A multidisciplinary approach to the definition of species boundaries in branching species of the coral genus Psammocora (Cnidaria, Scleractinia)

The Indo-Pacific coral genus Psammocora Dana (1 846) has never been formally revised, and its phylogeny has only been partially explored. Several synonymies have been proposed for the 11 nominal species which have highly plastic branching growth forms. In the present study, the definition of genetic and morphologic boundaries among three currently recognized branching morpho-species, Psammocora stellata , Psammocora contigua and Psammocora obtusangula , is addressed through a joint morphometric and molecular study using corallite and branch measurements, and a portion of the β-tubulin gene as a marker. The results show a morphological and partial phylogenetic distinction between P. stellata specimens and a complex composed of P. contigua and P. obtusangula , which is interpreted as a synonym species of P. contigua. Among the factors that could be responsible for the lack of reciprocal monophyly of the three species, hybridization is considered the most likely, due to the presence of interspecific recombinant sequences. Type material of nominal species of branching Psammocora is examined and classified based on genetically defined groups, and compared with synonym in the literature. Among the morphological characters used, corallite variables were best for discriminating between the two lineages and allow recognition of putative hybrid specimens. Psammocora stellata is reported for the first time in the western Indian Ocean (Mayotte), thus greatly extending its known distribution range. Finally, a hybrid swarm is identified in the Arabo-Persian Gulf, while no genetic structure is detected elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region.     

Phylogenetic and Metabolic Tracking of Gut Microbiota during Perinatal Development

The colonization and development of gut microbiota immediately after birth is highly variable and depends on several factors, such as delivery mode and modality of feeding during the first months of life. A cohort of 31 mother and neonate pairs, including 25 at-term caesarean (CS) and 6 vaginally (V) delivered neonates (DNs), were included in this study and 121 meconium/faecal samples were collected at days 1 through 30 following birth. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were assessed in 69 stool samples by phylogenetic microarray HITChip and inter- and intra-individual distributions were established by inter-OTUs correlation matrices and OTUs co-occurrence or co-exclusion networks. ¹H-NMR metabolites were determined in 70 stool samples, PCA analysis was performed on 55 CS DNs samples, and metabolome/OTUs co-correlations were assessed in 45 CS samples, providing an integrated map of the early microbiota OTUs-metabolome. A microbiota “core” of OTUs was identified that was independent of delivery mode and lactation stage, suggesting highly specialized communities that act as seminal colonizers of microbial networks. Correlations among OTUs, metabolites, and OTUs-metabolites revealed metabolic profiles associated with early microbial ecological dynamics, maturation of milk components, and host physiology.     

The effect of individual and food characteristics on food retrieval and food sharing in captive Guinea baboons (Papio papio)

Access to food is of major importance to the fitness and survival of every individual, particularly in group-living animals, in which individual characteristics and food distribution can affect food intake. Additionally, several species of primates are known to share food under certain conditions. Such unresisted transfer of food from one individual to another appears to be adaptive, for instance as a tool to maintain and reinforce social bonds. In this study, we aimed to test how food retrieval and food sharing varies depending on the social relationship between individuals, and on the characteristics of the food. In six different test conditions, we provided a captive group of Guinea baboons (Papio papio, N = 23) with multiple food items, differing in quality, quantity, density, monopolizability, and effort required to obtain it. We further used behavioral observations to assess individual relationships and possible variations in grooming exchanges linked to food sharing events. Out of 424 events in which food items were retrieved by the subjects, we detected no instances of active food sharing and only 17 of passive food sharing. The way food was retrieved was affected by individual and food characteristics (i.e., quantity, quality, and monopolizability of food): Males and central individuals (i.e., those connected to many partners, and/or having partners with many connections in the social network) were more likely to retrieve food during test conditions. In particular, events of passive food sharing mostly happened when the quality of food was low, and between individuals belonging to the same community (i.e., having close relationships). No other food characteristics affected the probability to share food, and the occurrence of food sharing had no immediate effect on grooming exchanges. Overall, our findings suggest that food sharing is relatively rare in Guinea baboons unless the food has a low quality and individuals form close social bonds.     

The Edge-Disjoint Path Problem on Random Graphs by Message-Passing

We present a message-passing algorithm to solve a series of edge-disjoint path problems on graphs based on the zero-temperature cavity equations. Edge-disjoint paths problems are important in the general context of routing, that can be defined by incorporating under a unique framework both traffic optimization and total path length minimization. The computation of the cavity equations can be performed efficiently by exploiting a mapping of a generalized edge-disjoint path problem on a star graph onto a weighted maximum matching problem. We perform extensive numerical simulations on random graphs of various types to test the performance both in terms of path length minimization and maximization of the number of accommodated paths. In addition, we test the performance on benchmark instances on various graphs by comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms and results found in the literature. Our message-passing algorithm always outperforms the others in terms of the number of accommodated paths when considering non trivial instances (otherwise it gives the same trivial results). Remarkably, the largest improvement in performance with respect to the other methods employed is found in the case of benchmarks with meshes, where the validity hypothesis behind message-passing is expected to worsen. In these cases, even though the exact message-passing equations do not converge, by introducing a reinforcement parameter to force convergence towards a sub optimal solution, we were able to always outperform the other algorithms with a peak of 27% performance improvement in terms of accommodated paths. On random graphs, we numerically observe two separated regimes: one in which all paths can be accommodated and one in which this is not possible. We also investigate the behavior of both the number of paths to be accommodated and their minimum total length.     

