High rate of extrapair paternity in a human population demonstrates diversity in human reproductive strategies.

Among nonhuman species, social monogamy is rarely accompanied by complete fidelity. Evolutionary theory predicts that the rate of extrapair paternity (EPP) should vary according to socioecological conditions. In humans, however, geneticists contend that EPP is negligible and relatively invariable. This conclusion is based on a limited set of studies, almost all of which describe European-descent groups. Using a novel, double-blind method designed in collaboration with a community of Himba pastoralists, we find that the rate of EPP in this population is 48%, with 70% of couples having at least one EPP child. Both men and women were very accurate at detecting cases of EPP. These data suggest that the range of variation in EPP across human populations is substantially greater than previously thought. We further show that a high rate of EPP can be accompanied by high paternity confidence, which highlights the importance of disaggregating EPP from the notion of "cuckoldry.

Point-Spread-Function-Aware Slice-to-Volume Registration: Application to Upper Abdominal MRI Super-Resolution

MR image acquisition of moving organs remains challenging despite the advances in ultra-fast 2D MRI sequences. Post-acquisition techniques have been proposed to increase spatial resolution a posteriori by combining acquired orthogonal stacks into a single, high-resolution (HR) volume. Current super-resolution techniques classically rely on a two-step procedure. The volumetric reconstruction step leverages a physical slice acquisition model. However, the motion correction step typically neglects the point spread function (PSF) information. In this paper, we propose a PSF-aware slice-to-volume registration approach and, for the first time, demonstrate the potential benefit of Super-Resolution for upper abdominal imaging. Our novel reconstruction pipeline takes advantage of different MR acquisitions clinically used in routine MR cholangiopancreatography studies to guide the registration. On evaluation of clinically relevant image information, our approach outperforms state-of-the-art reconstruction toolkits in terms of visual clarity and preservation of raw data information. Overall, we achieve promising results towards replacing currently required CT scans

Bio-nanotechnology application in wastewater treatment

The nanoparticles have received high interest in the field of medicine and water purification, however, the nanomaterials produced by chemical and physical methods are considered hazardous, expensive, and leave behind harmful substances to the environment. This chapter aimed to focus on green-synthesized nanoparticles and their medical applications. Moreover, the chapter highlighted the applicability of the metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) in the inactivation of microbial cells due to their high surface and small particle size. Modifying nanomaterials produced by green-methods is safe, inexpensive, and easy. Therefore, the control and modification of nanoparticles and their properties were also discussed

Ethnic inequalities and pathways to care in psychosis in England: a systematic review and meta-analysis

© The Author(s). 2018Background: As part of a national programme to tackle ethnic inequalities, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of research on ethnic inequalities in pathways to care for adults with psychosis living in England and/or Wales. Methods: Nine databases were searched from inception to 03.07.17 for previous systematic reviews, including forward and backward citation tracking and a PROSPERO search to identify ongoing reviews. We then carried forward relevant primary studies from included reviews (with the latest meta-analyses reporting on research up to 2012), supplemented by a search on 18.10.17 in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL for primary studies between 2012 and 2017 that had not been covered by previous meta-analyses. Results: Forty studies, all conducted in England, were included for our updated meta-analyses on pathways to care. Relative to the White reference group, elevated rates of civil detentions were found for Black Caribbean (OR = 3.43, 95% CI = 2.68 to 4.40, n = 18), Black African (OR = 3.11, 95% CI = 2.40 to 4.02, n = 6), and South Asian patients (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.12, n = 10). Analyses of each Mental Health Act section revealed significantly higher rates for Black people under (civil) Section 2 (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.11 to 2.11, n = 3). Rates in repeat admissions were significantly higher than in first admission for South Asian patients (between-group difference p < 0.01). Some ethnic groups had more police contact (Black African OR = 3.60, 95% CI = 2.15 to 6.05, n = 2; Black Caribbean OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.88 to 3.72, n = 8) and criminal justice system involvement (Black Caribbean OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 2.02 to 3.78, n = 5; Black African OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.32 to 2.78, n = 3). The White Other patients also showed greater police and criminal justice system involvement than White British patients (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.03 to 2.15, n = 4). General practitioner involvement was less likely for Black than the White reference group. No significant variations over time were found across all the main outcomes. Conclusions: Our updated meta-analyses reveal persisting but not significantly worsening patterns of ethnic inequalities in pathways to psychiatric care, particularly affecting Black groups. This provides a comprehensive evidence base from which to inform policy and practice amidst a prospective Mental Health Act reform. Trial registration: CRD42017071663Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Hsmar1 transposition is sensitive to the topology of the transposon donor and the target

