Philornis fasciventris (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae): description of the male, larva and puparium, with notes on biology and host association

The male, larva and puparium of Philornis fasciventris (Wulp) are described for the first time, as well as the larval habit and host association. The material was collected in Yucatan, Mexico in a nest of the turquoise-browed motmot, Eumomota superciliosa (Sandbach) (Coraciformes: Momotidae), first host record for this species. E. superciliosa is also a new host record for Philornis.     

Duck hunter activity,success, and satisfaction on public hunting areas

Because hunting disturbance can influence local distribution of ducks and their availability to hunters, managers often limit access to hunting areas to improve hunting success and satisfaction. Few studies have quantified the effectiveness of public area access restrictions on duck hunter activity, harvest, or hunters' satisfaction with their hunting experience. We used a cross-over design over 6 consecutive hunting seasons (2008–2009 through 2013–2014) on State Wildlife Areas (SWAs) in northeastern Colorado, USA, to compare the effects of restricted hunting access regulations and regulations without these restrictions on duck hunter activity, harvest success, harvest levels, and satisfaction. We also considered effects of SWA types, duck abundance, temperature, precipitation, use of equipment by duck hunting parties, and, for hunter satisfaction, hunting success, hunting parties' satisfaction with ducks seen, habitat conditions, crowding from other hunters, and SWA regulations. The number of days when duck hunters had access to restricted properties was about half that on unrestricted properties, and unrestricted properties were used by about twice as many duck hunting parties, but the mean number of hunting parties per available hunting day and mean party size were similar under the 2 types of regulations. Most (56%) duck hunting parties did not bag any ducks; hunting success (harvest of ≥1 duck by a hunting party) was best explained by a model that included a regulation type × hunting season interaction, a SWA type × month interaction, hunter density the previous day, an index of hunter investment (number of decoys used and whether dogs and calls were used), and temperature. Successful hunting parties harvested 1.92 ± 1.60 (SD) ducks/hunter/day (range = 0.1–7.0); the best model predicting the number of ducks harvested per hunter in successful parties included a regulation type × hunting season interaction, a SWA type × month interaction, hunter density the previous day, an index of hunter investment, temperature, and precipitation. Overall satisfaction of duck hunting parties with a day's hunt averaged 3.62 ± 1.20 based on a rank scale of 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), and was best explained by a model that included hunting party success; hunter investment; temperature; and satisfaction with duck numbers, habitat conditions, hunting regulations, and crowding. While greatly reducing days available for hunting, access restrictions were associated with improved chances of hunting parties successfully harvesting ≥1 duck in 5 of 6 hunting seasons, and substantially greater numbers of ducks harvested by hunters in successful parties in 1 of 6 hunting seasons. Restrictions did not have a strong direct effect on hunting parties' satisfaction with a day's hunt. Uncontrolled factors, including weather and use of equipment by hunters, had important influences on hunter success, harvest, and satisfaction. Managers should carefully assess hunting activity, hunter expectations and desires, and hunting area characteristics when considering access restrictions on public hunting areas.     

Characterization of compost produced from separated pig manure and a variety of bulking agents at low initial C/N ratios

The aim of this study was to investigate the composting of separated pig manure solids with or without a variety of bulking agents at a low initial C/N ratio (12.5-23.3). Compost stability was investigated using an oxygen uptake rate (OUR) test and compost maturity was investigated using a germination index test. All treatments showed typical patterns of compost temperature. Temperatures above 60 °C were achieved by Day 2, followed by a thermophilic phase (50-60 °C), which lasted for 1 to 2 weeks followed by a cooling phase. The stability of one of treatments which did not contain any bulking agent - OUR of 25 mmol O₂ kg⁻¹ OM hour⁻¹ - was negatively affected by its initial high water content (69%). The addition of a bulking agent and initial water content below 60% were necessary to compost the separated solid fraction of pig manure at a low initial C/N ratio.     

A machine learning approach for the prediction of protein surface loop flexibility

Proteins often undergo conformational changes when binding to each other. A major fraction of backbone conformational changes involves motion on the protein surface, particularly in loops. Accounting for the motion of protein surface loops represents a challenge for protein-protein docking algorithms. A first step in addressing this challenge is to distinguish protein surface loops that are likely to undergo backbone conformational changes upon protein-protein binding (mobile loops) from those that are not (stationary loops). In this study, we developed a machine learning strategy based on support vector machines (SVMs). Our SVM uses three features of loop residues in the unbound protein structures-Ramachandran angles, crystallographic B-factors, and relative accessible surface area-to distinguish mobile loops from stationary ones. This method yields an average prediction accuracy of 75.3% compared with a random prediction accuracy of 50%, and an average of 0.79 area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve using cross-validation. Testing the method on an independent dataset, we obtained a prediction accuracy of 70.5%. Finally, we applied the method to 11 complexes that involve members from the Ras superfamily and achieved prediction accuracy of 92.8% for the Ras superfamily proteins and 74.4% for their binding partners.     

Molecular and genetic parameters defining T-cell clonal selection

Clonal selection of T cells occurs in the thymus and is responsible for generating a useful and functional repertoire of T cells. Aberrations in clonal selection result in altered T-cell homeostasis in the secondary lymphoid organs ranging from an absence of T cells to an overabundance of autoreactive T cells. The advent of new technologies facilitating the manipulation of the mouse genome has helped refine our understanding of the molecular and genetic pathways involved in clonal selection and has also revealed a high degree of complexity. Herein, we attempt to review recent advances in thymic selection processes, achieved mostly through genetic manipulations.     

Filamin A is a phosphorylation target of membrane but not cytosolic adenylyl cyclase activity

Transmembrane adenylyl cyclase (AC) generates a cAMP pool within the subplasma membrane compartment that strengthens the endothelial cell barrier. This cAMP signal is steered toward effectors that promote junctional integrity and is inactivated before it accesses microtubules, where the cAMP signal causes phosphorylation of tau, leading to microtubule disassembly and barrier disruption. During infection, Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses a type III secretion system to inject a soluble AC, ExoY, into the cytosol of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells. ExoY generates a cAMP signal that disrupts the endothelial cell barrier. We tested the hypothesis that this ExoY-dependent cAMP signal causes phosphorylation of tau, without inducing phosphorylation of membrane effectors that strengthen endothelial barrier function. To approach this hypothesis, we first discerned the membrane compartment in which endogenous transmembrane AC6 resides. AC6 was resolved in caveolin-rich lipid raft fractions with calcium channel proteins and the cell adhesion molecules N-cadherin, E-cadherin, and activated leukocyte adhesion molecule. VE-cadherin was excluded from the caveolin-rich fractions and was detected in the bulk plasma membrane fractions. The actin binding protein, filamin A, was detected in all membrane fractions. Isoproterenol activation of ACs promoted filamin phosphorylation, whereas thrombin inhibition of AC6 reduced filamin phosphorylation within the membrane fraction. In contrast, ExoY produced a cAMP signal that did not cause filamin phosphorylation yet induced tau phosphorylation. Hence, our data indicate that cAMP signals are strictly compartmentalized; whereas cAMP emanating from transmembrane ACs activates barrier-enhancing targets, such as filamin, cAMP emanating from soluble ACs activates barrier-disrupting targets, such as tau.