Behavioural notes on the Neotropical parasocial spider wasp Ageniella (Lissagenia) flavipennis (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), with host association

1. Ageniella is a species‐rich group of spider wasps restricted to the New World. Knowledge regarding the behaviour of this genus is based mainly on the Nearctic species, which have been reported to nest solitarily in the soil. This study reports for the first time the nesting behaviour, with host association of Ageniella (Lissagenia) flavipennis Banks. 2. Behavioural aspects on the nesting of A. flavipennis were observed from a study of six nests found in an Atlantic Forest conservation area in São Paulo State, Brazil. Host specimens were collected from a nest, as well as while being carried by an A. flavipennis individual. 3. The present study reports the A. flavipennis females cohabiting or nesting solitarily in mud nests, indicating that this spider wasp shows some lower level of parasociality. In addition, the spider Enoploctenus cyclothorax (Bertkau) was reported for the first time as host. As has been observed for other Ageniellini, females of A. flavipennis amputate the host's legs and transport the spider to the nest, flying or walking forward. 4. Communal behaviour has been reported for species of different genera of Pompilidae, such as Macromeris Lepeletier, Paragenia Bingham and Auplopus Spinola. Recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that the Lissagenia species are more closely related to the other Ageniellini genera than to the other Ageniella species. The present information on nesting and prey could contribute towards a more conclusive phylogenetic position of Lissagenia.     

Evidence of a latitudinal gradient in spider diversity in Australian cotton

The most common explanation for species diversity increasing towards the tropics is the corresponding increase in habitats (spatial heterogeneity). Consequently, a monoculture (like cotton in Australia) which is grown along a latitudinal gradient, should have the same degree of species diversity throughout its range. We tested to see if diversity in a dominant cotton community (spiders) changed with latitude, and if the community was structurally identical in different parts of Australia. We sampled seven sites extending over 20° of latitude. At each site we sampled 1–3 fields 3–5 times during the cotton growing season using pitfall traps and beatsheets, recording all the spiders collected to family. We found that spider communities in cotton are diverse, including a large range of foraging guilds, making them suitable for a conservation biological control programme. We also found that spider diversity increased from high to low latitudes, and the communities were different, even though the spiders were in the same monocultural habitat. Spider beatsheet communities around Australia were dominated by different families, and responded differently to seasonal changes, indicating that different pest groups would be targeted at different locations. These results show that diversity can increase from high to low latitudes, even if spatial heterogeneity is held constant, and that other factors external to the cotton crop are influencing spider species composition. Other models which may account for the latitudinal gradient, such as non‐equilibrium regional processes, are discussed.     

Base Composition of Poly (A+) Nuclear RNA of Frog Embryo and Friend Erythroleukemia Cells

Base composition determinations indicate that the poly (A⁺) nuclear RNA of frog embryo and Friend erythroleukemia cells that are transcribing a greater quantity of such RNA is more AU-rich than that of cells transcribing a lower quantity. Filter hybridizations show that repetitive sequences of poly (A⁺) nuclear RNA of frog embryos are more AU-rich than single copy sequences.     

Using Fecal Glucocorticoids to Assess Stress Levels in Captive River Otters

Abstract Reintroduction projects often expose animals to a series of acute stressors that may cause chronic stress and lead to the stress response. The stress response results in the release of glucocorticoids that, when excessive, can cause detrimental effects to the animal. Glucocorticoids can be extracted from feces and quantified as an effective method for assessing stress levels. We collected scats from 10 river otters (Lontra canadensis; 3 from MD and 7 from NY, USA) held captive for the Pennsylvania River Otter Reintroduction Project (PRORP). We used these scats to verify the use of the Correlate-EIA^TM Corticosterone Enzyme Immunoassay Kit (Assay Designs, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI) to evaluate stress levels in otters. We also determined trends in stress levels during the initial 10–12 days otters were in PRORP captivity, and compared glucocorticoid levels for 5 of the New York otters the morning before, the morning of, and the morning after veterinary examinations to determine if associated procedures (e.g., physical and chemical restraint) caused increased stress levels. Glucocorticoid concentrations declined from time 1 to time 2 for the 3 otters from Maryland (an average decline of about 6-fold) and for 5 of 7 otters from New York. Among otters evaluated for stress associated with veterinary examinations, average glucocorticoid concentrations were increased the morning of and the morning after veterinary examinations from the day before the veterinary examinations. We demonstrated that fecal glucocorticoids are an effective method for assessing stress levels in otters and that PRORP's captive management program did not contribute to increasing stress during the 10–12-day evaluation period. Fecal glucocorticoid assays could be used to evaluate stress levels of zoo or permanently captive otters, determine the most effective husbandry techniques for housing otters, and evaluate effects of both management practices and environmental conditions in the wild and in captivity.     

