Genotype & phenotype in Lowe Syndrome: specific OCRL1 patient mutations differentially impact cellular phenotypes.

Lowe Syndrome (LS) is a lethal genetic disorder caused by mutations in the OCRL1 gene which encodes the lipid 5' phosphatase Ocrl1. Patients exhibit a characteristic triad of symptoms including eye, brain and kidney abnormalities with renal failure as the most common cause of premature death. Over 200 OCRL1 mutations have been identified in LS, but their specific impact on cellular processes is unknown. Despite observations of heterogeneity in patient symptom severity, there is little understanding of the correlation between genotype and its impact on phenotype. Here, we show that different mutations had diverse effects on protein localization and on triggering LS cellular phenotypes. In addition, some mutations affecting specific domains imparted unique characteristics to the resulting mutated protein. We also propose that certain mutations conformationally affect the 5'-phosphatase domain of the protein, resulting in loss of enzymatic activity and causing common and specific phenotypes (a conformational disease scenario). This study is the first to show the differential effect of patient 5'-phosphatase mutations on cellular phenotypes and introduces a conformational disease component in LS. This work provides a framework that explains symptom heterogeneity and can help stratify patients as well as to produce a more accurate prognosis depending on the nature and location of the mutation within the OCRL1 gene.

Lowe syndrome patient cells display mTOR- and RhoGTPase-dependent phenotypes alleviated by rapamycin and statins.

Lowe syndrome (LS) is an X-linked developmental disease characterized by cognitive deficiencies, bilateral congenital cataracts and renal dysfunction. Unfortunately, this disease leads to the early death of affected children often due to kidney failure. Although this condition was first described in the early 1950s and the affected gene (OCRL1) was identified in the early 1990s, its pathophysiological mechanism is not fully understood and there is no LS-specific cure available to patients. Here we report two important signaling pathways affected in LS patient cells. While RhoGTPase signaling abnormalities led to adhesion and spreading defects as compared to normal controls, PI3K/mTOR hyperactivation interfered with primary cilia assembly (scenario also observed in other ciliopathies with compromised kidney function). Importantly, we identified two FDA-approved drugs able to ameliorate these phenotypes. Specifically, statins mitigated adhesion and spreading abnormalities while rapamycin facilitated ciliogenesis in LS patient cells. However, no single drug was able to alleviate both phenotypes. Based on these and other observations, we speculate that Ocrl1 has dual, independent functions supporting proper RhoGTPase and PI3K/mTOR signaling. Therefore, this study suggest that Ocrl1-deficiency leads to signaling defects likely to require combinatorial drug treatment to suppress patient phenotypes and symptoms.

The Na+ pump Ena1 is a yeast epsin-specific cargo requiring its ubiquitylation and phosphorylation sites for internalization.

It is well known that in addition to its classical role in protein turnover, ubiquitylation is required for a variety of membrane protein sorting events. However, and despite substantial progress in the field, a long-standing question remains: given that all ubiquitin units are identical, how do different elements of the sorting machinery recognize their specific cargoes? Our results indicate that the yeast Na+ pump Ena1 is an epsin (Ent1 and Ent2 in yeast)-specific cargo and that its internalization requires K1090, which likely undergoes Art3-dependent ubiquitylation. In addition, an Ena1 serine and threonine (ST)-rich patch, proposed to be targeted for phosphorylation by casein kinases, was also required for its uptake. Interestingly, our data suggest that this phosphorylation was not needed for cargo ubiquitylation. Furthermore, epsin-mediated internalization of Ena1 required a specific spatial organization of the ST patch with respect to K1090 within the cytoplasmic tail of the pump. We hypothesize that ubiquitylation and phosphorylation of Ena1 are required for epsin-mediated internalization.

Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Clones from Wild Chimpanzees and Termites in Senegal.

