Sociometrics of Macaca mulatta: II. Decoupling centrality and dominance in rhesus monkey social networks

The concept of the linear dominance hierarchy and a much less precise notion of a central/peripheral ordering of individuals have been prominent among the ideas about social organization of monkey groups. Although the latter has seldom been quantified, the ranks of individuals in the two orders are usually assumed to be correlated. This paper reports on a longitudinal study of a free-ranging group of rhesus monkeys. The individual histories of progression of dominance rank and an independently determined measure of centrality in the social grooming network are compared among a set of males. Centrality is not a static correlate of dominance rank as implied by the findings of short-term studies. Rather, centrality is a more sensitive indicator of status than is dominance rank, to which it is related in a dynamic fashion. Small changes in dominance rank may be followed by large changes in centrality. An increase in centrality may facilitate rise in dominance rank. These findings suggest a complex psychology of status, rather than a simple causative relation between the two variables.     

Exopolysaccharide biosynthesis by a fast-producing strain of Aureobasidium pullulans

Summary The mutant strain Aureobasidium pullulans ICCF-68 was able to produce in batch fermentation on a glucose medium of 80 g/l, exopolysaccharide at high volumetric productivity and final concentration (1.05 g/l.h and 50.2 g/l, respectively). A specific pH pattern and very high oxygen requirement were shown.     

Improved exopolysaccharide production in fed-batch fermentation of Aureobasidium pullulans, with increased impeller speed

Summary Aureobasidium pullulans — when grown in fed-batch fermentation on 190 g glucose/l produced 68 g exopolysaccharide/l with a productivity of 0.42 g/l-h. When the impeller speed was increased from 280 rpm to 340 rpm, the exopolysaccharide increased to 101 g/l, the productivity was 0.90 g/l-h and the conversion ratio was 63 % (w/w).     

Primate red cell enzymes: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (E. C.: 1.1.1.49) phenotypes and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (E. C.: 1.1.1.44) phenotypes were determined by starch-gel electrophoresis of red cell hemolysates of Galago crassicaudatus subspp., Propithecus verreauxi, Lemur spp., Hapalemur griseus, and Macaca mulatta. A single glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) phenotype was found in each species. A single 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) phenotype was found in Lemur spp., Hapalemur griseus, and Galago crassicaudatus argentatus. In a group of six Propithecus verreauxi, three 6PGD phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found. Three phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found in 38 G. c. crassicaudatus. The three phenotypes in each species are apparently the products of two codominant autosomal alleles, PGD^A and PGD^B. The frequency of PGD^A in G. c. crassicaudatus is 0.263. A population of 260 free-ranging macaques displays a polymorphism at the 6PGD locus. Three phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found. These also appear to be controlled by two codominant autosomal alleles, PGD^A and PGD^B the frequency of PGD^A = 0.913. Additional analysis of three well-defined troops within the macaque population indicated that there are no significant differences between the troops or within the population at the 6PGD locus.     

TUMOR ANGIOGENESIS : Rapid Induction of Endothelial Mitoses Demonstrated by Autoradiography

Walker ascites tumor cells and an extract derived from such cells (tumor angiogenesis factor, TAF) were injected into the subcutaneous tissue of rats by using a dorsal air sac technique. At intervals thereafter, thymidine-³H was injected into the air sac and the tissues were examined by autoradiography and electron microscopy. Autoradiographs of 1µ thick Epon sections showed thymidine-³H labeling in endothelial cells of small vessels 1–3 mm from the site of implantation, as early as 6–8 hr after exposure to live tumor cells At this time interval endothelial cells appeared histologically normal. DNA synthesis by endothelium subsequently increased and within 48 hr new blood vessel formation was detected. The presence of thymidine-³H-labeled endothelial nuclei, endothelial mitoses, and regenerating-type endothelium was confirmed by electron microscopy. TAF also induced neovascularization and endothelial cell DNA synthesis after 48 hr. A similar response was not evoked in saline controls. Formic acid, which elicited a more intense inflammatory response, was associated with less endothelial labeling and neovascularization at the times studied. Pericytes and other connective tissue cells were also stimulated by live tumor cells and TAF. The mechanism of new blood vessel formation induced by tumors is still unknown but our findings argue against cytoplasmic contact or nonspecific inflammation as prerequisites for tumor angiogenesis.     

