Host preferences in a phonotactic parasitoid of field crickets: the relative importance of host song characters

Abstract.  1. Predators, including insect parasitoids, often eavesdrop on prey signals, and as a result, predation can have important effects on the evolution of prey signalling behaviour.
2. The phonotactic parasitoid fly, Ormia ochracea , uses the calling songs of male field crickets to locate their field crickets hosts. In the western USA, this fly parasitises the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps . Previous work with one fly population suggested that female flies, like female field crickets, preferentially orient to male songs with higher chirp rates and longer chirp durations, although a limited range of male song types was used in this previous study. The current study, with a different fly population, used field-based, two-speaker choice tests to examine: (1) the effect of male chirp rate and chirp duration on fly attraction, using a natural range of song types; and (2) the relative importance of these song types in host selection by the flies.
3. Three lines of evidence suggested that chirp rate is more important than chirp duration in host selection. (a) The flies consistently preferred higher chirp rates but only sometimes preferred longer chirp durations. (b) The flies consistently preferred higher chirp rate/shorter chirp duration songs to lower chirp rate/longer chirp duration songs. (c) Preferences for longer chirp durations could be eliminated by increasing the amplitude of the less attractive song type, while preferences for higher chirp rates could only sometimes be eliminated by increasing the amplitude of the less attractive song type.
4. Fly predation may favour lower chirp rates and shorter chirp durations in G. lineaticeps , and may have resulted in stronger selection on chirp rate than on chirp duration.     

Preconception cystic fibrosis carrier screening: costs and consequences

The objective of the study was to determine net costs of four potential preconception cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier screening strategies, and to identify the most important cost-related parameters. An estimate was made of the costs of screening carried out during general practitioner (GP) consultations, and screening carried out during group educational sessions. Two test strategies were evaluated: single-entry two-step (SETS) and double- entry two-step (DETS). Several sensitivity analyses were performed. Under the baseline assumptions, SETS screening during GP consultations was the least expensive (net costs US dollar 1,111,354 per year). The sensitivity analysis showed that the costs depend greatly on the estimated lifetime costs of care for a CF patient and the strategy used to inform the target population. Adaptations could be made to the screening program, resulting in economic savings while the primary goal of the screening--to enable participants to make an autonomous informed choice--is guaranteed.     

Activity following arousal in winter in North American vespertilionid bats

• 1 Many bat species hibernate to conserve energy during winter and like all hibernators they commonly arouse. During these arousals, some bats may undertake activities away from the hibernation site. Systematic ecological studies of the frequency and purpose of winter activity in temperate zone bats of North America are rare and much of the literature involves observations of single individuals or unmarked populations.
• 2 We review the available literature on winter activity among North American vespertilionid bats to highlight the paucity of data on this subject and to stimulate future research. Due to the lack of repeated, systematic studies on most North American species, the conclusions drawn are general or pertain only to parts of the geographical range of any species.
• 3 We suggest that winter activity is ubiquitous among temperate zone bats, but the degree and purpose of activity varies greatly between and within species. In general, cave‐dwelling bats tend to be relatively inactive compared with tree and foliage roosting bats during winter.
• 4 Cave‐dwelling and tree cavity‐dwelling species do not appear to feed, but they do drink and occasionally copulate during the hibernation period. Species that hibernate in foliage or leaf litter are the most active species during winter and may feed and drink throughout winter, although they probably do not copulate because of their solitary nature.
• 5 We encourage researchers to conduct studies on all aspects of winter activity for North American vespertilionids across wide latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. We suggest studies in the near future be focused on estimating the energetic costs and benefits of winter activity through determination of the frequency and intensity of winter feeding activity and more thorough examinations of movements within and among caves. Studies on common, wide‐ranging species have the potential to illuminate large‐scale patterns and differences and should be favoured over studies on rarer species.

     

Compression or tension? The stress distribution in the proximal femur

Background  

Questions regarding the distribution of stress in the proximal human femur have never been adequately resolved. Traditionally, by considering the femur in isolation, it has been believed that the effect of body weight on the projecting neck and head places the superior aspect of the neck in tension. A minority view has proposed that this region is in compression because of muscular forces pulling the femur into the pelvis. Little has been done to study stress distributions in the proximal femur. We hypothesise that under physiological loading the majority of the proximal femur is in compression and that the internal trabecular structure functions as an arch, transferring compressive stresses to the femoral shaft.     

Elevated levels of fibrinogen-derived endogenous citrullinated peptides in synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the joints and the presence of autoantibodies directed against proteins containing the non-standard arginine-derived amino acid citrulline. The protein fibrinogen, which has an essential role in blood clotting, is one of the most prominent citrullinated autoantigens in RA, particularly because it can be found in the inflamed tissue of affected joints. Here, we set out to analyze the presence of citrullinated endogenous peptides in the synovial fluid of RA and arthritic control patients.