Antibiotic resistance genes exist naturally in various environments far from human usage. Here, we investigated multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, a common pathogen of chimpanzees and humans. We screened antibiotic-resistant K. pneumoniae from 48 chimpanzee stools and 38 termite mounds (n = 415 samples) collected in protected areas in Senegal. The microsatellite method was used to identify chimpanzee individuals (n = 13). Whole-genome sequencing was performed on K. pneumoniae complex isolates to identify antibiotic-resistant genes and characterize clones. We found a high prevalence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae among chimpanzee isolates (18/48 samples from 7/13 individuals) and ceftriaxone resistance among both chimpanzee individuals (19/48) and termite mounds (7/415 termites and 3/38 termite mounds). The blaOXA-48 and the blaKPC-2 genes were carried by international pOXA-48 and pKPC-2 plasmids, respectively. The ESBL plasmid carried blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1B, and blaOXA-1 genes. Genome sequencing of 56 isolates identified two major clones associated with hospital-acquired infections of K. pneumoniae (ST307 and ST147) in chimpanzees and termites, suggesting circulation of strains between the two species, as chimpanzees feed on termites. The source and selection pressure of these clones in this environment need to be explored.

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in savanna landscapes.

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are the only great apes that inhabit hot, dry, and open savannas. We review the environmental pressures of savannas on chimpanzees, such as food and water scarcity, and the evidence for chimpanzees' behavioral responses to these landscapes. In our analysis, savannas were generally associated with low chimpanzee population densities and large home ranges. In addition, thermoregulatory behaviors that likely reduce hyperthermia risk, such as cave use, were frequently observed in the hottest and driest savanna landscapes. We hypothesize that such responses are evidence of a "savanna landscape effect" in chimpanzees and offer pathways for future research to understand its evolutionary processes and mechanisms. We conclude by discussing the significance of research on savanna chimpanzees to modeling the evolution of early hominin traits and informing conservation programs for these endangered apes.

Open-access platform to synthesize knowledge of ape conservation across sites.

Despite the large body of literature on ape conservation, much of the data needed for evidence-based conservation decision-making is still not readily accessible and standardized, rendering cross-site comparison difficult. To support knowledge synthesis and to complement the IUCN SSC Ape Populations, Environments and Surveys database, we created the A.P.E.S. Wiki (https://apeswiki.eva.mpg.de), an open-access platform providing site-level information on ape conservation status and context. The aim of this Wiki is to provide information and data about geographical ape locations, to curate information on individuals and organizations active in ape research and conservation, and to act as a tool to support collaboration between conservation practitioners, scientists, and other stakeholders. To illustrate the process and benefits of knowledge synthesis, we used the momentum of the update of the conservation action plan for western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and began with this critically endangered taxon. First, we gathered information on 59 sites in West Africa from scientific publications, reports, and online sources. Information was compiled in a standardized format and can thus be summarized using a web scraping approach. We then asked experts working at those sites to review and complement the information (20 sites have been reviewed to date). We demonstrate the utility of the information available through the Wiki, for example, for studying species distribution. Importantly, as an open-access platform and based on the well-known wiki layout, the A.P.E.S. Wiki can contribute to direct and interactive information sharing and promote the efforts invested by the ape research and conservation community. The Section on Great Apes and the Section on Small Apes of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group will guide and support the expansion of the platform to all small and great ape taxa. Similar collaborative efforts can contribute to extending knowledge synthesis to all nonhuman primate species.

Mapping the periapex anatomical pattern of teeth involved in sodium hypochlorite accidents: a cross-sectional quasi-experimental study.