Phospholipid Containing Choline Histochemistry of Mouse Uterine Epithelia during Preimplantation Stage

The physiological role of high lipid content in endometrial cells during pregnancy has not been well established. In the present work we used histochemical techniques to analyze the total lipids and phospholipid containing choline (PCC) in the mouse uterine glandular and luminal epithelia during preimplantation stage. Sudan black histochemistry showed the highest intensity during the second day of pregnancy in both the basal and apical portions of luminal epithelium. Peaks of PCC staining were seen both in the luminal and glandular epithelia at the second and fifth days of pregnancy. Changes in localization and in the amount of lipid in the uterine epithelia suggest high mobility and metabolic rates of this substance, which maybe related to morphological and/or functional changes occurring at the same time in the pregnant uterus. The increase and depletion timing of PCC content in the uterine epithelia during preimplantation stage, when uterine prostaglandin is also oscillating, suggest a possible involvement of PCC in prostaglandin biosynthesis. Therefore, the fate of lipid droplets found in the uterine epithelia may be related to critical changes of the pregnant endometrium, rather than the nourishment of developing embryos alone.     

Altered Expression of Natural Cytotoxicity Receptors and NKG2D on Peripheral Blood NK Cell Subsets in Breast Cancer Patients

Human natural killer (NK) cells are considered professional cytotoxic cells that are integrated into the effector branch of innate immunity during antiviral and antitumoral responses. The purpose of this study was to examine the peripheral distribution and expression of NK cell activation receptors from the fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 30 breast cancer patients prior to any form of treatment (including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy), 10 benign breast pathology patients, and 24 control individuals. CD3⁻CD56^dimCD16^bright NK cells (CD56^dim NK) and CD3⁻CD56^brightCD16^dim/− NK cells (CD56^bright NK) were identified using flow cytometry. The circulating counts of CD56^dim and CD56^bright NK cells were not significantly different between the groups evaluated, nor were the counts of other leukocyte subsets between the breast cancer patients and benign breast pathology patients. However, in CD56^dim NK cells, NKp44 expression was higher in breast cancer patients (P = .0302), whereas NKp30 (P = .0005), NKp46 (P = .0298), and NKG2D (P = .0005) expression was lower with respect to healthy donors. In CD56^bright NK cells, NKp30 (P = .0007), NKp46 (P = .0012), and NKG2D (P = .0069) expression was lower in breast cancer patients compared with control group. Only NKG2D in CD56^bright NK cells (P = .0208) and CD56^dim NK cells (P = .0439) showed difference between benign breast pathology and breast cancer patients. Collectively, the current study showed phenotypic alterations in activation receptors on CD56^dim and CD56^bright NK cells, suggesting that breast cancer patients have decreased NK cell cytotoxicity.     

Genetic analyses of male breast cancer in Israel

Male breast cancer is a rare disorder, and little is known about the molecular mechanisms associated with the tumorigenic process. We genotyped 31 Jewish Israeli males with breast cancer for the predominant Jewish BRCA1 (185delAG, 5382InsC) and BRCA2 (6174delT) germline mutations: 11 individuals from high-risk families and 20 patients unselected for family history of cancer. Two patients of the high-risk group (18.2%) displayed germline mutations: one harbored the 185delAG BRCA1 mutation, and the other the 6174delT mutation in BRCA2. None of the unselected patients displayed any mutation. In 2 patients, complete mutation analysis of the BRCA2 gene did not reveal any disease-associated mutations. We conclude that the predominant Jewish germline mutations in BRCA1/BRCA2 contribute to male breast cancer in Israel, primarily in Ashkenazi individuals with a family history of cancer.     

Pair Duets in the Yellow-Naped Amazon (Psittaciformes: Amazona auropalliata): Responses to Playbacks of Different Dialects

Yellow-naped amazons, Amazona auropalliata , have regional dialects in which several functional classes of vocalization, including contact calls and pair duets, change their acoustic structure at the same geographic boundaries. Here we examine the responses of 11 pairs of yellow-naped amazons to playbacks of duets from other pairs nesting near the same roost, other roosts within the same dialect, and roosts in foreign dialect areas. Overall, pairs responded more strongly to duets from their own dialect than to those of the foreign dialect. Pairs responded to both treatments from their own dialect (local same dialect and distant same dialect) with movement towards the broadcasting loudspeaker and more rarely with squeals, a vocalization typically observed only in the context of aggressive chases. These aggressive responses were never observed during playbacks of the foreign dialect treatment or congeneric controls. There were no differences among treatments in the incidence of contact calls or pair duets. A similar pattern of stronger aggressive responses to local than to foreign dialects has been found in a wide range of oscine songbirds. The results of the present experiment suggest that a general function may underlie this behavioral response both in oscines and in other bird taxa with vocal learning.     

Discovery of new C3aR ligands. Part 2: amino-piperidine derivatives

The synthesis and structure-activity relationships against the C3a receptor of a series of substituted aminopiperidine derivatives are reported. DMPK properties and functional activities of selected compounds are described. The compounds obtained are the first non-arginine ligands of C3aR.