Methods

Endogenous peptides were isolated from the synovial fluid of RA patients and controls by filtration and solid phase extraction. The peptides were identified and quantified using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results

Our data reveal that the synovial fluid of RA patients contains soluble endogenous peptides, derived from fibrinogen, containing significant amounts of citrulline residues and, in some cases, also phosphorylated serine. Several citrullinated peptides are found to be more abundantly present in the synovial fluid of RA patients compared to patients suffering from other inflammatory diseases affecting the joints.

Conclusions

The increased presence of citrullinated peptides in RA patients points toward a possible specific role of these peptides in the immune response at the basis of the recognition of citrullinated peptides and proteins by RA patient autoantibodies.     

Methyl Jasmonate Increases the Tropane Alkaloid Scopolamine and Reduces Natural Herbivory in Brugmansia suaveolens: Is Scopolamine Responsible for Plant Resistance?

The tropane alkaloid (TA) scopolamine is suggested to protect Brugmansia suaveolens (Solanaceae) against herbivorous insects. To test this prediction in a natural environment, scopolamine was induced by methyl jasmonate (MJ) in potted plants which were left 10?days in the field. MJ-treated plants increased their scopolamine concentration in leaves and herbivory decreased. These findings suggest a cause?Ceffect relationship. However, experiments in laboratory showed that scopolamine affect differently the performance of the specialist larvae of the ithomiine butterfly Placidina euryanassa (C. Felder & R. Felder) and the generalist fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith): the specialist that sequester this TA from B. suaveolens leaves was not negatively affected, but the generalist was. Therefore, scopolamine probably acts only against insects that are not adapted to TAs. Other compounds that are MJ elicited may also play a role in plant resistance against herbivory by generalist and specialist insects, and deserve future investigations.     

Leaf breakdown in an Atlantic Rain Forest stream

The hypothesis of this study was that colonizers in decaying leaf litter prefer native species (Erythrina verna) to exotic ones (Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Protium heptaphyllum). Therefore, native species are expected to show higher breakdown rates, increased biomass, richness and density of invertebrate species, and increased biomass of decomposer fungi. Breakdown of leaf litter from these three species was assessed in an Atlantic Rain Forest stream. Four samples were collected during a period of 90 days and washed on a sieve to separate the invertebrates. Then, a series of leaf disks were cut to determine ash‐free dry mass and fungal biomass, and the remaining material was oven‐dried to determine the dry weight. Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. verna showed higher breakdown rates than P. heptaphyllum, due to differences in leaf physical and chemical characteristics. The harder detritus (P. heptaphyllum) broke down more slowly than detritus with high concentrations of labile compounds (E. camaldulensis). The density of the invertebrates associated with detritus increased with time. There were no differences in density, taxonomic richness or biomass of invertebrates among the leaf types, which indicated that the invertebrates did not distinguish between exotic and native detritus. Fungal colonization varied among samples; E. camaldulensis showed the lowest ergosterol concentrations, mainly due to a high concentration of total phenolics. The detritus with the highest hardness value was colonized most slowly by fungi. These results showed that leaf breakdown in Atlantic Rain Forest streams could be affected either by changes in riparian vegetation, or by becoming more savanna‐like process due to climate change.     

Novel loci for adiponectin levels and their influence on type 2 diabetes and metabolic traits: a multi-ethnic meta-analysis of 45,891 individuals

Circulating levels of adiponectin, a hormone produced predominantly by adipocytes, are highly heritable and are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and other metabolic traits. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in 39,883 individuals of European ancestry to identify genes associated with metabolic disease. We identified 8 novel loci associated with adiponectin levels and confirmed 2 previously reported loci (P = 4.5×10⁻⁸–1.2×10⁻⁴³). Using a novel method to combine data across ethnicities (N = 4,232 African Americans, N = 1,776 Asians, and N = 29,347 Europeans), we identified two additional novel loci. Expression analyses of 436 human adipocyte samples revealed that mRNA levels of 18 genes at candidate regions were associated with adiponectin concentrations after accounting for multiple testing (p<3×10⁻⁴). We next developed a multi-SNP genotypic risk score to test the association of adiponectin decreasing risk alleles on metabolic traits and diseases using consortia-level meta-analytic data. This risk score was associated with increased risk of T2D (p = 4.3×10⁻³, n = 22,044), increased triglycerides (p = 2.6×10⁻¹⁴, n = 93,440), increased waist-to-hip ratio (p = 1.8×10⁻⁵, n = 77,167), increased glucose two hours post oral glucose tolerance testing (p = 4.4×10⁻³, n = 15,234), increased fasting insulin (p = 0.015, n = 48,238), but with lower in HDL-cholesterol concentrations (p = 4.5×10⁻¹³, n = 96,748) and decreased BMI (p = 1.4×10⁻⁴, n = 121,335). These findings identify novel genetic determinants of adiponectin levels, which, taken together, influence risk of T2D and markers of insulin resistance.