Signalling C-Type Lectins in Antimicrobial Immunity

Funding: This work was funded by the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council and the University of Aberdeen. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The role of the neuromodulator adenosine in alcohols actions.

The interaction between the neuromodulator adenosine and adenosine receptors on the surface of neurons modifies the neurons responses to neurotransmitters. The activated adenosine receptors alter the levels of small signaling molecules (i.e., second messengers) in the cells. Depending on the receptors and cells involved, these changes can make it easier or more difficult for neurotransmitters to excite the cell. Adenosines activity is regulated by proteins called nucleoside transporters, which carry adenosine into and out of the cell. Alcohol interferes with the function of the adenosine system. For example, both acute and chronic alcohol exposure affect the function of the adenosine-carrying nucleoside transporters, thereby indirectly altering the second-messenger levels in the cells. Through this mechanism, adenosine may mediate some of alcohols effects, such as intoxication, motor incoordination, and sedation

Phonographic neighbors, not orthographic neighbors, determine word naming latencies

The orthographic neighborhood size (N) of a word—the number of words that can be formed from that word by replacing one letter with another in its place—has been found to have facilitatory effects in word naming. The orthographic neighborhood hypothesis attributes this facilitation to interactive effects. A phonographic neighborhood hypothesis, in contrast, attributes the effect to lexical print-sound conversion. According to the phonographic neighborhood hypothesis, phonographic neighbors (words differing in one letter and one phoneme, e.g., stove and stone) should facilitate naming, and other orthographic neighbors (e.g., stove and shove) should not. The predictions of these two hypotheses are tested. Unique facilitatory phonographic N effects were found in four sets of word naming mega-study data, along with an absence of facilitatory orthographic N effects. These results implicate print-sound conversion—based on consistent phonology—in neighborhood effects rather than word-letter feedback

Modeling age-related differences in immediate memory using SIMPLE

In the SIMPLE model (Scale Invariant Memory and Perceptual Learning), performance on memory tasks is determined by the locations of items in multidimensional space, and better performance is associated with having fewer close neighbors. Unlike most previous simulations with SIMPLE, the ones reported here used measured, rather than assumed, dimensional values. The data to be modeled come from an experiment in which younger and older adults recalled lists of acoustically confusable and nonconfusable items. A multidimensional scaling solution based on the memory confusions was obtained. SIMPLE accounted for the overall difference in performance both between the two age groups and, within each age group, the overall difference between acoustically confusable and nonconfusable items in terms of the MDS coordinates. Moreover, the model accounted for the serial position functions and error gradients. Finally, the generality of the model’s account was examined by fitting data from an already published study. The data and the modeling support the hypothesis that older adults’ memory may be worse, in part, because of altered representations due to age-related auditory perceptual deficits

The nature of the red disk-like galaxies at high redshift: dust attenuation and intrinsically red stellar populations

We investigate which conditions of dust attenuation and stellar populations allow models of dusty, continuously star-forming, bulge-less disk galaxies at 0.8<z<3.2 to meet the different colour selection criteria of high-z ``red'' galaxies (e.g. Rc-K>5.3, Ic-K>4, J-K>2.3). As a main novelty, we use stellar population models that include the thermally pulsating Asymptotic Giant Branch (TP-AGB) phase of stellar evolution. The star formation rate of the models declines exponentially as a function of time, the e-folding time being longer than 3 Gyr. In addition, we use calculations of radiative transfer of the stellar and scattered radiation through different dusty interstellar media in order to explore the wide parameter space of dust attenuation. We find that synthetic disks can exhibit red optical/near-infrared colours because of reddening by dust, but only if they have been forming stars for at least about 1 Gyr. Extremely few models barely exhibit Rc-K>5.3, if the inclination i=90 deg and if the opacity 2*tauV>6. Hence, Rc-K-selected galaxies at 1<z<2 most probably are either systems with an old, passively evolving bulge or starbursts. Synthetic disks at 1<z<2 exhibit 4<Ic-K<4.8, if they are seen edge on (i.e. at i about 90 deg) and if 2*tauV>0.5. This explains the large fraction of observed, edge-on disk-like galaxies with Ks4. Finally, models with 2<z<3.2 exhibit 2.3<J-K<3, with no bias towards i about 90 deg and for a large range in opacity (e.g. 2*tauV>1 for i about 70 deg). In conclusion, red disk-like galaxies at 0.8<z<3.2 may not necessarily be dustier than nearby disk galaxies (with 0.5<2*tauV<2) and/or much older than about 1 Gyr. This result is due both to a realistic description of dust attenuation and to the emission contribution by TP-AGB stars... (Abridged)Comment: 16 pages, 8 ps figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) : part 15, systematic revision of Dilatitibialis Duverger (Coccidulinae; Hyperaspidini)