AIM: To determine the anatomical reasons for sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) accidents by testing whether this mishap is likely to occur in cases where the anatomical apex of the teeth fenestrates the overlying buccal cortical alveolar bone, allowing NaOCl to gain direct access to buccal soft tissues. METHODOLOGY: Following a cross-sectional, nonrandomized design, 13 patients who suffered unintentional NaOCl accidents whilst undergoing root canal treatment were included. After remission of symptoms, the root canals were fully irrigated with an innocuous radiopaque solution (saline diluted Claritrast 300) and subsequently CBCT scanned to create a 3D-map of the periapex and tracking of the irrigant pathway throughout the periapical tissues. An extra group of five control patients, who underwent root canal treatment with no NaOCl accident, was also CBCT-scanned after irrigation with the tracking radiopaque solution. The anatomical relationship of the cortical bone and the root apex, as well as the distribution of irrigation solution in the periapical tissue, was associated with patients undergoing a NaOCl accident or not, using a Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The frequency of teeth with apical cortical fenestration was significantly higher in the NaOCl accident-positive group, compared to the negative (P < 0.001). All 13 accident-positive patients had an anatomical apex in direct contact with the buccal soft tissue via fenestration of the overlying cortical bone and direct contact of the foramen with the soft tissues. The radiopaque solution was distributed in the soft tissue in these cases. In contrast, accident-negative patients had no fenestration of the buccal cortical bone and the anatomical root apex was within the cancellous bone or within a bone-confined periapical lesion. The radiopaque solution was also found in the cancellous bone or the periapical lesion, but patients had no manifestations of a NaOCl accident. CONCLUSION: This quasi-experimental cross-sectional clinical study suggests that, in addition to the presence of the extruded NaOCl solution, a patent foramen that fenestrates the cortical bone merging into the mucosal tissue might constitute a risk for the clinical manifestation of a NaOCl accident. Preoperative 3D scans aid in anticipating when an accident is likely to occur.

Bacterial Infections in Humans and Nonhuman Primates from Africa: Expanding the Knowledge.

The close phylogenetic relationship between humans and other primates creates exceptionally high potential for pathogen exchange. The surveillance of pathogens in primates plays an important role in anticipating possible outbreaks. In this study, we conducted a molecular investigation of pathogenic bacteria in feces from African nonhuman primates (NHPs). We also investigated the pathogens shared by the human population and gorillas living in the same territory in the Republic of Congo. In total, 93% of NHPs (n=176) and 95% (n=38) of humans were found to carry at least one bacterium. Non-pallidum Treponema spp. (including T. succinifaciens, T. berlinense, and several potential new species) were recovered from stools of 70% of great apes, 88% of monkeys, and 79% of humans. Non-tuberculosis Mycobacterium spp. were also common in almost all NHP species as well as in humans. In addition, Acinetobacter spp., members of the primate gut microbiota, were mainly prevalent in human and gorilla. Pathogenic Leptospira spp. were highly present in humans (82%) and gorillas (66%) stool samples in Congo, but were absent in the other NHPs, therefore suggesting a possible gorillas-humans exchange. Particular attention will be necessary for enteropathogenic bacteria detected in humans such as Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella spp. (including S. typhi/paratyphi), Staphyloccocus aureus, and Tropheryma whipplei, some of which were also present in gorillas in the same territory (S. aureus and T. whipplei). This study enhances our knowledge of pathogenic bacteria that threaten African NHPs and humans by using a non-invasive sampling technique. Contact between humans and NHPs results in an exchange of pathogens. Ongoing surveillance, prevention, and treatment strategies alone will limit the spread of these infectious agents.

Evaporation and Electrowetting of Sessile Droplets on Slippery Liquid-Like Surfaces and Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS).

Sessile droplet evaporation underpins a wide range of applications from inkjet printing to coating. However, drying times can be variable and contact-line pinning often leads to undesirable effects, such as ring stain formation. Here, we show voltage programmable control of contact angles during evaporation on two pinning-free surfaces. We use an electrowetting-on-dielectric approach and Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous (SLIP) and Slippery Omniphobic Covalently Attached Liquid-Like (SOCAL) surfaces to achieve a constant contact angle mode of evaporation. We report evaporation sequences and droplet lifetimes across a broad range of contact angles from 105°-67°. The values of the contact angles during evaporation are consistent with expectations from electrowetting and the Young-Lippman equation. The droplet contact areas reduce linearly in time, and this provides estimates of diffusion coefficients close to the expected literature value. We further find that the total time of evaporation over the broad contact angle range studied is only weakly dependent on the value of the contact angle. We conclude that on these types of slippery surfaces, droplet lifetimes can be predicted and controlled by the droplet's volume and physical properties (density, diffusion coefficient, and vapor concentration difference to the vapor phase) largely independent of the precise value of contact angle. These results are relevant to applications, such as printing, spraying, coating, and other processes, where controlling droplet evaporation and drying is important.

