Are you better than me? Social comparisons in carrion crows (Corvus corone).

Comparing oneself to others is a key process in humans that allows individuals to gauge their performances and abilities and thus develop and calibrate their self-image. Little is known about its evolutionary foundations. A key feature of social comparison is the sensitivity to other individuals' performance. Recent studies on primates produced equivocal results, leading us to distinguish between a 'strong' variant of the social comparison hypothesis formulated for humans and a 'weak' variant found in non-human primates that would comprise some elements of human social comparison. Here, we focus on corvids that are distantly related to primates and renowned for their socio-cognitive skills. We were interested in whether crows' task performances were influenced (i) by the presence of a conspecific co-actor performing the same discrimination task and (ii) by the simulated acoustic cues of a putative co-actor performing better or worse than themselves. Crows reached a learning criterion quicker when tested simultaneously as compared to when tested alone, indicating a facilitating effect of social context. The performance of a putative co-actor influenced their performance: crows were better at discriminating familiar images when their co-actor was better than they were. Standard extremity (how pronounced the difference was between the performance of the subject and that of the co-actor), and category membership (affiliation status and sex), of the putative co-actors had no effect on their performance. Our findings are in line with the 'weak' variant of social comparison and indicate that elements of human social comparison can be found outside of primates.

Redescription and resurrection of the status of Joyeuxiella gervaisi () (Eucestoda, Dipylidiidae).

A study of the parasite fauna of feral cats in Dubai revealed the presence of two Joyeuxiella species, J. pasqualei (Diamare, 1893) and J. fuhrmanni (Baer, 1924). While the wide distribution of J. pasqualei includes countries of the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, J. fuhrmanni was previously reported from felid hosts from southern Africa and has not been found in other cat parasite surveys in the Middle East, except from Dubai. The availability of historical references, however, raised doubts about the correctness of the allocation of the small Joyeuxiella sp. from Dubai cats to J. fuhrmanni and for this reason, a reexamination of stored material in the parasite collection of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai was carried out. A total of 40 specimens of the small Joyeuxiella sp. with a strobila length between 30 and 60 mm and consisting of 52 to 85 segments obtained from domestic cats and formerly allocated to J. fuhrmanni were studied. In complete specimens, 10 - 13 rows of rostellar hooks were counted. Mature segments were wider than long, round testes were concentrated posterior to coiled vasa deferentia and did not reach the anterior rim of the proglottids. Narrow cirri reached up to 520 µm in length. Gravid segments were longer than wide and egg capsules were restricted to the space between longitudinal excretory vessels. The examination revealed that the morphology of these cestodes matched the main characteristics of J. fuhrmanni. However, the little known cestode, J. gervaisi (Setti, 1895), that had been described from Genetta abyssinica imported from Eritrea 29 years earlier and was declared a species inquirenda met the same main morphological criteria. In this paper, the status of J. gervaisi as a valid species was resurrected and J. fuhrmanni was declared a junior synonym.

Morphological and molecular characterization of Prosthogonimus falconis n. sp. (Trematoda; Prosthogonimidae), found in a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) (Aves: Falconidae) in the United Arab Emirates.

At a routine health check of a female peregrine falcon, 23 trematodes preliminary identified as Prosthogonimus sp. were removed from the bursa of Fabricius. Based on morphological and molecular examination, a new species, Prosthogonimus falconis, was described. The pear-shaped flukes were 4.3-6.9 mm long, with greatest width posterior to testes. Tegumental spines measuring between 17 and 21 µm long covered the whole body. Length and width ratio of oral to ventral suckers were 1:1.3. Extracaecal, multifollicular vitelline glands commenced prior to acetabulum and terminated posterior to testes. Eggs in the distal uterus measured 21 × 12 µm. Molecular analysis of internal transcribed spacer 2, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene regions revealed that the new species described here is phylogenetically closest to Prosthogonimus cuneatus and Prosthogonimus pellucidus clusters.

On Two Morphologically Different Cysticercoids of the Genus Eurycestus (Cestoda: Dilepididae) in Artemia Franciscana (Arthropoda: Artemiidae) in a Hypersaline Pond in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

During a survey on tapeworm larval stages in Artemia franciscana from an artificial pond in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a high prevalence of Eurycestus avoceti-like cysticercoids was established. Adult male and female crustaceans showed a prevalence of 61.9 and 62.7 %, respectively. The intensity ranged from one to four and one to three cyst, respectively. Out of 215 examined cysticercoids, 207 specimens had morphological features matching with E. avoceti. The flaky structure of the surrounding capsule, the elongated shape of the cysticercoid and the larger number of hooklets on the suckers suggest that the eight further larval cestodes belonged to another species of the genus Eurycestus.

