Fairness and Reciprocity in the Hawk-Dove game

We study fairness and reciprocity in a Hawk-Dove game. This allows us to test various models in one framework. We observe a large extent of selfish and rational behavior. Our results are inconsistent with leading models in this field.Hawk-Dove game; reciprocity; fairness

Uso da radiotelemetria no monitoramento de lagartos

O monitoramento de espécies pode ser uma importante estratégia para identificar problemas iniciais no desenvolvimento de estudos antes deles se tornarem insolúveis. Através do uso da radiotelemetria em monitoramentos é possível à obtenção, processamento e transmissão de informação à distância. Adicionalmente, o método vem se tornando cada vez mais utilizado, apesar de ainda ser restrito em estudos com lagartos. O trabalho testou a aplicabilidade e o uso da radiotelemetria num estudo com lagartos utilizando como espécie modelo Salvator merianae. Devido a algumas dificuldades durante a execução do trabalho na primeira campanha, o esforço amostral teve que ser aumentando, uma nova armadilha desenvolvida e a técnica de fixação substituída. Após todas as adequações, com os dados obtidos ao longo das duas campanhas foi possível calcular 31 áreas de vida e 73 deslocamentos de indivíduos para a espécie a partir dos dados obtidos. Exclusivamente através da telemetria foram gerados 161 pontos georeferenciados para estas análises

Influência da silvicultura de pinus na área de ocupação do lagartinho-pintando Contomastix vacariensis (SQUAMATA: TEIIDAE) : uma relação entre a distância e a conservação

A invasão de plantas exóticas em ambientes naturais é uma das principais ameaças à biodiversidade. Entre as atividades humanas que mais contribuem para introdução de espécies exóticas em ambientes naturais está a silvicultura. Entender as dimensões e até onde os efeitos desta atividade podem afetar o ambiente é de grande importância para a conservação. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar se a silvicultura influencia negativamente a distribuição do lagartinho-pintado (Contomastix vacariensis). Consideramos esta espécie endêmica um ótimo modelo para responder aos efeitos negativos da plantação de exóticas. Para testarmos nossa hipótese selecionamos 69 sítios com diferentes distanciamentos da silvicultura. Utilizamos o modelo de ocupação Single-Season com abordagem bayesiana para avaliar a ocorrência da espécie nos sítios, considerando variáveis abióticas na probabilidade de detecção. Nós encontramos uma relação positiva entre o distanciamento da silvicultura e a ocupação pelo lagartinho-pintado, nossos dados evidenciam uma baixa probabilidade de ocupação pela espécie com um distanciamento inferior a 1000 m dos sítios em relação à silvicultura, e que os efeitos negativos podem atingir até 2000 m. A detecção foi influenciada pelo vento. Este é o primeiro trabalho a demonstrar um efeito gradual negativo da silvicultura de exóticas, onde ocorre com maior intensidade na área plantada e com menor intensidade conforme o distanciamento da plantação exótica.The invasion of exotic plants in natural environments is one of the main threats to biodiversity. Forestry is one of the human activities that most contribute to the introduction of exotic species in natural environments. Understanding the dimensions and extent to which the effects of this activity can affect the environment is very important for conservation. The objective of this study was to verify if the silviculture negatively affects the distribution of the painted-lizard (Contomastix vacariensis). We consider this endemic specie a great model to test the negative effects of exotic planting. To test our hypothesis we selected 69 sites with different distances from silviculture. We used the single-season occupation model with Bayesian approach to evaluate the occurrence of the species into the sites, considering abiotic variables in the probability of detection. We found a positive relationship between the distance from silviculture and the occupation of the painted-lizard. Our data show a low probability of occupation by the specie within a distance of 1000m between sites and forestry, and that the negative effects can reach up to 2000m of distance. Detection was influenced by wind. This is the first work to demonstrate a gradual negative effect of exotic forestry to biodiversity which occurs with more intensity closer to the planted area and with less intensity as far as the exotic plantation gets from the occupation site of lizards

RhoD Inhibits RhoC-ROCK-Dependent Cell Contraction via PAK6.