Morphological and molecular characterization of an enigmatic clinostomid trematode (Digenea: Clinostomidae) parasitic as metacercariae in the body cavity of freshwater fishes (Cichlidae) across Middle America.

The family Clinostomidae Lühe, 1901 contains 29 species allocated to seven genera, of which Clinostomum Leidy, 1856 is the most diverse, with c. 14 valid species. The diversity of Clinostomum has been assessed, combining morphological and molecular data. The genetic library for species in this genus has increased steadily, although there is little or no information for the other genera included in the family. Molecular phylogenetic relationships among the genera of clinostomids have not been assessed, and their classification is still based on morphological traits. The monotypic Ithyoclinostomum was described from a fish-eating bird in Brazil, and its metacercariae have been found in several locations in South America, parasitizing erythrinid freshwater fishes. We collected unusually large metacercariae from the body cavity of cichlids in several locations across Middle America. These metacercariae exhibited some resemblance to Ithyoclinostomum, although several differences prevent their inclusion in Ithyoclinostomum dimorphum, casting doubt on their taxonomic identification. The main objective of this paper was to characterize the metacercariae collected in cichlids using both morphology and molecular data from three molecular markers, and to assess the molecular phylogenetic relationships among the genera of Clinostomidae to establish the position of the newly generated sequences. We took a conservative position and tentatively placed the metacercariae as belonging to Ithyoclinostomum.

Population genetic structure and evolutionary history of Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in the southern Ethiopian Highlands.

BACKGROUND: Species with a restricted geographic distribution, and highly specialized habitat and dietary requirements, are particularly vulnerable to extinction. The Bale monkey (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) is a little-known arboreal, bamboo-specialist primate endemic to the southern Ethiopian Highlands. While most Bale monkeys inhabit montane forests dominated by bamboo, some occupy forest fragments where bamboo is much less abundant. We used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences to analyse the genetic structure and evolutionary history of Bale monkeys covering the majority of their remaining distribution range. We analysed 119 faecal samples from their two main habitats, continuous forest (CF) and fragmented forests (FF), and sequenced 735 bp of the hypervariable region I (HVI) of the control region. We added 12 orthologous sequences from congeneric vervets (C. pygerythrus) and grivets (C. aethiops) as well as animals identified as hybrids, previously collected in southern Ethiopia. RESULTS: We found strong genetic differentiation (with no shared mtDNA haplotypes) between Bale monkey populations from CF and FF. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two distinct and highly diverged clades: a Bale monkey clade containing only Bale monkeys from CF and a green monkey clade where Bale monkeys from FF cluster with grivets and vervets. Analyses of demographic history revealed that Bale monkey populations (CF and FF) have had stable population sizes over an extended period, but have all recently experienced population declines. CONCLUSIONS: The pronounced genetic structure and deep mtDNA divergence between Bale monkey populations inhabiting CF and FF are likely to be the results of hybridization and introgression of the FF population with parapatric Chlorocebus species, in contrast to the CF population, which was most likely not impacted by hybridization. Hybridization in the FF population was probably enhanced by an alteration of the bamboo forest habitat towards a more open woodland habitat, which enabled the parapatric Chlorocebus species to invade the Bale monkey's range and introgress the FF population. We therefore propose that the CF and FF Bale monkey populations should be managed as separate units when developing conservation strategies for this threatened species.

