Behavioral and Emotional Dynamics of Two People Struggling to Reach Consensus about a Topic on Which They Disagree

We studied the behavioral and emotional dynamics displayed by two people trying to resolve a conflict. 59 groups of two people were asked to talk for 20 minutes to try to reach a consensus about a topic on which they disagreed. The topics were abortion, affirmative action, death penalty, and euthanasia. Behavior data were determined from audio recordings where each second of the conversation was assessed as proself, neutral, or prosocial. We determined the probability density function of the durations of time spent in each behavioral state. These durations were well fit by a stretched exponential distribution, with an exponent, , of approximately 0.3. This indicates that the switching between behavioral states is not a random Markov process, but one where the probability to switch behavioral states decreases with the time already spent in that behavioral state. The degree of this “memory” was stronger in those groups who did not reach a consensus and where the conflict grew more destructive than in those that did. Emotion data were measured by having each person listen to the audio recording and moving a computer mouse to recall their negative or positive emotional valence at each moment in the conversation. We used the Hurst rescaled range analysis and power spectrum to determine the correlations in the fluctuations of the emotional valence. The emotional valence was well described by a random walk whose increments were uncorrelated. Thus, the behavior data demonstrated a “memory” of the duration already spent in a behavioral state while the emotion data fluctuated as a random walk whose steps did not have a “memory” of previous steps. This work demonstrates that statistical analysis, more commonly used to analyze physical phenomena, can also shed interesting light on the dynamics of processes in social psychology and conflict management.     

Lixus petiolicola n. sp. from Northeastern Turkey and Lixus furcatus Olivier: Comparative systematic and ecological study (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae)

Lixus petiolicola n. sp. is described from Northeastern Turkey. Ecological data and morphological characters are presented in comparison with closely related species Lixus furcatus Olivier from the Palaearctic subgenus Callistolixus Reitter. Host plant of the new species is Prangos sp. (Apiaceae). Female lays eggs in the petiole where immature stages then develop; one generation is produced per year. Lectotypes of Lixus sitta Sahlberg 1823; L. parallelus Boheman 1842; L. eversmanni Hochhuth 1847; L. ferulaginis Apfelbeck 1899, and L. furcatus longicollis Petri 1905 are designated. A new synonymy is established: L. furcatus Olivier 1807 [=L. eversmanni Hochhuth 1847, n. syn.]. The name of L. recurvus Olivier 1807 is resurrected, excluded from synonyms of L. furcatus and attributed to the L. iridis group.     

Tick survey and detection of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in tick species from a non-endemic area, South Marmara region, Turkey

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an increasing health concern in Turkey since 2002. There were also some recent human cases from the South Marmara region of Turkey; thus, a tick survey was performed, and possible vector tick species for the CCHF virus were determined in the region. A total of 740 adult ticks were collected from infested livestock from five locations: Çanakkale-Biga, Bursa-Orhaneli, Bursa-Keles, Bal?kesir and Bilecik. Total of 11 tick species from the genera Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, Dermacentor, Ixodes and Haemaphysalis were identified. Rhipicephalus ticks were dominant in the region; the most frequently observed tick species was R. turanicus, (53.1 %), and only 15.4 % of the identified ticks were H. marginatum. The occurrence of H. rufipes infestation in the region fort he first time. A total of 73 pools of adult ticks were tested with both an antigen-detecting ELISA and RT real-time PCR (RT rt PCR). The presence of the CCHF virus was demonstrated in 9 (12.3 %) of the tested tick pools. Although seven of the tick pools were positive for the CCHF virus with both of the methods, one pool was positive only with RT rt PCR and the other pool was only positive with the ELISA. Positive results were obtained from ticks collected from cattle, sheep and goats from two locations, Bursa-Orhaneli and Bilecik. The CCHF virus was detected in R. turanicus (n = 3), R. bursa (n = 2), H. marginatum (n = 2) and D. marginatus (n = 2) ticks. The results of this study confirm the presence of the CCHF virus and present preliminary data on the vector tick species in the southern Marmara region of Turkey.     

Cytherella maremensis sp. n., a new ostracod from the Sea of Marmara (Turkey) (Crustacea: Ostracoda)

Cytherella maremensis sp. n., belonging to the family Cytherellidae, is described as new from a hydrothermal vent, located in the west of Marmara Island on the North Anatolian Fault crossing the Sea of Marmara. It was collected from a sediment core 55 m below sea level. Cytherella maremensis sp. n. is clearly separated from closely related species by its shape, length-height ratio and ornamentation.     

