Do domestic pigs in controlled environments contrafreeload?

Many experiments report that animals will work (lever press) for food in the presence of freely available identical food. This phenomenon has attracted the attention of applied ethologists because it seems to prove that animals have a need to express appetitive behavior. If this is the case, then it has implications for the provision of environmental enrichment for animals in captivity. In this experiment, we maintained 6 pigs in closed economy environments for three 120-hr choice periods in which they had continuous free access to operant and identical free food. In the experiment, we tested pigs using 2 different operant schedules, fixed ratio (FR) 5 and variable ratio (VR) 5. We used a VR schedule because many enrichment studies claim that unpredictability is an important characteristic that makes an enrichment device attractive. The results show that pigs exhibited a negligible level of contrafreeloading (M ± standard error of the mean proportion = 0.05 × 0.01). Furthermore, there were no significant differences between FRs and VRs of reinforcement.     

Odourant dominance in olfactory mixture processing: what makes a strong odourant?

The question of how animals process stimulus mixtures remains controversial as opposing views propose that mixtures are processed analytically, as the sum of their elements, or holistically, as unique entities different from their elements. Overshadowing is a widespread phenomenon that can help decide between these alternatives. In overshadowing, an individual trained with a binary mixture learns one element better at the expense of the other. Although element salience (learning success) has been suggested as a main explanation for overshadowing, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. We studied olfactory overshadowing in honeybees to uncover the mechanisms underlying olfactory-mixture processing. We provide, to our knowledge, the most comprehensive dataset on overshadowing to date based on 90 experimental groups involving more than 2700 bees trained either with six odourants or with their resulting 15 binary mixtures. We found that bees process olfactory mixtures analytically and that salience alone cannot predict overshadowing. After normalizing learning success, we found that an unexpected feature, the generalization profile of an odourant, was determinant for overshadowing. Odourants that induced less generalization enhanced their distinctiveness and became dominant in the mixture. Our study thus uncovers features that determine odourant dominance within olfactory mixtures and allows the referring of this phenomenon to differences in neural activity both at the receptor and the central level in the insect nervous system.     

Why do females find ornaments attractive? The coercion‐avoidance hypothesis

Vertebrates show two major classes of sexually dimorphic traits: weaponry and ornaments. However, Darwin could not explain why their expression varies so much across lineages. We argue that coercion-avoidance can explain both the existence and taxonomic distribution of ornaments. Females maximize their fitness when they can freely choose their mates, but males are expected to use sexually dimorphic weaponry not only to displace other males, but also to overcome female preferences and thus acquire matings by force whenever they can. Females should therefore avoid coercive males and avoid using weaponry as a criterion for male quality wherever possible, and rely on male viability indicators that cannot be used to coerce females (i.e. ornaments). Ornaments predominate in birds and weaponry in mammals because female choice is less costly in birds, due to higher intrinsic female behavioural freedom and lower male monopolization potential. We also predict that specialized coercive organs occur where females have low behavioural freedom but males benefit little from weaponry in male–male contests. A review of the empirical evidence supports the basic predictions of this coercion-avoidance hypothesis. We also present a simple mathematical model that confirms the logic of this hypothesis.  © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 96 , 372–382.     

Do helminths play a role in carcinogenesis?

Chronic helminthiasis is recognized as a significant factor in cancer development in humans. However, the mechanisms by which helminths initiate and promote malignant transformation of host cells are still not understood fully. Human helminthiasis can cause genetic instability and affect inter- and intracellular communication, ultimately leading to tumour development through inflammation, modulation of the host immune system, and secretion of soluble factors that interact with host cells.     

Do facts have a place in science?

The use of the word ‘fact’ in science is discussed. It is suggested that the everyday meaning of the term is assumed when it is used in science and that this can create problems. Some possible ways of overcoming these difficulties are indicated.     

Do chimpanzees cooperate in a learning task?

The aim of this study was to assess the ability of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to cooperate in an instrumental task. A specially constructed fruit distributor was presented to a group of six captive chimpanzees. A cooperative response required two chimpanzees: both had to pull a handle simultaneously to make a fruit fall into the cage. The dominant male of the group and an infant produced most of the operant responses, and the male got nearly all the fruits. Other conspecifics avoided the dominant male at the apparatus. Social influences appear to limit the possibility of co-operation between individuals because a certain level of interindividual tolerance is required. The results revealed a significant increase in the number of pulls each time both chimpanzees were together at the apparatus. Operant chimpanzees learn to coordinate their actions in time and space.     

