Multimodal signaling in Boana albopunctata (Anura: Hylidae): reading visual and acoustic cues

Multimodal signaling in Boana albopunctata (Anura: Hylidae): reading visual and acoustic cues. The acoustic mode of communication is important for anurans, but visual communication is beginning to be considered essential for some species, genera, and families. This study focuses on visual and acoustic signals in Boana albopunctata (Hylidae: Cophomantinae) in an attempt to increase our understanding of signaling in this nocturnal Neotropical treefrog. Visual signals were assessed to determine whether they are directed toward conspecific opponents, as has already been observed for some diurnal anurans, or associated with potential morphological asymmetries. Associations between visual and acoustic signals were explored. The results suggest that males may combine visual and acoustic signals (multimodal signaling) synergistically, thereby strengthening the efficiency of information transmission. Thus, in nocturnal anuran species, visual signals may function primarily as an alerting component and multimodal signaling may be a relevant way of communication.Sinalização multimodal em Boana albopunctata (Anura: Hylidae): compreendendo os sinais visuais e acústicos. O modo de comunicação acústico é importante para os anuros, mas a comunicação visual está começando a ser considerada essencial para algumas espécies, gêneros e famílias. Ao investigar sinais visuais e acústicos, o objetivo deste estudo é a melhor compreensão da sinalização em Boana albopunctata (Hylidae: Cophomantinae), uma perereca noturna neotropical. Foi verificado se os sinais visuais são direcionados aos oponentes coespecíficos, como já observado para alguns anuros diurnos, ou se são relacionados a potenciais assimetrias morfológicas. Estudou-se também associações entre sinais visuais e acústicos. Esse estudo leva à compreensão de que os machos podem combinar sinergicamente sinais acústicos e visuais (sinalização multimodal), potencializando assim a eficiência da transmissão de informação. Conclui-se que para espécies noturnas de anuros os sinais visuais podem atuar como componentes de alerta e que a sinalização multimodal pode ser um meio relevante de comunicação

Internal conversion coefficients for superheavy elements

The internal conversion coefficients (ICC) were calculated for all atomic subshells of the elements with 104<=Z<=126, the E1...E4, M1...M4 multipolarities and the transition energies between 10 and 1000 keV. The atomic screening was treated in the relativistic Hartree-Fock-Slater model. The Tables comprising almost 90000 subshell and total ICC were recently deposited at LANL preprint server.Comment: 6 pages including 3 figures, needs files myown.sty and epsfig.sty (both included

On the reliability of the theoretical internal conversion coefficients

Possible sources of uncertainties in the calculations of the internal conversion coefficients are studied. The uncertainties induced by them are estimated.Comment: 16 pages (including 3 figures inserted by 'epsfig' macro

Sea-ice-free Arctic during the Last Interglacial supports fast future loss

The Last Interglacial (LIG), a warmer period 130-116 ka before present, is a potential analog for future climate change. Stronger LIG summertime insolation at high northern latitudes drove Arctic land summer temperatures 4-5 °C higher than the preindustrial era. Climate model simulations have previously failed to capture these elevated temperatures, possibly because they were unable to correctly capture LIG sea-ice changes. Here, we show the latest version of the fully-coupled UK Hadley Center climate model (HadGEM3) simulates a more accurate Arctic LIG climate, including elevated temperatures. Improved model physics, including a sophisticated sea-ice melt-pond scheme, result in a complete simulated loss of Arctic sea ice in summer during the LIG, which has yet to be simulated in past generations of models. This ice-free Arctic yields a compelling solution to the longstanding puzzle of what drove LIG Arctic warmth and supports a fast retreat of future Arctic summer sea ice

DEAD-Box Protein Ddx46 Is Required for the Development of the Digestive Organs and Brain in Zebrafish

Spatially and temporally controlled gene expression, including transcription, several mRNA processing steps, and the export of mature mRNA to the cytoplasm, is essential for developmental processes. It is well known that RNA helicases of the DExD/H-box protein family are involved in these gene expression processes, including transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, and rRNA biogenesis. Although one DExD/H-box protein, Prp5, a homologue of vertebrate Ddx46, has been shown to play important roles in pre-mRNA splicing in yeast, the in vivo function of Ddx46 remains to be fully elucidated in metazoans. In this study, we isolated zebrafish morendo (mor), a mutant that shows developmental defects in the digestive organs and brain, and found that it encodes Ddx46. The Ddx46 transcript is maternally supplied, and as development proceeds in zebrafish larvae, its ubiquitous expression gradually becomes restricted to those organs. The results of whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that the expression of various molecular markers in these organs is considerably reduced in the Ddx46 mutant. Furthermore, splicing status analysis with RT-PCR revealed unspliced forms of mRNAs in the digestive organ and brain tissues of the Ddx46 mutant, suggesting that Ddx46 may be required for pre-mRNA splicing during zebrafish development. Therefore, our results suggest a model in which zebrafish Ddx46 is required for the development of the digestive organs and brain, possibly through the control of pre-mRNA splicing

C4.4A as a candidate marker in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer

C4.4A is a member of the Ly-6 family with restricted expression in non-transformed tissues. C4.4A expression in human cancer has rarely been evaluated. Thus, it became important to explore C4.4A protein expression in human tumour tissue to obtain an estimate on the frequency of expression and the correlation with tumour progression, the study focusing on colorectal cancer. The analysis of C4.4A in human tumour lines by western blot and immunoprecipitation using polyclonal rabbit antibodies that recognize different C4.4A epitopes revealed C4.4A oligomer and heavily glycosylated C4.4A isoform expression that, in some instances, inhibited antibody binding and interaction with the C4.4A ligand galectin-3. In addition, tumour cell lines released C4.4A by vesicle shedding and proteolytic cleavage. C4.4A was expressed in over 80% of primary colorectal cancer and liver metastasis with negligible expression in adjacent colonic mucosa, inflamed colonic tissue and liver. This compares well with EpCAM and CO-029 expression in over 90% of colorectal cancer. C4.4A expression was only observed in about 50% of pancreatic cancer and renal cell carcinoma. By de novo expression in colonic cancer tissue, we consider C4.4A as a candidate diagnostic marker in colorectal cancer, which possibly can be detected in body fluids

The role of the tissue microenvironment in the regulation of cancer cell motility and invasion

During malignant neoplastic progression the cells undergo genetic and epigenetic cancer-specific alterations that finally lead to a loss of tissue homeostasis and restructuring of the microenvironment. The invasion of cancer cells through connective tissue is a crucial prerequisite for metastasis formation. Although cell invasion is foremost a mechanical process, cancer research has focused largely on gene regulation and signaling that underlie uncontrolled cell growth. More recently, the genes and signals involved in the invasion and transendothelial migration of cancer cells, such as the role of adhesion molecules and matrix degrading enzymes, have become the focus of research. In this review we discuss how the structural and biomechanical properties of extracellular matrix and surrounding cells such as endothelial cells influence cancer cell motility and invasion. We conclude that the microenvironment is a critical determinant of the migration strategy and the efficiency of cancer cell invasion