Abnormal Behavior in Caged Birds Kept as Pets

There are a limited number of studies dealing with abnormal behavior in caged birds kept as pets. However, these studies demonstrate the presence of abnormal behavior in both songbirds and parrots. Ethological studies on these birds, as well as studies on domestic and zoo birds, indicate that inappropriate rearing and housing conditions may lead to behavioral abnormalities. Together these data indicate that behavioral abnormalities occur among both wild-caught and domesticated pet birds. The severity and magnitude of these abnormalities is probably underestimated, and there is a need for systematic studies on the nature, origin, variability, species-specificity, and reversibility of behavioral problems in pet birds. Abnormal behavior in caged birds may to some extent be prevented and reduced by environmental enrichment. However, most enrichment studies are anecdotal and not based on a thorough analysis of the behavioral abnormalities, which may lead to measures resulting in a reduction of symptoms rather than the underlying causes. Although it is likely that several of these problems could be reduced by modifying rearing and housing conditions, the current insights into the causal mechanisms underlying abnormal behavior of domesticated and wild-caught pet birds are limited, as are the insights into the possibilities of preventing or curing abnormal behavior.     

Abnormal behavior in caged birds kept as pets

There are a limited number of studies dealing with abnormal behavior in caged birds kept as pets. However, these studies demonstrate the presence of abnormal behavior in both songbirds and parrots. Ethological studies on these birds, as well as studies on domestic and zoo birds, indicate that inappropriate rearing and housing conditions may lead to behavioral abnormalities. Together these data indicate that behavioral abnormalities occur among both wild-caught and domesticated pet birds. The severity and magnitude of these abnormalities is probably underestimated, and there is a need for systematic studies on the nature, origin, variability, species-specificity, and reversibility of behavioral problems in pet birds. Abnormal behavior in caged birds may to some extent be prevented and reduced by environmental enrichment. However, most enrichment studies are anecdotal and not based on a thorough analysis of the behavioral abnormalities, which may lead to measures resulting in a reduction of symptoms rather than the underlying causes. Although it is likely that several of these problems could be reduced by modifying rearing and housing conditions, the current insights into the causal mechanisms underlying abnormal behavior of domesticated and wild-caught pet birds are limited, as are the insights into the possibilities of preventing or curing abnormal behavior.     

Forensic Ecotoxicology: Establishing Causality between Contaminants and Biological Effects in Field Studies

Twelve papers in this series were derived from two conference sessions focusing on causality in field studies. Eight of these papers involve case studies examining biological effects of chemical contaminants in field situations. Using a weight-of-evidence approach, these case studies were evaluated against seven proposed criteria for establishing causality. The seven criteria were: strength of association; consistency of association; specificity of association; time order; biological gradient; experimental evidence; and biological plausibility. One of these seven criteria, ‘specificity of association’ was found to be of little utility for establishing causality in these field studies. The case studies are presented in approximate order of increasing levels of biological organization (i.e., going from endpoints at the suborganismal level to endpoints at the population or community level). In case studies examining higher levels of biological organization, it appears that the ‘biological gradient’ criterion was also not useful in establishing causality. These results, together with suggestions from other papers in the series, are used to recommend a set of modified criteria for establishing causality in field studies of the biological effects of chemical contaminants.     

Glutamine repeats: structural hypotheses and neurodegeneration

A growing number of neurodegenerative diseases are caused by expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeats coding for polyglutamine. The presence of intranuclear inclusions in the affected neuronal cells has suggested a mechanism for pathogenesis based on protein misfolding and aggregation. Detailed understanding of these phenomena is therefore crucial in order to rationalize different phases of the diseases. In the past decade, a few studies have focused on the structural properties of polyglutamine and on the molecular bases of the aggregation process. Most of these studies have been performed on polyglutamine peptides and protein models. Only one report is currently available on the characterization of a full-length polyglutamine protein. The structural hypotheses resulting from these studies are reviewed here.     