Histamine in cardiac sympathetic ganglia: a novel neurotransmitter?

Although ganglia in the heart are well known to be cholinergic, many other neurotransmitters and neuropeptides also influence (and are produced in) cardiac neurons, including adrenergic and purinergic compounds. Recently, histamine was suggested as a possible neurotransmitter in cardiac tissue. Although histamine does elicit many effects in the heart, does it stand up to rigorous scrutiny and fulfill certain criteria that are used to define neurotransmitters?     

Do you have a probiotic in your future?

The possibility of using microbes to maintain health, and to prevent or treat disease is a topic as old as microbiology. However, one factor impeding the introduction of effective probiotics has been our very limited understanding of the composition of the human microbiome, as well as the biological requirements for these organisms. With advances in understanding the microbiome and its metagenome in humans and other mammals, we now can build a more robust scientific basis to develop probiotic strategies. Increasing knowledge of intramicrobial competition and cooperation, as well as host-microbe cross-signaling, will facilitate design of new probiotics and the modeling of their deployment, leading to eventual clinical trials.     

Kalisomes in corals: a novel KCl concentrating organelle?

Large membrane-bound inclusions were clearly visible within the gastrodermis and lipid-containing cells of planulae and settled larvae of the zooxanthellate coral, Pocillopora damicornis after fixation or freeze-substitution. We suggest that these inclusions may be a novel potassium (kalium) chloride concentrating organelle, for which we propose the name kalisome. The inclusions were more abundant in settled larvae than in planulae and were not present in mature polyps. In planulae of the azooxanthellate coral, Dendrophyllia sp. these inclusions were extremely rare. Quantitative X-ray microanalysis of freeze-substituted preparations showed that the inclusions in P. damicornis settled larvae contained very high, positively correlated, concentrations of K (2.5 mol x kg(-1)) and Cl (2.5 mol x kg(-1)). Lower concentrations of both K (1.2 mol x kg(-1)) and Cl (1.3 mol x kg(-1)) were detected in P. damicornis planulae, yet higher concentrations were measured in Dendrophyllia planulae (K=6.0 mol x kg(-1); Cl=5.1 mol x kg(-1)). No significant (P>0.05) differences in concentration were observed between inclusions in freeze-substituted and freeze-dried sections of planulae. Symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) in P. damicornis planulae and settled larvae also contained deposits with high levels of K and Cl, but these were not positively correlated and no structures associated with them were retained by fixation. Significant (P<0.05) concentration differences were also observed between deposits in freeze-substituted and freeze-dried sections. However, similar to 'kalisomes,' zooxanthellae deposits were more abundant in settled larvae than planulae and absent in mature polyps. Higher concentrations of K and Cl were also detected in settled larvae (K=0.7 mol x kg(-1); Cl=1.1 mol x kg(-1)) in comparison to planulae (K=0.4 mol x kg(-1); Cl=0.5 mol x kg(-1)).     

Do more attractive women show stronger preferences for male facial masculinity?

Researchers have suggested that more attractive women will show stronger preferences for masculine men because such women are better placed to offset the potential costs of choosing a masculine mate. However, evidence for correlations between measures of women's own attractiveness and preferences for masculine men is mixed. Moreover, the samples used to test this hypothesis are typically relatively small. Consequently, we conducted two large-scale studies that investigated possible associations between women's preferences for facial masculinity and their own attractiveness as assessed from third-party ratings of their facial attractiveness (Study 1, N = 454, laboratory study) and self-rated attractiveness (Study 2, N = 8972, online study). Own attractiveness was positively correlated with preferences for masculine men in Study 2 (self-rated attractiveness), but not Study 1 (third-party ratings of facial attractiveness). This pattern of results is consistent with the proposal that women's beliefs about their own attractiveness, rather than their physical condition per se, underpins attractiveness-contingent masculinity preferences.     

