Consumer Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare-Friendly Products and Willingness to Pay: Exploration of Mexican Market Segments

The study aim was to identify consumer segmentation based on nonhuman animal welfare (AW) attitudes and their relationship with demographic features and willingness to pay (WTP) for welfare-friendly products (WFP) in Mexico. Personal interviews were conducted with 843 Mexican consumers who stated they purchased most of the animal products in their home. Respondents were selected using a quota sampling method with age, gender, education, and origin as quota control variables. The multivariate analysis suggested there were three clusters or consumer profiles labeled “skeptical,” “concerned,” and “ethical,” which helped explain the association between AW attitudes, some demographic variables, and WTP for WFP. This study is one of the first to address consumer profiling in Latin America, and the findings could have implications for the commercialization of WFP. Hence, customers should receive information to consider welfare innovations when deciding to purchase animal products. The growth of the WFP food market establishes an element of a far more multifaceted phenomenon of sustainable consumption and support of a new paradigm called responsible marketing in emerging markets such as Mexico.     

Murine ORAI2 splice variants form functional Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels

The stimulation of membrane receptors coupled to the phopholipase C pathway leads to activation of the Ca(2+) release-activated Ca(2+) (CRAC) channels. Recent evidence indicates that ORAI1 is an essential pore subunit of CRAC channels. STIM1 is additionally required for CRAC channel activation. The present study focuses on the genomic organization, tissue expression pattern, and functional properties of the murine ORAI2. Additionally, we report the cloning of the murine ORAI1, ORAI3, and STIM1. Two chromosomal loci were identified for the murine orai2 gene, one containing an intronless gene and a second locus that gives rise to the splice variants ORAI2 long (ORAI2L) and ORAI2 short (ORAI2S). Northern blots revealed a prominent expression of the ORAI2 variants in the brain, lung, spleen, and intestine, while ORAI1, ORAI3, and STIM1 appeared to be near ubiquitously expressed in mice tissues. Specific antibodies detected ORAI2 in RBL 2H3 but not in HEK 293 cells, whereas both cell lines appeared to express ORAI1 and STIM1 proteins. Co-expression experiments with STIM1 and either ORAI1 or ORAI2 variants showed that ORAI2L and ORAI2S enhanced substantially CRAC current densities in HEK 293 but were ineffective in RBL 2H3 cells, whereas ORAI1 strongly amplified CRAC currents in both cell lines. Thus, the capability of ORAI2 variants to form CRAC channels depends strongly on the cell background. Additionally, CRAC channels formed by ORAI2S were strongly sensitive to inactivation by internal Ca(2+). When co-expressed with STIM1 and ORAI1, ORAI2S apparently plays a negative dominant role in the formation of CRAC channels.     

muO conotoxins inhibit NaV channels by interfering with their voltage sensors in domain-2

The muO-conotoxins MrVIA and MrVIB are 31-residue peptides from Conus marmoreus, belonging to the O-superfamily of conotoxins with three disulfide bridges. They have attracted attention because they are inhibitors of tetrodotoxin-insensitive voltage-gated sodium channels (Na(V)1.8) and could therefore serve as lead structure for novel analgesics. The aim of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which muO-conotoxins affect Na(V) channels. Rat Na(V)1.4 channels and mutants thereof were expressed in mammalian cells and were assayed with the whole-cell patch-clamp method. Unlike for the M-superfamily mu-conotoxin GIIIA from Conus geographus, channel block by MrVIA was strongly diminished after activating the Na(V) channels by depolarizing voltage steps. Searching for the source of this voltage dependence, the gating charges in all four-voltage sensors were reduced by site-directed mutagenesis showing that alterations of the voltage sensor in domain-2 have the strongest impact on MrVIA action. These results, together with previous findings that the effect of MrVIA depends on the structure of the pore-loop in domain-3, suggest a functional similarity with scorpion beta-toxins. In fact, MrVIA functionally competed with the scorpion beta-toxin Ts1 from Tityus serrulatus, while it did not show competition with mu-GIIIA. Ts1 and mu-GIIIA did not compete either. Thus, similar to scorpion beta-toxins, muO-conotoxins are voltage-sensor toxins targeting receptor site-4 on Na(V) channels. They "block" Na(+) flow most likely by hindering the voltage sensor in domain-2 from activating and, hence, the channel from opening.     