Cortical Grey Matter and Subcortical White Matter Brain Microstructural Changes in Schizophrenia Are Localised and Age Independent: A Case-Control Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

It is still unknown whether the structural brain impairments that characterize schizophrenia (SZ) worsen during the lifetime. Here, we aimed to describe age-related microstructural brain changes in cortical grey matter and subcortical white matter of patients affected by SZ. In this diffusion tensor imaging study, we included 69 patients diagnosed with SZ and 69 healthy control (HC) subjects, age and gender matched. We carried out analyses of covariance, with diagnosis as fixed factor and brain diffusion-related parameters as dependent variables, and controlled for the effect of education. White matter fractional anisotropy decreased in the entire age range spanned (18–65 years) in both SZ and HC and was significantly lower in younger patients with SZ, with no interaction (age by diagnosis) effect in fiber tracts including corpus callosum, corona radiata, thalamic radiations and external capsule. Also, grey matter mean diffusivity increased in the entire age range in both SZ and HC and was significantly higher in younger patients, with no age by diagnosis interaction in the left frontal operculum cortex, left insula and left planum polare and in the right temporal pole and right intracalcarine cortex. In individuals with SZ we found that localized brain cortical and white matter subcortical microstructural impairments appear early in life but do not worsen in the 18–65 year age range.     

Ubiquitin Regulates GGA3-mediated Degradation of BACE1

BACE1 (β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1) is a membrane-tethered member of the aspartyl proteases, essential for the production of β-amyloid, a toxic peptide that accumulates in the brain of subjects affected by Alzheimer disease. The BACE1 C-terminal fragment contains a DXXLL motif that has been shown to bind the VHS (VPS27, Hrs, and STAM) domain of GGA1–3 (Golgi-localized γ-ear-containing ARF-binding proteins). GGAs are trafficking molecules involved in the transport of proteins containing the DXXLL signal from the Golgi complex to endosomes. Moreover, GGAs bind ubiquitin and traffic synthetic and endosomal ubiquitinated cargoes to lysosomes. We have previously shown that depletion of GGA3 results in increased BACE1 levels and activity because of impaired lysosomal degradation. Here, we report that the accumulation of BACE1 is rescued by the ectopic expression of GGA3 in H4 neuroglioma cells depleted of GGA3. Accordingly, the overexpression of GGA3 reduces the levels of BACE1 and β-amyloid. We then established that mutations in the GGA3 VPS27, Hrs, and STAM domain (N91A) or in BACE1 di-leucine motif (L499A/L500A), able to abrogate their binding, did not affect the ability of ectopically expressed GGA3 to rescue BACE1 accumulation in cells depleted of GGA3. Instead, we found that BACE1 is ubiquitinated at lysine 501 and is mainly monoubiquitinated and Lys-63-linked polyubiquitinated. Finally, a GGA3 mutant with reduced ability to bind ubiquitin (GGA3L276A) was unable to regulate BACE1 levels both in rescue and overexpression experiments. These findings indicate that levels of GGA3 tightly and inversely regulate BACE1 levels via interaction with ubiquitin sorting machinery.     

Material and surface factors influencing backside fretting wear in total knee replacement tibial components

Retrieval studies have shown that the interface between the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene insert and metal tibial tray of fixed-bearing total knee replacement components can be a source of substantial amounts of wear debris due to fretting micromotion. We assessed fretting wear of polyethylene against metal as a function of metal surface finish, alloy, and micromotion amplitude, using a three-station pin-on-disc fretting wear simulator. Overall, the greatest reduction in polyethylene wear was achieved by highly polishing the metal surface. For example, highly polished titanium alloy surfaces produced nearly 20 times less polyethylene wear compared with blasted titanium alloy, whereas, decreasing the micromotion amplitude from 200 to 50 μm produced approximately four times less polyethylene wear for the same blasted titanium alloy surface. Although the effect of the metal alloy was much smaller than the effect of metal surface roughness or the micromotion amplitude, CoCr discs produced slightly greater polyethylene fretting wear than titanium alloy discs under each condition. The results are essential in design and manufacturing decisions related to fixed-bearing total knee replacements.     

Exome sequencing reveals VCP mutations as a cause of familial ALS

Using exome sequencing, we identified a p.R191Q amino acid change in the valosin-containing protein (VCP) gene in an Italian family with autosomal dominantly inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Mutations in VCP have previously been identified in?families with Inclusion Body Myopathy, Paget disease, and Frontotemporal Dementia (IBMPFD). Screening of VCP in a cohort of 210 familial ALS cases and 78 autopsy-proven ALS cases identified four additional mutations including a p.R155H mutation in a pathologically proven case of ALS. VCP protein is essential for maturation of ubiquitin-containing autophagosomes, and mutant VCP toxicity is partially mediated through its effect on TDP-43 protein, a major constituent of ubiquitin inclusions that neuropathologically characterize ALS. Our data broaden the phenotype of IBMPFD to include motor neuron degeneration, suggest that VCP mutations may account for ～1%-2% of familial ALS, and provide evidence directly implicating defects in the ubiquitination/protein degradation pathway in motor neuron degeneration.