Protein deprivation facilitates the independent evolution of behavior and morphology

Ecological conditions such as nutrition can change genetic covariances between traits and accelerate or slow down trait evolution. As adaptive trait correlations can become maladaptive following rapid environmental change, poor or stressful environments are expected to weaken genetic covariances, thereby increasing the opportunity for independent evolution of traits. Here, we demonstrate the differences in genetic covariance among multiple behavioral and morphological traits (exploration, aggression, and body weight) between southern field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) raised in favorable (free-choice) versus stressful (protein-deprived) nutritional environments. We also quantify the extent to which differences in genetic covariance structures contribute to the potential for the independent evolution of these traits. We demonstrate that protein-deprived environments tend to increase the potential for traits to evolve independently, which is caused by genetic covariances that are significantly weaker for crickets raised on protein-deprived versus free-choice diets. The weakening effects of stressful environments on genetic covariances tended to be stronger in males than in females. The weakening of the genetic covariance between traits under stressful nutritional environments was expected to facilitate the opportunity for adaptive evolution across generations. Therefore, the multivariate gene-by-environment interactions revealed here may facilitate behavioral and morphological adaptations to rapid environmental change

Complete abolition of reading and writing ability with a third ventricle colloid cyst: implications for surgical intervention and proposed neural substrates of visual recognition and visual imaging ability.

We report a rare case of a patient unable to read (alexic) and write (agraphic) after a mild head injury. He had preserved speech and comprehension, could spell aloud, identify words spelt aloud and copy letter features. He was unable to visualise letters but showed no problems with digits. Neuropsychological testing revealed general visual memory, processing speed and imaging deficits. Imaging data revealed an 8 mm colloid cyst of the third ventricle that splayed the fornix. Little is known about functions mediated by fornical connectivity, but this region is thought to contribute to memory recall. Other regions thought to mediate letter recognition and letter imagery, visual word form area and visual pathways were intact. We remediated reading and writing by multimodal letter retraining. The study raises issues about the neural substrates of reading, role of fornical tracts to selective memory in the absence of other pathology, and effective remediation strategies for selective functional deficits

Design and manufacture of injection mould tool inserts produced using indirect SLS and machining processes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of a combination of indirect selective laser sintering (SLS) and machining processes to create injection mould tools, an approach designed to offer the capability to create conformal cooling channels in the core/cavity inserts together with the levels of surface finish and accuracy required to meet typical injection mould tool specifications. Design/methodology/approach The research has been pursued through three industrial case studies. In each study, existing injection mold inserts have been redesigned to give a conformally cooled tool. These have then been manufactured using indirect SLS, high‐speed machining, electro‐discharge machining and polishing. The inserts have been evaluated in industrial trials to assess their performance in terms of cycle time, energy usage, durability and quality. The insights gained from the three case studies have then been developed into a series of design rules, which may be applied in the development of tooling for new applications. Findings The results show that significant productivity improvements and energy use reductions in injection moulding are possible through the implementation of conformal cooling, and that the material has sufficient wear resistance to be used in production applications. However, it is recommended that modelling is always used to understand the impact of conformal cooling channels, and manufacture is carefully planned to ensure that the required internal geometry is created. Originality/value The paper presents new results on the impact of conformal cooling on the productivity and energy efficiency of injection moulding, and on the durability of the indirect SLS material in injection moulding applications. A novel “cut‐out volume” technique for powder clearing is also presented, along with a set of design rules to support further application of the work

The cultural capitalists: notes on the ongoing reconfiguration of trafficking culture in Asia

Most analysis of the international flows of the illicit art market has described a global situation in which a postcolonial legacy of acquisition and collection exploits cultural heritage by pulling it westwards towards major international trade nodes in the USA and Europe. As the locus of consumptive global economic power shifts, however, these traditional flows are pulled in other directions: notably for the present commentary, towards and within Asia

Primary differentiation in the human blastocyst : comparative molecular portraits of inner cell mass and trophectoderm cells