Oscillations in an array of bistable microelectrodes coupled through a globally conserved quantity.

The dynamical behavior of an array of microelectrodes is investigated under controlled current conditions during CO electrooxidation, a bistable electrochemical reaction with an S-shaped negative differential resistance (S-NDR) current-potential curve. Under these conditions, the total current constitutes a globally conserved quantity, thus coupling all microelectrodes globally. Upon increasing the total current, the microelectrodes activate one by one, with a single microelectrode being on its intermediate S-NDR current branch and the other ones being either on their passive or their active branches. When a few coupled microelectrodes are activated, the electrochemical system exhibits spontaneous potential oscillations. Mathematical analysis shows that oscillations arise already in a two group approximation of the dynamics, the two groups consisting of 1 electrode and n - 1 electrodes with n ≥ 3, respectively, with each group being described by a single evolution equation. In this minimal representation, oscillations occur when the single electrode is on the intermediate branch and the larger group is on the active branch.

Tapeworm larvae in Artemia franciscana (Crustacea: Anostraca) in the Godolphin lakes of Dubai (United Arab Emirates) throughout an annual cycle.

A total of 1840 brine shrimps (Artemia franciscana) were examined for cestode larvae at monthly intervals between November 2015 and June 2016. Of these, 663 (36.03%) specimens were infected with cysticercoids of seven cestode species in numbers between one and sixteen. During the first four months of examination, the percentage of infected shrimps was low but rose significantly with increasing temperatures in March, reaching maximum values in May. Flamingolepis liguloides and Flamingolepis flamingo showed the highest prevalence overall, at 25.3 and 10.7%, respectively. The intensity of infection was 1-10 and 1-4 cysticercoids, respectively. Eurycestus avoceti, Wardium stellorae, Gynandrotaenia stammeri, Anomotaenia tringae and Confluaria podicipina occurred at lower prevalence of 4.5, 3.2, 1.7, 0.3 and 0.05%, respectively. Up to four species were detected in one host.

The importance of international collaboration for rare diseases research: a European perspective.

Over the last two decades, important contributions were made at national, European and international levels to foster collaboration into rare diseases research. The European Union (EU) has put much effort into funding rare diseases research, encouraging national funding organizations to collaborate together in the E-Rare program, setting up European Reference Networks for rare diseases and complex conditions, and initiating the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) together with the National Institutes of Health in the USA. Co-ordination of the activities of funding agencies, academic researchers, companies, regulatory bodies, and patient advocacy organizations and partnerships with, for example, the European Research Infrastructures maximizes the collective impact of global investments in rare diseases research. This contributes to accelerating progress, for example, in faster diagnosis through enhanced discovery of causative genes, better understanding of natural history of rare diseases through creation of common registries and databases and boosting of innovative therapeutic approaches. Several examples of funded pre-clinical and clinical gene therapy projects show that integration of multinational and multidisciplinary expertize generates new knowledge and can result in multicentre gene therapy trials. International collaboration in rare diseases research is key to improve the life of people living with a rare disease.

Effects of Intertidal Harvest Practices on Levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus Bacteria in Oysters.

UNLABELLED: Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus can grow rapidly in shellfish subjected to ambient air conditions, such as during intertidal exposure. In this study, levels of total and pathogenic (tdh(+) and/or trh(+)) V. parahaemolyticus and total V. vulnificus were determined in oysters collected from two study locations where intertidal harvest practices are common. Samples were collected directly off intertidal flats, after exposure (ambient air [Washington State] or refrigerated [New Jersey]), and after reimmersion by natural tidal cycles. Samples were processed using a most-probable-number (MPN) real-time PCR method for total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus or V. vulnificus In Washington State, the mean levels of V. parahaemolyticus increased 1.38 log MPN/g following intertidal exposure and dropped 1.41 log MPN/g after reimmersion for 1 day, but the levels were dependent upon the container type utilized. Pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus levels followed a similar trend. However, V. vulnificus levels increased 0.10 log MPN/g during intertidal exposure in Washington but decreased by >1 log MPN/g after reimmersion. In New Jersey, initial levels of all vibrios studied were not significantly altered during the refrigerated sorting and containerizing process. However, there was an increase in levels after the first day of reimmersion by 0.79, 0.72, 0.92, and 0.71 log MPN/g for total, tdh(+) and trh(+) V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus, respectively. The levels of all targets decreased to those similar to background after a second day of reimmersion. These data indicate that the intertidal harvest and handling practices for oysters that were studied in Washington and New Jersey do not increase the risk of illness from V. parahaemolyticus or V. vulnificus IMPORTANCE: Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus are the leading causes of seafood-associated infectious morbidity and mortality in the United States. Vibrio spp. can grow rapidly in shellfish subjected to ambient air conditions, such as during periods of intertidal exposure. When oysters are submersed with the incoming tide, the vibrios can be purged. However, data on the rates of increase and purging during intertidal harvest are scarce, which limits the accuracy of risk assessments. The objective of this study was to help fill these data gaps by determining the levels of total and pathogenic (tdh(+) and/or trh(+)) V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in oysters from two locations where intertidal harvest practices are common, using the current industry practices. The data generated provide insight into the responses of Vibrio spp. to relevant practices of the industry and public health, which can be incorporated into risk management decisions.

