Invasive rodents have multiple indirect effects on seabird island invertebrate food web structure.

Burrowing seabirds that nest on islands transfer nutrients from the sea, disturb the soil through burrowing, damage tree foliage when landing, and thereby modify the surface litter. However, seabirds are in decline worldwide, as are their community- and ecosystem-level impacts, primarily due to invasive predatory mammals. The direct and indirect effects of seabird decline on communities and ecosystems are inherently complex.

Run, hide, or fight: anti-predation strategies in endangered red-nosed cuxiú (Chiropotes albinasus, Pitheciidae) in southeastern Amazonia.

Although primate predation is rarely observed, a series of primate anti-predation strategies have been described. Energetic costs of such strategies can vary from high-cost mobbing, via less costly alarm calling, to low-cost furtive concealment. Here we report the anti-predation strategies of red-nosed cuxiú, Chiropotes albinasus, based on direct observations from four study sites in southeastern Brazilian Amazonia.

Impending extinction crisis of the world's primates: Why primates matter.

Nonhuman primates, our closest biological relatives, play important roles in the livelihoods, cultures, and religions of many societies and offer unique insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and the threat of emerging diseases. They are an essential component of tropical biodiversity, contributing to forest regeneration and ecosystem health. Current information shows the existence of 504 species in 79 genera distributed in the Neotropics, mainland Africa, Madagascar, and Asia.

Climate change and nesting behaviour in vertebrates: a review of the ecological threats and potential for adaptive responses.

Nest building is a taxonomically widespread and diverse trait that allows animals to alter local environments to create optimal conditions for offspring development. However, there is growing evidence that climate change is adversely affecting nest-building in animals directly, for example via sea-level rises that flood nests, reduced availability of building materials, and suboptimal sex allocation in species exhibiting temperature-dependent sex determination. Climate change is also affecting nesting species indirectly, via range shifts into suboptimal nesting areas, reduced quality of nest-building environments, and changes in interactions with nest predators and parasites.

Comparing machine learning and logistic regression methods for predicting hypertension using a combination of gene expression and next-generation sequencing data.

Machine learning methods continue to show promise in the analysis of data from genetic association studies because of the high number of variables relative to the number of observations. However, few best practices exist for the application of these methods. We extend a recently proposed supervised machine learning approach for predicting disease risk by genotypes to be able to incorporate gene expression data and rare variants.

Stress-induced eating in women with binge-eating disorder and obesity.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate stress-induced eating in women with binge-eating disorder (BED) and obesity. Three groups of women [obese with BED (n=9); obese non-BED (n=11); and normal weight (NW) non-BED (n=12)], rated their levels of hunger and psychological distress before and after completing the Trier Social Stress Test, followed by food anticipation and then consumption of their preferred snack food. We differentiated between the motivational and hedonic components of eating by measuring the amount of food participants poured into a serving bowl compared to the amount consumed.

Influenza Virus Overcomes Cellular Blocks To Productively Replicate, Impacting Macrophage Function.

Whether influenza virus replication in macrophages is productive or abortive has been a topic of debate. Utilizing a panel of 28 distinct human, avian, and swine influenza viruses, we found that only a small subset can overcome cellular blocks to productively replicate in murine and primary human macrophages. Murine macrophages have two cellular blocks.

Can multi-slice or navigator-gated R2* MRI replace single-slice breath-hold acquisition for hepatic iron quantification?

Background: Liver R2* values calculated from multi-gradient echo (mGRE) magnetic resonance images (MRI) are strongly correlated with hepatic iron concentration (HIC) as shown in several independently derived biopsy calibration studies. These calibrations were established for axial single-slice breath-hold imaging at the location of the portal vein. Scanning in multi-slice mode makes the exam more efficient, since whole-liver coverage can be achieved with two breath-holds and the optimal slice can be selected afterward.

Prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites is positively related to the abundance of host species at multiple sites within a region.

Parasite prevalence is thought to be positively related to host population density owing to enhanced contagion. However, the relationship between prevalence and local abundance of multiple host species is underexplored. We surveyed birds and their haemosporidian parasites (genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) at multiple sites across eastern North America to test whether the prevalence of these parasites in a host species at a particular site is related to that host's local abundance.

Patterns of Transcript Abundance of Eukaryotic Biogeochemically-Relevant Genes in the Amazon River Plume.

The Amazon River has the largest discharge of all rivers on Earth, and its complex plume system fuels a wide array of biogeochemical processes, across a large area of the western tropical North Atlantic. The plume thus stimulates microbial processes affecting carbon sequestration and nutrient cycles at a global scale. Chromosomal gene expression patterns of the 2.

Members of the Hsp70 Family Recognize Distinct Types of Sequences to Execute ER Quality Control.

Protein maturation in the endoplasmic reticulum is controlled by multiple chaperones, but how they recognize and determine the fate of their clients remains unclear. We developed an in vivo peptide library covering substrates of the ER Hsp70 system: BiP, Grp170, and three of BiP's DnaJ-family co-factors (ERdj3, ERdj4, and ERdj5). In vivo binding studies revealed that sites for pro-folding chaperones BiP and ERdj3 were frequent and dispersed throughout the clients, whereas Grp170, ERdj4, and ERdj5 specifically recognized a distinct type of rarer sequence with a high predicted aggregation potential.

