Self-identification with another person's face. The time relevant role of multimodal brain areas in the enfacement illusion

Illusory subjective experience of looking at one's own face while in fact looking at another person's face can surprisingly be induced by simple synchronized visuo-tactile stimulation of the two faces. Recently, Apps and colleagues (Cerebral Cortex, 2014) investigated for the first time the role of visual unimodal and temporo-parietal multimodal brain areas in the enfacement illusion, and suggested a model in which multisensory mechanisms are crucial to construct and update self-face representation

Diffuse and focused carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the Sousaki geothermal system, Greece

We report first data on chemical composition of the gas emitted by the geothermal system of Sousaki, Greece. Gas manifestations display typical geothermal gas composition with CO2 as the main component and CH4 and H2S as minor species. Soil gas composition derives from the mixing of two end-members (atmospheric air and geothermal gas). Soil CO2 fluxes range from<2 to 33,400 g m2 d1. The estimated diffuse output of hydrothermal CO2, estimated for an area of 0.015 km2, is about 630 g s1, while a tentative estimation of CH4 diffuse output gave a value of about 1.15 g s

The genomic diversification of grapevine clones.

BACKGROUND:Vegetatively propagated clones accumulate somatic mutations. The purpose of this study was to better appreciate clone diversity and involved defining the nature of somatic mutations throughout the genome. Fifteen Zinfandel winegrape clone genomes were sequenced and compared to one another using a highly contiguous genome reference produced from one of the clones, Zinfandel 03. RESULTS:Though most heterozygous variants were shared, somatic mutations accumulated in individual and subsets of clones. Overall, heterozygous mutations were most frequent in intergenic space and more frequent in introns than exons. A significantly larger percentage of CpG, CHG, and CHH sites in repetitive intergenic space experienced transition mutations than in genic and non-repetitive intergenic spaces, likely because of higher levels of methylation in the region and because methylated cytosines often spontaneously deaminate. Of the minority of mutations that occurred in exons, larger proportions of these were putatively deleterious when they occurred in relatively few clones. CONCLUSIONS:These data support three major conclusions. First, repetitive intergenic space is a major driver of clone genome diversification. Second, clones accumulate putatively deleterious mutations. Third, the data suggest selection against deleterious variants in coding regions or some mechanism by which mutations are less frequent in coding than noncoding regions of the genome

Curtobacterium sp. genome sequencing underlines plant growth promotion-related traits

Endophytic bacteria are microorganisms residing in plant tissues without causing disease symptoms. Here, we provide the high-quality genome sequence of Curtobacterium sp. strain S6, isolated from grapevine plant. The genome assembly contains 2,759,404 bp in 13 contigs and 2,456 predicted genes

Genomic characterization of orthobunyavirus of veterinary importance in America

During 2013, in Argentina, three new isolates of serogroup Bunyamwera virus (genus Orthobunyavirus, family Peribunyaviridae)were recovered from two horses with encephalitis, and from an aborted equine fetus. In the present study, we report the complete genome sequence, genetic characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of three new strains isolated in Argentina to clarifying their relationship within the Bunyamwera serogroup virus and to investigate the evolutionary history of viruses with segmented genomes.Fil: Tauro, Laura Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología Dr. J. M. Vanella; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: de Souza, William Marciel. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Rivarola, María Elisa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Laboratorio de Arbovirus y Arenovirus; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: de Oliveira, Rodrigo. Instituto Evandro Chagas; BrasilFil: Konigheim, Brenda Salome. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Patroca Silva, Sandro. Instituto Evandro Chagas; BrasilFil: Lima, Clayton. Instituto Evandro Chagas; BrasilFil: Oliveira, Layanna. Instituto Evandro Chagas; BrasilFil: Vasconcelos, Janaina M.. Instituto Evandro Chagas; BrasilFil: Ferreira Cardoso, Jedson. Instituto Evandro Chagas; BrasilFil: Vianez Júnior, João Lídio. Instituto Evandro Chagas; BrasilFil: Teixeira Nunes, Márcio Roberto. Instituto Evandro Chagas; BrasilFil: Contigiani de Minio, Marta Silvia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología Dr. J. M. Vanella; Argentin

A chromosome-anchored eggplant genome sequence reveals key events in Solanaceae evolution

With approximately 450 species, spiny Solanum species constitute the largest monophyletic group in the Solanaceae family, but a high-quality genome assembly from this group is presently missing. We obtained a chromosome-anchored genome assembly of eggplant (Solanum melongena), containing 34,916 genes, confirming that the diploid gene number in the Solanaceae is around 35,000. Comparative genomic studies with tomato (S. lycopersicum), potato (S. tuberosum) and pepper (Capsicum annuum) highlighted the rapid evolution of miRNA:mRNA regulatory pairs and R-type defense genes in the Solanaceae, and provided a genomic basis for the lack of steroidal glycoalkaloid compounds in the Capsicum genus. Using parsimony methods, we reconstructed the putative chromosomal complements of the key founders of the main Solanaceae clades and the rearrangements that led to the karyotypes of extant species and their ancestors. From 10% to 15% of the genes present in the four genomes were syntenic paralogs (ohnologs) generated by the pre-γ, γ and T paleopolyploidy events, and were enriched in transcription factors. Our data suggest that the basic gene network controlling fruit ripening is conserved in different Solanaceae clades, and that climacteric fruit ripening involves a differential regulation of relatively few components of this network, including CNR and ethylene biosynthetic genes

Mixed emotions: The contribution of alexithymia to the emotional symptoms of autism

It is widely accepted that autism is associated with disordered emotion processing, and in particular, with deficits of emotional reciprocity such as impaired emotion recognition and reduced empathy. However, a close examination of the literature reveals wide heterogeneity within the autistic population with respect to emotional competence. Here we argue that, where observed, emotional impairments are due to alexithymia - a condition that frequently co-occurs with autism - rather than a feature of autism per se. Alexithymia is a condition characterized by a reduced ability to identify and describe one’s own emotion, but which results in reduced empathy and an impaired ability to recognize the emotions of others. We briefly review studies of emotion processing in alexithymia, and in autism, before describing a recent series of studies directly testing this ‘alexithymia hypothesis’. If found to be correct, the alexithymia hypothesis has wide-reaching implications for the study of autism, and how we might best support sub-groups of autistic individuals with, and without, accompanying alexithymia. Finally, we note the presence of elevated rates of alexithymia, and inconsistent reports of emotional impairments, in eating disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and anxiety disorders. We speculate that examining the contribution of alexithymia to the emotional symptoms of these disorders may bear fruit in the same way that it is starting to do in autism