Proceedings of the signature series symposium “cellular therapies for orthopaedics and musculoskeletal disease proven and unproven therapies—promise,facts and fantasy,” international society for cellular therapies,montreal, canada,may 2, 2018

The Signature Series Symposium “Cellular Therapies for Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Disease Proven and Unproven Therapies—Promise, Facts and Fantasy” was held as a pre-meeting of the 26^th International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) annual congress in Montreal, Canada, May 2, 2018. This was the first ISCT program that was entirely dedicated to the advancement of cell-based therapies for musculoskeletal diseases. Cellular therapies in musculoskeletal medicine are a source of great promise and opportunity. They are also the source of public controversy, confusion and misinformation. Patients, clinicians, scientists, industry and government share a commitment to clear communication and responsible development of the field. Therefore, this symposium convened thought leaders from around the world in a forum designed to catalyze communication and collaboration to bring the greatest possible innovation and value to patients with musculoskeletal conditions.     

Rapid recycling of triose phosphates in oak stem tissue

We report the carbon-13 and oxygen-18 isotope ratios in cellulose from the early and late wood of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.). The δ¹³ C value of the early wood correlates best with that of the late wood of the previous year. The δ¹⁸O value of the early wood correlates best with that of the late wood of the same year. We suggest that a biochemical explanation of these data is that there is a rapid cycle between hexose monophosphates and triose phosphates in oak stem tissue during cellulose synthesis. Evidence in support of this explanation is provided by the intramolecular distribution of ¹⁴C in labelled fructose extracted from cores of wood that had been supplied with [1?¹⁴C]- and [6-¹⁴C]glucose.     

Developmental Regulation of Focal Contact Protein Expression in Human Melanocytes

Focal contacts are transmembrane links between the extracellular matrix and the actin cytoskeleton that play a critical role in directed cell migration, adhesion, and normal growth. Several different component proteins of the focal contact show develop-mentally dependent changes in expression, suggesting that this is an important mechanism by which focal contact formation is controlled during embryogenesis. In this report we examine the expression of focal contact-associated proteins in human fetal and neonatal melanocytes using Western blotting. We show that expression of paxillin, a 69-kDa vinculin binding protein, is fourfold higher in neonatal melanocytes than in fetal melanocytes. Further, we show that talin, a high molecular weight structural protein that links integrins to the actin cytoskeleton, is proteolytically cleaved in fetal, but not in neonatal melanocytes. Immunofluorescence microscopy of cells grown on fibronectin confirmed the presence of paxillin, talin, and vinculin at the ends of actin stress fibers at presumptive focal contacts in melanocytes. Adhesion experiments to extracellular matrix ligands revealed significant differences in adhesion of fetal and neonatal melanocytes to fibronectin. The developmentally specific changes in focal contact protein expression observed suggest that this may be an important mechanism by which focal contact assembly is controlled in human melanocytes during development.     

Effects of algal food quality on fecundity and population growth rates of Daphnia

1. Food quality was at least as important as food quantity for both fecundity and population growth responses of the cladoceran Daphnia pulicaria fed the green alga Ankistrodesmus falcatus grown under N limitation, P limitation, or non-limited condition.
2. The fecundity of D. pulicaria was reduced under conditions of low food quality (low N or low P) compared with that for animals fed control non-limited algae regardless of ration size. The reduced fecundity of D. pulicaria fed P-limited food could be partially alleviated by increasing the ration (hence, compensation), but such was not the case for animals fed N-limited food.
3. Population growth rates of D. pulicaria ( r _max) were significantly reduced under conditions of low-quality food for both N-limited and P-limited algae. Population growth rates were unaffected by ration size, indicating no compensation.