Cognitive adaptations of social bonding in birds

The 'social intelligence hypothesis' was originally conceived to explain how primates may have evolved their superior intellect and large brains when compared with other animals. Although some birds such as corvids may be intellectually comparable to apes, the same relationship between sociality and brain size seen in primates has not been found for birds, possibly suggesting a role for other non-social factors. But bird sociality is different from primate sociality. Most monkeys and apes form stable groups, whereas most birds are monogamous, and only form large flocks outside of the breeding season. Some birds form lifelong pair bonds and these species tend to have the largest brains relative to body size. Some of these species are known for their intellectual abilities (e.g. corvids and parrots), while others are not (e.g. geese and albatrosses). Although socio-ecological factors may explain some of the differences in brain size and intelligence between corvids/parrots and geese/albatrosses, we predict that the type and quality of the bonded relationship is also critical. Indeed, we present empirical evidence that rook and jackdaw partnerships resemble primate and dolphin alliances. Although social interactions within a pair may seem simple on the surface, we argue that cognition may play an important role in the maintenance of long-term relationships, something we name as 'relationship intelligence'.     

Investigation and mapping of fluoride-endemic areas and associated health risk—A case study of Agra,Uttar Pradesh,India

The present study aimed at identifying the fluoride-endemic areas in five different blocks in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 365 groundwater samples from 73 villages were analyzed for establishing the concentration range of fluoride in drinking water. The fluoride level in the study area varied from 0.14 to 4.88 mg/L. Out of 73, the fluoride levels in 45 villages did not meet the permissible Word Health Organization standards. The Baroli Ahir block was found the highly fluoride-endemic area followed by Saiyan, Bichpuri, Achnera and Etmadpur. Chronic daily intake of fluoride in adults was 1.25 and 1.5 times higher than those in children and infants, respectively. The probability of dental fluorosis in infants was higher (42%) while adults were more prone to bone and skeletal fluorosis (60%). The hazard quotient analysis revealed that children were found to be at maximum risk followed by infants and adults. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the fluoride concentration is the major influencing parameter responsible for different types of fluorosis in various age groups.     

Comparing Dirichlet normal surface energy of tooth crowns, a new technique of molar shape quantification for dietary inference, with previous methods in isolation and in combination

Inferred dietary preference is a major component of paleoecologies of extinct primates. Molar occlusal shape correlates with diet in living mammals, so teeth are a potentially useful structure from which to reconstruct diet in extinct taxa. We assess the efficacy of Dirichlet normal energy (DNE) calculated for molar tooth surfaces for reflecting diet. We evaluate DNE, which uses changes in normal vectors to characterize curvature, by directly comparing this metric to metrics previously used in dietary inference. We also test whether combining methods improves diet reconstructions. The study sample consisted of 146 lower (mandibular) second molars belonging to 24 euarchontan taxa. Five shape quantification metrics were calculated on each molar: DNE, shearing quotient, shearing ratio, relief index, and orientation patch count rotated (OPCR). Statistical analyses were completed for each variable to assess effects of taxon and diet. Discriminant function analysis was used to assess ability of combinations of variables to predict diet. Values differ significantly by diets for all variables, although shearing ratios and OPCR do not distinguish statistically between insectivores and folivores or omnivores and frugivores. Combined analyses were much more effective at predicting diet than any metric alone. Alone, relief index and DNE were most effective at predicting diet. OPCR was the least effective alone but is still valuable as the only quantitative measure of surface complexity. Of all methods considered, DNE was the least methodologically sensitive, and its effectiveness suggests it will be a valuable tool for dietary reconstruction.     

从文献计量学角度分析全球肿瘤学研究机构的特色与方向

通过文献计量学方法,分析全球肿瘤学研究的整体发展态势及相关研究机构分布概况。基于此,结合情报分析工具VOSViewer 软件,考察具代表性的国际肿瘤学研究机构的研究特色,为推动我国肿瘤学研究的发展提供参考。     

A novel binding pocket in the D2 domain of protein tyrosine phosphatase mu (PTPmu) guides AI screen to identify small molecules that modulate tumour cell adhesion,growth and migration

Approximately 40% of people will get cancer in their lifetime in the US, and 20% are predicted to die from the condition when it is invasive and metastatic. Targeted screening for drugs that interact with proteins that drive cancer cell growth and migration can lead to new therapies. We screened molecular libraries with the AtomNet® AI-based drug design tool to identify compounds predicted to interact with the cytoplasmic domain of protein tyrosine phosphatase mu. Protein tyrosine phosphatase mu (PTPmu) is proteolytically downregulated in cancers such as glioblastoma generating fragments that stimulate cell survival and migration. Aberrant nuclear localization of PTPmu intracellular fragments drives cancer progression, so we targeted a predicted drug-binding site between the two cytoplasmic phosphatase domains we termed a D2 binding pocket. The function of the D2 domain is controversial with various proposed regulatory functions, making the D2 domain an attractive target for the development of allosteric drugs. Seventy-five of the best-scoring and chemically diverse computational hits predicted to interact with the D2 binding pocket were screened for effects on tumour cell motility and growth in 3D culture as well as in a direct assay for PTPmu-dependent adhesion. We identified two high-priority hits that inhibited the migration and glioma cell sphere formation of multiple glioma tumour cell lines as well as aggregation. We also identified one activator of PTPmu-dependent aggregation, which was able to stimulate cell migration. We propose that the PTPmu D2 binding pocket represents a novel regulatory site and that inhibitors targeting this region may have therapeutic potential for treating cancer.