An in-depth Comparison of the Pediatric and Adult Urinary N-glycomes

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Highlights

• •N-glycan patterns are distinct in pediatric and adult urine.
• •Sex differences of N-glycans are much larger in adults.
• •Pediatric urine has almost no sex differences in N-glycan levels.
• •In adults, the majority of N-glycans were more abundant in males.

     

Multi-lineage Lung Regeneration by Stem Cell Transplantation across Major Genetic Barriers

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7. Global support and coordination: conserving germplasm of world crop species and their relatives

The awareness of the importance of plant biodiversity has been considerably raised in both developed and developing countries over the last decade. Some of the debate has not been helpful in fostering collaboration or progress towards a more rational support network. The paper attempts to identify and categorize existing efforts in operation in a wide range of institutions and bodies ranging from essentially environmentally orientated to crop-based organizations. Current funding and training initiatives are discussed.     

Morphological variation among widely dispersed larval populations of anadromous southern hemisphere lampreys (Geotriidae and Mordaciidae)

Larvae of all three southern hemisphere anadromous parasitic lampreys were collected from rivers in Australia, New Zealand and South America. Body intervals were measured, trunk myomeres counted and the frequency of pigmentation in different body regions recorded. Morphometric data were subjected to multiple group principal components analysis (MGPCA) which took into account changes during growth. The components (together with myomere counts) and the pigmentation data were both subjected to discriminant analysis. Ordination and rank correlation tests revealed no evidence for either latitudinal clines or a continuum of circumpolar change amongst larval lamprey populations. Clustering of population centroids clearly distinguished between Mordacia lapicida (Gray) from Chile and M. mordax (Richardson) from south-eastern Australia. Populations of Geotria australis Gray divided into groups representing three geographical regions, namely Argentina, Chile and Australasia (Western Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand). Ammocoetes from Argentina were the most divergent, possessing a more posterior cloaca, taller dorsal fins, a greater gap between dorsal fins, and distinctive pigmentation on the head and caudal fin. Within the Australasian group, Western Australian and New Zealand populations clustered closer than either did with those from Tasmania. The cluster analyses for larval populations of G. australis suggest that, during their marine trophic phase, the adults of this species originating from Argentinian and Chilean rivers follow different migratory routes, whereas those from Western Australia, New Zealand and, to a lesser extent, Tasmania intermix.     

Covariance of adult size and development time in the parasitoid waspAphidius ervi in relation to the size of its host,Acyrthosiphon pisum

Summary Adult size (in terms of dry weight; DW) and development time (T _p ) of the solitary parasitoidAphidius ervi varied when reared in different nymphal instars of its host, apterous virginoparae of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Parasitoid DW increased with an increase in the DW of the host at parasitization, from the first to the third aphid instar. Female wasps gained 1.1 times more in DW than their male counterparts in all four host classes, butT _p did not significantly differ between the sexes. Parasitoid DW was consistently more variable thanT _p . The two traits covaried positively with an increase in host size from the first to the third instar, but they varied independently in parasitoids from fourth-instar hosts. The host size (and stage) at the time of parasitization imposes constraints on the growth and development of immatureA. ervi that are reflected in the pattern of covariation between DW andT _p . When growing in aphids below a certain size threshold, parasitoids can maximize fitness by a trade-off between DW andT _p . Consequently, the assumption implicit in host-size models of parasitoid oviposition decisions — that females incur a relatively greater reduction in size (used as an index of fecundity) than males when developing in poor quality hosts — can be falsified.     

Progressions of adult male chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in the moremi wildlife reserve

It has been suggested that the sociospatial organization of baboon progressions has a protective function in which the most physically powerful troop members, the adult males, play a key role. This theory implies regularities in adult male progression order for different species of savannah baboons with similar social systems. Quantitative progression data are available from two such similar baboon species, olive and yellow, but not from the third, chacma. The order of movement of 15 adult male chacma baboons was determined from 40 progressions observed at the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, Botswana. The chacma males were most often found in the front sixth of progressions, next most often in the second sixth, and about equally often from there to the rear. As expected from the protection theory, this frontal positioning is consistent with available quantitative data from other species of savannah baboons.     

Ecdysteroid levels during adult reproductive and embryonic developmental stages of Sarcophaga bullata (Sarcophagidae: Diptera)

Ecdysteroid levels were determined during the period of the adult reproductive cycle in the ovovivparous fleshfly Sarcophaga bullata. Low levels were found in males during the 10 days following eclosion while the entire adult female showed a significant peak of ecdysteroid activity at 190 h post eclosion (i.e. during embryogenesis). When the female reproductive tract was analyzed it was observed that the ovaries became vitellogenic a short time after a protein meal was offered at 96 h post eclosion: at 140 h, ecdysteroid activity was recorded in the developing oöcytes. The major peak of ecdysteroids during the reproductive cycle was found in developing embryos at 190 h. The significance of these releases of ecdysteroids is discussed in relation to major embryonic developmental events.     

Reproductive strategies of the orang-utan: New data and a reconsideration of existing sociosexual models

Recent field data indicate that MacKinnon’s model of the orang-utan’s sexual and agonistic activity needs to be revised. In this model, male reproductive activity is concentrated in an extended phase of subadulthood and in early adulthood. According to this model, the role of older adult males is primarily that of range guardian, and in that role they would ensure that the offspring they had generated earlier would have safe access to food resources. This study presents cases suggesting that subadult males, even though sexually active, may have low reproductive success. In previous studies adult males were shown to display less sexual initiative than subadult males. In this study an adult male was at times involved infrequent mating activity in response to proceptive activity of females in the course of consortship. This adult male proved to be a successful breeder, thus refuting the hypothesis of adult male sterility. The female is most likely to conceive through cooperative mating in lengthy consortships with the dominant resident adult male. We hypothesize that the extended subadult phase represents a submissive strategy, allowing subadult males to remain in the home range of adult males but with minimal reproductive success.     

An immunological study of a case of tinea capitis in an adult

We evaluated the immunological aspects of a case of tinea capitis in an adult. Tests revealed alteration of the T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio (T4 increase and T8 decrease) and a decrease in polymorphonuclear leukocyte activity.