Seeking causes: Classifying and evaluating congenital heart defects in etiologic studies

BACKGROUND: Classification and analysis of congenital heart defects (CHD) in etiologic studies is particularly challenging because of diversity of cardiac phenotypes and underlying developmental mechanisms. We describe an approach to classification for risk assessment of CHD based on developmental and epidemiologic considerations, and apply it to data from the National Birth Defect Prevention Study (NBDPS). METHODS: The classification system incorporated the three dimensions of cardiac phenotype, cardiac complexity, and extracardiac anomalies. The system was designed to facilitate the assessment of simple isolated defects and common associations. A team with cardiologic expertise applied the system to a large sample from the NBDPS. RESULTS: Of the 4,703 cases of CHDs in the NBDPS with birth years 1997 through 2002, 63.6% were simple, isolated cases. Specific associations of CHDs represented the majority of the remainder. The mapping strategy generated relatively large samples for most cardiac phenotypes and provided enough detail to isolate important subgroups of CHDs that may differ by etiology or mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: Classification of CHDs that considers cardiac and extracardiac phenotypes is practically feasible, and yields manageable groups of well-characterized phenotypes. Although best suited for large studies, this approach to classification and analysis can be a flexible and powerful tool in many types of etiologic studies of heart defects.     

Application of the automated spatial surveillance program to birth defects surveillance data

BACKGROUND: Although many birth defects surveillance programs incorporate georeferenced records into their databases, practical methods for routine spatial surveillance are lacking. We present a macroprogram written for the software package R designed for routine exploratory spatial analysis of birth defects data, the Automated Spatial Surveillance Program (ASSP), and present an application of this program using spina bifida prevalence data for metropolitan Atlanta. METHODS: Birth defects surveillance data were collected by the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program. We generated ASSP maps for two groups of years that correspond roughly to the periods before (1994-1998) and after (1999-2002) folic acid fortification of flour. ASSP maps display census tract-specific spina bifida prevalence, smoothed prevalence contours, and locations of statistically elevated prevalence. We used these maps to identify areas of elevated prevalence for spina bifida. RESULTS: We identified a large area of potential concern in the years following fortification of grains and cereals with folic acid. This area overlapped census tracts containing large numbers of Hispanic residents. CONCLUSIONS: The potential utility of ASSP for spatial disease monitoring was demonstrated by the identification of areas of high prevalence of spina bifida and may warrant further study and monitoring. We intend to further develop ASSP so that it becomes practical for routine spatial monitoring of birth defects.     

Widening the antimicrobial spectrum of esters of bicyclic amines: In vitro effect on gram-positive Streptococcus pneumoniae and gram-negative non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae biofilms

Antibiotic resistance is a global current threat of increasing importance. Moreover, biofilms represent a medical challenge since the inherent antibiotic resistance of their producers demands the use of high doses of antibiotics over prolonged periods. Frequently, these therapeutic measures fail, contributing to bacterial persistence, therefore demanding the development of novel antimicrobials. Esters of bicyclic amines (EBAs), which are strong inhibitors of Streptococcus pneumoniae growth, were initially designed as inhibitors of pneumococcal choline-binding proteins on the basis of their structural analogy to the choline residues in the cell wall. However, instead of mimicking the characteristic cell chaining phenotype caused by exogenously added choline on planktonic cultures of pneumococcal cells, EBAs showed an unexpected lytic activity. In this work we demonstrate that EBAs display a second, and even more important, function as cell membrane destabilizers. We then assayed the inhibitory and disintegrating activity of these molecules on pneumococcal biofilms. The selected compound (EBA 31) produced the highest effect on S. pneumoniae (encapsulated and non-encapsulated) biofilms at very low concentrations. EBA 31 was also effective on mixed biofilms of non-encapsulated S. pneumoniae plus non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae, two pathogens frequently forming a self-produced biofilm in the human nasopharynx. These results support the role of EBAs as a promising alternative for the development of novel, broad-range antimicrobial drugs encompassing both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens.     

