The developing cognitive substrate of sequential action control in 9- to 12-month-olds: Evidence for concurrent activation models

Infants interpret third-person sequential actions as goal directed by 6 months of age, around 9 months of age they start to perform sequential actions to accomplish higher order goals. The present study employed an innovative pupillometric and oculomotor paradigm to study how infants represent first-person sequential actions. We aimed to contrast chaining-, concurrent- and integrated models of sequential-action representation. 9- and 12- month olds were taught action sequences consisting of two elementary actions. Thereafter the secondary action was selectively activated to assess any interactions with the primary action. Results suggest that concurrent models best capture the representations formed

Expected issuance fees and market liquidity

We examine the interaction between the primary and secondary markets for euro area sovereign bonds. Primary dealers compete to be selected as lead manager in the primary market, and have an incentive to increase liquidity. For our 2008–2012 sample of sovereign bonds from 11 euro area countries, we find that expected issuance fees are positively and economically related to market liquidity. The fee-driven liquidity effect is especially strong for countries with high funding needs, in periods of high re-financing uncertainty, and for low-risk bonds

Home Energy Efficiency and Subjective Health in Greater London

The UK has introduced legislation that requires net-zero greenhouse gas emissions to be achieved by 2050. Improving the energy efficiency of homes is a key objective to help reach this target, and the UK government's Clean Growth Strategy aims to get many homes up to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band of C by 2035. The relationship between home energy-efficiency and occupant health and wellbeing remains an area of ongoing research. This paper explores the nexus between home energy efficiency, energy consumption and self-reported health-an indicator of the general health and wellbeing of the population. We focus on Greater London through secondary data analysis. Energy-efficiency ratings and air infiltration rates of dwellings, derived from EPCs, were aggregated and matched to local area self-reported health and energy consumption data obtained from the Greater London Authority's (GLA) Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) Atlas database. Our regression model indicates that improving the energy efficiency (SAP) rating by 10 points for a typical home may reduce household gas consumption by around 7% (95% CIs: 2%, 14%). Beta regression finds a positive, but not statistically significant association between median SAP rating and the proportion of the population reporting 'good or very good' health when considering all Greater London LSOAs (z score = 0.60, p value = 0.55). A statistically significant positive association is observed however when repeating the analysis for the lowest income quartile LSOAs (z score = 2.03, p value = 0.04). This indicates that the least well-off may benefit most from home energy efficiency programs. A statistically significant positive association is also observed for the relationship between self-reported health and air infiltration rates (z score = 2.62, p value = 0.01). The findings support existing evidence for the predominantly naturally ventilated UK housing stock, suggesting that home energy efficiency measures provide a co-benefit for occupant health provided that adequate air exchange is maintained

Integrative whole-genome and transcriptome analysis of HER2-amplified metastatic breast cancer

Background: In breast cancer, the advent of anti-HER2 therapies has made HER2+ tumors a highly relevant subgroup. However, the exact characteristics which prohibit clinical response to anti-HER2 therapies and drive disease progression are not yet fully known. Integrative whole-genome and transcriptomic sequencing data from both primary and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer will enhance our understanding of underlying biological processes. Methods: Here, we used WGS and RNA sequencing data of 700 metastatic breast tumors, of which 68 being HER2+, to search for specific genomic features of HER2+ disease and therapy resistance. Furthermore, we integrated results with transcriptomic data to associate tumors exhibiting a HER2+-specific gene expression profile with ERBB2 mutation status, prior therapy and relevant gene expression signatures.Results: Overall genomic profiles of primary and metastatic HER2+ breast cancers were similar, and no specific acquired genomics traits connected to prior anti-HER2 treatment were observed. However, specific genomic features were predictive of progression-free survival on post-biopsy anti-HER2 treatment. Furthermore, a HER2-driven expression profile grouped HER2-amplified tumors with ERBB2-mutated cases and cases without HER2 alterations. The latter were reported as ER positive in primary disease, but the metastatic biopsy showed low ESR1 expression and upregulation of the MAPK pathway, suggesting transformation to ER independence.Conclusions:In summary, although the quantity of variants increased throughout HER2-positive breast cancer progression, the genomic composition remained largely consistent, thus yielding no new major processes beside those already operational in primary disease. Our results suggest that integrated genomic and transcriptomic analyses may be key in establishing therapeutic options.</p

Hepatitis E virus RNA in commercially available porcine livers in The Netherlands

