Divergent growth of Norway spruce on Babia Góra Mountain in the western Carpathians

Growth divergence – i.e. the expression of divergent growth trends of neighboring trees – has certain implications for dendrochronological research, for instance in the context of climate reconstructions but also in terms of estimating net ecosystem productivity. Thus, understanding the underlying mechanisms is essential to extend our fundamental dendroecological knowledge. In this context, the Picea genus plays an important role since several of its species were reported to exhibit growth divergence. Here, we investigate a well sampled Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) data set for growth divergence comprising ring-width and Blue Intensity measurements from seven sites on Babia Góra Mountain, at the border between Poland and Slovakia. By means of Principal Component Gradient Analysis, inter-series correlations, and climate growth relationships, we are able to show that I) Norway spruce on Babia Góra expressed growth divergence since the 1970s, II) the definition of groups increased the strength of population signals and the stability of climate-growth relationships, and III) Blue Intensity appeared as a more robust proxy for environmental conditions. We discuss soil heterogeneity, genetics, and air pollution as possible underlying mechanisms, thereby indicating further research avenues to obtain a better understanding of growth divergence.     

Inhibitors for the bacterial ectonucleotidase Lp1NTPDase from Legionella pneumophila

Legionella pneumophila is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium of the genus Legionella, which constitutes the major causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease. Recently a nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase) from L. pneumophila was identified and termed Lp1NTPDase; it was found to be a structural and functional homolog of mammalian NTPDases catalyzing the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP and ADP to AMP. Its activity is believed to contribute to the virulence of Legionella pneumophila. Therefore Lp1NTPDase inhibitors are considered as novel antibacterial drugs. However, only weakly potent compounds are available so far. In the present study, a capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based enzyme assay for monitoring the Lp1NTPDase activity was established. The enzymatic reaction was performed in a test tube followed by separation of substrate and products by CE and subsequent quantification by UV analysis. After kinetic characterization of the enzyme, a series of 1-amino-4-ar(alk)ylamino-2-sulfoanthraquinone derivatives structurally related to the anthraquinone dye Reactive Blue 2, a non-selective ecto-NTPDase inhibitor, was investigated for inhibitory activity on Lp1NTPDase using the CE-based enzyme assay. Derivatives bearing a large lipophilic substituent (e.g., fused aromatic rings) in the 4-position of the 1-amino-2-sulfoanthraquinone showed the highest inhibitory activity. Compounds with IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar range were identified. The most potent inhibitor was 1-amino-4-[phenanthrene-9-yl-amino]-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracene-2-sulfonate (28, PSB-16131), with an IC₅₀-value of 4.24 μM. It represents the most potent Lp1NTPDase inhibitor described to date. These findings may serve as a starting point for further optimization. Lp1NTPDase inhibition provides a novel approach for the (immuno)therapy of Legionella infections.     

The reactivity of neonatal rabbits to the mammary pheromone as a probe for viability

Newborn rabbits depend on a daily nursing interaction with the mother to gain milk and to survive. During this interaction, they localise and seize the nipples displaying a typical behaviour triggered by maternal odour cues. The mammary pheromone constitutes such a signal in domestic rabbits: it elicits sucking-related movements in more than 90% of the pups. However, some newborns remain unresponsive to the presentation of the pheromone, even pups apparently healthy and highly motivated to suck. The main goal of the present study was therefore to explore the link between the unresponsiveness of rabbit pups to the mammary pheromone and their growth and survival in breeding conditions. To that end, 293 newborns from 30 litters were tested for their head searching-oral grasping responses to the mammary pheromone on days 1 and 3, and their milk intake and mortality were followed up from days 1 to 21. It was hypothesised that unresponsive newborns would have subsequent difficulties in finding nipples, sucking and surviving. Early weight and success in milk intake were further considered as mediating factors in growth and viability. The results showed that pups that were unresponsive to the mammary pheromone on day 1 were less successful in gaining milk and had a higher rate of mortality than the responsive pups. However, this impact was modulated by the weight of pups: it appeared only in the lightest newborns. Moreover, this impact vanished on day 3. On the other hand, the pup weight and sucking success on days 1 to 3 strongly influenced viability and growth during the period extending from days 1 to 21. Taken together, the results show that the day-1 responsiveness of rabbit pups to the mammary pheromone can be considered as an indicator of individual viability in pups having a small weight (<48 g on day 1). The predictive validity of the pups’ pheromonal reactivity seems however time-limited as it works only during the first, but crucial, postnatal days.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of heterocyclic bis-aryl amides as novel Src homology 2 domain containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 (SHP2) inhibitors

