By hook or by crook? Morphometry, competition and cooperation in rodent sperm

Background Sperm design varies enormously across species and sperm competition is thought to be a major factor influencing this variation. However, the functional significance of many sperm traits is still poorly understood. The sperm of most murid rodents are characterised by an apical hook of the sperm head that varies markedly in extent across species. In the European woodmouse Apodemus sylvaticus (Muridae), the highly reflected apical hook of sperm is used to form sperm groups, or “trains,” which exhibited increased swimming velocity and thrusting force compared to individual sperm. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we use a comparative study of murine rodent sperm and demonstrate that the apical hook and sperm cooperation are likely to be general adaptations to sperm competition in rodents. We found that species with relatively larger testes, and therefore more intense sperm competition, have a longer, more reflected apical sperm hook. In addition, we show that sperm groups also occur in rodents other than the European woodmouse. Conclusions Our results suggest that in rodents sperm cooperation is more widespread than assumed so far and highlight the importance of diploid versus haploid selection in the evolution of sperm design and function

Associação da ocorrência do ectima contagioso (ORF vírus) em ovinos com os cuidadores desses animais

RESUMO A enfermidade ectima contagioso está difundida em todo o estado de São Paulo. Foram amostrados 42 (8,64%) cuidadores de animais e 444 (91,36%) ovinos (n=486). A prevalência de reagentes para vírus-neutralização foi de 67% (IC95%=62-71%) nos ovinos, e em seus cuidadores de 76% (IC95%=63-89%), sendo P=0,22, ou seja, não houve diferença estatística significativa entre as espécies. A distribuição dos títulos teve diferença estatística significativa entre as espécies, com P=0,0048. As variações de titulação foram de 0,6 a 2,1 tanto nos ovinos quanto nos seus cuidadores. Dentre os 42 cuidadores de ovinos participantes do estudo, 32 apresentaram títulos de anticorpos expressos por log10 acima de 0,6

Vacina experimental produzida em cultivo celular confere proteção parcial contra o ectima contagioso em ovinos

O ectima contagioso (também conhecido como orf), é uma doença debilitante de ovinos e caprinos causada pelo vírus do orf (ORFV). A vacinação tem sido usada com relativo sucesso no controle da doença. No entanto, as vacinas atuais contêm amostras virulentas do agente, são produzidas por escarificação cutânea de animais, e apresentam eficácia questionável. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo produzir e testar a eficácia de uma vacina experimental produzida em cultivo celular. A cepa IA-82 do ORFV foi submetida a 21 passagens em cultivo de células BHK-21 e usada para vacinar ovinos jovens (n=30), por escarificação cutânea na face interna da coxa. A vacinação produziu pústulas e crostas em 16 dos 30 ovinos vacinados, indicando imunização adequada. Noventa dias após a vacinação, ovinos vacinados (n=16) e controles (n=16) foram inoculados com uma cepa virulenta do ORFV (10(6,9)DICC50/mL) após escarificação na comissura labial. Todos os animais desenvolveram lesões típicas de ectima, incluindo hiperemia, vesículas, pústulas e crostas. No entanto, os animais vacinados desenvolveram lesões mais leves e passageiras do que os controles, e os escores clínicos foram estatisticamente diferentes (p<0,05) entre os dias 10 e 22 pós-desafio. Além disso, o tempo de duração da doença foi significativamente inferior (p<0,05) nos animais vacinados. Os animais vacinados também excretaram menor quantidade de vírus (p<0,05) e por um período significativamente mais curto do que os controles (13 dias versus 22 dias, p<0,001). Esses resultados demonstram a proteção parcial conferida pela vacina experimental e, dependendo da melhoria dos índices de imunização e proteção, são promissores no sentido da utilização de vacinas contra o ORFV produzidas em cultivo celular

Report on ISCTM consensus meeting on clinical assessment of response to treatment of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia

