Comparative GO: A Web Application for Comparative Gene Ontology and Gene Ontology-Based Gene Selection in Bacteria

Availabilityhttp://turing.ersa.edu.au/BacteriaGO.     

Why some species cannot colonise restored habitats? The effects of seed and microsite availability

Restoration of calcareous grasslands was promoted as a conservation strategy to reduce the risks imposed by habitat loss and fragmentation. Restoration already provided promising results for several taxa, however some specialist species still fail at colonising restored habitats. We aimed at explaining this lack of colonisation success for three calcareous grasslands specialist species in southern Belgium: Pulsatilla vulgaris; Trifolium montanum; and, Veronica prostrata. We studied: (i) germination in control and outdoor conditions (cold, heat, smoke and litter effects); (ii) in situ seedling emergence patterns (effects of seed addition and germination microsites availability). The three species were able to germinate in Petri dishes in the absence of treatment. Cold enhanced the germination of V. prostrata. Fire-related treatments (heat shock and smoke exposure) did not enhance germination and were deleterious to V. prostrata. Litter cover improved P. vulgaris emergence in outdoor containers, but had a negative effect on V. prostrata. In the field, V. prostrata did not emerge. T. montanum seedlings were observed in the reference grasslands when seeds were added, but not in the restored grasslands. P. vulgaris emerged in the reference grasslands, and to a lower degree in the restored grasslands. The combination of seed addition and microsites availability for seed germination resulted in enhanced seedling emergence for P. vulgaris. Our results suggest that seed and microsite availability can be limiting factors for site colonisation, but the combination of both is likely much more limiting. Lower seedling emergence in restored than in reference grasslands suggests a lower habitat quality in restored grasslands.     

The innervation of the trachea and extrapulmonary bronchi of the mouse

Summary In the mouse, nerves were located throughout the trachea and extrapulmonary bronchi in both the smooth muscle and the connective tissue. However, no nerves were found within the epithelium. In the smooth muscle there were large numbers of nonmyelinated nerves. These were usually en passant elements but varicosities containing small mitochondria and vesicles were also seen; these axons sometimes appeared to be efferent to the muscle.Unilateral cervical vagotomy reduced the numbers of nerves in the muscle of the trachea and ipsilateral primary bronchus, suggesting that they were afferent. The intramuscular nerves were characterized in terms of their complement of cytoplasmic organelles; in particular nerves containing many mitochondria disappeared following vagotomy.Pretreatment of mice with 5-hydroxydopamine to accentuate the electron-opacity of catecholamine-containing granules resulted in 3.5% of the nerves within tracheal muscle showing such granules.The afferent nerves of the smooth muscle may be complex branching structures with many varicosities. The absence of epithelial nerves may be related to the absence of the cough reflex in the mouse.     

Escitalopram or Novel Herbal Mixture Treatments during or following Exposure to Stress Reduce Anxiety-Like Behavior through Corticosterone and BDNF Modifications

Anxiety disorders are a major public health concern worldwide. Studies indicate that repeated exposure to adverse experiences early in life can lead to anxiety disorders in adulthood. Current treatments for anxiety disorders are characterized by a low success rate and are associated with a wide variety of side effects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anxiolytic effects of a novel herbal treatment, in comparison to treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram. We recently demonstrated the anxiolytic effects of these treatments in BALB mice previously exposed to one week of stress. In the present study, ICR mice were exposed to post natal maternal separation and to 4 weeks of unpredictable chronic mild stress in adolescence, and treated during or following exposure to stress with the novel herbal treatment or with escitalopram. Anxiety-like behavior was evaluated in the elevated plus maze. Blood corticosterone levels were evaluated using radioimmunoassay. Brain derived neurotrophic factor levels in the hippocampus were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that (1) exposure to stress in childhood and adolescence increased anxiety-like behavior in adulthood; (2) the herbal treatment reduced anxiety-like behavior, both when treated during or following exposure to stress; (3) blood corticosterone levels were reduced following treatment with the herbal treatment or escitalopram, when treated during or following exposure to stress; (4) brain derived neurotrophic factor levels in the hippocampus of mice treated with the herbal treatment or escitalopram were increased, when treated either during or following exposure to stress. This study expands our previous findings and further points to the proposed herbal compound''s potential to be highly efficacious in treating anxiety disorders in humans.     