Acute-phase protein α1-anti-trypsin: diverting injurious innate and adaptive immune responses from non-authentic threats.

One would assume that the anti-inflammatory activity of α1-anti-trypsin (AAT) is the result of inhibiting neutrophil enzymes. However, AAT exhibits tolerogenic activities that are difficult to explain by serine-protease inhibition or by reduced inflammatory parameters. Targets outside the serine-protease family have been identified, supporting the notion that elastase inhibition, the only functional factory release criteria for clinical-grade AAT, is over-emphasized. Non-obvious developments in the understanding of AAT biology disqualify it from being a straightforward anti-inflammatory agent: AAT does not block dendritic cell activities, nor does it promote viral and tumour susceptibilities, stunt B lymphocyte responses or render treated patients susceptible to infections; accordingly, outcomes of elevated AAT do not overlap those attained by immunosuppression. Aside from the acute-phase response, AAT rises during the third trimester of pregnancy and also in advanced age. At the molecular level, AAT docks onto cholesterol-rich lipid-rafts and circulating lipid particles, directly binds interleukin (IL)-8, ADAM metallopeptidase domain 17 (ADAM17) and danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules, and its activity is lost to smoke, high glucose levels and bacterial proteases, introducing a novel entity - 'relative AAT deficiency'. Unlike immunosuppression, AAT appears to help the immune system to distinguish between desired responses against authentic threats, and unwanted responses fuelled by a positive feedback loop perpetuated by, and at the expense of, inflamed injured innocent bystander cells. With a remarkable clinical safety record, AAT treatment is currently tested in clinical trials for its potential benefit in a variety of categorically distinct pathologies that share at least one common driving force: cell injury.

Anisotropic Particle-Hole Excitations in Black Phosphorus.

We report on the energy- and momentum-resolved optical response of black phosphorus (BP) in its bulk form. Along the armchair direction of the puckered layers, we find a highly dispersive mode that is strongly suppressed in the perpendicular (zigzag) direction. This mode emerges out of the single-particle continuum for finite values of momentum and is therefore interpreted as an exciton. We argue that this exciton, which has already been predicted theoretically for phosphorene-the monolayer form of BP-can be detected by conventional optical spectroscopy in the two-dimensional case and might pave the way for optoelectronic applications of this emerging material.

Rb/Sr isotopic and compositional retentivity of muscovite during deformation.

Permian metapegmatite muscovite from the Upper-Austroalpine Matsch Unit in Southern Tyrol (Italy) was investigated regarding its Rb/Sr and compositional retentivity during Cretaceous Upper-greenschist facies deformation. The data imply that microstructurally relic Permian magmatic muscovite largely maintained its major and trace element compositions during deformation, whereas the Rb/Sr geochronometer is strongly affected by a net loss of Sr. Lower Sr concentrations of muscovite correlate with higher 87Rb/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. In most samples, the muscovite grain size- and magnetic-fractions with the lowest 87Rb/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr ratios preserve a Permo-Triassic muscovite-whole rock Rb/Sr apparent age interpreted as to reflect formation during or cooling after pegmatite emplacement. Contrastingly, muscovite fractions with higher 87Rb/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr ratios are arranged along a roughly linear array with a positive correlation of the 87Rb/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the 87Rb/86Sr vs 87Sr/86Sr space. They yield successively lower muscovite-whole rock Rb/Sr apparent ages. We explain the variations in the Rb/Sr isotopic character of microstructurally relic muscovite by a, presumably deformation-related, loss of Sr during the Cretaceous event. Contemporaneously, only very limited amounts of isotopically different Sr from the matrix reservoir might possibly have entered the muscovite. Consequently, the Rb/Sr of the relic muscovite is affected by a net loss of Sr. The results imply that at temperatures of < 500 °C, deformation is supposed to be the predominant factor in controlling the Rb/Sr geochronometer of relic muscovite, by significantly reducing the characteristic length scale for volume diffusion. However, variations of the major and trace element compositions within Permian relic muscovite are interpreted to rather reflect primary compositional instead of deformation-related variations.

