Taxonomy and distribution pattern of the African rain forest butterfly genus Euphaedra Hübner sensu stricto with the description of three new subspecies of Euphaedra cyparissa (Cramer) and one of E. sarcoptera (Butler) (Lepidoptera,Nymphalidae, Limenitidinae,Adoliadini)

Updated data on the distribution, ecology and taxonomy of Euphaedra cyparissa (Cramer) and Euphaedra sarcoptera (Butler) are presented. Three new subspecies of Euphaedra cyparissa and one of Euphaedra sarcoptera are described and their geographic distribution is presented. The monophyly of the genus Euphaedra sensu Hecq is assessed based on morphological, in particular male and female genitalia, and behavioural traits. Possible evolutionary reasons for the convergence of colour pattern between the sympatric subspecies of Euphaedra cyparissa and Euphaedra sarcoptera are discussed.     

Species richness of soil gamasid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) in fire-damaged mountain sites

Gamasid mites are important regulators of soil food webs in forest ecosystems. Wildfire is a dominant disturbance factor in forest ecosystems. We assessed the impact of fire on the species composition of soil gamasid mites at mountain sites following fires of four different degrees of severity and at one control site (5 years post-fire). In total, 14 families, 28 genera, and 54 species or species complexes were found. The abundance and richness were poor in severely burned sites compared to the less damaged sites. The different species compositions, especially in the medium-burned site, require further ecological study to improve our understanding. The fire response and recovery processes of selected species are also discussed.     

Synthesis and NMR properties of the first boron analogues of uracil

Synthesis of 4-hydroxyborauracil and 4-hydroxy-3-methylborauracil, the first boron analogues of uracil, and comparison of their ¹H and ¹³C NMR properties with those of uracil, are presented. The analyses of NMR-monitored boron compound-alcohol and boron compound-amine interactions pointed to the existence of sp³-hybridized, B,B-bis-methoxyborauracils and pyridine-/n-butylamine-borauracils ate-complexes in solution.     

Individually Specific Call Feature Is Not Used to Neighbour-Stranger Discrimination: The Corncrake Case

In various contexts, animals rely on acoustic signals to differentiate between conspecifics. Currently, studies examining vocal signatures use two main approaches. In the first approach, researchers search for acoustic characteristics that have the potential to be individual specific. This approach yields information on variation in signal parameters both within and between individuals and generates practical tools that can be used in population monitoring. In the second approach, playback experiments with natural calls are conducted to discern whether animals are capable of discriminating among the vocal signatures of different individuals. However, both approaches do not reveal the exact signal characteristics that are being used in the discrimination process. In this study, we tested whether an individual-specific call characteristic – namely the length of the intervals between successive maximal amplitude peaks within syllables (PPD) – is crucial in neighbour-stranger discrimination by males of the nocturnal and highly secretive bird species, the corncrake (Crex crex). We conducted paired playback experiments in which corncrakes (n = 47) were exposed to artificial calls with PPD characteristics of neighbour and stranger birds. These artificial calls differed only in PPD structure. The calls were broadcast from a speaker, and we recorded the birds'' behavioural responses. Although corncrakes have previously been experimentally shown to discriminate between neighbours and strangers, we found no difference in the responses to the artificial calls representing neighbours versus strangers. This finding demonstrates that even if vocal signatures are individual specific within a species, it does not automatically mean that said signatures are being crucial in discrimination among individuals. At the same time, the birds'' aggressive responses to the artificial calls indicated that the information transmitted by PPDs is important in species-specific call recognition and may be used by males and/or females to evaluate sender quality, similarly like sound frequency in some insect species.     

The Sum of Tumour-to-Brain Ratios Improves the Accuracy of Diagnosing Gliomas Using 18F-FET PET

Gliomas are common brain tumours, but obtaining tissue for definitive diagnosis can be difficult. There is, therefore, interest in the use of non-invasive methods to diagnose and grade the disease. Although positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorethyltyrosine (18F-FET) can be used to differentiate between low-grade (LGG) and high-grade (HGG) gliomas, the optimal parameters to measure and their cut-points have yet to be established. We therefore assessed the value of single and dual time-point acquisition of 18F-FET PET parameters to differentiate between primary LGGs (n = 22) and HGGs (n = 24). PET examination was considered positive for glioma if the metabolic activity was 1.6-times higher than that of background (contralateral) brain, and maximum tissue-brain ratios (TBR_max) were calculated 10 and 60 min after isotope administration with their sums and differences calculated from individual time-point values. Using a threshold-based method, the overall sensitivity of PET was 97%. Several analysed parameters were significantly different between LGGs and HGGs. However, in a receiver operating characteristics analysis, TBR sum had the best diagnostic accuracy of 87% and sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 100%, 72.7%, 80%, and 100%, respectively. 18F-FET PET is valuable for the non-invasive determination of glioma grade, especially when dual time-point metrics are used. TBR sum shows the greatest accuracy, sensitivity, and negative predictive value for tumour grade differentiation and is a simple method to implement. However, the cut-off may differ between institutions and calibration strategies would be useful.     

Origin of Emotion Effects on ERP Correlates of Emotional Word Processing: The Emotion Duality Approach

We distinguish two evaluative systems which evoke automatic and reflective emotions. Automatic emotions are direct reactions to stimuli whereas reflective emotions are always based on verbalized (and often abstract) criteria of evaluation. We conducted an electroencephalography (EEG) study in which 25 women were required to read and respond to emotional words which engaged either the automatic or reflective system. Stimulus words were emotional (positive or negative) and neutral. We found an effect of valence on an early response with dipolar fronto-occipital topography; positive words evoked a higher amplitude response than negative words. We also found that topographically specific differences in the amplitude of the late positive complex were related to the system involved in processing. Emotional stimuli engaging the automatic system were associated with significantly higher amplitudes in the left-parietal region; the response to neutral words was similar regardless of the system engaged. A different pattern of effects was observed in the central region, neutral stimuli engaging the reflective system evoked a higher amplitudes response whereas there was no system effect for emotional stimuli. These differences could not be reduced to effects of differences between the arousing properties and concreteness of the words used as stimuli.     

Reactivity of mitomycin C with synthetic polyribonucleotides containing guanine or guanine analogs

The guanine residues in nucleic acids are believed to be the major covalent binding site of the antibiotic mitomycin C. To identify the specific functional group in guanine which reacts with mitomycin C, reactions were run between the antibiotic and poly(G) analogs in which guanine was blocked at the N-7 or O-6 position, or lacked the 2-amino group. Binding ratios were affected to a small extent in the two former cases, but binding was significantly decreased in the absence of the 2-amino group. These results indicate that the most likely binding site of mitomycin C in synthetic polyribonucleotides is the 2-amino group of guanine residues.