Selection, inheritance, and the evolution of parent-offspring interactions

Very few studies have examined parent-offspring interactions from a quantitative genetic perspective. We used a cross-fostering design and measured genetic correlations and components of social selection arising from two parental and two offspring behaviors in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Genetic correlations were assessed by examining behavior of relatives independent of common social influences. We found positive genetic correlations between all pairs of behaviors, including between parent and offspring behaviors. Patterns of selection were assessed by standardized performance and selection gradients. Parental provisioning had positive effects on offspring performance and fitness, while remaining near the larvae without feeding them had negative effects. Begging had positive effects on offspring performance and fitness, while increased competition among siblings had negative effects. Coadaptations between parenting and offspring behavior appear to be maintained by genetic correlations and functional trade-offs; parents that feed their offspring more also spend more time in the area where they can forage for themselves. Families with high levels of begging have high levels of sibling competition. Integrating information from genetics and selection thus provides a general explanation for why variation persists in seemingly beneficial traits expressed in parent-offspring interactions and illustrates why it is important to measure functionally related suites of behaviors

Summary of Toxicological Data for Aquatic Organisms of Illinois

The data presented in this report contain Information on toxicity testing performed on organisms that could be found In aquatic habitats in Illinois. To compile this information a thorough list of all aquatic organisms in Illinois was required. This was constructed through literature searches and personal communication with scientists who collect and identify Illinois aquatic specimens. Each species name was used to search a database which contained toxicity information on aquatic organisms. No toxicological Information was found for many Illinois species. For most organisms, all available information retrieved from the database is presented. For species on which extensive toxicological research has been performed, data showing 96 hour LC50 or EC50 values and chronic testing values constitute the bulk of the records. In addition to records detailing toxicity values and experimental conditions, a list of tested chemical compounds and organisms is included. Literature citing observations and identification of aquatic organisms within Illinois was the most valuable resource in compiling a list of Illinois aquatic species. Staff of the Illinois Natural History Survey were helpful in recommending the most useful publications, making available their own field lists, and helping to update taxonomy and nomenclature from older reports. In particular we would like to acknowledge Don Webb, Larry Page, Warren Brigham, Mark Wetzel, Kevin Cummings, and Allison Brigham from the INHS Faunistics section and Michael Henebry from the section of Aquatic Biology. To retrieve toxicity data on the aquatic organisms of Illinois, a Chemical Information System, Inc. database, AQUIRE (Aquatic Information Retrieval System), was employed. AQUIRE contains data extracted from publications dealing with the toxic effects of chemical substances on aquatic organisms. Each Latin species name from the compiled Illinois list was used to search records in the database. If AQUIRE matched a record with the species name, the record was stored. If there were an excessive number of matching records, the search was narrowed by specifying particular regimens and/or effective endpoint types. Ultimately a printout of the records pertaining to each organism was produced. The data contained In this report are duplications of the AQUIRE records obtained for Illinois organisms. The taxonomy, habitat, and Illinois distribution is listed immediately preceding the AQUIRE records compiled for each species. These records have been substantially reduced from their original size and are arranged by chemical compound in alphabetical and/or numerical order.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Malaria-filaria coinfection in mice makes malarial disease more severe unless filarial infection achieves patency

Coinfections are common in natural populations, and the literature suggests that helminth coinfection readily affects how the immune system manages malaria. For example, type 1–dependent control of malaria parasitemia might be impaired by the type 2 milieu of preexisting helminth infection. Alternatively, immunomodulatory effects of helminths might affect the likelihood of malarial immunopathology. Using rodent models of lymphatic filariasis (Litomosoides sigmodontis) and noncerebral malaria (clone AS Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi), we quantified disease severity, parasitemia, and polyclonal splenic immune responses in BALB/c mice. We found that coinfected mice, particularly those that did not have microfilaremia (Mf), had more severe anemia and loss of body mass than did mice with malaria alone. Even when controlling for parasitemia, malaria was most severe in Mf coinfected mice, and this was associated with increased interferon-g responsiveness. Thus, in Mf mice, filariasis upset a delicate immunological balance in malaria infection and exacerbated malaria-induced immunopathology. Helminth infections are prevalent throughout tropical regions where malaria is transmitted [1–5]. Interactions among infections commonly alter disease severity [6, 7], and malaria-helminth coinfection can either exac

Pif1 Helicase Lengthens Some Okazaki Fragment Flaps Necessitating Dna2 Nuclease/Helicase Action in the Two-nuclease Processing Pathway

