Systematic profiling of Caenorhabditis elegans locomotive behaviors reveals additional components in G-protein Gαq signaling

Genetic screens have been widely applied to uncover genetic mechanisms of movement disorders. However, most screens rely on human observations of qualitative differences. Here we demonstrate the application of an automatic imaging system to conduct a quantitative screen for genes regulating the locomotive behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. Two hundred twenty-seven neuronal signaling genes with viable homozygous mutants were selected for this study. We tracked and recorded each animal for 4 min and analyzed over 4,400 animals of 239 genotypes to obtain a quantitative, 10-parameter behavioral profile for each genotype. We discovered 87 genes whose inactivation causes movement defects, including 50 genes that had never been associated with locomotive defects. Computational analysis of the high-content behavioral profiles predicted 370 genetic interactions among these genes. Network partition revealed several functional modules regulating locomotive behaviors, including sensory genes that detect environmental conditions, genes that function in multiple types of excitable cells, and genes in the signaling pathway of the G protein Gαq, a protein that is essential for animal life and behavior. We developed quantitative epistasis analysis methods to analyze the locomotive profiles and validated the prediction of the γ isoform of phospholipase C as a component in the Gαq pathway. These results provided a system-level understanding of how neuronal signaling genes coordinate locomotive behaviors. This study also demonstrated the power of quantitative approaches in genetic studies

Sexual Size Dimorphism and Body Condition in the Australasian Gannet

Funding: The research was financially supported by the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment. Acknowledgments We thank the Victorian Marine Science Consortium, Sea All Dolphin Swim, Parks Victoria, and the Point Danger Management Committee for logistical support. We are grateful for the assistance of the many field volunteers involved in the study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Landscape homogenization due to agricultural intensification disrupts the relationship between reproductive success and main prey abundance in an avian predator

Selecting high-quality habitat and the optimal time to reproduce can increase individual fitness and is a strong evolutionary factor shaping animal populations. However, few studies have investigated the interplay between land cover heterogeneity, limitation in food resources, individual quality and spatial variation in fitness parameters. Here, we explore how individuals of different quality respond to possible mismatches between a cue for prey availability (land cover heterogeneity) and the actual fluctuating prey abundance.Peer reviewe

The tonic immobility test: Do wild and captive golden mantella frogs (Mantella aurantiaca) have the same response?

Adaptations to captivity that reduce fitness are one of many reasons, which explain the low success rate of reintroductions. One way of testing this hypothesis is to compare an important behavioural response in captive and wild members of the same species. Thanatosis, is an anti-predator strategy that reduces the risk of death from predation, which is a common behavioral response in frogs. The study subjects for this investigation were captive and wild populations of Mantella aurantiaca. Thanatosis reaction was measured using the Tonic Immobility (TI) test, a method that consists of placing a frog on its back, restraining it in this position for a short period of time and then releasing it and measuring how much time was spent feigning death. To understand the pattern of reaction time, morphometric data were also collected as body condition can affect the duration of thanatosis. The significantly different TI times found in this study, one captive population with shorter responses, were principally an effect of body condition rather than being a result of rearing environment. However, this does not mean that we can always dismiss the importance of rearing environment in terms of behavioural skills expressed

Verification of the stability of the construction of steel lattice towers of OHL power line 110 kV

W pracy dokonano analizy wpływu smukłości względnej efektywnej na nośność prętów ściskanych w stalowych wieżach kratowych. Smukłość efektywna obliczana jest z uwzględnieniem sposobu zamocowania końców elementów ściskanych. Omówiono implementację tych zasad obliczeń w odniesieniu do nowych słupów linii elektroenergetycznych 110 kV. Weryfikację założeń teoretycznych obliczeń nośności elementów słupów kratowych przeprowadzono podczas testów kompletnych konstrukcji na poligonie badawczym. Badania prowadzono w ramach realizacji projektu współfinansowanego ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Rozwoju Regionalnego Województwa Mazowieckiego Nr RPMA.01.02.00-14-5672/16. Wyniki testów potwierdziły z dużą dokładnością zgodność oszacowania teoretycznej nośności prętów ściskanych z realnie wyznaczoną nośnością graniczną ustrojów kratowych, ulegających zniszczeniu w wyniku utraty stateczności. Potwierdzono praktyczną skuteczność procedur normowych zawartych w PN-EN 1993-3-1 w zakresie modyfikacji wymiarowania prętów ściskanych o stałych przekroju. Celem artykułu było wskazanie efektywności innowacyjnych zasad obliczeń ustrojów kratowych zapewniających stosowną nośność elementów przy uwzględnieniu ekonomicznych aspektów rozwiązań.In the work one made sensitivity studies the relative effective slenderness on the compression capacity of the elements used in steel lattice–towers. The effective slenderness is counted with the regard of the type of of the end connections of the elements. One discussed the implementation of these rules of calculations in reference to new tower of overheading power lines 110kV. The verification of foundations of theoretical calculations of the capacity of elements of latticed towers one carried out during tests of complete constructions on the field tests. Tests were driven within the framework of the realization of the project partially financed from measures of the of the European Fund of the Development of the Regional Province of Mazovia No. RPMA.01.02.00-14-5672/16. Results of tests confirmed with the large accuracy the conformity of the estimation of the theoretical capacity of elements with the really designated limit capacity of systems lattice-tower, consumable as result of the loss of the stability. One confirmed the practical effectiveness of standard procedures contained in standard PN-EN 1993-3-1 within the range the modification of the dimensioning of compressed elements with constant cross section. For purposes of the article was the indication of the efficiency of innovative rules of calculations of lattice–towers systems providing the appropriate compression capacity of elements at the regard of economic aspects of solutions

Quantitation of ribavirin in human plasma and red blood cells using LC-MS/MS

LC-MS/MS has been applied for the rapid determination of the nucleoside analogue ribavirin in human plasma and red blood cells. The incorporation of ribavirin to the erythrocytes has been assayed after in vitro incubation of the cells at different concentrations of the antiviral drug. After protein precipitation, samples were injected into a C-8 column, achieving a complete separation of ribavirin from the endogenous isobaric compound uridine. Calibration ranges varied from 10 to 10 000 ng/mL in plasma and from 0.2 to 200 ng/cell pellet in red blood cells. Precision and accuracy values were always below 10 and 13%, respectively, in all assayed matrices. Ribavirin was demonstrated to remain unchanged after short and long time storage. No matrix effects could be assessed for the analyzed matrices. The developed method has been fully validated. Monitoring of ribavirin concentration in red blood cells in addition to the classic plasma monitoring of the drug could help to explain its efficacy and safety profiles in patients