The multi-functional SNARE protein Ykt6 in autophagosomal fusion processes

Autophagy is a degradative pathway in which cytosolic material is enwrapped within double membrane vesicles, so-called autophagosomes, and delivered to lytic organelles. SNARE (Soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins are key to drive membrane fusion of the autophagosome and the lytic organelles, called lysosomes in higher eukaryotes or vacuoles in plants and yeast. Therefore, the identification of functional SNARE complexes is central for understanding fusion processes and their regulation. The SNARE proteins Syntaxin 17, SNAP29 and Vamp7/VAMP8 are responsible for the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes in higher eukaryotes. Recent studies reported that the R-SNARE Ykt6 is an additional SNARE protein involved in autophagosome-lytic organelle fusion in yeast, Drosophila, and mammals. These current findings point to an evolutionarily conserved role of Ykt6 in autophagosome-related fusion events. Here, we briefly summarize the principal mechanisms of autophagosome-lytic organelle fusion, with a special focus on Ykt6 to highlight some intrinsic features of this unusual SNARE protein.     

The presence of promatrix metalloproteinase-3 and its relation with different categories of coal workers' pneumoconiosis

Extracellular matrix formation (ECM) and remodeling are critical events related to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Matrix metalloproteinases play an essential role in degrading and remodeling the ECM. In this study, we tried to show the presence and correlation of promatrix metalloproteinase-3 (proMMP-3) (the inactive form of metalloproteinase-3) levels in coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) with different categories. The study population consisted of 44 coal miners with CWP (pos CWP). Coal miners without CWP (neg CWP, n = 24) and non-underground personnel (controls, n = 17) were taken as controls. All coal miners were stable and had no systemic infection or disease. Standard posterio-anterior chest radiographs and pulmonary function tests were performed to exclude any diseases other than CWP. Serum proMMP-3 was analysed using the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay according to the manufacturer's instructions (The Binding Site, Birmingham, UK). Mean proMMP-3 values of the all three groups were compared and a significant statistical difference obtained (p < 0.001). In addition, a statistically significant difference was found between categories of the disease and proMMP-3 values (p < 0.05). The effects of age, exposure duration and cigarette smoking on proMMP-3 values in coal miners with CWP were investigated. There were no correlations between age, smoking and proMMP-3 values. However, a positive correlation was found between exposure duration and proMMP-3 values (r = 0.447, p = 0.008). In conclusion, proMMP-3 (prostromelysin 1) may play an essential role in degrading and remodeling the ECM in workers with pneumoconiosis. ProMMP-3 may also reflect the stage of pneumoconiosis disease.     

1,2-O-Trichloroethylidene acetal group protected 3,5-dieno-1,4-furanose derivatives

The preparation of 3,5-(E)-dieno-3,5,6,8-tetradeoxy-(S)-1,2-O-trichloroethylidene-alpha-D-glycero-octo-1,4-furano-7-ulose starting from either 1,2-O-(S)-trichloroethylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranose (beta-chloralose) or 1,2-O-(S)-trichloroethylidene-alpha-D-galactofuranose (galactochloralose) and the preparation of methyl 3,5-(E)-dieno-3,5,6-trideoxy-(S)-1,2-O-trichloroethylidene-alpha-D-glycero-hepta-1,4-furano-uronate starting from beta-chloralose are described. Endocyclic double bond formations were realised by the elimination of 3-acetoxy groups using DMF-sodium bicarbonate. This elimination was not successful when the starting compound was 1,2-O-(R)-trichloroethylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranose (alpha-chloralose), where the trichloromethyl group occupies the endo position.     

Donor T cell activation initiates small bowel allograft rejection through an IFN-gamma-inducible protein-10-dependent mechanism

The poor success in controlling small bowel (SB) allograft rejection is partially attributed to the unique immune environment in the donor intestine. We hypothesized that Ag-induced activation of donor-derived T cells contributes to the initiation of SB allograft rejection. To address the role of donor T cell activation in SB transplantation, SB grafts from DO11.10 TCR transgenic mice (BALB/c, H-2L(d+)) were transplanted into BALB/c (isografts), or single class I MHC-mismatched (L(d)-deficient) BALB/c H-2(dm2) (dm2, H-2L(d-)) mutant mice (allografts). Graft survival was followed after injection of control or antigenic OVA(323-339) peptide. Eighty percent of SB allografts developed severe rejection in mice treated with antigenic peptide, whereas <20% of allografts were rejected in mice treated with control peptide (p < 0.05). Isografts survived >30 days regardless of OVA(323-339) administration. Activation of donor T cells increased intragraft expression of proinflammatory cytokine (IFN-gamma) and CXC chemokine IFN-gamma-inducible protein-10 mRNA and enhanced activation and accumulation of host NK and T cells in SB allografts. Treatment of mice with neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma-inducible protein-10 mAb increased SB allograft survival in Ag-treated mice (67%; p < 0.05) and reduced accumulation of host T cells and NK cells in the lamina propria but not mesenteric lymph nodes. These results suggest that activation of donor T cells after SB allotransplantation induces production of a Th1-like profile of cytokines and CXC chemokines that enhance infiltration of host T cells and NK cells in SB allografts. Blocking this pathway may be of therapeutic value in controlling SB allograft rejection.