Genetics of the human electroencephalogram (EEG) and event-related brain potentials (ERPs): a review

Twin and family studies of normal variation in the human electroencephalogram (EEG) and event related potentials (ERPs) are reviewed. Most of these studies are characterized by small sample sizes. However, by summarizing these studies in one paper, we may be able to gain some insight into the genetic influences on individual differences in central nervous system functioning that may mediate genetically determined differences in behavior. It is clear that most EEG parameters are to a large extent genetically determined. The results for ERPs are based on a much smaller number of studies and suggest medium to large heritability.     

Discovering functional small molecules in the gut microbiome

The human microbiome has emerged as a source of bacterially produced, functional small molecules that help regulate health and disease, and their discovery and annotation has become a popular research topic. Identifying these molecules provides an essential step in unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying biological outcomes. The relevance of specific bacterial members of the microbiome has been demonstrated in a variety of correlative studies, and there are many possible paths from these correlations to the responsible metabolites. Herein, we summarize two studies that have recently identified gut microbiome metabolites that modulate immune responses or promote physical activity. Aside from the deep insights gained, these studies provide blueprints for successfully uncovering the molecules and mechanisms that control important physiological pathways.     

On the origins of congenic MATalpha and MATa strains of the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans.

The basidiomycetous yeast Cryptococcus neoformans infects humans and causes a meningoencephalitis that is uniformly fatal if untreated. The organism has a defined sexual cycle involving mating of haploid MATa and MATalpha strains, gene disruption by transformation and homologous recombination is now readily accomplished, and robust animal models for infection have been well established. In addition, a pair of congenic MATalpha and MATa haploid strains have been constructed that permit detailed studies on physiology and virulence by classical genetic approaches. These strains represent a valuable resource for further studies in this organism, and the genomic sequence of one of these strains, JEC21 (=B-4500), was recently chosen to be sequenced by an international consortium. Because of the importance of these strains for genetic studies in C. neoformans and the fact that the genomic sequence of one of these strains is in progress, we review here how these congenic strains were originally constructed.     

Design, synthesis, and antiproliferative and CDK2-cyclin a inhibitory activity of novel flavopiridol analogues

The design and synthesis of a small library of 8-amidoflavone, 8-sulfonamidoflavone, 8-amido-7-hydroxyflavone, and heterocyclic analogues of flavopiridol is reported. The potential activity of these compounds as kinase inhibitors was evaluated by cytotoxicity studies in MCF-7 and ID-8 cancer cell lines and inhibition of CDK2-Cyclin A enzyme activity in vitro. The antiproliferative and CDK2-Cyclin A inhibitory activity of these analogues was significantly lower than the activity of flavopiridol. Molecular docking simulations were carried out and these studies suggested a different binding orientation inside the CDK2 binding pocket for these analogues compared to flavopiridol.     

A systematic review of the attractant-decoy and repellent-plant hypotheses: do plants with heterospecific neighbours escape herbivory?

Aims This systematic review highlights the relative support and implications of the attractant-decoy and repellent-plant hypotheses, discussing important linkages between these theories and the opportunity for novel integration into ecological and applied research.Methods An extensive systematic review of the current literature on the attractant-decoy and repellent-plant hypotheses was done to describe the following attributes of the research to date: (i) the geographic extent (country and biome) of studies on this topic, (ii) the scope of experimental designs used, (iii) the level of support for these hypotheses with respect to the breadth of ecological niches tested, (iv) the level of support for these hypotheses with respect to the classes of herbivores examined and, lastly, (v) the ecological impact or purpose of these studies. Herein, we summarize important research gaps in the empirical literature on this topic and identify novel opportunities for critical linkages between ecological and applied theories.Important findings A total of 37% of experiments testing these two associated hypotheses were done in North America, frequently in either temperate broadleaf (26% of studies) or taiga ecosystems (15% of studies). The majority of these studies involved experimental manipulations such as removing and transplanting vegetation and either tracked or excluded mammalian herbivores. Ecological implications were primarily examined (59% of studies), but there were also implications described for agriculture and commercial forestry in 22% of studies. The repellent-plant hypothesis was well supported in many ecological systems, particularly for mammalian herbivores, but the attractant-decoy hypothesis has been less frequently tested, thereby representing an important research gap. Insect herbivores were under-represented in all categories except in applied contexts such as commercial forestry and agriculture. There is a clear need for studies to connect these two ecological hypotheses with the management of agriculture and restoration efforts in many ecosystems. Research on the co-evolution and facilitation between palatable and unpalatable plants also represents another novel area of future study.     