Funding for this manuscript was provided by the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology.Dr Keefe currently or in the past 3 years has received investigator-initiated research funding support from the Department of Veteran's Affair, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, GlaxoSmithKline, National Institute of Mental Health, Novartis, Psychogenics, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc., and the Singapore National Medical Research Council. He currently or in the past 3 years has received honoraria, served as a consultant, or advisory board member for Abbvie, Akebia, Amgen, Asubio, AviNeuro/ChemRar, BiolineRx, Biogen Idec, Biomarin, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, EnVivo/FORUM, GW Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Lundbeck, Merck, Minerva Neurosciences, Inc., Mitsubishi, Novartis, NY State Office of Mental Health, Otsuka, Pfizer, Reviva, Roche, Sanofi/Aventis, Shire, Sunovion, Takeda, Targacept, and the University of Texas South West Medical Center. Dr Keefe receives royalties from the BACS testing battery, the MATRICS battery (BACS Symbol Coding), and the Virtual Reality Functional Capacity Assessment Tool. He is also a shareholder in NeuroCog Trials, Inc. and Sengenix. Dr Haig is a full-time employee of Abbvie. Dr Marder has received consulting fees from Abbvie, Genentech, Roche, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Otsuka, Takeda, and Boeringer Ingelheim. He has received research support from Amgen, Sunovion, and Synchroneuron. Dr Harvey has received consulting fees from Abbvie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Forest Labs, Forum Pharma, Genentech, Otsuka America, Roche Pharma, Sunovion Pharma, and Takeda Pharma during the past year. He also received contract research support from Genentech. Dr Dunayevich for the past 3 years has been a full-time employee and stockholder of Amgen. Dr Medalia in the past 3 years has received research funding support from Sunovion. Dr Medalia has also currently or in the past 3 years received honoraria or served as consultant for Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Otsuka, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. Dr Davidson has received research grant support and/or travel support and/or speaker fees and/or consultancy fees from Lundbeck, Eli Lilly, Servier, Abbott, Minerva and holds stocks in CTR and BiolineRx. Dr Lombardo is a full-time employee of FORUM Pharmaceuticals. Dr Bowie reports receiving grant support from Pfizer. He has also been a consultant for Lundbeck, Otsuka, Abbvie, and Takeda. Dr Buchanan reports: Advisory Board: Abbvie, Amgen, EnVivo, Roche; Consultant: Abbvie, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, EnVivo, Omeros; DSMB member: Pfizer. Dr Bugarski -Kirola is a full-time employee of Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Dr Carpenter in the past 2 years has been a consultant to Roche/Genetech. Dr Dago in the last 3 years has received honoraria from Lundbeck, Forest Pharmaceuticals, Otsuka, Pam Labs, and Astra Zeneca for lectures given in promotion of their psychotropic medications. Dr Durand in the past year has been a consultant and received honoraria from Teva Pharmaceuticals. Dr Gold receives royalty payments from the BACS. He also has served as a consultant for Amgen, Hoffman LaRoche, and Lundbeck. Dr Hooker has served as a consultant and is currently a Co-Investigator on an NIH SBIR grant with PositScience Corporation. Dr Loebel is an employee of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. Dr McGurk reports receiving consulting fees from Abbvie and EnVivo Pharmaceuticals. Dr Pinkham in the past year has received consulting fees from Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.The following authors have declared that there are no conflicts of interest in relation to the subject of this study: Drs Csernansky, Frese, Goff, Kopelowic, Opler, and Stern. (International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology; Department of Veteran's Affair; Feinstein Institute for Medical Research; GlaxoSmithKline; National Institute of Mental Health; Novartis; Psychogenics; Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.; Singapore National Medical Research Council; Abbvie; Genentech; Roche; Lundbeck; Pfizer; Otsuka; Takeda; Boeringer Ingelheim; Amgen; Sunovion; Synchroneuron; Boehringer Ingelheim; Forest Labs; Forum Pharma; Otsuka America; Roche Pharma; Sunovion Pharma; Takeda Pharma; Eli Lilly; Servier; Abbott; Minerva; BACS; EnVivo Pharmaceuticals; Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.)Published versio

Computer system for the recording of intestinal pressure

Intestinal complaints involving abnormalities of gut muscular contraction affect a large portion of the community. Studies of these disorders in the past have been hampered by the problem of observing gut motility over long periods. This paper describes a machine designed by the authors to collect and analyse intestinal pressure data. The device is primarily for use in the study of motility disorder but the techniques used are readily applied for other recording systems. It is capable of directly recording and storing it on floppy disks. This data can be analysed to graph features of interest such as motility index and mean duration of activity over specified periods of time. Such analyses have in the past been impossible or have been manually extremely laborious