Distributional patterns of Neotropical seasonally dry forest birds: a biogeographical regionalization

Neotropical seasonally dry forests (NSDFs) are widely distributed and possess high levels of species richness and endemism; however, their biogeography remains only partially understood. Using species distribution modelling and parsimony analysis of endemicity, we analysed the distributional patterns of the NSDF avifauna in order to identify their areas of endemism and provide a better understanding of the historical relationships among those areas. The strict consensus trees revealed 17 areas of endemism for NSDFs, which involve four large regions: Baja California, Caribbean–Antilles islands, Mesoamerica and South America. These well-resolved clades are circumscribed by geographical and ecological barriers associated with the Gulf of California, the leading edge of the Caribbean plate, the Tehuantepec Isthmus, the Polochic–Motagua fault, the Nicaragua Depression, the Chocó forest, the Amazon basin and the Andean Cordillera. Relationships among groups of NSDFs found here suggest that evolution of their avifauna involved a mixture of vicariance and dispersal events. Our results support the idea of independent diversification patterns and biogeographical processes in each region, including those previously associated with the Pleistocene Arc Hypothesis for NSDFs of south-eastern South America. This study provides a biogeographical framework to open new lines of research related to the biotic diversification of NSDFs.     

Molecular systematics and evolution of the Cyanocorax jays

Phylogenetic relationships were studied in the genus Cyanocorax (Aves: Corvidae) and related genera, Psilorhinus and Calocitta, a diverse group of New World jays distributed from the southern United States south to Argentina. Although the ecology and behavior of some species in the group have been studied extensively, lack of a molecular phylogeny has precluded rigorous interpretations in an evolutionary framework. Given the diverse combinations of plumage coloration, size, and morphology, the taxonomy of the group has been inconsistent and understanding of biogeographic patterns problematic. Moreover, plumage similarity between two geographically disjuct species, the Tufted jay (Cyanocorax dickeyi) from western Mexico and the White-tailed jay (C. mystacalis) from western Ecuador and Peru, has puzzled ornithologists for decades. Here, a phylogeny of all species in the three genera is presented, based on study of two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. Phylogenetic trees revealed the non-monophyly of Cyanocorax, and the division of the whole assemblage in two groups: “Clade A” containing Psilorhinus morio, both species in Calocitta, Cyanocorax violaceus, C. caeruleus, C. cristatellus, and C. cyanomelas, and “Clade B” consisting of the remaining species in Cyanocorax. Relationships among species in Clade A were ambiguous and, in general, not well resolved. Within Clade B, analyses revealed the monophyly of the “Cissilopha” jays and showed no evidence for a sister relationship between C. mystacalis and C. dickeyi. The phylogenetic complexity of lineages in the group suggests several complications for the understanding biogeographic patterns, as well as for proposing a taxonomy that is consistent with morphological variation. Although multiple taxonomic arrangements are possible, recommendations are for recognizing only one genus, Cyanocorax, with Psilorhinus and Calocitta as synonyms.     

Morphological and agronomical diversity patterns in the Spanish barley core collection

Seven thousand years of barley cultivation under the environmental hardships typical of the Mediterranean climate have generated genetic singularity of the Spanish barleys, consistently reported in the literature. From the Spanish National Collection of 2289 accessions, a core subset with 159 landraces and 16 old varieties was constituted. Twenty-seven characters were evaluated for the core collection, to define the structure of the diversity. Several evaluation trials were carried out in 1999-2000, whereas yield trials were performed in earlier years. Phenotypic diversity was large for most of the characters studied. Comparisons of genetic diversity between the core and the original collections suggested that the core is a good representation of the existing diversity in the BNG. Comparisons with results of studies on Spanish materials from other collections seem to indicate that the Spanish diversity is not well represented in some world collections. Principal component analyses for quantitative and qualitative characters revealed a clear distinction between two- and six-row cultivars, and also between landraces and commercial varieties. Geographical origins of the landraces were correlated with grain yield, heading date, duration of grain filling period, and growth class. In relation to diseases, altitude played an important role on the resistance to powdery mildew and brown rust. For brown rust, all the resistant landraces came from low altitudes. These geographical gradients seemed consistent with prior knowledge about barley adaptation, and would confirm the agreement between passport data and true adaptive origin of these landraces from a geographical point of view.