Social play in wild brown bears of varying age-sex class

Social play behaviour is a well-described phenomenon, almost ubiquitous among mammals. Despite its prevalence, social play takes several forms and may vary in function across species. For solitary species, the function of play outside of the family group remains unclear. Here, we describe the motor patterns of play among non-littermate wild brown bears Ursus arctos of different age-sex class. Play was documented during a time of abundant food availability in three different scenarios: play among non-littermate subadults, play among non-littermate cubs, and play among a ‘group’ of bears of different age and sex class. We used a previously described behavioural ethogram to recognise play. Play followed typical motor patterns and postures expressed by bears during play-fighting: relaxed face, puckered-lip, ears partially flattened to crescent, wrestling, jaw gaping, play-biting, paw-swatting, and lunging. No vocalisations were conducted during play bouts. Older bears displayed ‘self-handicapping’ and ‘role-reversal’ in the play postures they selected when playing with younger bears, suggesting that tactics vary according to age class and dominance ranking. Playing likely allows for the evaluation of conspecifics in a non-aggressive way during times of reduced competition and could also relieve stress in complex social situations

Genotypic and functional properties of early infant HIV-1 envelopes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Understanding the properties of HIV-1 variants that are transmitted from women to their infants is crucial to improving strategies to prevent transmission. In this study, 162 full-length <it>envelope </it>(<it>env</it>) clones were generated from plasma RNA obtained from 5 HIV-1 Clade B infected mother-infant pairs. Following extensive genotypic and phylogenetic analyses, 35 representative clones were selected for functional studies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Infant quasispecies were highly homogeneous and generally represented minor maternal variants, consistent with transmission across a selective bottleneck. Infant clones did not differ from the maternal in <it>env </it>length, or glycosylation. All infant variants utilized the CCR5 co-receptor, but were not macrophage tropic. Relatively high levels (IC₅₀≥ 100 μg/ml) of autologous maternal plasma IgG were required to neutralize maternal and infant viruses; however, all infant viruses were neutralized by pooled sera from HIV-1 infected individuals, implying that they were not inherently neutralization-resistant. All infant viruses were sensitive to the HIV-1 entry inhibitors Enfuvirtide and soluble CD4; none were resistant to Maraviroc. Sensitivity to human monoclonal antibodies 4E10, 2F5, b12 and 2G12 varied.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study provides extensive characterization of the genotypic and functional properties of HIV-1 <it>env </it>shortly after transmission. We present the first detailed comparisons of the macrophage tropism of infant and maternal <it>env </it>variants and their sensitivity to Maraviroc, the only CCR5 antagonist approved for therapeutic use. These findings may have implications for improving approaches to prevent mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission.</p

Banking from Leeds, not London: regional strategy and structure at the Yorkshire Bank, 1859–1952

Industrial philanthropist Edward Akroyd created the Yorkshire Penny Savings Bank in 1859. Despite competition from the Post Office Savings Bank after 1861 and a serious reserve problem in 1911, it sustained his overall strategy to become a successful regional bank. Using archival and contemporary sources to build on recent scholarship illustrating how savings banks were integrated into local economies and the complementary roles of philanthropy and paternalism, we analyse an English regional bank's strategy, including an assessment of strategic innovation, ownership changes and management structure. This will demonstrate that the founder's vision continued, even though the 1911 crisis radically altered both strategy and structure

Three Novel Pigmentation Mutants Generated by Genome-Wide Random ENU Mutagenesis in the Mouse

Three mutant mice with pigmentation phenotypes were recovered from a genomewide random mouse chemical mutagenesis study. White toes (Whto; MGI:1861986), Belly spot and white toes (Bswt; MGI:2152776) and Dark footpads 2 (Dfp2; MGI:1861991) were identified following visual inspection of progeny from a male exposed to the point mutagen ethylnitrosourea (ENU). In order to rapidly localize the causative mutations, genome-wide linkage scans were performed on pooled DNA samples from backcross animals for each mutant line. Whto was mapped to proximal mouse chromosome (Mmu) 7 between Cen (the centromere) and D7Mit112 (8.0 cM from the centromere), Bswt was mapped to centric Mmul between D1Mit214 (32.1 cM) and D1Mit480 (32.8 cM) and Dfp2 was mapped to proximalMmu4 between Cen and D4Mit18 (5.2 cM). Whto, Bswt and Dfp2 may provide novel starting points in furthering the elucidation of genetic and biochemical pathways relevant to pigmentation and associated biological processes

Incidence of Dengue Virus Infection in Adults and Children in a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort in the Philippines