Dietary flexibility of Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in southern Ethiopia: effects of habitat degradation and life in fragments.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the effects of habitat modification on the feeding strategies of threatened species is essential to designing effective conservation management plans. Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) are endemic to the rapidly shrinking montane forests of the southern Ethiopian Highlands. Most populations inhabit continuous bamboo forest subsisting largely on the young leaves and shoots of a single species of bamboo. Because of habitat disturbance in recent decades, however, there are now also several dozen small populations inhabiting isolated forest fragments where bamboo has been degraded. During 12-months, we assessed Bale monkey responses to habitat degradation by comparing habitat composition, phenological patterns, and feeding ecology in a largely undisturbed continuous forest (Continuous groups A and B) and in two fragments (Patchy and Hilltop groups). RESULTS: We found that habitat quality and food availability were much lower in fragments than in continuous forest. In response to the relative scarcity of bamboo in fragments, Bale monkeys spent significantly less time feeding on the young leaves and shoots of bamboo and significantly more time feeding on non-bamboo young leaves, fruits, seeds, stems, petioles, and insects in fragments than in continuous forest. Groups in fragments also broadened their diets to incorporate many more plant species (Patchy: ≥ 47 and Hilltop: ≥ 35 species)-including several forbs, graminoids and cultivated crops-than groups in continuous forest (Continuous A: 12 and Continuous B: 8 species). Nevertheless, bamboo was still the top food species for Patchy group (30% of diet) as well as for both continuous forest groups (mean = 81%). However, in Hilltop group, for which bamboo was especially scarce, Bothriochloa radicans (Poaceae), a grass, was the top dietary species (15% of diet) and bamboo ranked 10th (2%). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that Bale monkeys are more dietarily flexible than previously thought and able to cope with some degradation of their primary bamboo forest habitat. However, crop raiding and other terrestrial foraging habits more common among fragment groups may place them at greater risk of hunting by humans. Thus, longitudinal monitoring is necessary to evaluate the long-term viability of Bale monkey populations in fragmented habitats.

Flexibility in positional behavior, strata use, and substrate utilization among Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis) in response to habitat fragmentation and degradation.

Studies of the effects of habitat fragmentation and degradation on primate positional behavior, strata use, and substrate utilization offer valuable insights into the behavioral and ecological flexibility of primates whose habitats have undergone extensive anthropogenic disturbance. In this study, we evaluated how positional behavior, strata use, and substrate utilization differed between Bale monkeys (Chlorocebus djamdjamensis)-bamboo-eating cercopithecids endemic to the southern Ethiopian Highlands-occupying continuous versus fragmented forests. Bale monkeys in forest fragments (where bamboo had been degraded or eradicated) spent significantly more time on the ground and in understory strata whereas those in continuous forest spent significantly more time in the middle and upper strata. Bale monkeys in forest fragments also spent significantly more time walking and galloping and significantly less time climbing than those in continuous forest. Our results suggest that, unlike the primarily arboreal Bale monkeys in continuous forest, Bale monkeys in forest fragments should be characterized as semi-terrestrial. In response to habitat disturbance in fragments, we observed a greater emphasis on terrestrial foraging and travel among Bale monkeys in these human altered habitats, which may put them at greater risk of predation and conflict with nearby human populations. Bale monkeys in fragments exhibit flexibility in their positional behavioral repertoire and their degree of terrestriality is more similar to their sister taxa in Chlorocebus than to Bale monkeys in continuous forest. These findings suggest that habitat alteration may compel Bale monkeys to exhibit semi-terrestrial behaviors crucial for their persistence in human-modified habitats. Our results contribute to a growing body of literature on primate behavioral responses to anthropogenic modification of their habitats and provide information that can contribute to the design of appropriate conservation management plans.

Update on the distribution of the co-invasive Schyzocotyle acheilognathi (= Bothriocephalus acheilognathi), the Asian fish tapeworm, in freshwater fishes of Mexico.