Hsmar1 is a member of the Tc1-mariner superfamily of DNA transposons. These elements mobilize within the genome of their host by a cut-and-paste mechanism. We have exploited the in vitro reaction provided by Hsmar1 to investigate the effect of DNA supercoiling on transposon integration. We found that the topology of both the transposon and the target affect integration. Relaxed transposons have an integration defect that can be partially restored in the presence of elevated levels of negatively supercoiled target DNA. Negatively supercoiled DNA is a better target than nicked or positively supercoiled DNA, suggesting that underwinding of the DNA helix promotes target interactions. Like other Tc1-mariner elements, Hsmar1 integrates into 5′-TA dinucleotides. The direct vicinity of the target TA provides little sequence specificity for target interactions. However, transposition within a plasmid substrate was not random and some TA dinucleotides were targeted preferentially. The distribution of intramolecular target sites was not affected by DNA topology

C4 photosynthesis boosts growth by altering physiology, allocation and size.

C4 photosynthesis is a complex set of leaf anatomical and biochemical adaptations that have evolved more than 60 times to boost carbon uptake compared with the ancestral C3 photosynthetic type(1-3). Although C4 photosynthesis has the potential to drive faster growth rates(4,5), experiments directly comparing C3 and C4 plants have not shown consistent effects(1,6,7). This is problematic because differential growth is a crucial element of ecological theory(8,9) explaining C4 savannah responses to global change(10,11), and research to increase C3 crop productivity by introducing C4 photosynthesis(12). Here, we resolve this long-standing issue by comparing growth across 382 grass species, accounting for ecological diversity and evolutionary history. C4 photosynthesis causes a 19-88% daily growth enhancement. Unexpectedly, during the critical seedling establishment stage, this enhancement is driven largely by a high ratio of leaf area to mass, rather than fast growth per unit leaf area. C4 leaves have less dense tissues, allowing more leaves to be produced for the same carbon cost. Consequently, C4 plants invest more in roots than C3 species. Our data demonstrate a general suite of functional trait divergences between C3 and C4 species, which simultaneously drive faster growth and greater investment in water and nutrient acquisition, with important ecological and agronomic implications

Forage Preferences of the European Beaver Castor fiber

By the beginning of the twentieth century, hunting and land use change had reduced the European beaver Castor fiber to a relict population of no more than 1200 individuals. In some European states, re introduction has successfully established viable populations, whilst other schemes have failed. Environmental, social and economic issues associated with beaver reintroduction have given rise to a range of information needs in relation to the species«SQ» ecology. In 2005, six European beavers were translocated from Bavaria to a reintroduction site in southern England. The following year, a 6 month study was undertaken to investigate which tree species and size classes were most frequently utilised by the beavers, and to determine if the utilised species and size classes reflected resource availability within the home range. These questions were answered by comparing the use and the availability of foraged tree species in two ways: (1) using a survey of tree stumps; and (2) as a food choice experiment. The results showed that the reintroduced beavers were highly selective in relation to both the species and the size of the trees they used i.e. the reintroduced beavers selected species in significantly different proportions to their availability. However, they selected similar size classes between the preferred tree species, and did not utilise human timber. The relevance of the study is discussed with respect to information needs associated with the reintroduction of a keystone species, overcoming negative perceptions, population viability, welfare and soft release strategies

Enteric-coated sodium bicarbonate supplementation improves high-intensity cycling performance in trained cyclists