Effect of spatial connectivity on host resistance in a highly fragmented natural pathosystem

Both theory and experimental evolution studies predict migration to influence the outcome of antagonistic coevolution between hosts and their parasites, with higher migration rates leading to increased diversity and evolutionary potential. Migration rates are expected to vary in spatially structured natural pathosystems, yet how spatial structure generates variation in coevolutionary trajectories across populations occupying the same landscape has not been tested. Here, we studied the effect of spatial connectivity on host evolutionary potential in a natural pathosystem characterized by a stable Plantago lanceolata host network and a highly dynamic Podosphaera plantaginis parasite metapopulation. We designed a large inoculation experiment to test resistance of five isolated and five well‐connected host populations against sympatric and allopatric pathogen strains, over 4 years. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find consistently higher resistance against sympatric pathogen strains in the well‐connected populations. Instead, host local adaptation varied considerably among populations and through time with greater fluctuations observed in the well‐connected populations. Jointly, our results suggest that in populations where pathogens have successfully established, they have the upper hand in the coevolutionary arms race, but hosts may be better able to respond to pathogen‐imposed selection in the well‐connected than in the isolated populations. Hence, the ongoing and extensive fragmentation of natural habitats may increase vulnerability to diseases.     

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders among children in a Brazilian orphanage

Background: The objective was to investigate the frequency of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and ophthalmologic anomalies in orphanage children in Brazil. Methods: A prospective study was performed on 94 children living in an orphanage in Brazil. The children were examined by a multidisciplinary team consisting of specialists in pediatrics, neurology, psychology, neuropsychiatry, and ophthalmology. Results: The main reasons for living in the orphanage, in 61% of the children, were negligence, child abuse, and abandonment. Of all the children studied, 50% had mothers with known alcohol abuse and 47% had one or more diagnoses of neurodevelopmental/behavioral and/or cognitive deficits. General developmental delay was found in 18%, intellectual disability in 3%, cognitive impairment in 27%, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder in 14%, and autism in 3%. Altogether 17% had FASD, comprising three children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), six with partial FAS, and seven with alcohol‐related neurodevelopmental disorder. 16% had ophthalmological findings such as poor vision, strabismus, and dysmorphology of the optic nerves. Twenty‐eight children (30%) were adopted from the orphanage; of these, six had FASD (two FAS, three partial FAS, one alcohol‐related neurodevelopmental disorder), five had attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and eight had developmental delay. Conclusion: Nearly half of the children living in the orphanage had neurodevelopmental disorders and a considerable number showed signs of damage from prenatal alcohol exposure. A broader look at the problem of FASD in Brazil and other South American countries is desirable to document the burden of disease and provide data for targeting prevention efforts. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 103:178–185, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Saccades Improve Postural Control: A Developmental Study in Normal Children

Introduction

Dual-task performance is known to affect postural stability in children. This study focused on the effect of oculomotor tasks like saccadic eye movements on postural stability, studied in a large population of children by recording simultaneously their eye movements and posture.

Materials and Methods

Ninety-five healthy children from 5.8 to 17.6 years old were examined. All children were free of any vestibular, neurological, ophtalmologic and orthoptic abnormalities. Postural control was measured with a force platform TechnoConcept®, and eye movements with video oculography (MobilEBT®). Children performed two oculomotor tasks: fixation of a stable central target and horizontal saccades. We measured the saccade latency and the number of saccades during fixation as well as the surface, length and mean velocity of the center of pressure.

Results

During postural measurement, we observed a correlation between the age on the one hand and a decrease in saccade latency as well as an improvement in the quality of fixation on the other. Postural sway decreases with age and is reduced in the dual task (saccades) in comparison with a simple task of fixation.

Discussion - Conclusion

These results suggest a maturation of neural circuits controlling posture and eye movements during childhood. This study also shows the presence of an interaction between the oculomotor system and the postural system. Engaging in oculomotor tasks results in a reduction of postural sway.     

Seasonal and lunar variation in the emergence time of a population of Uca lactea annulipes (Milne-Edwards, 1837) at a shore in Kuwait

This study monitored the endogenous emergence time of the fiddler crab Uca lactea annulipes (Milne-Edwards, 1837) in the field, for the first time, at an intertidal shore in Kuwait, from 1997 to 2001. The results revealed a significant cyclic change in the median emergence time as the season progressed from winter, through spring and summer, to autumn (.44, 1.29, 3.12, and 1.1 h prior to the dead-low tide, respectively). The data also revealed a significant shift in the median emergence time according to moon phase (2.27 h at new moon versus 2.56 h at full moon prior to the dead-low tide).