Greater effort increases perceived value in an invertebrate.

Expending effort is generally considered to be undesirable. However, both humans and vertebrates will work for a reward they could also get for free. Moreover, cues associated with high-effort rewards are preferred to low-effort associated cues.

Epimerisation of chiral hydroxylactones by short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases accounts for sex pheromone evolution in Nasonia.

Males of all species of the parasitic wasp genus Nasonia use (4R,5S)-5-hydroxy-4-decanolide (RS) as component of their sex pheromone while only N. vitripennis (Nv), employs additionally (4R,5R)-5-hydroxy-4-decanolide (RR). Three genes coding for the NAD-dependent short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) NV10127, NV10128, and NV10129 are linked to the ability of Nv to produce RR.

An insect with a delta-12 desaturase, the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis, benefits from nutritional supply with linoleic acid.

The availability of linoleic acid (LA; C18:2(∆9,12)) is pivotal for animals. While vertebrates depend on a nutritional supply, some invertebrates, including the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis, are able to synthesize LA from oleic acid (OA; C18:1(∆9)). This raises the question as to whether these animals nevertheless benefit from the additional uptake of LA with the diet.

Linear regression calibration: theoretical framework and empirical results in EPIC, Germany.

Large scale dietary assessment instruments are usually based on the food frequency technique and have therefore to be tailored to the involved populations with respect to mode of application and inquired food items. In multicenter studies with different populations, the direct comparability of dietary data is therefore a challenge because each local dietary assessment tool might have its specific measurement error. Thus, for risk analysis the direct use of dietary measurements across centers requires a common reference.