Positive Reinforcement Training Moderates Only High Levels of Abnormal Behavior in Singly Housed Rhesus Macaques

This study evaluated the application of positive reinforcement training (PRT) as an intervention for abnormal behaviors in singly housed laboratory rhesus macaques at 2 large primate facilities. Training involved basic control behaviors and body-part presentation. The study compared baseline behavioral data on 30 adult males and 33 adult females compared with 3 treatment phases presented in counterbalanced order: 6 min per week of PRT, 20 or 40 min per week of PRT, and 6 min per week of unstructured human interaction (HI). Within-subject parametric tests detected no main or interaction effects involving experimental phase. However, among a subset of subjects with levels of abnormal in the top quartile of the range (n = 15), abnormal behavior was reduced from 35% to 25% of samples with PRT but not with HI. These results suggest that short durations of PRT applied as enrichment for this species and in this context may not in itself be sufficient intervention for abnormal behavior because levels remained high. However, it may be appropriate as an adjunct to other interventions and may be best targeted to the most severely affected individuals.     

Next-generation phylogenomics using a Target Restricted Assembly Method

Next-generation sequencing technologies are revolutionizing the field of phylogenetics by making available genome scale data for a fraction of the cost of traditional targeted sequencing. One challenge will be to make use of these genomic level data without necessarily resorting to full-scale genome assembly and annotation, which is often time and labor intensive. Here we describe a technique, the Target Restricted Assembly Method (TRAM), in which the typical process of genome assembly and annotation is in essence reversed. Protein sequences of phylogenetically useful genes from a species within the group of interest are used as targets in tblastn searches of a data set from a lane of Illumina reads for a related species. Resulting blast hits are then assembled locally into contigs and these contigs are then aligned against the reference “cDNA” sequence to remove portions of the sequences that include introns. We illustrate the Target Restricted Assembly Method using genomic scale datasets for 20 species of lice (Insecta: Psocodea) to produce a test phylogenetic data set of 10 nuclear protein coding gene sequences. Given the advantages of using DNA instead of RNA, this technique is very cost effective and feasible given current technologies.     

Trojan hosts: the menace of invasive vertebrates as vectors of pathogens in the Southern Cone of South America

Biological Invasions - Invasive alien species (IAS) can act as vectors for the introduction of pathogens in ecosystems and their transmission to threatened native species (TNS), leading to...     

SVA: software for annotating and visualizing sequenced human genomes

SUMMARY: Here we present Sequence Variant Analyzer (SVA), a software tool that assigns a predicted biological function to variants identified in next-generation sequencing studies and provides a browser to visualize the variants in their genomic contexts. SVA also provides for flexible interaction with software implementing variant association tests allowing users to consider both the bioinformatic annotation of identified variants and the strength of their associations with studied traits. We illustrate the annotation features of SVA using two simple examples of sequenced genomes that harbor Mendelian mutations. Availability and implementation: Freely available on the web at http://www.svaproject.org.     

Molecular motors: directing traffic during RNA localization

RNA localization, the enrichment of RNA in a specific subcellular region, is a mechanism for the establishment and maintenance of cellular polarity in a variety of systems. Ultimately, this results in a universal method for spatially restricting gene expression. Although the consequences of RNA localization are well-appreciated, many of the mechanisms that are responsible for carrying out polarized transport remain elusive. Several recent studies have illuminated the roles that molecular motor proteins play in the process of RNA localization. These studies have revealed complex mechanisms in which the coordinated action of one or more motor proteins can act at different points in the localization process to direct RNAs to their final destination. In this review, we discuss recent findings from several different systems in an effort to clarify pathways and mechanisms that control the directed movement of RNA.