We have developed a system to reconstitute all of the proposed steps of Okazaki fragment processing using purified yeast proteins and model substrates. DNA polymerase δ was shown to extend an upstream fragment to displace a downstream fragment into a flap. In most cases, the flap was removed by flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1), in a reaction required to remove initiator RNA in vivo. The nick left after flap removal could be sealed by DNA ligase I to complete fragment joining. An alternative pathway involving FEN1 and the nuclease/helicase Dna2 has been proposed for flaps that become long enough to bind replication protein A (RPA). RPA binding can inhibit FEN1, but Dna2 can shorten RPA-bound flaps so that RPA dissociates. Recent reconstitution results indicated that Pif1 helicase, a known component of fragment processing, accelerated flap displacement, allowing the inhibitory action of RPA. In results presented here, Pif1 promoted DNA polymerase δ to displace strands that achieve a length to bind RPA, but also to be Dna2 substrates. Significantly, RPA binding to long flaps inhibited the formation of the final ligation products in the reconstituted system without Dna2. However, Dna2 reversed that inhibition to restore efficient ligation. These results suggest that the two-nuclease pathway is employed in cells to process long flap intermediates promoted by Pif1

Optimized Deeplearning Algorithm for Software Defects Prediction

Accurate software defect prediction (SDP) helps to enhance the quality of the software by identifying potential flaws early in the development process. However, existing approaches face challenges in achieving reliable predictions. To address this, a novel approach is proposed that combines a two-tier-deep learning framework. The proposed work includes four major phases:(a) pre-processing, (b) Dimensionality reduction, (c) Feature Extraction and (d) Two-fold deep learning-based SDP. The collected raw data is initially pre-processed using a data cleaning approach (handling null values and missing data) and a Decimal scaling normalisation approach. The dimensions of the pre-processed data are reduced using the newly developed Incremental Covariance Principal Component Analysis (ICPCA), and this approach aids in solving the “curse of dimensionality” issue. Then, onto the dimensionally reduced data, the feature extraction is performed using statistical features (standard deviation, skewness, variance, and kurtosis), Mutual information (MI), and Conditional entropy (CE). From the extracted features, the relevant ones are selected using the new Euclidean Distance with Mean Absolute Deviation (ED-MAD). Finally, the SDP (decision making) is carried out using the optimized Two-Fold Deep Learning Framework (O-TFDLF), which encapsulates the RBFN and optimized MLP, respectively. The weight of MLP is fine-tuned using the new Levy Flight Cat Mouse Optimisation (LCMO) method to improve the model's prediction accuracy. The final detected outcome (forecasting the presence/ absence of defect) is acquired from optimized MLP. The implementation has been performed using the MATLAB software. By using certain performance metrics such as Sensitivity, Accuracy, Precision, Specificity and MSE the proposed model’s performance is compared to that of existing models. The accuracy achieved for the proposed model is 93.37%

Chandra Observation of the Edge-on Galaxy NGC 3556 (M 108): Violent Galactic Disk-halo Interaction Revealed

We present a 60 ks Chandra ACIS-S observation of the isolated edge-on spiral NGC 3556, together with a multiwavelength analysis of various discrete X-ray sources and diffuse X-ray features. Among 33 discrete X-ray sources detected within the I_B = 25 mag per square arcsec isophote ellipse of the galaxy, we identify a candidate for the galactic nucleus, an ultraluminous X-ray source that might be an accreting intermediate-mass black hole, a possible X-ray binary with a radio counterpart, and two radio-bright giant HII regions. We detect large amounts of extraplanar diffuse X-ray emission, which extends about 10 kpc radially in the disk and >~ 4 kpc away from the galactic plane. The diffuse X-ray emission exhibits significant substructures, possibly representing various blown-out superbubbles or chimneys of hot gas heated in massive star forming regions. This X-ray-emitting gas has temperatures in the range of ~ 2-7 x 10^6 K and has a total cooling rate of ~ 2 x 10^40 erg/s. The energy can be easily supplied by supernova blast-waves in the galaxy. These results demonstrate NGC 3556 as being a galaxy undergoing vigorous disk-halo interaction. The halo in NGC 3556 is considerably less extended, however, than that of NGC 4631, in spite of many similarities between the two galaxies. This may be due to the fact that NGC 3556 is isolated whereas NGC 4631 is interacting. Thus NGC 3556 presents a more pristine environment for studying the disk-halo interaction.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figures. To appear in ApJ. Please see http://www.astro.umass.edu/~wqd/papers/n3556/n3556.pdf for a high resolution versio

Similarity and Diversity in Macrophage Activation by Nematodes, Trematodes, and Cestodes

This review summarizes current knowledge of macrophages in helminth infections, with a focus not only on delineating the striking similarities in macrophage phenotype between diverse infections but also on highlighting the differences. Findings from many different labs illustrate that macrophages in helminth infection can act as anti-parasite effectors but can also act as powerful immune suppressors. The specific role for their alternative (Th2-mediated) activation in helminth killing or expulsion versus immune regulation remains to be determined. Meanwhile, the rapid growth in knowledge of alternatively activated macrophages will require an even more expansive view of their potential functions to include repair of host tissue and regulation of host metabolism