Are vegetated areas more attractive for juvenile fish in estuaries? A comparison in a tropical estuary

Seagrass beds are some of the essential nursery areas for fish, due to the great structural complexity found in these environments. Despite their importance, they are among the most threatened coastal ecosystems and their influence on fish assemblages is still poorly studied. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the composition and structure of fish assemblages found in vegetated and unvegetated areas in a tropical estuary. Samples were taken in two areas with seagrass (Halodule wrightii) and two where this vegetation is absent (tidal flats), observing variations in the hydrological regime between the dry and rainy seasons of 2014. A total of 86 species were recorded, of which 11 occurred only in vegetated areas and 31 only in the unvegetated regions. No difference was found in diversity between vegetated and unvegetated areas, but the values of abundance and biomass were higher in unvegetated areas. Thus, the environmental characteristic of unvegetated areas proved to be a major factor in determining the biomass and richness patterns. Analysis of the abiotic data set indicated that temperature and dissolved oxygen are the variables that act as environmental filters in the temporal differentiation of the structure of fish assemblages, while salinity and total dissolved solids are related to variation between seagrass beds and tidal flats. In addition, our results show that these areas are used by the species in different stages of their ontogenetic development, which may be linked to differences related to the availability of food resources and the possibility of refuge from predation.     

How does a millimeter-sized cell find its center?

Microtubules play a central role in centering the nucleus or mitotic in eukaryotic cells. However, despite common use of microtubules for centering, physical mechanisms can vary greatly, and depend on cell size and cell type. In the small fission yeast cells, the nucleus can be centered by pushing forces that are generated when growing microtubules hit the cell boundary. This mechanism may not be possible in larger cells, because the compressive force that microtubules can sustain are limited by buckling, so maximal force decreases with microtubule length. In a well-studied intermediate sized cell, the C. elegans fertilized egg, centrosomes are centered by cortex-attached motors that pull on microtubules. This mechanism is widely assumed to be general for larger cells. However, re-evaluation of classic experiments in a very large cell, the fertilized amphibian egg, argues against such generality. In these large eggs, movement of asters away from a part of the cell boundary that they are touching cannot be mediated by cortical pulling, because the astral microtubules are too short to reach the opposite cell boundary. A century ago, Herlant and Brachet discovered that multiple asters within a single egg center relative to the cell boundary, but also relative to each other. Here, we summarize current understanding of microtubule organization during the first cell cycle in a fertilized Xenopus egg, discuss how microtubule asters move towards the center of this very large cell, and how multiple asters shape and position themselves relative to each other.     

Do novel adipokines play a causative or only modulating role in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic disorders?

Adipose tissue is an endocrine and paracrine organ that releases a large number of bioactive mediators. Approximately 100 adipokines have been identified including cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and enzymes. The use of adipoproteomic analyses resulted in new findings and, in consequence, the number of new adipokines is rising rapidly. Novel adipokines such as visfatin, vaspin and omentin were discovered about five years ago. Visfatin and vaspin production and secretion take place in adipocytes, but omentin comes from the stromal cells of adipose tissue. Several differences are noticeable between these adipokines especially in correlation with obesity as visfatin and vaspin serum levels increase in obese subjects while omentin serum levels decrease. It has been suggested that these adipokines act as insulin-sensitizers/insulin-mimetics. Increasing number of publications reporting the role of new adipokines does not allow to assess clearly the influence of those adipokines on the pathogenesis of obesity.     

Do we live in a largely top-down regulated world?

Based on a review of mostly recent literature for a public lecture, the question is discussed whether we live in a largely “top-down” regulated world rather than one formed “bottom-up” by the resources for plant and animal growth. Of course, the top-down mechanism is predicated by bottom-up production, especially by the plants. Examples for the effects of grazing and predation for the land and the open sea, but including coral reefs, are discussed. The answer to the question posed by the title is affirmative. Ecosystems altered by man and urgent needs for marine conservation are briefly treated.     

Do protein molecules unfold in a simple shear flow?

Protein molecules typically unfold (denature) when subjected to extremes of heat, cold, pH, solvent composition, or mechanical stress. One might expect that shearing forces induced by a nonuniform fluid flow would also destabilize proteins, as when a protein solution flows rapidly through a narrow channel. However, although the protein literature contains many references to shear denaturation, we find little quantitative evidence for the phenomenon. We have investigated whether a high shear can destabilize a small globular protein to any measurable extent. We study a protein (horse cytochrome c, 104 amino acids) whose fluorescence increases sharply upon unfolding. By forcing the sample through a silica capillary (inner diameter 150-180 microm) at speeds approaching 10 m/s, we subject the protein to shear rates dv(z)/dr as large as approximately 2 x 10(5) s(-1) while illuminating it with an ultraviolet laser. We can readily detect fluorescence changes of <1%, corresponding to shifts of < approximately 0.01 kJ/mol in the stability of the folded state. We find no evidence that even our highest shear rates significantly destabilize the folded protein. A simple model suggests that extraordinary shear rates, approximately 10(7) s(-1), would be required to denature typical small, globular proteins in water.