Falsterbo Peninsula in southern Sweden, we found very little effect of coastlines on migrants flight paths, irrespective of altitude. We tracked 2 930 migrants in three autumn and two spring seasons, at altitudes from 60 up to 3 000 meters. We compared tracks of migrants flying in three different areas, which correspond to the three main coastlines, and can demonstrate that the orientation of the tracks did not differ in a way consistent with the coastlines between the areas in autumn, and showed only a slight effect in spring. This is in accordance with earlier infrared device monitoring in Fals-terbo, but contrary to earlier visual observations. It supports the view of nocturnally migrating passerines as mainly broad-front migrants. Even though the coastlines on the scale of the peninsula affected the flight paths very little, it is possible that the coastline has an effect on a larger regional scale, by migrants avoiding long sea crossings and thereby being funneled towards the peninsula, but this remains to be investigated.
Combining spatial modelling and radar to identify and protect avian migratory hot-spots
Authors: Desholm Mark , Gill Rashpal , Bøvith Thomas , Fox Anthony D.
Published: February 2016

Migrating landbirds are known to follow coast lines and concentrate on peninsulas prior to crossing water bodies, especially during daylight but also at night, creating enhanced potential collision hazards with man-made objects. Knowing where these avian migration “hot-spots” occur in time and space is vital to improve flight safety and inform the spatial planning process (e.g. environmental assessments for offshore windfarms). We developed a simple spatial model to identify avian migration hot-spots in coastal areas based on prevailing migration orientation and coastline features known, from visual and radar observations, to concentrate migrating landbirds around land masses. Regional scale model validation was achieved by combining nocturnal passerine movement data gathered from two tier radar coverage (long-range dual-polarization Doppler weather radar and short-range marine surveillance radar) and standardised bird ringing. Applied on a national scale, the model correctly identified the ten most important Danish coastal hot-spots for spring migrants and predicted the relative numbers of birds that concentrated at each site. These bird numbers corresponded well with historical observational data. Here, we provide a potential framework for the establishment of the first three-dimensional avian airspace sanctuaries, which could contribute to more effective conservation of long-distance migratory birds.
Age of maturation and behavioral tactics in male yellow ground squirrel Spermophilus fulvus during mating season
Authors: Vasilieva Nina A. , Pavlova Ekaterina V. , Naidenko Sergey V. , Tchabovsky Andrey V.
Published: February 2016

Life-history theory predicts that in hibernators age of maturation is related positively to body size and negatively to the duration of active season aboveground. Yellow souslik is a large-sized ground squirrel with long hibernation, which suggests late maturation. We used four-year field observations of marked individuals to determine the age of maturation in males through analysis of age-dependent variation in body size, mass, androgen status, timing of spring emergence, ranging patterns and social behavior during the mating season. Yearling males were smaller, lighter, had lower level of fecal testosterone, emerged later and had smaller home ranges than older males. Social activity and the number of females encountered did not differ between age classes. After the second hibernation none of the studied parameters varied with age. Cluster analysis revealed two behavioral tactics: “active” males (adults only) emerged earlier, ranged more widely, initiated more contacts, encountered more females and were heavier than “passive” males (both yearling and adult). Thus, males of S. fulvus reached adult size and matured after two hibernations, which is relatively fast for such a big species with short active period. Indirect evidence for copulations and high variation among yearlings in all parameters suggest that some of them might successfully compete with adults. Active tactic of wandering and searching for females is energetically costly, and probably only adult males in good physical condition can afford it, whereas passive tactic of residing is energy saving and good for adults in poor condition and for yearlings that are continuing to grow.
Plasticity as panacea? Nerves, hormones, and the currencies of trade-offs
Authors: Bastiaans Elizabeth , Bastiaans Elizabeth
Published: February 2016

Phenotypic plasticity is nearly universal among organisms, and evidence indicates that plasticity can exhibit additive genetic variation and respond to selection. These findings have important implications for our understanding of how plasticity may be constrained and how its mechanistic structure may affect its evolution. Many life history trade-offs may be conceptualized as plastic traits, with individuals varying in their position along trade-off axes due to genetic differences, developmental plasticity, or short-term plasticity occurring throughout an individual’s lifetime. Behavioral plasticity is key to understanding when organisms are likely to encounter trade-offs, whether those trade-offs can be mitigated, and how the trade-offs affect the ecology and evolution of populations. In this review, we discuss hormonal and neural mechanisms that may influence how plastic behavioral traits are expressed and evolve. We also outline a classification of life history trade-offs and their mechanistic bases and discuss the currencies most likely to mediate each category of trade-off and how they are tied to the mechanisms by which animals express their behaviors.
Preliminary notes on brain weight variation across labrid fish species with different levels of cooperative behaviour
Authors: Soares Marta C. , André Gonçalo I. , Paula José R.
Published: February 2016

