Anolis roosevelti

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Mineral Acquisition from Clay by Budongo Forest Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda were observed eating clay and drinking clay-water from waterholes. We show that clay, clay-rich water, and clay obtained with leaf sponges, provide a range of minerals in different concentrations. The presence of aluminium in the clay consumed indicates that it takes the form of kaolinite. We discuss the contribution of clay geophagy to the mineral intake of the Sonso chimpanzees and show that clay eaten using leaf sponges is particularly rich in minerals. We show that termite mound soil, also regularly consumed, is rich in minerals. We discuss the frequency of clay and termite soil geophagy in the context of the disappearance from Budongo Forest of a formerly rich source of minerals, the decaying pith of Raphia farinifera palms

A rebellious son? Hugo Odeberg and the interpretation of John 5.18

A solution to the difficult question of how to interpret John 5.18 appeared to have been provided with the publication of Hugo Odeberg\u27s monumental work, The Fourth Gospel, published in 1929. Odeberg cited a rabbinic expression which characterized a rebellious son as one who \u27makes himself equal with his father, and thus suggested that \u27the Jews\u27 are here making a similar accusation: they regard Jesus as rebelling against the divine authority. Subsequent scholarship for a long time cited Odeberg as a definitive demonstration of the background and meaning of John 5.18, and thus of the entire passage

Metabolism of steroidal lactones by the fungus Corynespora cassiicola CBS 161.60 results in a mechanistically unique intramolecular ring-D cyclization resulting in C-14 spiro-lactones

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.The fungus Corynespora cassiicola metabolises exogenous steroids in a unique and highly specific manner. Central to this, is the ability of this organism to functionalise substrates (androgens, progestogens) at the highly stereochemically hindered 8β-position of the steroid nucleus. A recent study has identified that 8β-hydroxylation occurs through inverted binding in a 9α-hydroxylase. In order to discern the metabolic fate of more symmetrical molecules, we have investigated the metabolism of a range of steroidal analogues functionalised with ring-D lactones, but differing in their functional group stereochemistry at carbon-3. Remarkably, the 3α-functionalised steroidal lactones underwent a mechanistically unique two step intramolecular cyclisation resulting in the generation of a ring-D spiro-carbolactone. This rapid rearrangement initiated with hydroxylation at carbon 14 followed by transesterification, resulting in ring contraction with formation of a butyrolactone at carbon-14. Remarkably this rearrangement was found to be highly dependent on the stereochemistry at carbon-3, with the β-analogues only undergoing 9α-hydroxylation. The implications of these findings and their mechanistic bases are discussed

Protocol for a definitive randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of a community-based rehabilitation programme following hip fracture:fracture in the elderly multidisciplinary rehabilitation-phase III (FEMuR III)

Introduction: Proximal femoral (hip) fracture is common, serious and costly. Rehabilitation may improve functional recovery but evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness are lacking. An enhanced rehabilitation intervention was previously developed and a feasibility study tested the methods used for this randomised controlled trial (RCT). The objectives are to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the enhanced rehabilitation programme following surgical repair of proximal femoral fracture in older people compared with usual care.  Methods and analysis: Protocol for phase III, parallel-group, two-armed, superiority, pragmatic RCT with 1:1 allocation ratio; allocation sequence by minimisation programme with a built-in random element; secure web-based allocation concealment. The two treatments will be usual care (control) and usual care plus an enhanced rehabilitation programme (intervention). The enhanced rehabilitation will consist of a patient-held information workbook, goal setting diary and up to six additional therapy sessions. Outcome assessment and statistical analysis will be performed blind; patient and carer participants will be unblinded. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, 17 and 52 weeks' follow-up. Primary outcome at 52 weeks will be the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living scale. Secondary outcomes will measure anxiety and depression, health utility, cognitive status, hip pain intensity, falls self-efficacy, fear of falling, grip strength and physical function. Carer strain, anxiety and depression will be measured in carers. All safety events will be recorded, and serious adverse events will be assessed to determine whether they are related to the intervention and expected. Concurrent economic evaluation will be a cost-utility analysis from a health service and personal social care perspective. An embedded process evaluation will determine the mechanisms and processes that explain the implementation and impacts of the enhanced rehabilitation programme.  Ethics and dissemination: National Health Service research ethics approval reference 18/NE/0300. Results will be disseminated by peer-reviewed publication.  Trial registration number ISRCTN28376407; Pre-results registered on 23 November 2018

Genetic diversity of two evergreen oaks [Quercus suber (L.) and Quercus ilex subsp rotundifolia (Lam.)] in Portugal using AFLP markers

The genetic variability of cork oak (Quercus suber, L.) in Portugal was evaluated by AFLP using five primer combinations. Three hundred and thirteen trees from three geographically contrasting regions exhibited a high level of genetic variation. The genetic profile of each individual is composed of 291 loci, randomly positioned in the genome and consists of monomorphic and polymorphic fragments. Similarities and dissimilarities among the individuals were quantitatively evaluated by numerical taxonomy. The overall sample shows a proportion of AFLP polymorphic markers of 71%, denoting a high level of variability. Ninety percent of the polymorphic markers identified in cork oak genotypes are uniformly distributed throughout the cork oak populations of Algarve, Alentejo and Tras-os-Montes regions. The coefficients of genetic similarity vary from 0.61 to 0.88 implying that 60% of fragments found are common. A sample of 52 holm oak [Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia (Lam.)] trees from overlapping areas was also analysed by AFLP with the same five primer combinations. However the codification of markers together with those selected on cork oak profiles was feasible with only one primer combination due to an apparent much higher polymorphism. AFLP and numerical taxonomy analysis enabled to differentiate the taxa and showed that the level of similarity observed between the profiles of the individuals from holm oak species was lower than that observed in cork oak, implying that apparently the degree of polymorphism is higher in Q. ilex subsp. rotun-difolia than that quantified in Q. suber. A Bayesian approach was used to assess Q. suber total genetic diversity (Ht = 0.2534, P < 0.001) of which 1.7% (Fst = 0.0172, P < 0.001) was assigned to differences among populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that most genetic variation is comprised within populations (96%) while 3.6% is among populations (Phi st = 0.036, P < 0.001). Differences among populations within geographic regions account for 2.6% (Phi sc = 0.026, P < 0.001) of the total variation and only 1.3% (Phi ct = 0.013, P = 0.007) is attributed to variation among regions denoting little differentiation of populations over a range of 700 km

Earliest rock fabric formed in the Solar System preserved in a chondrule rim

Rock fabrics – the preferred orientation of grains – provide a window into the history of rock formation, deformation and compaction. Chondritic meteorites are among the oldest materials in the Solar System1 and their fabrics should record a range of processes occurring in the nebula and in asteroids, but due to abundant fine-grained material these samples have largely resisted traditional in situ fabric analysis. Here we use high resolution electron backscatter diffraction to map the orientation of sub-micrometre grains in the Allende CV carbonaceous chondrite: the matrix material that is interstitial to the mm-sized spherical chondrules that give chondrites their name, and fine-grained rims which surround those chondrules. Although Allende matrix exhibits a bulk uniaxial fabric relating to a significant compressive event in the parent asteroid, we find that fine-grained rims preserve a spherically symmetric fabric centred on the chondrule. We define a method that quantitatively relates fabric intensity to net compression, and reconstruct an initial porosity for the rims of 70-80% - a value very close to model estimates for the earliest uncompacted aggregates2,3. We conclude that the chondrule rim textures formed in a nebula setting and may therefore be the first rock fabric to have formed in the Solar System