RhoA-mediated regulation of myosin-II activity in the actin cortex controls the ability of cells to contract and bleb during a variety of cellular processes, including cell migration and division. Cell contraction and blebbing also frequently occur as part of the cytopathic effect seen during many different viral infections. We now demonstrate that the vaccinia virus protein F11, which localizes to the plasma membrane, is required for ROCK-mediated cell contraction from 2 hr post infection. Curiously, F11-induced cell contraction is dependent on RhoC and not RhoA signaling to ROCK. Moreover, RhoC-driven cell contraction depends on the upstream inhibition of RhoD signaling by F11. This inhibition prevents RhoD from regulating its downstream effector Pak6, alleviating the suppression of RhoC by the kinase. Our observations with vaccinia have now demonstrated that RhoD recruits Pak6 to the plasma membrane to antagonize RhoC signaling during cell contraction and blebbing

Bivalve distribution in hydrographic regions in South America: historical overview and conservation

Based on literature review and malacological collections, 168 native freshwater bivalve and five invasive species have been recorded for 52 hydrographic regions in South America. The higher species richness has been detected in the South Atlantic, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Amazon Brazilian hydrographic regions. Presence or absence data were analysed by Principal Coordinate for Phylogeny-Weighted. The lineage Veneroida was more representative in hydrographic regions that are poorer in species and located West of South America. The Mycetopodidae and Hyriidae lineages were predominant in regions that are richest in species toward the East of the continent. The distribution of invasive species Limnoperna fortunei is not related to species richness in different hydrographic regions there. The species richness and its distribution patterns are closely associated with the geological history of the continent. The hydrographic regions present distinct phylogenetic and species composition regardless of the level of richness. Therefore, not only should the richness be considered to be a criterion for prioritizing areas for conservation, but also the phylogenetic diversity of communities engaged in services and functional aspects relevant to ecosystem maintenance. A plan to the management of this fauna according to particular ecological characteristics and human uses of hydrographic regions is needed.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Characterization of animal models for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)

SummaryPrimary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholangiopathy characterized by biliary fibrosis, development of cholestasis and end stage liver disease, high risk of malignancy, and frequent need for liver transplantation. The poor understanding of its pathogenesis is also reflected in the lack of effective medical treatment. Well-characterized animal models are utterly needed to develop novel pathogenetic concepts and study new treatment strategies. Currently there is no consensus on how to evaluate and characterize potential PSC models, which makes direct comparison of experimental results and effective exchange of study material between research groups difficult. The International Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Study Group (IPSCSG) has therefore summarized these key issues in a position paper proposing standard requirements for the study of animal models of PSC

They Are What You Eat: Can Nutritional Factors during Gestation and Early Infancy Modulate the Neonatal Immune Response?

The ontogeny of the human immune system is sensitive to nutrition even in the very early embryo, with both deficiency and excess of macro- and micronutrients being potentially detrimental. Neonates are particularly vulnerable to infectious disease due to the immaturity of the immune system and modulation of nutritional immunity may play a role in this sensitivity. This review examines whether nutrition around the time of conception, throughout pregnancy, and in early neonatal life may impact on the developing infant immune system

Status of the Horizon 2020 EuPRAXIA conceptual design study

The Horizon 2020 project EuPRAXIA (European Plasma Research Accelerator with eXcellence In Applications) is producing a conceptual design report for a highly compact and cost-effective European facility with multi-GeV electron beams accelerated using plasmas. EuPRAXIA will be set up as a distributed Open Innovation platform with two construction sites, one with a focus on beam-driven plasma acceleration (PWFA) and another site with a focus on laser-driven plasma acceleration (LWFA). User areas at both sites will provide access to free-electron laser pilot experiments, positron generation and acceleration, compact radiation sources, and test beams for high-energy physics detector development. Support centres in four different countries will complement the pan-European implementation of this infrastructure

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability