Targeting inflammation to reduce cardiovascular disease risk: a realistic clinical prospect?

Data from basic science experiments is overwhelmingly supportive of the causal role of immune-inflammatory response(s) at the core of atherosclerosis, and therefore the theoretical potential to manipulate the inflammatory response to prevent cardiovascular events. However, extrapolation to humans requires care and we still lack definitive evidence to show that interfering in immune-inflammatory processes may safely lessen clinical atherosclerosis. In this review, we discuss key therapeutic targets in the treatment of vascular inflammation, placing basic research in to a wider clinical perspective, as well as identifying outstanding questions

Personality and metamorphosis: Is behavioral variation consistent across ontogenetic niche shifts?

Understanding the manner by which individual differences in personality arise and are maintained in animal populations is currently a topic of considerable research interest. This is particularly the case when it comes to developmental processes and understanding how behaviors change over ontogeny. Such developmental perspectives are essential given that the vast majority of animal species possess complex life cycles or undergo some form of metamorphosis. Yet, in spite of the broad taxonomic relevance and the obvious potential importance of metamorphosis for understanding the basis of consistency in personality over ontogeny, almost no research has been done on this topic. Using the lake frog (Rana ridibunda) as a study organism, we tested whether individual-level differences in personality (activity, exploration and boldness) were consistent within both larval and juvenile frog life-history stages and across metamorphosis. We found that most behaviors of interest were highly consistent within a given life-history stage and at least some traits were consistent across metamorphosis (e.g., activity and exploration). Generally, more active, exploratory individuals in novel experimental arenas were also bolder and more likely to spend time in more risky open areas of a familiar environment. To our knowledge, our study is the first to both characterize personality traits across anuran development and provide evidence of consistency in behavior across metamorphosis in a vertebrate species. © 2012 The Author

Genes, social transmission, but not maternal effects influence responses of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) to novel-object and novel-food tests

Using long-term maternal pedigree data, microsatellite analysis, and behavioral tests, we examined whether personality differences in wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) are associated with additive genetic effects, maternal influences, or belonging to a particular social group. Behaviors elicited by novel-object tests were defined by a component related to caution around novel-objects (Ob-PC1) and behaviors elicited by novel food-tests were defined by correlated components related to consummatory responses (Fo-PC1) and caution around novel foods (Fo-PC2). The repeatability of Ob-PC1 was modest and not significant; the repeatabilities of Fo-PC1 and Fo-PC2 were moderate and significant. Linear mixed effects models found that sex, age, sex × age, provisioning, trial number, date, time of day, season, and distance to the closest monkey were not related to personality. Linear mixed effects models of females older than 2 years found that high rank was associated with greater caution around novel objects. Linear models were used to determine whether sex, age, group membership, maternal kinship, or relatedness had independent effects on the personality similarity of dyads. These analyses found that pairs of macaques that lived in the same group were less similar in their caution around novel objects, more closely related pairs of macaques were more similar in their tendency to eat novel food, and that pairs of macaques in the same group were more similar in how cautious they were around novel foods. Together, these findings suggest that personality in this population of wild monkeys was driven by rank, genetic effects, and group effects, the latter possibly including the need to exploit different niches in the environment

Air temperature, thaw depth and total organic carbon pools in the active layer from thaw slump soils in the Lena Delta, Russia measured in 2019

The dataset comprises the thaw depth, the total organic carbon pools in the active layer measured at different thaw slump soils in the Lena Delta, Siberia, Russia in July 2019

Carbon dioxide and and methane flux from thaw slump soils in the Lena Delta, Russia measured in 2016 and 2019

The dataset comprises in situ CO2 and CH4 fluxes from different non-vegetated soils in an active thaw slump in the Lena Delta, Siberia, Russia, measured in July 2019 and July 2019

Active layer temperature profiles from thaw slump soils in the Lena Delta, Russia measured in 2016

The dataset comprises the active layer temperature profiles measured at different thaw slump soils in the Lena Delta, Siberia, Russia in July 2016

Carbon dioxide and and methane flux data, temperature and thaw depth from thaw slump soils in the Lena Delta, Russia measured in 2016 and 2019

The dataset comprises in situ CO2 and CH4 fluxes, active layer depths, thawed carbon pools and soil temperatures from different non-vegetated soils in an active thaw slump in the Lena Delta, Siberia, Russia, measured in July 2016 and July 2019