The effect of exposure to synthetic pheromone lures on male Zygaena filipendulae mating behaviour: implications for monitoring species of conservation interest

Pheromone based monitoring of insects of conservation value has the potential to revolutionise the way in which surveys are carried out. However, due to their effective use in pest management, concerns have been raised about potential negative effects of pheromone exposure on populations of rare insects. The effect of exposure to synthetic pheromone lures on male mating behaviour was examined in laboratory and field conditions using the six spot burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae (Linnaeus, 1758). For the laboratory experiment larvae were collected and cultured separately under controlled conditions. Virgin males were exposed to a synthetic pheromone lure for 24 h; then tested for responsiveness immediately after this exposure, 1 and 24 h later. Control males were tested three times: initially, 1 h later and 24 h later. The time taken for males to detect females, shown by exposure of their anal claspers, and the time taken for males to locate females were recorded. No significant difference was found between the time taken for control and exposed males to detect or locate females, and no significant difference between the proportions of males that successfully located females in exposed and control groups was found. In the field experiment the time males spent in the presence of contained females, both with and without a pheromone lure present, was recorded. Males spent more time in the presence of the females when the pheromone lure was present. Both experiments indicate male Z. filipendulae mating behaviour is not adversely affected by exposure to synthetic pheromone lures

The entrepreneurial ladder, gender, and regional development

Gender differences at five levels of entrepreneurial engagement are explained using country effects while controlling for individual-level variables. We distinguish between individuals who have never considered starting up a business, those who are thinking about it, and nascent, young, and established entrepreneurs. We use a large international dataset that includes respondents from 32 European countries, three Asian countries, and the United States. Findings show that cross-country gender differences are largest in the first and final transitions of the entrepreneurial process. In par

Predictors of early recurrence after resection of colorectal liver metastases

BACKGROUND: Early recurrence after resection of colorectal liver metastases (CLM) is common. Patients at risk of early recurrence may be candidates for enhanced preoperative staging and/or earlier postoperative imaging. The aim of this study was to determine if there are any risk factors that specifically predict early liver-only and systemic recurrence. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospective database of patients undergoing liver resection (LR) for CLM from 2004 to 2006 was undertaken. Early recurrence was defined as occurring within 18 months of LR. Patients were classified into three groups: early liver-only recurrence, early systemic recurrence and recurrence-free. Preoperative factors were compared between patients with and without early recurrence. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-three consecutive patients underwent LR for CLM. Twenty-seven patients (11%) developed early liver-only recurrence. Dukes C stage and male sex were significantly associated with early liver-only recurrence (P < 0.05). Sixty-six patients (27%) developed early systemic recurrence. Tumour size ≥3.6 cm and tumour number (>2) were significantly associated with early systemic recurrence (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to stratify patients according to the risk of early liver-only or systemic recurrence after resection of CLM. High-risk patients may be candidates for preoperative MRI and/or computed tomography-positron emission tomography (CT-PET) scan and should receive intensive postoperative surveillance

Rac1 Regulates the NLRP3 Inflammasome Which Mediates IL-1beta Production in Chlamydophila pneumoniae Infected Human Mononuclear Cells

Chlamydophila pneumoniae causes acute respiratory tract infections and has been associated with development of asthma and atherosclerosis. The production of IL-1β, a key mediator of acute and chronic inflammation, is regulated on a transcriptional level and additionally on a posttranslational level by inflammasomes. In the present study we show that C. pneumoniae-infected human mononuclear cells produce IL-1β protein depending on an inflammasome consisting of NLRP3, the adapter protein ASC and caspase-1. We further found that the small GTPase Rac1 is activated in C. pneumoniae-infected cells. Importantly, studies with specific inhibitors as well as siRNA show that Rac1 regulates inflammasome activation in C. pneumoniae-infected cells. In conclusion, C. pneumoniae infection of mononuclear cells stimulates IL-1β production dependent on a NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated processing of proIL-1β which is controlled by Rac1

Looking inside the spiky bits : a critical review and conceptualisation of entrepreneurial ecosystems

The authors wish to thank the Organisational for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for funding their original research on entrepreneurial ecosystems.The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems has quickly established itself as one of the latest ‘fads’ in entrepreneurship research. At face value, this kind of systemic approach to entrepreneurship offers a new and distinctive path for scholars and policy makers to help understand and foster growth-oriented entrepreneurship. However, its lack of specification and conceptual limitations has undoubtedly hindered our understanding of these complex organisms. Indeed, the rapid adoption of the concept has tended to overlook the heterogeneous nature of ecosystems. This paper provides a critical review and conceptualisation of the ecosystems concept: it unpacks the dynamics of the concept; outlines its theoretical limitations; measurement approaches and use in policy-making. It sets out a preliminary taxonomy of different archetypal ecosystems. The paper concludes that entrepreneurial ecosystems are a highly variegated, multi-actor and multi-scalar phenomenon, requiring bespoke policy interventions.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Genetic and Epigenetic Fine-Mapping of Causal Autoimmune Disease Variants

Summary Genome-wide association studies have identified loci underlying human diseases, but the causal nucleotide changes and mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we developed a fine-mapping algorithm to identify candidate causal variants for 21 autoimmune diseases from genotyping data. We integrated these predictions with transcription and cis-regulatory element annotations, derived by mapping RNA and chromatin in primary immune cells, including resting and stimulated CD4+ T-cell subsets, regulatory T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, B-cells, and monocytes. We find that ~90% of causal variants are noncoding, with ~60% mapping to immune-cell enhancers, many of which gain histone acetylation and transcribe enhancer-associated RNA upon immune stimulation. Causal variants tend to occur near binding sites for master regulators of immune differentiation and stimulus-dependent gene activation, but only 10–20% directly alter recognizable transcription factor binding motifs. Rather, most noncoding risk variants, including those that alter gene expression, affect non-canonical sequence determinants not well-explained by current gene regulatory models

Rapid diversification of sexual signals in Hawaiian Nesosydne planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae): the relative role of neutral and selective forces.

Changes in sexual signals have the potential to promote rapid divergence and reproductive isolation among populations of animals. Thus, identifying processes contributing to variation in signals is key to understanding the drivers of speciation. However, it is difficult to identify the processes initiating changes in signals in empirical systems because (1) the demographic history of populations under study is usually unclear, and (2) there is no unified hypothesis-testing framework for evaluating the simultaneous contribution of multiple processes. A unique system for study in the Hawaiian Islands, the planthopper species Nesosydne chambersi, offers a clear demographic context to disentangle these factors. By measuring variation in male vibratory sexual signals across different genetic populations on the island of Hawaii, we found that that multiple signal traits varied significantly between populations. We developed a mixed modelling framework to simultaneously test competing hypotheses about which processes contribute to changes in signal traits: genetic drift, sensory drive or reproductive character displacement. Our findings suggest that signal divergence proceeds along different axes for different signal traits under the influence of both neutral and selective processes. They are the first, to our knowledge, to document the relative importance of multiple processes on divergence in sexual signals