A re-description of Physocephalus dromedarii stat. nov. (Nematoda: Spirocercidae), an abomasal nematode of dromedaries (Camelus dromedarius).

Physocephalus dromedarii stat. nov. was found in the abomasum of two adult female dromedaries originating from a farm in Dubai. Previously, this nematode has been misidentified as a subspecies of Ph. sexalatus but morphological differences are striking enough for it to be upgraded to a species. Physocephalus dromedarii is larger than Ph. sexalatus and has longer spicules. There are 20-22 oblique crests at the ventral surface between the caudal alae of the male compared to 7-8 in the case of Ph. sexalatus. The most significant differences are the presence of two pairs of papillae between cloaca and postcloacal plate of the male and the existence of a swelling in the second half of the female body formed by loops of both uterine horns.

Hidden diversity of cestodes in wild African carnivores: I. Non-taeniid cyclophyllideans.

Our knowledge of parasites in wildlife remains limited, primarily due to restricted access to samples, especially of parasites from protected species. This present study contributes to the comprehension of the enigmatic world of helminths of African wild mammals and cestode biodiversity by combining both molecular and morphological analysis. Cestode samples were opportunistically collected from 77 individual definitive hosts in South Africa, Namibia and Ethiopia, encompassing 15 different species of wild African carnivores and additionally domestic cats. The analysis revealed 32 different cyclophyllidean species of which 21 (65.6 %) represent previously unknown genetic entities. They belong to the families Mesocestoididae, Hymenolepididae, Dipylidiidae and Taeniidae. Here we cover the non-taeniid cestodes, while the taeniids will be addressed in a separate publication. Three of the non-taeniid species uncovered in this study could be assigned to the genus Mesocestoides and were isolated from servals and domestic cats. The white-tailed mongoose was found to be a suitable host for a species belonging to the Hymenolepididae, which was identified as Pseudandrya cf. mkuzii. Both feline and canine genotypes of Dipylidium caninum were detected in domestic cats, the canine genotype also in an African wolf. In addition to these, a novel species of Dipylidium was discovered in an aardwolf. Lastly, four distinct species of Joyeuxiella were found in this study, revealing a cryptic species complex and emphasizing the need for a taxonomic reassessment of this genus. Despite the limited scope of our study in terms of geography and sample size, the results highlight that biodiversity of cestodes in African wild mammals is grossly under-researched and follow-up studies are urgently required, in particular linking morphology to gene sequences.

Prognostic relevance of circulating tumor cells in metastatic uveal melanoma.

OBJECTIVE: Uveal melanoma primarily metastasizes hematogenously with metastases often confined to the liver. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in patients with metastatic disease as a marker for systemic disease and to determine their prognostic relevance. METHODS: Blood samples from 68 patients were collected at the time of initial treatment of metastases. mRNA expression of tyrosinase and MelanA/MART1 as a surrogate marker for the presence of CTC was analyzed by real-time RT-PCR and compared with patient characteristics. RESULTS: CTC were detected in 63% of all patients and in 67% of the 48 patients with only liver metastases. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed PCR results and serum lactate dehydrogenase as independent prognostic factors for progression-free (hazard ratios 2.2/3.5) and overall survival (hazard ratios 4.0/6.5). Combination of PCR and lactate dehydrogenase divided the patient cohort into 3 groups with distinct prognosis. CONCLUSION: CTC as evidence for systemic disease can be found in the majority of patients with metastatic uveal melanoma, including patients with visible disease confined to the liver. Detection of CTC-specific mRNA transcripts for tyrosinase and MelanA/MART1 by PCR is a poor prognostic factor for progression-free and overall survival. Characterization of CTC could improve the understanding of their biology.

Oochoristica chalcidesi n. sp. (Eucestoda: Linstowiidae) from the ocellated skink, Chalcides ocellatus (Forskal, 1775) in the United Arab Emirates.