Brain size and weight vary tremendously in the animal kingdom. It has been suggested that brain structural development must evolve balanced between the advantages of dealing with greater social challenges and the energetic costs of maintaining and developing larger brains. Here we ask if interspecific differences in cooperative behaviour (i.e. cleaning behaviour) are related to brain weight variations in four close-related species of Labrid fish: two are obligatory cleanerfish throughout their entire life (Labroides dimidiatusand L. bicolor), one facultative cleaner fish Labropsis australisand one last species that never engage in cleaning Labrichthys unilineatus. We first search for the link between the rate of species’ cooperation and its relative brain weight, and finally, if the degree of social complexity and cooperation are reflected in the weight of its major brain substructures. Overall, no differences were found in relative brain weight (in relation to body weight) across species. Fine-scale differences were solely demonstrated for the facultative cleaner L. australis, at the brainstem level. Furthermore, data visual examination indicates that the average cerebellum and brainstem weights appear to be larger for L. dimidiatus. Because variation was solely found at specific brain areas (such as cerebellum and brainstem) and not for the whole brain weight values, it suggests that species social-ecological and cognitive demands may be directly contributing to a selective investment in relevant brain areas. This study provides first preliminary evidence that links potential differences in cognitive ability in cooperative behaviour to how these may mediate the evolution of brain structural development in non-mammal vertebrate groups.
The heart rate - breathing rate relationship in aquatic mammals: A comparative analysis with terrestrial species
Authors: Mortola Jacopo P.
Published: February 2016

Aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals, while resting at the water surface or ashore, breathe with a low frequency (f) by comparison to terrestrial mammals of the same body size, the difference increasing the larger the species. Among various interpretations, it was suggested that the low-f breathing is a consequence of the end-inspiratory breath-holding pattern adopted by aquatic mammals to favour buoyancy at the water surface, and evolved to be part of the genetic makeup. If this interpretation was correct it could be expected that, differently from f, the heart rate (HR, beats/min) of aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals at rest would not need to differ from that of terrestrial mammals and that their HR-f ratio would be higher than in terrestrial species. Literature data for HR (beats/min) in mammals at rest were gathered for 56 terrestrial and 27 aquatic species. In aquatic mammals the allometric curve (HR=191·M-0.18; M= body mass, kg) did not differ from that of terrestrial species (HR=212·M-0.22) and their HR-f ratio (on average 32±5) was much higher than in terrestrial species (5±1) (P<0.0001). The comparison of these HR allometric curves to those for f previously published indicated that the HR-f ratio was body size-independent in terrestrial species while it increased significantly with M in aquatic species. The similarity in HR and differences in f between aquatic and terrestrial mammals agree with the possibility that the low f of aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals may have evolved for a non-respiratory function, namely the regulation of buoyancy at the water surface.
Male-like testosterone levels inhibit oviposition in a female parrot: A breeding experiment in budgerigars
Authors: Lahaye Stefanie E. P. , Eens Marcel , Darras Veerle M. , Pinxten Rianne
Published: February 2016

Studies in several songbird species have shown that treating females with the androgenic steroid hormone testosterone (T) can negatively affect female reproductive behaviors and breeding success. As the effects of T on females appear to be species-specific, it is not clear if similar effects of high T occur in non-songbird species. Here, we studied the effects of T supplementation on female reproductive behavior and oviposition in the budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus, a small monogamous parrot species with distinct sex differences in parental behavior. We experimentally increased T concentrations to male-like levels in T-treated females compared to controls and we allowed females to breed. We found no significant effects of treatment on the latency to enter the nestbox but T treatment significantly interfered with oviposition. Our results show that T-treated females were seven times less likely to produce a clutch than control females. As we found that T treatment had a strong inhibitory effect on oviposition, our results indicate that female budgerigars suffer fitness costs from male-like plasma T levels. Therefore, it may be possible that, also in non-songbird species, selection for higher T levels in males is constrained by a correlated response to selection which imposes fitness costs on females in terms of reproduction. Evaluating whether or not this is indeed the case requires further work combining different approaches to the study of the evolution of male and female testosterone levels.
Why not to avoid the smell of danger? Unexpected behavior of the Cypriot mouse surviving on the island invaded by black rats
Authors: Frynta Daniel , Baladová Margaréta , Eliášová Barbora , Lišková Silvie , Landová Eva
Published: February 2016

Mus cypriacus is a recently discovered endemic species that evolved about half a million years ago on the Cyprus Island in an absence of most mammalian predators and competitors. As on other Mediterranean islands, the faunal composition was dramatically changed by the invasion of commensal and domestic species following Holocene colonization by humans. We examined the behavioral responses of the Cypriot mouse to the odors of these new competitors (black and Norway rat, house mouse and spiny-mouse) and predator (domestic cat) as well as controls (Herb-field mouse, guinea pig). We compared them with those of mainland population of house mouse from Syria with different coexistence history. Surprisingly, the Cypriot mouse failed to avoid the odor of its current main competitor, the black rat. Moreover, the response patterns of both the Cypriot and Syrian house mice to the examined odor sources appeared fairly comparable. There was a clear tendency to prefer odors of other murids over unscented sawdust as well as to avoid the odor of a domestic cat. In conclusion, neither the long-term isolation from predators nor the recent strong competition with black rats affected mice competitory and antipredatory responses fundamentally.
Health Care Experiences of Latino Children in Emerging and Traditional Destinations
Authors: Saloner Brendan , Gresenz Carole Roan
Published: February 2016

Background:

Latino populations have disproportionately moved to areas in the Southeast and Midwest (emerging destinations), outside traditional Latino enclaves, in recent years.

Objective:

To examine whether health care experiences differ between traditional and emerging destinations for Latino children.

Research Design:

We defined traditional and emerging destination counties based on levels and changes in the Latino population between 2000 and 2010. Measures were linked to the restricted National Survey of Children’s Health along with county-level data from the Area Resource File and Census of State and Local Governments. To compare outcomes among Latino children across destinations, linear probability models adjusted for individual-level characteristics, area-level characteristics, and state fixed effects.

Measures:

Outcomes were access to a usual source of care, unmet health care needs, preventive health visit in prior year, and family-centered care.

Results:

Compared with traditional destination counterparts, Latino children in emerging destinations tended to be younger, healthier, and more likely to be in families speaking English at home. Latino children in emerging destinations were significantly less likely to have a usual source of care adjusting for individual-level and county-level variables, but other dimensions of access were similar between destinations.

Conclusions:

Differences in usual source of care may reflect lower supply of culturally competent providers or limited information about where and how to seek care. For realized access to care, protective factors in emerging destinations, such as higher average incomes in the area and lower community uninsurance rates, might counteract any negative effects of emerging destinations.
Performance of government linked companies and private owned companies in Malaysia
Authors: Bhatt Padmanabha Ramachandra
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to find whether there was any significant difference in performance between government-linked companies (GLCs) and private-owned companies (POCs) and there was any significant improvement in performance of GLCs after Malaysian Government
'
s initiatives to transform the GLCs to high-performance companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Panel data estimation techniques were used to run the regression in this study.

Findings

– It was found that there was no significant difference in performance level between GLCs and POCs. It was also found that the performance level of GLCs had improved significantly after the initiation of GLCs
'
transformation programme by the Malaysian Government.

Originality/value

– The implication of the results of this study is that state-owned enterprises in developing countries like Malaysia can be relevant and important to take care of social responsibilities and needs, as also they can perform at par with private companies. There is no need for privatization of government-owned enterprises; rather, it needs corporatization. Government-owned enterprises can play an important role to drive national development.
Anti‐early endosome antigen 1 autoantibodies were detected in a pemphigus‐like patient but not in the majority of pemphigus diseases
Authors: Nishikawa Ryuhei , Takahashi Hitoshi , Matsuda Mitsuhiro , Imaoka Kaoru , Ogawa Masahiro , Teye Kwesi , Tsuchisaka Atsunari , Koga Hiroshi , Komorowski Lars , Probst Christian , Hachiya Takahisa , Fritzler Marvin J. , Ishii Norito , Ohata Chika , Furumura Minao , Krol Rafal P. , Muro Yoshinao , Morita Eishin , Hashimoto Takashi
Published: February 2016

