Length of activity season drives geographic variation in body size of a widely distributed lizard

Understanding the factors that drive geographic variation in life history is an important challenge in evolutionary ecology. Here, we analyze what predicts geographic variation in life‐history traits of the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara, which has the globally largest distribution range of all terrestrial reptile species. Variation in body size was predicted by differences in the length of activity season, while we found no effects of environmental temperature per se. Females experiencing relatively short activity season mature at a larger size and remain larger on average than females in populations with relatively long activity seasons. Interpopulation variation in fecundity was largely explained by mean body size of females and reproductive mode, with viviparous populations having larger clutch size than oviparous populations. Finally, body size‐fecundity relationship differs between viviparous and oviparous populations, with relatively lower reproductive investment for a given body size in oviparous populations. While the phylogenetic signal was weak overall, the patterns of variation showed spatial effects, perhaps reflecting genetic divergence or geographic variation in additional biotic and abiotic factors. Our findings emphasize that time constraints imposed by the environment rather than ambient temperature play a major role in shaping life histories in the common lizard. This might be attributed to the fact that lizards can attain their preferred body temperature via behavioral thermoregulation across different thermal environments. Length of activity season, defining the maximum time available for lizards to maintain optimal performance, is thus the main environmental factor constraining growth rate and annual rates of mortality. Our results suggest that this factor may partly explain variation in the extent to which different taxa follow ecogeographic rules.     

Influence of Dietary Protein Level and the Amino Acids Methionine and Lysine on Leather Properties of Blue Fox (Alopex Lagopus) Pelts

The influence of dietary protein, methionine, and lysine on leather quality in blue fox pelts was studied. The pelt material originated from animals in two consecutive feeding trials (Exp. 1 and Exp. 2) with three protein levels: conventional, slightly lowered, and very low. The two lowest protein diets were fed as such or as supplemented with methionine or with lysine (lysine only in Exp. 2). The following physical leather properties were measured: breaking load (BRL), tensile strength (TEN), relative elongation at break (PEB), straining of skins at pelting, and shrinkage at dressing. A decline in the dietary protein content reduced BRL and, hence, leather firmness, and increased straining and the corresponding shrinking in Exp. 1. The supplemented methionine tended to improve leather strength and elasticity by increasing TEN and PEB in Exp. 1, whereas lysine elicited no response. Methionine supplementation at the slightly lowered protein level increased BRL in both experiments by almost 10% as compared with the respective non-supplemented diet. We conclude that with high protein quality diets, a level of 200g/kg DM (as digestible protein) appears to be adequate for producing pelts with firm, elastic leather, provided that an adequate amount of methionine is included in the diet.     

Genetic Susceptibility to Non-Necrotizing Erysipelas/Cellulitis

Background

Bacterial non-necrotizing erysipelas and cellulitis are often recurring, diffusely spreading infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues caused most commonly by streptococci. Host genetic factors influence infection susceptibility but no extensive studies on the genetic determinants of human erysipelas exist.

Methods

We performed genome-wide linkage with the 10,000 variant Human Mapping Array (HMA10K) array on 52 Finnish families with multiple erysipelas cases followed by microsatellite fine mapping of suggestive linkage peaks. A scan with the HMA250K array was subsequently performed with a subset of cases and controls.

Results

Significant linkage was found at 9q34 (nonparametric multipoint linkage score (NPL_all) 3.84, p = 0.026), which is syntenic to a quantitative trait locus for susceptibility to group A streptococci infections on chromosome 2 in mouse. Sequencing of candidate genes in the 9q34 region did not conclusively associate any to erysipelas/cellulitis susceptibility. Suggestive linkage (NPL_all>3.0) was found at three loci: 3q22-24, 21q22, and 22q13. A subsequent denser genome scan with the HMA250K array supported the 3q22 locus, in which several SNPs in the promoter of AGTR1 (Angiotensin II receptor type I) suggestively associated with erysipelas/cellulitis susceptibility.

Conclusions

Specific host genetic factors may cause erysipelas/cellulitis susceptibility in humans.     

Podocyte-associated proteins FAT, alpha-actinin-4 and filtrin are expressed in Langerhans islets of the pancreas

Nephrin is a crucial podocyte molecule in the kidney glomerular filtration barrier and it is also expressed in Langerhans islet beta cells of the pancreas. Recently, genetic mapping of proteinuric kidney disease genes and animal models have revealed further important molecules for the kidney filtration function including alpha-actinin-4, podocin, FAT, and NEPH1. This study was addressed to explore the pancreatic expression of the podocyte molecules podocin, FAT, alpha-actinin-4, NEPH1, NEPH2, filtrin/NEPH3, synaptopodin and CD2 associated protein (CD2AP). The mRNA and protein expressions were studied by RT-PCR and immunoblotting, and localization in the pancreas was investigated by immunofluorescence. Of the nephrin-associated podocyte proteins, filtrin/NEPH3, FAT, and alpha-actinin-4 were found to be expressed in the pancreas at the gene and protein level and localized to Langerhans islets. Immunoreactivity with the podocin antibody was detected mostly in the exocrine pancreas. NEPH1 and synaptopodin expression was detected only at the mRNA level. Further studies are needed to unravel the functional role of these podocyte-associated molecules in the pancreatic Langerhans islets.     

