Nuclear factor-kappa B localization and function within intrauterine tissues from term and preterm labor and cultured fetal membranes

Background  

The objective of this study was to quantify the nuclear localization and DNA binding activity of p65, the major transactivating nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) subunit, in full-thickness fetal membranes (FM) and myometrium in the absence or presence of term or preterm labor.     

Hummingbirds of the Juan Fernández Islands: natural history, evolution and population status

Two hummingbird species inhabit the Juan Fernández Islands, nearly 700 km off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean—the endangered endemic Juan Fernández Firecrown Sephanoides fernándensis and the continental Green-backed Firecrown S. sephaniodes. In terms of body size, the endemic species is the most sexually dimorphic species of hummingbird known; it also displays an extraordinary degree of sexual dichromatism. Both sexes hold feeding territories, within which courtship probably occurs. It is suggested that sexual selection, and selection for gender recognition and the absence of indigenous predators may explain the evolution of sexual dimorphism and dichromatism in the Juan Fernández Firecrown. In spite of a more than twofold difference in body size, the bill lengths of both sexes in both species are nearly identical and closely match the flower tube length of the several species of endemic plants they pollinate.
The endemic Juan Fernández Firecrown has become extinct on one of the two main islands (Isla Alejandro Selkirk) and its population on the other main island (Isla Róbinson Crusoe) has greatly declined in recent decades. In contrast, the population of the Green-backed Firecrown has probably increased on Róbinson Crusoe and the species has recently become established on Alejandro Selkirk. Because historical records show that Green-backed Firecrown survived centuries of potential competition from Juan Fernández Firecrown, massive habitat destruction, plagues of rats, feral cats and dogs and the effects of feral livestock before beginning its recent decline, it is suggested that the introduction earlier in this century of the bramble Rubus ulmifalius , the coati Nasua nasua and possibly the rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus may have differentially favoured the Green-backed Firecrown at the expense of the Juan Fernández Firecrown.     

Numerical Taxonomy Analysis of Bacteria Isolated from the Completed 'Most Probable Numbers' Test for Coliform Bacilli

Lactose-fermenting bacteria were isolated from oyster, water and sediment samples tested to determine the Most Probable Number (MPN) of coliforms present. The completed test series was used to enumerate the total number of coliforms. The strains from the completed tests of the MPN analysis were compared with named reference cultures, for which 100 phenotypic characters were recorded and the taxonomic data analysed by methods of numerical taxonomy. The isolates were recovered in 13 phenetic groups, defined at or above the 80% similarity level. Nine phena were identified as Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Chromobacterium violaceum, Citrobacter freundii, Erwinia herbicola, Escherichia coli, Hafnia alvei, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia liquefaciens , and Ser. marcescens. Of these, Ac. calcoaceticus and C. violaceum were isolated exclusively from oyster tissue samples and strains of the other taxa from both water and oyster samples. Some strains of Esch. coli, Er. herbicola, H. alvei and bacteria that were not Enterobacteriaceae were found to lose the ability to ferment lactose, following storage on laboratory media. Identifications from diagnostic keys, rapid identification systems and IMViC patterns were not always in agreement.     

Comparative scanning electron microscopy of third-instar Hypoderma spp. (Diptera: Oestridae)

Scanning electron microscope study of third-instar larvae of four species of Hypoderma revealed differences among species in the pattern of spination, spine morphology and morphology of the spiracular plates. These observations identify characters that enable the differentiation of Hypoderma actaeon and H. diana, parasitizing red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) in Europe, and provide additional characters for differentiating H. bovis and H. lineatum parasitizing cattle.     

Exposure to stable flies reduces spatial learning in mice: involvement of endogenous opioid systems

Abstract. Biting flies influence both the physiology and behaviour of domestic and wild animals. This study demonstrates that relatively brief (60min) exposure to stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), affects the spatial abilities of male mice. Stable fly exposure resulted in poorer subsequent performance in a water maze task in which individual mice had to learn the spatial location of a submerged hidden platform using extramaze visual cues. Determinations of spatial acquisition and retention were made with mice that had been previously exposed for 60min to either stable flies or house flies, Musca domestica (L.). Mice exposed to stable flies displayed over one day of testing (six blocks or sets of four trials) significantly poorer acquisition and retention of the water maze task than either mice that had been exposed to house flies or fly-naive mice. This attenuation of spatial learning occurred in the absence of any evident sensorimotor or motivational impairments. The reduction in spatial abilites involved endogenous opioid systems, as the decreased performance resulting from stable fly exposure was blocked by pre-treatment with the prototypic opiate antagonist, naltrexone. These results indicate that relatively brief exposure to biting flies can lead to a decrease in spatial abilities which is associated with enhanced endogenous opioid activity. These results support the involvement of endogenous opioid systems in the mediation of the behavioural and physiological effects of biting fly exposure. They further suggest that decreases in spatial abilities and performance may be part of the behavioural consequences of biting fly exposure in domestic and wild animals.     

The Evolution of Ecology

In spite of an early history of interaction, progress in thefields of ecology and evolutionary biology during most of thiscentury has been made largely in parallel, with little creativeexchange until the past two decades. In contrast, recent historyin the two fields shows an exciting and productive trend towarda unified effort in understanding the ecological and evolutionaryforces and constraints that together produce the phenomenonof adaptation. Common themes that have drawn the two fieldstogether in the past decade include an intensified appreciationof discontinuities in time and space, an increased awarenessof the interaction of history and mechanism, a greater concernfor tradeoffs and constraints, and a renewed exploration ofthe role of hierarchy in producing pattern.     

MegaSNPHunter: a learning approach to detect disease predisposition SNPs and high level interactions in genome wide association study

Background  

The interactions of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are highly hypothesized to affect an individual's susceptibility to complex diseases. Although many works have been done to identify and quantify the importance of multi-SNP interactions, few of them could handle the genome wide data due to the combinatorial explosive search space and the difficulty to statistically evaluate the high-order interactions given limited samples.