Pheromonal cues deposited by mated females convey social information about egg-laying sites in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>

Individuals can make choices based on information learned from others, a phenomenon called social learning. How observers differentiate between which individual they should or should not learn from is, however, poorly understood. Here, we showed that Drosophila melanogaster females can influence the choice of egg-laying site of other females through pheromonal marking. Mated females mark territories of high quality food by ejecting surplus male sperm containing the aggregation pheromone cis-11-vaccenyl acetate (cVA) and, in addition, deposit several sex- and species-specific cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) pheromones. These pheromonal cues affect the choices of other females, which respond by preferentially laying eggs on the marked food. This system benefits both senders and responders, as communal egg laying increases offspring survival. Virgin females, however, do not elicit a change in the egg-laying decision of mated females, even when food has been supplemented with ejected sperm from mated females, thus indicating the necessity for additional cues. Genetic ablation of either a female's CHC pheromones or those of their mate results in loss of ability of mated females to attract other females. We conclude that mated females use a pheromonal marking system, comprising cVA acquired from male ejaculate with sex- and species-specific CHCs produced by both mates, to indicate egg-laying sites. This system ensures information reliability because mated, but not virgin, females have both the ability to generate the pheromone blend that attracts other flies to those sites and a direct interest in egg-laying site quality

Psychometric properties of the German version of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) in routine clinical settings: a multi-trait/multi-method study in civilians and military personnel

Background: The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) is a structured diagnostic interview developed to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on the criteria of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A first study investigating the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the German version of the CAPS-5 was conducted using previously-collected data in a study context, to check the inclusion criteria for PTSD. The current study aimed to verify the robustness of the psychometric properties of the German CAPS-5 via validating it within a routine clinical context. Methods: Overall, 288 participants were recruited. A multi-trait/multi-method design was used to analyze the validity of the German CAPS-5. Furthermore, the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, and diagnostic accuracy of the German CAPS-5 were investigated. Finally, a cut-off score for the diagnosis of PTSD based on the German CAPS-5 was calculated using ROC analyses. Results: The study showed good to excellent internal consistency, test-retest reliability, interrater reliability, construct validity, and diagnostic accuracy of the German CAPS-5. Finally, the study revealed a cut-off score of ≥ 40. Discussion: The German CAPS-5 was found to be a structured diagnostic interview with good to excellent psychometric properties. The results revealed good convergent validity of the German CAPS-5, but more studies are needed into the divergent validity of the German CAPS-5. Trial registration: Trial ID: DRKS00015325 (https://www.drks.de