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh sh!t: Semantics versus tabooness in speech production.

While both semantic and highly emotional (i.e., taboo) words can interfere with speech production, different theoretical mechanisms have been proposed to explain why interference occurs.

Characterizing Floral Symmetry in the Core Goodeniaceae with Geometric Morphometrics.

Core Goodeniaceae is a clade of ~330 species primarily distributed in Australia. Considerable variation in flower morphology exists within this group and we aim to use geometric morphometrics to characterize this variation across the two major subclades: Scaevola sensu lato (s.l.

Dataset for phenotypic classification of genetic modifiers of smoothened and Hedgehog.

This data article includes supporting information for the research article entitled "The Small GTPase Rap1 is a Modulator of Hedgehog Signaling" [1]. Drosophila wing phenotypes induced by expression of a dominant negative Smoothened (Smo) mutant were cataloged into five distinct classes. Class distributions observed following expression of dominant negative Smo in control and sensitized backgrounds were quantified to serve as references for strength of phenotypic modification.

Subchorionic hematomas are increased in early pregnancy in women taking low-dose aspirin.

Objective: To determine the frequency of subchorionic hematomas (SCH) in first-trimester ultrasound examinations of patients with infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and in patients from a general obstetric population. To determine if the method of assisted reproduction utilized or the use of anticoagulants, such as heparin and aspirin (ASA), influenced frequency of SCH.

Design: Prospective, cohort study.

Apoptosis-Inducing-Factor-Dependent Mitochondrial Function Is Required for T Cell but Not B Cell Function.

The role of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in promoting cell death versus survival remains controversial. We report that the loss of AIF in fibroblasts led to mitochondrial electron transport chain defects and loss of proliferation that could be restored by ectopic expression of the yeast NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1. Aif-deficiency in T cells led to decreased peripheral T cell numbers and defective homeostatic proliferation, but thymic T cell development was unaffected.

The Mouse Universal Genotyping Array: From Substrains to Subspecies.

Genotyping microarrays are an important resource for genetic mapping, population genetics, and monitoring of the genetic integrity of laboratory stocks. We have developed the third generation of the Mouse Universal Genotyping Array (MUGA) series, GigaMUGA, a 143,259-probe Illumina Infinium II array for the house mouse (Mus musculus). The bulk of the content of GigaMUGA is optimized for genetic mapping in the Collaborative Cross and Diversity Outbred populations, and for substrain-level identification of laboratory mice.

Type I Interferon Response Limits Astrovirus Replication and Protects against Increased Barrier Permeability In Vitro and In Vivo.

Unlabelled: Little is known about intrinsic epithelial cell responses against astrovirus infection. Here we show that human astrovirus type 1 (HAstV-1) infection induces type I interferon (beta interferon [IFN-β]) production in differentiated Caco2 cells, which not only inhibits viral replication by blocking positive-strand viral RNA and capsid protein synthesis but also protects against HAstV-1-increased barrier permeability. Excitingly, we found similar results in vivo using a murine astrovirus (MuAstV) model, providing new evidence that virus-induced type I IFNs may protect against astrovirus replication and pathogenesis in vivo.

Habitat and Vegetation Variables Are Not Enough When Predicting Tick Populations in the Southeastern United States.

Two tick-borne diseases with expanding case and vector distributions are ehrlichiosis (transmitted by Amblyomma americanum) and rickettiosis (transmitted by A. maculatum and Dermacentor variabilis). There is a critical need to identify the specific habitats where each of these species is likely to be encountered to classify and pinpoint risk areas.

The Association of Low Parental Monitoring With Early Substance Use in European American and African American Adolescent Girls.

Objective: Research indicates that low parental monitoring increases the risk for early substance use. Because low parental monitoring tends to co-occur with other familial and neighborhood factors, the specificity of the association is challenging to establish. Using logistic regression and propensity score analyses, we examined associations between low parental monitoring and early substance use in European American (EA) and African American (AA) girls, controlling for risk factors associated with low parental monitoring.

Assessment of Flooring Renovations on African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Behavior and Glucocorticoid Response.

Captive African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants can experience foot pathologies and arthritis. As a preventative measure against these pathologies and to alleviate the potential discomfort due to concrete substrates, some zoological institutions have renovated elephant housing to increase the amount of natural or shock-absorbent substrates. The objective of this study was to compare behavioral (diurnal and nocturnal) and glucorticoid (e.

Effect of intervening tissues on ultrasonic backscatter measurements of bone: An in vitro study.

Ultrasonic backscatter techniques are being developed to diagnose osteoporosis. Tissues that lie between the transducer and the ultrasonically interrogated region of bone may produce errors in backscatter measurements. The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of intervening tissues on ultrasonic backscatter measurements of bone.

The small GTPase Rap1 is a modulator of Hedgehog signaling.

During development, the evolutionarily conserved Hedgehog (Hh) morphogen provides instructional cues that influence cell fate, cell affinity and tissue morphogenesis. To do so, the Hh signaling cascade must coordinate its activity with other morphogenetic signals. This can occur through engagement of or response to effectors that do not typically function as core Hh pathway components.