Five out of ten ocellated skinks (Chalcides ocellatus) examined in Dubai between 2007 and 2010 were infected with cestodes of the genus Oochoristica. Out of the 36 collected tapeworms seven specimens were used to describe a new species. Oochoristica chalcidesi n. sp. belongs to the group of species with 25 to 35 testes arranged in two clusters. The lobes of the ovary are subdivided into 4-5 lobules in a similar way as O. ubelakeri described from Agama atra in Namibia. Both species differ in the presence of a neck, a lower number of mature segments in O. chalcidesi n. sp. and a different position of the cirrus pouch in relation to the ovary, as well as in the distribution of uterine capsulae in gravid segments.

Incidence and outcome of weaning from mechanical ventilation according to new categories.

Weaning from mechanical ventilation was categorised as simple, difficult or prolonged by an international task force of the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society/European Society of Intensive Care Medicine/Society of Critical Care Medicine/Sociéte de Réanimation de Langue Française in 2007. This new classification has not been tested in clinical practice. The objective of the present study was to determine the incidence and outcome of weaning according to the new categories. We included medical and surgical patients who required mechanical ventilation in a prospective, multicentre, 6-month cohort study. From an initial cohort of 510 patients, 257 intubated patients started weaning. Of these patients, the cumulative incidences of simple, difficult, and prolonged weaning were 152 (59%), 68 (26%) and 37 (14%), respectively. Hospital mortality was increased in patients with prolonged (32%) but not difficult (9%) weaning in comparison with those with simple weaning (13%), overall p = 0.0205. In a multivariate logistic regression model, prolonged but not difficult weaning was associated with an increased risk of death. Ventilator-free days and intensive care unit (ICU)-free days were decreased in both difficult and prolonged weaning. In conclusion, the new weaning category prolonged weaning is associated with increased mortality and morbidity in the ICU. The new category difficult to wean was associated with increased morbidity, but not mortality.

Bridging charge-orbital ordering and Fermi surface instabilities in half-doped single-layered manganite La(0.5)Sr(1.5)MnO4.

The single-layered half-doped manganite La(0.5)Sr(1.5)MnO4 (LSMO), was studied by means of the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and resistivity measurements. STM revealed a smooth reconstruction-free surface; the density of states, extracted from photoemission and tunneling spectroscopy, is in agreement with transport measurements. The derived from ARPES Fermi surface (FS) nesting properties correspond to the known pattern of the charge-orbital ordering (COO), which implies that FS instability is related to the propensity to form a COO state in LSMO.

Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity.

Many global environmental agendas, including halting biodiversity loss, reversing land degradation, and limiting climate change, depend upon retaining forests with high ecological integrity, yet the scale and degree of forest modification remain poorly quantified and mapped. By integrating data on observed and inferred human pressures and an index of lost connectivity, we generate a globally consistent, continuous index of forest condition as determined by the degree of anthropogenic modification. Globally, only 17.4 million km2 of forest (40.5%) has high landscape-level integrity (mostly found in Canada, Russia, the Amazon, Central Africa, and New Guinea) and only 27% of this area is found in nationally designated protected areas. Of the forest inside protected areas, only 56% has high landscape-level integrity. Ambitious policies that prioritize the retention of forest integrity, especially in the most intact areas, are now urgently needed alongside current efforts aimed at halting deforestation and restoring the integrity of forests globally.

Effects of cytochalasin B on the response of toad urinary bladder to vasopressin.

A combined physiological and morphological study of the effects of cytochalasin B (CB) on the toad urinary bladder has been carried out. CB inhibits the hydro-osmotic response to vasopressin without altering basal water permeability or diffusion, or the increase in (3)H(2)O diffusion observed after hormone addition. Although CB increases [(22)Na]-, [(36)Cl]-, and [(14)C]urea fluxes, and decreases transepithelial potential, no alteration in basal short-circuit current, the vasopressin-induced increase in this parameter, or [(14)C]inulin permeability occurs. In the absence of hormone, CB does not markedly alter the structure of the toad bladder. However, in the presence of vasopressin, CB induces the formation of large intracellular vacuoles. These results suggest a possible coupling of solute and water movement across the tissue.

Lekking behavior in kafue lechwe.

The Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) exhibits lekking behavior in which a number of males occupy small territories clustered together in discrete areas where females go for mating. Similar behavior in antelope is known only in the Uganda kob (Kobus kob thomasi). Lechwe lekking occurs only during a main rutting season although some breeding occurs throughout the year.