Although the major autoantigens in classic pemphigus are desmogleins, sera from various types of pemphigus react with a number of other molecules, including desmocollins and plakin proteins. However, other novel pemphigus‐related autoantigens remain to be identified. In this study, immunoblotting for serum from an atypical autoimmune bullous disease patient identified an unknown 175 kDa protein. Subsequent studies using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis, immunoblotting and mass‐spectrometry identified the 175 kDa protein as early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1). This finding was confirmed by subsequent immunological studies, including indirect immunofluorescence of skin and cultured keratinocytes, two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with anti‐EEA1 polyclonal antibody, and preabsorption with EEA1 recombinant protein. Finally, we developed a novel BIOCHIP assay using full‐length EEA1 recombinant protein to detect anti‐EEA1 antibodies. However, none of 35 sera from various types of pemphigus showed anti‐EEA1 antibodies in the BIOCHIP assay, with the exception of the serum from the index case. In addition, various findings in the index case did not suggest pathogenic role of anti‐EEA1 autoantibodies. Therefore, although we successfully identified the 175 kDa protein reacted by a serum of an atypical pemphigus‐like patient as EEA1, novel BIOCHIP study for other pemphigus sera indicated that EEA1 is not a common and pathogenic autoantigen in pemphigus.
Multiple lifestyle behaviours and overweight and obesity among children aged 9–11 years: results from the UK site of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment
Authors: Wilkie Hannah J , Standage Martyn , Gillison Fiona B , Cumming Sean P , Katzmarzyk Peter T
Published: February 2016

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to explore the independent associations between multiple lifestyle behaviours (physical activity, sleep, screen time (ST) and diet) and overweight and obesity in UK children. The second objective was to compare body mass index (BMI) z-score between children who meet health guidelines for each lifestyle behaviour and those who do not and to explore the impact of interactions between lifestyle behaviours on BMI z-score.

Design, setting and participants

Cross-sectional study on children aged 9–11 years in the UK (n=374).

Outcome measures

Participants were classified as overweight or obese using the WHO BMI cut-points. Moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and sleep duration were measured using an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer, whereas ST and dietary habits were assessed using questionnaires. Multilevel multiple logistic regression was employed to analyse associations between lifestyle behaviours and overweight/obesity. Participants were then categorised according to whether or not they met specific health criteria for MVPA, ST, sleep and diet. Multilevel multiple linear regression was used to compare these groupings on the outcome of BMI z-score and interactions were explored.

Results

MVPA and longer sleep duration were associated with lower odds of overweight or obesity, whereas ST and a healthy diet score were associated with increased odds of overweight/obesity. No association was found for an unhealthy diet score. Meeting MVPA guidelines was significantly associated with a lower BMI z-score in all models, and significant two-way interactions were observed for physical activity and sleep, ST and sleep, and physical activity and diet.

Conclusions

MVPA, sleep and ST are important lifestyle behaviours associated with overweight/obesity among children. More research is required to confirm the role of diet on adiposity and such work would benefit from objective assessment. Overall, this work suggests that strategies aimed at improving compliance with health guidelines are needed.

Trial registration number:

NCT01722500.
Kaluza theory with zero-length extra dimensions
Authors: Stoica O. C.
Published: February 2016

A new approach to the Kaluza theory and its relation to the gauge theory is presented. Two degenerate metrics on the [Formula: see text]-dimensional total manifold are used, one corresponding to the spacetime metric and giving the fiber of the gauge bundle, and the other one to the metric of the fiber and giving the horizontal bundle of the connection. When combined, the two metrics give the Kaluza metric and its generalization to the non-Abelian case, justifying thus his choice. Considering the two metrics as fundamental rather than the Kaluza metric explains why Kaluza’s theory should not be regarded as five-dimensional (5D) vacuum gravity. This approach suggests that the only evidence of extra dimensions is given by the existence of the gauge forces, explaining thus why other kinds of evidence are not available. In addition, because the degenerate metric corresponding to the spacetime metric vanishes along the extra dimensions, the lengths in the extra dimensions is zero, preventing us to directly probe them. Therefore, this approach suggests that it is not justified to search for experimental evidence of the extra dimensions as if they are merely extra spacetime dimensions. On the other hand, the new approach uses a very general formalism, which can be applied to known and new generalizations of the Kaluza theory aiming to achieve more and make different experimental predictions.
Comparison of Refractive Error Changes in Retinopathy of Prematurity Patients Treated with Diode and Red Lasers
Authors: Roohipoor Ramak , Karkhaneh Reza , Riazi Esfahani Mohammad , Alipour Fateme , Haghighat Mahtab , Ebrahimiadib Nazanin , Zarei Mohammad , Mehrdad Ramin
Published: February 2016

