Collective Motion as an Ultimate Effect in Crowded Selfish Herds.

The selfish herd hypothesis explains how social prey can assemble cohesive groups for maximising individual fitness. However, previous models often abstracted away the physical manifestation of the focal animals such that the influence of getting stuck in a crowded herd on individual adaptation was less intensively investigated. Here, we propose an evolutionary model to simulate the adaptation of egoistic social prey to predation given that individual mobility is strictly restrained by the presence of other conspecifics.

Site and mechanism of uncoupling of nitric-oxide synthase: Uncoupling by monomerization and other misconceptions.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the transformation of l-arginine, molecular oxygen (O), and NADPH-derived electrons to nitric oxide (NO) and l-citrulline. Under some conditions, however, NOS catalyzes the reduction of O to superoxide (O) instead, a phenomenon that is generally referred to as uncoupling. In principle, both the heme in the oxygenase domain and the flavins in the reductase domain could catalyze O formation.

Why we should be reading Vittorio Benussi.

Reviews the book, by Mauro Antonelli (2018). Mauro Antonelli is Professor of the History of Science and Technology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Milano-Bicocca as well as lecturer in Philosophy at the Alexius Meinong Institute of the Karl-Franzens-University of Graz. His new book, , treats of the life and work of the Austrian-Italian psychologist Vittorio Benussi.

Robots mediating interactions between animals for interspecies collective behaviors.

Self-organized collective behavior has been analyzed in diverse types of gregarious animals. Such collective intelligence emerges from the synergy between individuals, which behave at their own time and spatial scales and without global rules. Recently, robots have been developed to collaborate with animal groups in the pursuit of better understanding their decision-making processes.

Magnolol induces cell death through PI3K/Akt-mediated epigenetic modifications boosting treatment of BRAF- and NRAS-mutant melanoma.

Most BRAF-mutant melanoma patients experience a fulminate relapse after several months of treatment with BRAF/MEK inhibitors. To improve therapeutic efficacy, natural plant-derived compounds might be considered as potent additives. Here, we show that magnolol, a constituent of Magnolia officinalis, induced G1 arrest, apoptosis and cell death in BRAF- and NRAS-mutant melanoma cells at low concentration, with no effect in BRAF- and NRAS wild-type melanoma cells and human keratinocytes.

Phylogenetic relationships of rock-inhabiting black fungi belonging to the widespread genera Lichenothelia and Saxomyces.

Rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF) are adapted to thrive in oligotrophic environments and to survive under conditions of abiotic stress. Under these circumstances, they form biocoenoses with other tolerant organisms, such as lichens, or with less specific phototrophic consortia of aerial algae or cyanobacteria. RIF are phylogenetically diverse, and their plastic morphological characters hamper the straightforward species delimitation of many taxa.

Sperm maturation and male tactic-specific differences in ejaculates in the plainfin midshipman fish Porichthys notatus.

Using the plainfin midshipman fish Porichthys notatus, a species with alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), we investigated how sperm maturation shapes sperm competitive abilities. We compared sperm performance and morphology before and after final sperm maturation by sampling sperm from the testes and stripped ejaculates of guarders and sneakers. In accordance with sperm competition risk theory, ejaculates from sneaker males had three times as much sperm as ejaculates from guarder males and sneaker males produced faster swimming sperm than guarder males, but this was only the case after final sperm maturation had occurred.

Body image disturbances, fear and associations with the amygdala in anorexia nervosa.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe illness with a high mortality rate which mainly affects young women. Studies found a localized volume loss of the amygdala in patients with AN, a brain region responsible for affective responses. Patients with AN were found to have body image distortions, and suffer from the comorbid disorders depression, anxiety disorder, and obsession.

Risk of extrapelvine vascular injuries in osteosynthesis with gliding hip screws.

Background: Dynamic hip screw (DHS) osteosynthesis represents one of the most frequently performed fixation methods in orthopedic practice. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential risk of vascular damage by DHS side-plate screws (PS) and plunging instruments for individual femoral vessels and screw positions.

Methods: In ten hemipelvic/leg specimens mounted with a large femur distractor, a DHS system with a four-hole side-plate was inserted.

Integral feedback control is at the core of task allocation and resilience of insect societies.

Homeostatic self-regulation is a fundamental aspect of open dissipative systems. Integral feedback has been found to be important for homeostatic control on both the cellular and molecular levels of biological organization and in engineered systems. Analyzing the task allocation mechanisms of three insect societies, we identified a model of integral control residing at colony level.

Autonomously shaping natural climbing plants: a bio-hybrid approach.

Plant growth is a self-organized process incorporating distributed sensing, internal communication and morphology dynamics. We develop a distributed mechatronic system that autonomously interacts with natural climbing plants, steering their behaviours to grow user-defined shapes and patterns. Investigating this bio-hybrid system paves the way towards the development of living adaptive structures and grown building components.

MicroRNA-142-3p improves vascular relaxation in uremia.

Background And Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is strongly associated with a high burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the putative role of microRNAs (miR)s in uremic vascular remodelling and endothelial dysfunction.

Methods: We investigated the expression pattern of miRs in two independent end-stage renal disease (ESRD) cohorts and in the animal model of uremic DBA/2 mice via quantitative RT-PCR.

Host shift induces changes in mate choice of the seed predator Acanthoscelides obtectus via altered chemical signalling.