The Src homology-2 domain containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 (SHP2) is a convergent node for oncogenic cell-signaling cascades including the PD-L1/PD-1 pathway. Consequently, SHP2 has emerged as a compelling target for novel anti-cancer agents. Replacing one of phenyl ring in PTP1B inhibitor 1 with heterocyclic ring led to a series of heterocyclic bis-aryl amide derivatives. The representative compound 7b displayed SHP2 inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ of 2.63 ± 0.08 μM, exhibited about 4-fold selectivity for SHP2 over TCPTP and had no detectable activity against SHP1 and PTP1B. These preliminary results could provide a possible opportunity for the development of novel SHP2 inhibitors with optimal potency and improved pharmacological properties.     

Patterns of reproduction and development of selected resident teleosts of Florida salt marshes

A wide variety of teleost fishes occur in tidal marshes of Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida, few of which breed in these habitats or remain there for extended periods of time. A significant fraction of teleosts that do so are members of one of five families. Eleven representative species belonging to these families, whose reproduction and development are considered here, include: Adinia xenica, Fundulus confluentus, F. grandis and F. similis (Fundulidae); Cyprinodon variegatus, Floridichthys carpio and Jordanella floridae (Cyprinodontidae); Gambusia holbrooki and Poecilia latipinna (Poeciliidae); Mugil cephalus (Mugilidae); and Dormitator maculatus (Eleotridae). Spawning or birth locations, patterns of growth and development, times of use of the salt marsh as a nursery area, and development of salinity tolerances/osmotic regulatory capabilities were evaluated for each, considering these in the context of variability of environmental conditions, especially of salinity. Five different patterns of reproduction are shown by these 11 species, and only A. xenica appears to be limited to reproducing in the salt marsh environment. Some of these species are capable of reproducing throughout the year. Several of the species are annuals, most others live only 2 or 3 years. Eight species (those other than M. cephalus, A. xenica and G. holbrooki) were found to show no size relationship, large juvenile to adult sizes, in osmotic regulatory capabilities.     

Attachment styles and emotional content, stress, and conflict in dreams of romantic partners.

Expanding on previous research investigating the link between dreams and attachment, participants in committed dating relationships were recruited to fill out dream diaries for 1 week. It was hypothesized that when dreaming about romantic partners (attachment figures), dream content would vary by attachment style, such that insecurely attached individuals would experience a different quality of dream, emotionally and cognitively. At Time 1, participants completed a self-report measure of attachment style, and then completed a dream diary at home each morning for 7 days. Dreams that contained romantic partners were coded by double-blind research assistants for emotional content, with a focus on attachment-related emotions and stressful expressions. Anxious-attached and avoidant-attached participants experienced significantly more stress and conflict, and scored significantly higher on specific emotions such as anxiety and jealousy in such dreams. Secure scores did not correlate with any specific or general emotion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Atlas versus range maps: robustness of chorological relationships to distribution data types in European mammals

Aim Chorological relationships describe the patterns of distributional overlap among species. In addition to revealing biogeographical structure, the resulting clusters of species with similar geographical distributions can serve as natural units in conservation planning. Here, we assess the extent to which temporal, methodological and taxonomical differences in the source of species’ distribution data can affect the relationships that are found. Location Western Europe. Methods We used two data sets – the Atlas of European mammals and polygon range maps from the IUCN Global Mammal Assessment – both as presence–absence data for UTM 50 km × 50 km squares. We performed pairwise comparisons among 156 species for each data set to build matrices of the similarity in distribution across species, using both Jaccard’s and Baroni‐Urbani & Buser’s indices. We then compared these similarity matrices (chorological relationships), as well as the species richness and occurrence patterns from the two data sets. Results As expected, range maps increased both the mean prevalence per species and mean species richness per grid cell in comparison to atlas data, reflecting the general view that these data types respectively over‐ and underestimate species occurrence. However, species richness and occurrence patterns in atlas and range map data were positively associated and, most importantly, the chorological relationships underlying the two data sets were highly similar. Main conclusions Despite many methodological, temporal and taxonomical differences between atlas data and range maps, the chorological relationships encountered between species were similar for both data sets. Chorological analyses can thus be robust to the data source used and provide a solid basis for analytical biogeographical studies, even over broad spatial scales.