Purpose: Enteric-coated sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) can attenuate gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms following acute bicarbonate loading, although the subsequent effects on exercise performance have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of enteric-coated NaHCO3 supplementation on high-intensity exercise performance and GI symptoms. Methods: Eleven trained male cyclists completed three 4 km time trials after consuming; a placebo or 0.3 g∙kg–1 body mass NaHCO3 in enteric-coated or gelatin capsules. Exercise trials were timed with individual peak blood bicarbonate ion concentration ([HCO3–]). Blood acid–base balance was measured pre-ingestion, pre-exercise, and post-exercise, whereas GI symptoms were recorded pre-ingestion and immediately pre-exercise. Results: Pre-exercise blood [HCO3−] and potential hydrogen (pH) were greater for both NaHCO3 conditions (P &lt; 0.0005) when compared to placebo. Performance time was faster with enteric-coated (− 8.5 ± 9.6 s, P = 0.044) and gelatin (− 9.6 ± 7.2 s, P = 0.004) NaHCO3 compared to placebo, with no significant difference between conditions (mean difference = 1.1 ± 5.3 s, P = 1.000). Physiological responses were similar between conditions, although blood lactate ion concentration was higher with gelatin NaHCO3 (2.4 ± 1.7 mmol∙L–1, P = 0.003) compared with placebo. Furthermore, fewer participants experienced GI symptoms with enteric-coated (n = 3) compared to gelatin (n = 7) NaHCO3. Discussion: Acute enteric-coated NaHCO3 consumption mitigates GI symptoms at the onset of exercise and improves subsequent 4 km cycling TT performance. Athletes who experience GI side-effects after acute bicarbonate loading may, therefore, benefit from enteric-coated NaHCO3 supplementation prior to exercise performance.</p

Search for direct pair production of the top squark in all-hadronic final states in proton-proton collisions at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for direct pair production of the scalar partner to the top quark using an integrated luminosity of 20.1fb−1 of proton–proton collision data at √s = 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. The top squark is assumed to decay via t˜→tχ˜01 or t˜→ bχ˜±1 →bW(∗)χ˜01 , where χ˜01 (χ˜±1 ) denotes the lightest neutralino (chargino) in supersymmetric models. The search targets a fully-hadronic final state in events with four or more jets and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction is observed, and exclusion limits are reported in terms of the top squark and neutralino masses and as a function of the branching fraction of t˜ → tχ˜01 . For a branching fraction of 100%, top squark masses in the range 270–645 GeV are excluded for χ˜01 masses below 30 GeV. For a branching fraction of 50% to either t˜ → tχ˜01 or t˜ → bχ˜±1 , and assuming the χ˜±1 mass to be twice the χ˜01 mass, top squark masses in the range 250–550 GeV are excluded for χ˜01 masses below 60 GeV

Plant size and neighbourhood characteristics influence survival and growth in a restored ex-agricultural ecosystem

Restoring woody vegetation on degraded agricultural land is a widespread and common ecological restoration practice. However, highly variable plant survival and growth limit outcomes for many projects. Inconsistent reporting and monitoring of projects mean that an assessment of the relative importance of community-assembly processes is limited, particularly over longer timescales. We use 7 years of monitoring data of nearly 2000 native trees and shrubs in a restoration project on ex-agricultural land in south-western Australia to test the potential effects of facilitation or competition from neighbouring plants, as well as look for patterns in their interaction with the attributes of individuals and species traits. Overall, plant size was the strongest single predictor of survival and incremental growth. Individual plants in neighbourhoods with higher inter-generic basal area were more likely to survive, with this effect strongest in smaller individuals. When plants were larger, they were less likely to grow when in neighbourhoods with high intra-generic basal area. Taller-growing plants (higher species maximum height) were more likely to survive when individuals were small (basal area of 1–10 cm2), compared with shorter growing plants. Growth was also more likely in taller-growing plants, and this relationship increased with the size of the individual. Recruitment was very low, with just 148 new recruits recorded across the 42 plots over 7 years. Maximizing the growth of plants in restorations in the early stages may promote survival and growth in the longer term. We also demonstrate that increased levels of inter-generic neighbouring plants may improve individual plant survival in the restoration of ex-agricultural land. As a result, we suggest tailoring direct-seeding methods to minimize clustering of congeneric individuals. We also highlight the need to find means of promoting recruitment for the long-term sustainability of restoration efforts