The primary differentiation event during mammalian development occurs at the blastocyst stage and leads to the delineation of the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophectoderm (TE). We provide the first global mRNA expression data from immunosurgically dissected ICM cells, TE cells, and intact human blastocysts. Using a cDNA microarray composed of 15,529 cDNAs from known and novel genes, we identify marker transcripts specific to the ICM (e.g., OCT4/POU5F1, NANOG, HMGB1, and DPPA5) and TE (e.g., CDX2, ATP1B3, SFN, and IPL), in addition to novel ICM- and TE-specific expressed sequence tags. The expression patterns suggest that the emergence of pluripotent ICM and TE cell lineages from the morula is controlled by metabolic and signaling pathways, which include inter alia, WNT, mitogen-activated protein kinase, transforming growth factor-beta, NOTCH, integrin-mediated cell adhesion, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and apoptosis. These data enhance our understanding of the first step in human cellular differentiation and, hence, the derivation of both embryonic stem cells and trophoblastic stem cells from these lineages

Fear of the unknown: a pre-departure qualitative study of Turkish international students

This paper presents findings from eleven in-depth interviews with Turkish undergraduate students, who were, by the time of data collection, about to spend a semester at a European university under the Erasmus exchange scheme. The students all agreed to be interviewed about their feelings about studying in a foreign culture, and were found to be anxious prior to departure about the quality of accommodation in the new destination, their language ability and the opportunity to form friendships. Fears were expressed about possible misconceptions over Turkey as a Muslim and a developing country. Suggestions are made for HEI interventions to allay student travellers’ concerns

High-resolution targeted 3C interrogation of cis-regulatory element organization at genome-wide scale

Chromosome conformation capture (3C) provides an adaptable tool for studying diverse biological questions. Current 3C methods generally provide either low-resolution interaction profiles across the entire genome, or high-resolution interaction profiles at limited numbers of loci. Due to technical limitations, generation of reproducible high-resolution interaction profiles has not been achieved at genome-wide scale. Here, to overcome this barrier, we systematically test each step of 3C and report two improvements over current methods. We show that up to 30% of reporter events generated using the popular in situ 3C method arise from ligations between two individual nuclei, but this noise can be almost entirely eliminated by isolating intact nuclei after ligation. Using Nuclear-Titrated Capture-C, we generate reproducible high-resolution genome-wide 3C interaction profiles by targeting 8055 gene promoters in erythroid cells. By pairing high-resolution 3C interaction calls with nascent gene expression we interrogate the role of promoter hubs and super-enhancers in gene regulation

Delineation of individual human chromosomes in metaphase and interphase cells by in situ suppression hybridization using recombinant DNA libraries

A method of in situ hybridization for visualizing individual human chromosomes from pter to qter, both in metaphase spreads and interphase nuclei, is reported. DNA inserts from a single chromosomal library are labeled with biotin and partially preannealed with a titrated amount of total human genomic DNA prior to hybridization with cellular or chromosomal preparations. The cross-hybridization of repetitive sequences to nontargeted chromosomes can be markedly suppressed under appropriate preannealing conditions. The remaining single-stranded DNA is hybridized to specimens of interest and detected with fluorescent or enzymelabeled avidin conjugates following post-hybridization washes. DNA inserts from recombinant libraries for chromosomes 1, 4, 7, 8, 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 22, and X were assessed for their ability to decorate specifically their cognate chromosome; most libraries proved to be highly specific. Quantitative densitometric analyses indicated that the ratio of specific to nonspecific hybridization signal under optimal preannealing conditions was at least 8:1. Interphase nuclei showed a cohesive territorial organization of chromosomal domains, and laserscanning confocal fluorescence microscopy was used to aid the 3-D visualization of these domains. This method should be useful for both karyotypic studies and for the analysis of chromosome topography in interphase cells

Motherhood on ice? A media framing analysis of older mothers in the UK news

Changing gender roles and increased sexual and economic freedom have created opportunities for women to give birth relatively late in life. However, stigma and misplaced fears about physical capacity are often reported as sources of anxiety among older, and in vitro fertilisation-induced mothers. In this study, we apply a specially adapted method for analysing news media content to a week's selection of material in the British media following the dissemination of research at an international medical conference. Our findings suggest, despite some positive commentaries, that much negative discourse is circulated by the media about older mothers, from implied claims of selfishness (older mothers as 'delaying' conception) to violations of the 'natural order'. These latter claims reflect the long-standing ambivalence by the media generally towards scientific advancement, but they also reveal continuing resistance towards unorthodox lifestyles