The Asian fish tapeworm, Schyzocotyle acheilognathi (syn. Bothriocephalus acheilognathi) represents a threat to freshwater fish, mainly cyprinids, across the globe. This tapeworm possesses an extraordinary ability to adapt to different environmental conditions and, because of that, from its natural geographical origin in mainland Asia, it has colonized every continent except Antarctica. It is thought that this pathogenic tapeworm was first co-introduced into Mexico in 1965 from China, with the grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, although the first formal record of its presence was published in 1981. Over the past 35 years, the Asian fish tapeworm has invaded about 22% of the freshwater fish in Mexico. Because fish communities in Mexico are characterized by high species richness and levels of endemism, S. acheilognathi is considered as a co-introduced and co-invasive species. In this review, we update the geographic distribution and host spectrum of the Asian fish tapeworm in Mexico. Up until December 2016, the tapeworm had been recorded in 110 freshwater fish species (96 native and 14 introduced), included in 51 genera, 11 families and 4 orders; it was also widely distributed in all types of aquatic environments, and has been found in 214 localities. We present novel data from a survey aimed at establishing the distribution pattern of the tapeworm in native freshwater fishes of two rivers in north-central Mexico, and the genetic variation among individuals of this co-invasive species collected from different host species and localities. We discuss briefly the factors that have determined the remarkable invasive success of this parasite in freshwater systems in Mexico.

Chimpanzee vertebrate consumption: Savanna and forest chimpanzees compared.

There is broad consensus among paleoanthropologists that meat-eating played a key role in the evolution of Homo, but the details of where, when, and why are hotly debated. It has been argued that increased faunivory was causally connected with hominin adaptation to open, savanna habitats. If savanna-dwelling chimpanzees eat meat more frequently than do forest chimpanzees, it would support the notion that open, dry, seasonal habitats promote hunting or scavenging by hominoids. Here we present observational and fecal analysis data on vertebrate consumption from several localities within the dry, open Ugalla region of Tanzania. Combining these with published fecal analyses, we summarize chimpanzee vertebrate consumption rates, showing quantitatively that savanna chimpanzee populations do not differ significantly from forest populations. Compared with forest populations, savanna chimpanzees consume smaller vertebrates that are less likely to be shared, and they do so more seasonally. Analyses of chimpanzee hunting that focus exclusively on capture of forest monkeys are thus difficult to apply to chimpanzee faunivory in open-country habitats and may be misleading when used to model early hominin behavior. These findings bear on discussions of why chimpanzees hunt and suggest that increases in hominin faunivory were related to differences between hominins and chimpanzees and/or differences between modern and Pliocene savanna woodland environments.

The diet of open-habitat chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Issa valley, western Tanzania.

Comparative data on the diets of extant primates inform hypotheses about hominin resource use. Historically, data describing chimpanzee diets stem primarily from forest-dwelling communities, and we lack comparative data from chimpanzees that live in mosaic habitats that more closely resemble those reconstructed for Plio-Pleistocene hominins. We present data on the diet of a partially-habituated community of open habitat chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) from the Issa valley, western Tanzania, collected over a four-year period. Based mostly on macroscopic faecal analysis, Issa chimpanzees consumed a minimum of 69 plant species. There was no relationship between plant consumption and either fruit availability or feeding tree density; the most frequently consumed plant species were found in riverine forests, with woodland species consumed more frequently during the late dry season. We conclude by contextualising these findings with those of other open-habitat chimpanzee sites, and also by discussing how our results contribute towards reconstructions of early hominin exploitation of mosaic landscapes.

The Information Content of Glutamine-Rich Sequences Define Protein Functional Characteristics.

The presence of abnormally expanded glutamine (Q) repeats within specific proteins (e.g., huntingtin) are the well-established cause of several neurogenerative diseases, including Huntington disease and spinocerebellar ataxias. However, the impact of "expanded Q" stretches on the protein function is not well-understood, mostly due to lack of knowledge about the physiological role of Q repeats and the mechanism by which these repeats achieve functional-specificity. Indeed, is intriguing that regions with such low complexity (low information content) can display exquisite functional specificity. Prompting the question: where is this information stored? Applying biochemical/structural constraints and statistical analysis of protein composition we identified Q-rich (QR) regions present in coiled coils of yeast transcription factors and endocytic proteins. Our analysis indicated the existence of non-Q amino-acids differentially enriched or excluded from QR regions in one protein group versus the other. Importantly, when the non-Q amino-acids from an endocytic protein were exchanged by the ones enriched in QR from transcription factors, the resulting protein was unable to localize to the plasma membrane and was instead found in the nucleus. These results indicate that while QR repeats can efficiently engage in binding, the non-Q amino-acids provide essential specificity information. We speculate that coupling low complexity regions with information-intensive determinants might be a strategy used in many protein systems involved in different biological processes.