Electrostatic potentials of tumour promoters

Molecular-modelling studies and quantum-chemical calculations have been undertaken on a variety of structurally unrelated tumour promoters. The modelling studies reveal some broad areas of agreement in the associated electrostatic potentials for the molecules TPA, teleocidin, aplysiatoxin and ingenol. Azulene-type derivatives were used as models for inactive and active tumour promoters in the quantum chemical studies. The results obtained from these calculations of the electrostatic potentials show very little difference between active and inactive compounds, thus suggesting that other factors are of importance in these systems.     

Biomolecule-cell interactions and the regulation of myelopoiesis

The regulation of myelopoiesis in vivo most likely entails a complex set of interactions between cell-derived biomolecules and their target cells. Much of what we currently know of these interactions has been derived from studies in vitro utilizing techniques for the purification of both the biomolecules and the cells producing and responding to these factors. Stimulating and suppressing influences have been uncovered, and with the cloning and purification of biologically active factors, studies assessing the actions of these molecules in vivo have begun. From studies in vitro it is apparent that many of the purified molecules can have move than one action and that different molecules can collaborate in a synergistic manner to enhance or suppress functional endpoints.     

Numerical classification of species of Vibrio and related genera

Data from 1091 strains of the family Vibrionaceae collected in five different studies have been merged into a single data matrix and analysed in a taxonomic study. A set of 142 characters was selected to compare these data. Seventy-nine characters were common to all studies, but data for the other 63 characters were incomplete. Cultures of 90 strains, examined in more than one of the original studies, were used to estimate test error and inter-study variability. The data from these replicate strains also allowed the problem of merging data from different studies to be assessed. Taxonomic resemblance was estimated on the basis of 111 characters using the S_SM coefficient and UPGMA clustering. A taxonomic analysis based on 999 strains, which included most of the major species of the family Vibrionaceae, gave 59 clusters and 44 unclustered strains. A table of properties of these phenons was produced. The results showed that data obtained from studies carried out at different times and in different locations, but using standard techniques, could be combined and used to provide useful taxonomic information.     

Taxon lists for studies of modern nannoplankton

Six studies in this special issue dealt with modern nannoplankton assemblages. In total during these studies 552 samples were analysed and about 180,000 specimens identified, from 152 species. This paper provides a unified list of taxa from these studies, records the presence/absence of each species across the studies and indicates the more common species. Comparison of results indicates a high level of consensus on taxonomy and a high commonality of the floras.     

4-Anilino-7-alkenylquinoline-3-carbonitriles as potent MEK1 kinase inhibitors

A series of substituted 7-alkenyl 4[3-chloro-4-(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylsulfanyl)]anilino-3-quinolinecarbonitrile analogs were synthesized and evaluated as MEK1 kinase inhibitors. The synthetic details, structure-activity relationships, biological activity, and selected oral exposure studies of these analogs are described. From these studies, compound 5m was chosen as a strong candidate for further evaluation. The selectivity of 5m was ascertained against a panel of 17 kinases, where activity was observed against EGFR, Src, Lyn, and IR kinases. Western blot studies in WM-266 cells demonstrated that 5m inhibited phosphorylation of ERK, while additional kinase pathways tested showed no inhibition at up to 10 microM of 5 m. PK studies, as well as a xenograft and in vivo biomarker studies are described for 5m.     