The mechanisms of host shift in phytophagous insects are poorly understood. Among the many proposed processes involved, sexual selection via semiochemicals has recently been suggested. This hypothesizes that sexual communication using pheromones is modified as a result of development on a new host, and such plant-induced phenotypic divergence in mate recognition cues can lead to reproductive isolation between host lines.

Therapeutic strategies to target microbial protein-glycosaminoglycan interactions.

Glycans are involved in a plethora of human pathologies including infectious diseases. Especially, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), like heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, have been found to be involved in different crucial stages of microbial invasion. Here, we review various therapeutic approaches, which target the interface of host GAGs and microbial proteins and discuss their limitations and challenges for drug development.

Leaves of Indoor Ornamentals Are Biodiversity and Functional Hotspots for Fungi.

Leaf-inhabiting fungi are an important, but often overlooked component of molecular biodiversity studies. To understand their diversity and function in relation to plant species and climate, the phyllospheres of 14 phylogenetically diverse ornamental plant species were analyzed under different controlled greenhouse conditions. We found unexpectedly high fungal diversity (H' = 2.

Fieber's unpublished colour plates allow reassessing some of his Cixius species (Insecta: Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Cixiidae).

Franz Xaver Fieber was a leading Hemiptera taxonomist in the 19th century. The recent discovery of his unpublished drawings that go along with the original handwritten manuscript allow a reassessment of species descriptions from this century. In addition, we present an alphabet of Fieber's handwriting.

Extended use of the modified Berlin Definition based on age-related subgroup analysis in pediatric ARDS.

Background: Pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (pARDS) is a rare but very severe condition. Management of the condition remains a major challenge for pediatric intensive care specialists.

Objective: To perform a descriptive assessment of pARDS based on the modified Berlin Definition by using the SpO/FiO ratio in order to establish an extended patient registry divided into age-related subgroups.

New MRI contrast agents based on silicon nanotubes loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles.

This article describes the preparation and fundamental properties of a new possible material as a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent based on the incorporation of preformed iron oxide (FeO) nanocrystals into hollow silicon nanotubes (Si NTs). Specifically, superparamagnetic FeO nanoparticles of two different average sizes (5 nm and 8 nm) were loaded into Si NTs of two different shell thicknesses (40 nm and 70 nm). To achieve proper aqueous solubility, the NTs were functionalized with an outer polyethylene glycol-diacid (600) moiety via an aminopropyl linkage.

Synthesis and characterization of the thermally reduced graphene oxide in argon atmosphere, and its application to construct graphene paste electrode as a naptalam electrochemical sensor.

New insight into the preparation of sensitive carbon-based electrochemical electrode is provided by examining the properties of thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO). In this paper, TRGO was prepared by thermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) in argon atmosphere, and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results showed that thermal reduction in argon was effective to remove oxygen-containing functional groups in GO, and graphene sheets were obtained.

Behavioural and neural responses to aversive visceral stimuli in women with primary dysmenorrhoea.

Background: Chronic pelvic pain, in particular dysmenorrhoea, is a significant yet unresolved healthcare problem in gynaecology. As interoceptive sensitivity and underlying neural mechanisms remain incompletely understood, this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study assessed behavioural and neural responses to visceral stimuli in primary dysmenorrhoea (PMD).

Methods: Women with PMD (N = 19) without psychological comorbidity and healthy women (N = 20) were compared with respect to visceral sensory and pain thresholds, and to neural responses to individually calibrated mildly painful and painful rectal distensions implemented during scanning.

Influence of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 6 on non-small cell lung cancer development and progression.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Dysregulation of protein synthesis plays a major role in carcinogenesis, a process regulated at multiple levels, including translation of mRNA into proteins. Ribosome assembly requires correct association of ribosome subunits, which is ensured by eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIFs).

EEG Neurofeedback Is Under Strong Control of Psychosocial Factors.

Recently, a deep impact of psychosocial effects on the outcomes of neurofeedback training was suggested. Previous findings point out an association between locus of control in dealing with technology and the individual ability to up-regulate the sensorimotor rhythm (12-15 Hz) in the EEG. Since the antecedents of locus of control in dealing with technology differ between males and females, we have investigated the effect of sex of participant and experimenter on the outcomes of neurofeedback training.

Progesterone-associated arginine decline at luteal phase of menstrual cycle and associations with related amino acids and nuclear factor kB activation.

Background/objectives: Given their role in female reproduction, the effects of progesterone on arginine and related amino acids, polyamines and NF-κB p65 activation were studied across the menstrual cycle.

Methods: Arginine, ornithine and citrulline as well as putrescine, spermidine, spermine, and N-acetyl-putrescine were determined in plasma, NF-κB p65 activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and progesterone in serum of 28 women at early (T1) and late follicular (T2) and mid (T3) and late (T4) luteal phase.

Results: Arginine and related amino acids declined from T1 and T2 to T3 and T4, while progesterone increased.

First reported implementation of a German-language progress test in an undergraduate dental curriculum: A prospective study.

Introduction: Progress testing is a special form of longitudinal and feedback-oriented assessment. Even though well established in human medical curricula, this is not the case in dental education. The aim was the prospective development and implementation of the first reported German-language Dental Progress Test (DPT) for the undergraduate dental curriculum at the Medical University of Graz, Austria.