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections caused by genotype 3 are increasingly observed in industrialized countries, without a distinct source. High similarity between human and swine strains of HEV strongly suggest possible zoonotic transmission. It was reported previously that in 55% of Dutch pig farms HEV-excreting fattening pigs were present. In the current study, presence of HEV RNA in commercially available porcine livers was shown. We examined 62 commercially available porcine livers for HEV contamination. Before examination of livers, the most sensitive combination of tissue disruption and RNA-extraction was chosen from four disruption and seven RNA-extraction methods. Four of 62 livers were shown to be positive for HEV RNA by RT-PCR and Southern blot hybridization, and three sequences were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis showed clustering of the sequences with previously published Dutch HEV genotype 3 sequences from humans and swine. To study infectivity of possible virus, three pigs were intravenously inoculated with suspensions from commercially available HEV positive livers. Two other pigs served as high-dose or low-dose controls. The low-dose control received a comparable viral count as animals receiving inocula from commercially available livers, the high dose control received a viral count that was known to generate infection. Faecal shedding of HEV was observed in the high-dose control, indicating that the control virus was infectious. No faecal shedding of HEV was observed for the low-dose control and the three pigs that were administered the commercially available livers extracts. In conclusion, HEV RNA was found in commercially available porcine livers. inoculation of susceptible pigs with extracts from HEV-positive livers did not lead to infection, but this may be a dose-dependent effect. The risk for consumers should be investigated further

Cyanobacterial growth and cyanophycin production with urea and ammonium as nitrogen source

publishedVersio

Testing the paradox of enrichment along a land use gradient in a multitrophic aboveground and belowground community

In the light of ongoing land use changes, it is important to understand how multitrophic communities perform at different land use intensities. The paradox of enrichment predicts that fertilization leads to destabilization and extinction of predator-prey systems. We tested this prediction for a land use intensity gradient from natural to highly fertilized agricultural ecosystems. We included multiple aboveground and belowground trophic levels and land use-dependent searching efficiencies of insects. To overcome logistic constraints of field experiments, we used a successfully validated simulation model to investigate plant responses to removal of herbivores and their enemies. Consistent with our predictions, instability measured by herbivore-induced plant mortality increased with increasing land use intensity. Simultaneously, the balance between herbivores and natural enemies turned increasingly towards herbivore dominance and natural enemy failure. Under natural conditions, there were more frequently significant effects of belowground herbivores and their natural enemies on plant performance, whereas there were more aboveground effects in agroecosystems. This result was partly due to the “boom-bust” behavior of the shoot herbivore population. Plant responses to herbivore or natural enemy removal were much more abrupt than the imposed smooth land use intensity gradient. This may be due to the presence of multiple trophic levels aboveground and belowground. Our model suggests that destabilization and extinction are more likely to occur in agroecosystems than in natural communities, but the shape of the relationship is nonlinear under the influence of multiple trophic interactions.

Hepatitis E virus sequences in swine related to sequences in humans, The Netherlands.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a major cause of viral hepatitis in much of the developing world, has recently been detected in swine in North America and Asia, raising concern about potential for zoonotic transmission. To investigate if HEV is commonly present in swine in the Netherlands, pooled stool samples from 115 swine farms and nine individual pigs with diarrhea were assayed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification. HEV RNA was detected by RT-PCR and hybridization in 25 (22%) of the pooled specimens, but in none of the individual samples. RT-PCR amplification products of open reading frames 1 and 2 were sequenced, and the results were compared with published sequences of HEV genotypes from humans and swine. HEV strains from swine in the Netherlands were clustered in at least two groups, together with European and American isolates from swine and humans. Our data show that HEV in swine in the Netherlands are genetically closely related to HEV isolates from humans. Although zoonotic transmission has not been proven, these findings suggest that swine may be reservoir hosts of HEV

Gobierno universitario : entre la autogestión estamental y la responsabilidad social

<p>Low doses of the relatively neutralization resistant SHIV _SF162P3 isolate were incubated at 37⁰C for four hours with concentrations of the human monoclonal antibody IgG1 b12. The mixture was then added to GHOST cells and allowed to absorb for 24 hours. The cells were washed and cultured for a further 24 hours (4/24/2 assays). Four duplicate cultures were used for each point within a replicate. Data are fitted to a second-order (quadratic) equation. Dotted lines are extrapolations to the horizontal axis calculated from the quadratic plots. Axes are truncated and some symbols are excluded to improve clarity, especially around the origin. <b>A</b>. SHIV_SF162P3 exposed to GHOST cells from passage 7 (1 replicate) and 9 (2 replicates). Gray: control cultures where virus were incubated without monoclonal antibody: y = -0.00285 x² + 1.310 x -6.009; green: Virus pre-incubated with 0.625 µg/ml IgG1 b12: y = -0.00284 x² + 0.939 x -0.517. <b>B</b>. Gray same as for A. blue: Virus pre-incubated with 0.25 µg/ml IgG1 b12: y = -0.000606 x² + 0.870 x + 3.152. <b>C</b>. SHIV_SF162P3 exposed to GHOST cells from passages 15, 17 and 21. Gray: control cultures where virus were incubated without monoclonal antibody: y = 0.00182 x² + 0.665 x + 11.01; green: Virus pre-incubated with 0.625 µg/ml IgG1 b12: y = + 0.00135 x² + 0.487 x + 8.334. <b>D</b>. Gray same as for C. blue: where cultures are exposed to virus pre-incubated with 0.25 µg/ml IgG1 b12: y = 0.00140x² + 0.616x + 5.768. Interval between points where control and 0.25 µg/ml IgG1 b12 plots cut x-axis: 7.81 infectious virus.</p