Fitness effects of beneficial mutations: the mutational landscape model in experimental evolution

The mutational landscape model is a theoretical model describing sequence evolution in natural populations. However, recent experimental work has begun to test its predictions in laboratory populations of microbes. Several of these studies have focused on testing the prediction that the effects of beneficial mutations should be roughly exponentially distributed. The prediction appears to be borne out by most of these studies, at least qualitatively. Another study showed that a modified version of the model was able to predict, with reasonable accuracy, which of a ranked set of beneficial alleles will be fixed next. Although it remains to be seen whether the mutational landscape model adequately describes adaptation in organisms other than microbes, together these studies suggest that adaptive evolution has surprisingly general properties that can be successfully captured by theoretical models.     

History of polar whaling: insights into the physiology of the great whales

The sheer size and pelagic nature of the great whales has effectively precluded detailed studies of most of their physiological processes. The vast majority of all data for these species have come from anatomical studies conducted on specimens that were caught in commercial and native whaling operations. In both the polar regions, an incredible number of whales were hunted, but anatomical studies were not usually conducted until relatively recent times. However, the anatomical data that do exist provide a valuable insight into some of the physiological demands placed on the animals by their marine habitat. These include information on blubber and nutrition; baleen and feeding ecology; contaminant chemistry and tissue samples; diving chemistry and acoustics. Taken together, these anatomical data provide the only substantial information on how these animals dive and hunt. Recent breakthroughs in chemical techniques however, are providing even greater details on function (for example, fatty acid signature methods). Coupled with advanced methods for tracking these whales at sea (acoustic and satellite), future studies should provide significant new information on the general physiology of these difficult to study species.     

Amino acids and peptides. XV. Synthesis of Gln-Val-Val-Ala-Gly and derivatives, a common sequence of thiol proteinase inhibitors and their effects on thiol proteinase

The Gln-Val-Val-Ala-Gly sequence, which occurs frequently in several natural thiol proteinase inhibitors, and derivatives were synthesized by conventional solution methods and their effect on thiol proteinases were examined. The studies led us to the conclusion that certain of these peptides exhibited a weak inhibitory effect on the thiol proteinase, papain. One of them, Z-Gln-Val-Val-Ala-Gly-OMe, showed a protective effect on papain from natural thiol proteinase inhibitor-induced inactivation. The relationship between structure and activity of these derivatives was studied and certain conclusions were derived on possible mode of action of these inhibitors. From these studies, it was concluded that Z-Gln-Val-Val-OMe was the smallest peptide to exhibit some effect on papain.     

The limitations of sweat electrolyte reference intervals for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis: a systematic review

The sweat test has been used for more than 50 years for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) and remains an important diagnostic test in the genomic era. The currently used reference intervals for sweat electrolytes are applied to all patients regardless of age or sex. We performed a systematic review to summarise the studies with published reference values of sweat electrolyte concentrations for the diagnosis of CF. The MEDLINE (from 1950), EMBASE (from 1980) and PubMed (from 1950) databases were searched for English language studies. An abstract was also found by hand-searching. The search generated 1136 articles that matched the search key terms. Of these, 17 studies that contained data on sweat electrolyte concentrations were included in the analysis. Among these, seven studies did not perform the sweat test in accordance with current international and Australian guidelines. Of the ten remaining studies, four reported both the sweat sodium and chloride concentrations and six reported sweat chloride concentration only. A major limitation of these studies was the subject selection. Most recruited patients with various medical conditions including respiratory diseases or undefined recruitment criteria, whilst some did not report the subjects’ age and some had small subject numbers. Only one study performed mutation analysis to determine carrier status. No study used appropriate statistical analysis to develop a sweat chloride reference interval. The literature review yielded no studies that reliably developed reference intervals for sweat electrolyte concentrations. The limitations of the studies highlight the need for reliable age-related reference intervals for sweat electrolyte concentrations in healthy subjects.