Buccal dental microwear texture and catarrhine diets.

OBJECTIVES: Two-dimensional dental microwear analyses on occlusal and nonocclusal enamel surfaces have been widely applied to reconstruct the feeding behaviors of extant primates and to infer ecological adaptations in fossil hominins. To date, analyses of dental microwear texture, using three-dimensional, Scale-Sensitive Fractal Analysis approaches has only been applied to occlusal surfaces. Here, for the first time, we apply this 3D proxy to buccal enamel surfaces of catarrhine primates of known feeding ecologies to assess the utility of nonocclusal microwear texture variables as indicators of dietary habits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Buccal microwear texture attributes were collected from high-resolution second molar casts in a sample of seven extant African catarrhine taxa with differing dietary behaviors. A white-light confocal microscope with a 100× objective lens was used to record six microwear texture variables that assess complexity, anisotropy, heterogeneity, and textural fill volume. RESULTS: The physical properties and variation in hardness of ingested foods is reflected by significant differences in the microwear variables on buccal enamel surfaces between species, which is in agreement with early reports using 2D microwear signatures of the same samples. Species that consume hard brittle items showed high buccal enamel complexity and low anisotropy values, while folivorous species that consume tough foods revealed high anisotropy and low complexity enamel patterns. DISCUSSION: Buccal microwear texture analysis on enamel surfaces clearly reflects diet-related variation in nonhuman primates. Our findings indicate that microwear texture attributes on nonworking enamel surfaces provide an alternative procedure for reconstructing dietary behavior when wear facets on occlusal surfaces are lacking.

Experimental optimization of concatenated taper Mach-Zehnder interferometers operating in the 1000-1150 nm wavelength range.

Experimental optimization of all fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometers based on concatenated tapers is presented. The experimental optimization was realized by the application of the four parameters Taguchi algorithm, and the insertion loss of comb filters operating around the 1064 nm wavelength was taken as the parameter to be optimized. The out of band losses were reduced from around 2.5 dB (43.7%) to a minimum of 0.45 dB (9.84%) in one case, and from 2.9 (48.71%) to 0.4 dB (8.79%) by using a fixed tapers pair's geometry with 1 mm×1 mm×1 mm of up-taper length/waist length/down-taper length, respectively, and a waist diameter of 40 µm.

White-gutted soldiers: simplification of the digestive tube for a non-particulate diet in higher Old World termites (Isoptera: Termitidae).

Previous observations have noted that in some species of higher termites the soldier caste lacks pigmented particles in its gut and, instead, is fed worker saliva that imparts a whitish coloration to the abdomen. In order to investigate the occurrence of this trait more thoroughly, we surveyed a broad diversity of termite specimens and taxonomic descriptions from the Old World subfamilies Apicotermitinae, Cubitermitinae, Foraminitermitinae, Macrotermitinae, and Termitinae. We identified 38 genera that have this "white-gutted" soldier (WGS) trait. No termite soldiers from the New World were found to possess a WGS caste. Externally, the WGS is characterized by a uniformly pale abdomen, hyaline gut, and proportionally smaller body-to-head volume ratio compared with their "dark-gutted" soldier (DGS) counterparts found in most termitid genera. The WGS is a fully formed soldier that, unlike soldiers in other higher termite taxa, has a small, narrow, and decompartmentalized digestive tube that lacks particulate food contents. The presumed saliva-nourished WGS have various forms of simplified gut morphologies that have evolved at least six times within the higher termites.