Effects of a Randomized Intervention to Improve Workplace Social Capital in Community Health Centers in China

Objective

To examine whether workplace social capital improved after implementing a workplace social capital intervention in community health centers in China.

Methods

This study was conducted in 20 community health centers of similar size in Jinan of China during 2012–2013. Using the stratified site randomization, 10 centers were randomized into the intervention group; one center was excluded due to leadership change in final analyses. The baseline survey including 447 staff (response rate: 93.1%) was conducted in 2012, and followed by a six-month workplace social capital intervention, including team building courses for directors of community health centers, voluntarily public services, group psychological consultation, and outdoor training. The follow-up survey in July 2013 was responded to by 390 staff members (response rate: 86.9%). Workplace social capital was assessed with the translated and culturally adapted scale, divided into vertical and horizontal dimensions. The facility-level intervention effects were based on all baseline (n = 427) and follow-up (n = 377) respondents, except for Weibei respondents. We conducted a bivariate Difference-in-Difference analysis to estimate the facility-level intervention effects.

Results

No statistically significant intervention effects were observed at the center level; the intervention increased the facility-level workplace social capital, and its horizontal and vertical dimensions by 1.0 (p = 0.24), 0.4 (p = 0.46) and 0.8 (p = 0.16), respectively.

Conclusions

The comprehensive intervention seemed to slightly improve workplace social capital in community health centers of urban China at the center level. High attrition rate limits any causal interpretation of the results. Further studies are warranted to test these findings.     

Anti-Heparanase Aptamers as Potential Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agents for Oral Cancer

Heparanase is an endoglycosidase enzyme present in activated leucocytes, mast cells, placental tissue, neutrophils and macrophages, and is involved in tumour metastasis and tissue invasion. It presents a potential target for cancer therapies and various molecules have been developed in an attempt to inhibit the enzymatic action of heparanase. In an attempt to develop a novel therapeutic with an associated diagnostic assay, we have previously described high affinity aptamers selected against heparanase. In this work, we demonstrated that these anti-heparanase aptamers are capable of inhibiting tissue invasion of tumour cells associated with oral cancer and verified that such inhibition is due to inhibition of the enzyme and not due to other potentially cytotoxic effects of the aptamers. Furthermore, we have identified a short 30 bases aptamer as a potential candidate for further studies, as this showed a higher ability to inhibit tissue invasion than its longer counterpart, as well as a reduced potential for complex formation with other non-specific serum proteins. Finally, the aptamer was found to be stable and therefore suitable for use in human models, as it showed no degradation in the presence of human serum, making it a potential candidate for both diagnostic and therapeutic use.     

Vertical and Horizontal Trust at Work as Predictors of Retirement Intentions: The Finnish Public Sector Study

This prospective cohort study aimed to examine the associations of trust towards the supervisor (vertical trust) and trust towards co-workers (horizontal trust) with retirement intentions. The participants were 14 840 women and men working in the municipal sector in 2000–12 (Finnish Public Sector Study). Trust (vertical trust towards the supervisor and horizontal trust towards co-workers) and retirement intentions were assessed in repeated surveys. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between baseline trust and retirement intentions at 3.7 years of follow-up. Demographic characteristics, health, psychological distress, health risk behaviors, personality factors, and psychosocial factors were included as covariates. Of the participants, 67.0% trusted their supervisor and 54.9% trusted their co-workers. Employees who trusted their supervisor (odds ratio (OR) 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53–0.67) and employees who trusted their co-workers (odds ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.55–0.70) at baseline were less likely to have strong retirement intentions at follow-up compared to those who did not trust. These associations largely persisted after adjusting for all covariates and taking into account baseline retirement intentions. In conclusion, trust in the supervisor and co-workers predicted retirement intentions. These observational findings suggest that increasing trust in the workplace may contribute to lengthening working careers and preventing early retirement.     

Balancing selection and heterozygote advantage in major histocompatibility complex loci of the bottlenecked Finnish wolf population

Maintaining effective immune response is an essential factor in the survival of small populations. One of the most important immune gene regions is the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC). We investigated how a population bottleneck and recovery have influenced the diversity and selection in three MHC class II loci, DLA‐DRB1, DLA‐DQA1 and DLA‐DQB1, in the Finnish wolf population. We studied the larger Russian Karelian wolf population for comparison and used 17 microsatellite markers as reference loci. The Finnish and Karelian wolf populations did not differ substantially in their MHC diversities ( = 0.047, P = 0.377), but differed in neutral microsatellite diversities ( = 0.148, P = 0.008). MHC allele frequency distributions in the Finnish population were more even than expected under neutrality, implying balancing selection. In addition, an excess of nonsynonymous compared to synonymous polymorphisms indicated historical balancing selection. We also studied association between helminth (Trichinella spp. and Echinococcus canadensis) prevalence and MHC diversity at allele and SNP level. MHC‐heterozygous wolves were less often infected by Trichinella spp. and carriers of specific MHC alleles, SNP haplotypes and SNP alleles had less helminth infections. The associated SNP haplotypes and alleles were shared by different MHC alleles, which emphasizes the necessity of single‐nucleotide‐level association studies also in MHC. Here, we show that strong balancing selection has had similar effect on MHC diversities in the Finnish and Russian Karelian wolf populations despite significant genetic differentiation at neutral markers and small population size in the Finnish population.