Dilatitibialis Duverger (61 species) (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae: Coccidulinae; Hyperaspidini) is discussed, species described, illustrations provided, and a key to all recognized taxa included. Cleothera cognata Mulsant, Cleothera cruciferae Mulsant, Cleothera fuscomaculata Mulsant, Cleothera gaynoni Mulsant, Cleothera glyphica Mulsant, Cleothera jucunda Mulsant, Cleothera luteola Mulsant, Cleothera mulsanti Kirsch, Cleothera oseryi Mulsant, Cleothera poortmanni Mulsant, Cleothera scenica Mulsant, Cleothera semicincta Weise, Cleothera tropicalis Mulsant, Hinda guttipennis Weise, Hyperaspis carolinae Crotch, Hyperaspis ceciliae Crotch, Hyperaspis dilatata Crotch, Hyperaspis florifera Vogel, Hyperaspis gravabilis Brèthes, Hyperaspis hybridula Crotch, Hyperaspis laterinotata Brèthes, Hyperaspis silvani Crotch, and Hyperaspis suzannae Crotch are transferred to Dilatitibialis, becoming new combinations. Lectotypes are designated for D. boliviana, D. cognata, D. florifera, D. fuscomaculata, D. gaynoni, D. glyphica, D. gravabilis, D. guttipennis, D. luteola, D. jucunda, D. mulsanti. D. poortmanni, D. retigera, D. scenica, D. semicincta, and D. staudingeri. A total of 38 new species of Dilatitibialis are described: Dilatitibialis annie, D. carmen, D. cindy, D. connie, D. crystal, D. dawn, D. diana, D. edith, D. edna, D. elaine, D. ellen, D. emily, D. ethel, D. fallax, D. florence, D. gladys, D. grace, D. josephine, D. kim, D. lillian, D. lois, D. marjorie, D. norma, D. paula, D. peggy, D. phyllis, D. rita, D. robin, D. rosa, D. shannon, D. sheila, D. sherry, D. sylvia, D. thelma, D. tiffany, D. tina, D. tracy, and D. wendy. Corrections are made to titles of previous Parts of this series, as follows: South American Coccinellidae, Part XII (Gordon 2007) is changed to Part XIII; South American Coccinellidae, Part XII (Gordon et al. 2013) is changed to Part XIV

South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) : part 7, new name for Cyra Mulsant, review of Brachiacanthini genera, and systematic revision of Cleothera Mulsant, Hinda Mulsant and Serratitibia Gordon and Canepari, new genus

Genera of Brachiacanthini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Hyperaspidinae) are discussed and a key to all recognized genera provided. Cyrea, new genus, is proposed, and Serratitibia, new genus, is erected and revised, Cleothera Mulsant and Hinda Mulsant are recognized as valid genera and revised. Helesius caseyi Sicard is transferred to Hinda and recognized as a synonym of Hinda designata Mulsant, new synonymy. Brachiacantha brethesi (Korschefsky), Cleothera abendrothi Kirsch, Cleothera ambigua Mulsant, Cleothera bisquatuorpustulata Mulsant, Cleothera decemsignata Mulsant, Cleothera gaillardi Mulsant, Cleothera humerata Mulsant, Cleothera tortuosa Mulsant, Cleothera traili Brèthes, Cleothera uncinata Mulsant, Hinda joeli Almeida and Milléo, Hinda modesta Weise, Hinda regularis Kirsch, Hyperaspis aliciae Crotch, and Hyperaspis fraudulenta Kirsch are transferred to Serratitibia, becoming new combinations. One new species of Hinda, H. ecuadorica, is described. A total of 73 new species of Serratitibia are described: Serratitibia amanda, S. andrea, S. angela, S. anna, S. ashley, S. barbara, S. barclayi, S. betty, S. beverly, S. bonnie, S. brenda, S. cheryl, S. christine, S. cynthia, S. debra, S. denise, S. donna, S. doris, S. elizabeth, S. evelyn, S. frances, S. gloria, S. heather, S. helen, S. irene, S. jacqueline, S. janet, S. janice, S. jean, S. jennifer, S. joan, S. joyce, S. judith, S. judy, S. julie, S. karen, S. katherine, S. kathleen, S. kathy, S. kelly, S. kimberly, S. laura, S. linda, S. lisa, S. loreto, S. lori, S. louise, S. margaret, S. marilyn, S. mary, S. martha, S. melissa, S. michelle, S. mildred, S. nancy, S. nicole, S. pamela, S. paprzycki, S. patricia, S. quincemil, S. rachel, S. rebecca, S. rose, S. ruby, S. ruth, S. sarah, S. satipoensis, S. shirley, S. stephanie, S. susan, S. tammy, S. teresa, and S. virginia. Lectotypes are here designated for Serratitibia lividipes, S. gaillardi, S. decemsignata, S. abendrothi, and S. ambigua