Aim: To compare refractive error changes in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) patients treated with diode and red lasers. Methods: A randomized double-masked clinical trial was performed, and infants with threshold or prethreshold type 1 ROP were assigned to red or diode laser groups. Gestational age, birth weight, pretreatment cycloplegic refraction, time of treatment, disease stage, zone and disease severity were recorded. Patients received either red or diode laser treatment and were regularly followed up for retina assessment and refraction. The information at month 12 of corrected age was considered for comparison. Results: One hundred and fifty eyes of 75 infants were enrolled in the study. Seventy-four eyes received diode and 76 red laser therapy. The mean gestational age and birth weight of the infants were 28.6 ± 3.2 weeks and 1,441 ± 491 g, respectively. The mean baseline refractive error was +2.3 ± 1.7 dpt. Posttreatment refraction showed a significant myopic shift (mean 2.6 ± 2.0 dpt) with significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.001). There was a greater myopic shift among children with zone I and diode laser treatment (mean 6.00 dpt) and a lesser shift among children with zone II and red laser treatment (mean 1.12 dpt). The linear regression model, using the generalized estimating equation method, showed that the type of laser used has a significant effect on myopic shift even after adjustment for other variables. Conclusion: Myopic shift in laser-treated ROP patients is related to the type of laser used and the involved zone. Red laser seems to cause less myopic shift than diode laser, and those with zone I involvement have a greater myopic shift than those with ROP in zone II.
Liquid Biopsy in Metastasized Breast Cancer as Basis for Treatment Decisions
Authors: Krawczyk Natalia , Fehm Tanja , Banys-Paluchowski Malgorzata , Janni Wolfgang , Schramm Amelie
Published: February 2016

According to current guidelines, the additional biopsy of breast cancer metastases to analyze the receptor status for phenotype assessment is recommended. However, due to clinical difficulties in performing biopsies of metastatic lesions, the phenotype of the primary tumor most often determines the treatment decisions in metastatic breast cancer. Liquid biopsy allows the analysis of several circulating biomarkers like circulating tumor cells (CTCs) or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in peripheral blood samples of cancer patients. Thus, it is an elegant and easily practicable technique that delivers information on the current disease status. Determination of the CTC phenotype regarding the hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status might replace additional tissue biopsy for planning further therapy strategies. Liquid biopsy is a crucial step towards a more individualized cancer therapy. In contrast to the conventional concept of tissue biopsy, it offers an easy, less invasive acquisition of biomaterial. In addition, it allows multiple repetitions and real-time monitoring of metastasized disease in the clinical routine. However, the clinical utility of liquid biopsy still needs to be evaluated.
Clinical Management of Head and Neck Cancer Cases: Role of Pharmacogenetics of CYP2 and GSTs
Authors: Ruwali Munindra , Dhawan Ankur , Pant Mohan C. , Rahman Qamar , Khurana S.M. Paul , Parmar Devendra
Published: February 2016

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) describes a wide range of malignant tumors which originate in the upper aerodigestive tract and have a multifactorial origin involving both genetic and lifestyle risk factors. The clinical management of head and neck cancer involves surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. With the advances in treatment strategies for HNSCC, newer targeted therapies are adding to the progress already achieved in the multimodality management of patients although the problems of differences in drug response and adverse drug reactions are still grave concerns. Cancer pharmacogenomics has fast emerged as a new and promising field for the early identification of genetic markers that can predict drug response or toxicity. This could greatly help in identifying genetic markers useful for the selection of optimal drugs, dose, and treatment duration on an individual basis resulting in improved drug efficacy and decreased toxicity. This review focuses on the various treatment modalities available for the clinical management of HNSCC followed by a description of the contribution of genetic variations to chemotherapeutic toxicity and response. Furthermore, studies addressing the association of genetic variants of drug-metabolizing enzymes with treatment response in head and neck cancer are also discussed.
Human Rights Protection before the International Criminal Court
Authors: Davidson Alex
Published: February 2016

This article assesses the human rights framework of those accused before the International Criminal Court, with particular emphasis on Article 21(3) of the Rome Statute. Part 2 examines a number of obstacles currently impinging the successful operation of human rights protection before the Court, which Article 21(3) may remedy. Part 3, drawing on strands of interpretative analysis, seeks to interpret and illuminate Article 21(3), arguing that a broad scope ought to be adopted for determining the substantive content encapsulated by ‘internationally recognized human rights’. Moreover, Article 21(3) should be recognised as containing the hierarchical standard of what has been termed ‘super-legality’. Part 4 then highlights the interpretive potential for Article 21(3) as both a tool of innovation and as a remedial device for human rights violations before the Court that are not explicitly provided for in the Rome Statute.