BACKGROUND: The mean age of dengue has been increasing in some but not all countries. We sought to determine the incidence of dengue virus (DENV) infection in adults and children in a prospective cohort study in the Philippines where dengue is hyperendemic. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A prospective cohort of subjects \u3e /=6 months old in Cebu City, Philippines, underwent active community-based surveillance for acute febrile illnesses by weekly contact. Fever history within the prior seven days was evaluated with an acute illness visit followed by 2, 5, and 8-day, and 3-week convalescent visits. Blood was collected at the acute and 3-week visits. Scheduled visits took place at enrolment and 12 months that included blood collections. Acute samples were tested by DENV PCR and acute/convalescent samples by DENV IgM/IgG ELISA to identify symptomatic infections. Enrolment and 12-month samples were tested by DENV hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay to identify subclinical infections. Of 1,008 enrolled subjects, 854 completed all study activities at 12 months per-protocol undergoing 868 person-years of surveillance. The incidence of symptomatic and subclinical infections was 1.62 and 7.03 per 100 person-years, respectively. However, in subjects \u3e 15 years old, only one symptomatic infection occurred whereas 27 subclinical infections were identified. DENV HAI seroprevalence increased sharply with age with baseline multitypic HAIs associated with fewer symptomatic infections. Using a catalytic model, the historical infection rate among dengue naive individuals was estimated to be high at 11-22%/year. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In this hyperendemic area with high seroprevalence of multitypic DENV HAIs in adults, symptomatic dengue rarely occurred in individuals older than 15 years. Our findings demonstrate that dengue is primarily a pediatric disease in areas with high force of infection. However, the average age of dengue could increase if force of infection decreases over time, as is occurring in some hyperendemic countries such as Thailand

Can media neutrality limit creative potential? Understanding advertising’s use of ideation templates fares across media

This article approaches the question of media neutrality by investigating whether ideation techniques such as templates produce the same quality of advertisements across media. Some 207 advertising professionals responded to a hypothetical brief with one print and one television advertisement. Self-reported results showed that ideas from two media-dependent techniques (unification and metaphor) worked well across media, whereas ideas from one message-dependent technique (extreme consequence) and the control condition did not. By their nature, however, media-dependent techniques make for less-consistent content across media, whereas message-dependent techniques have more consistent expressions across media. Campaign consistency and quality therefore trade off, limiting media neutrality

Set points, settling points and some alternative models: theoretical options to understand how genes and environments combine to regulate body adiposity

The close correspondence between energy intake and expenditure over prolonged time periods, coupled with an apparent protection of the level of body adiposity in the face of perturbations of energy balance, has led to the idea that body fatness is regulated via mechanisms that control intake and energy expenditure. Two models have dominated the discussion of how this regulation might take place. The set point model is rooted in physiology, genetics and molecular biology, and suggests that there is an active feedback mechanism linking adipose tissue (stored energy) to intake and expenditure via a set point, presumably encoded in the brain. This model is consistent with many of the biological aspects of energy balance, but struggles to explain the many significant environmental and social influences on obesity, food intake and physical activity. More importantly, the set point model does not effectively explain the &lsquo;obesity epidemic' - the large increase in body weight and adiposity of a large proportion of individuals in many countries since the 1980s. An alternative model, called the settling point model, is based on the idea that there is passive feedback between the size of the body stores and aspects of expenditure. This model accommodates many of the social and environmental characteristics of energy balance, but struggles to explain some of the biological and genetic aspects. The shortcomings of these two models reflect their failure to address the gene-by-environment interactions that dominate the regulation of body weight. We discuss two additional models - the general intake model and the dual intervention point model - that address this issue and might offer better ways to understand how body fatness is controlled

Inwardly rectifying potassium channels (KIR) in GtoPdb v.2021.3

The 2TM domain family of K channels are also known as the inward-rectifier K channel family. This family includes the strong inward-rectifier K channels (Kir2.x) that are constitutively active, the G-protein-activated inward-rectifier K channels (Kir3.x) and the ATP-sensitive K channels (Kir6.x, which combine with sulphonylurea receptors (SUR1-3)). The pore-forming &#945; subunits form tetramers, and heteromeric channels may be formed within subfamilies (e.g. Kir3.2 with Kir3.3)

Inwardly rectifying potassium channels (version 2019.4) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database

The 2TM domain family of K channels are also known as the inward-rectifier K channel family. This family includes the strong inward-rectifier K channels (Kir2.x) that are constitutively active, the G-protein-activated inward-rectifier K channels (Kir3.x) and the ATP-sensitive K channels (Kir6.x, which combine with sulphonylurea receptors (SUR1-3)). The pore-forming &#945; subunits form tetramers, and heteromeric channels may be formed within subfamilies (e.g. Kir3.2 with Kir3.3)