Sex and stress modulate pupal defense response in tobacco hornworm.

In insects, larval and adult defenses against predators have been well studied. However, pupal (also known as resting stage) defenses have been overlooked and not examined thoroughly. Although some pupa possess antipredator strategies such as hairs, spines, cryptic coloration, and exudation of chemicals, few studies have tested these responses and the factors affecting them. Here, we investigated the behavioral responses in tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta that pupates in soil by introducing an external stimulus using vibrations from an electric toothbrush to mimic predation. We observed that M. sexta made violent wriggling (twitching), followed by pulsating movements in response to the vibrational stimulus. Detailed examination showed that these twitches and pulsating events occurred more frequently and for longer periods of time in male pupa and were dependent on the magnitude of the stress (high and low frequency). However, when we estimated the angular force exerted by pupa using radian and angular momentum of twitches, it was found to be independent of pupal sex. A follow-up experiment on possible cascading effects of stress exposure on eclosion success revealed that low- and high-frequency stress exposure didn't cause any of the common defects in eclosed adults. Our study clearly demonstrates that the so-called defenseless pupal stage uses a wide range of measurable defense behaviors that can actively defend against predators and should be examined further-linking observed behavior with underlying mechanisms.

5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine and Valproic Acid in Combination with CHIR99021 and A83-01 Induce Pluripotency Genes Expression in Human Adult Somatic Cells.

A generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) by ectopic expression of OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC has established promising opportunities for stem cell research, drug discovery, and disease modeling. While this forced genetic expression represents an advantage, there will always be an issue with genomic instability and transient pluripotency genes reactivation that might preclude their clinical application. During the reprogramming process, a somatic cell must undergo several epigenetic modifications to induce groups of genes capable of reactivating the endogenous pluripotency core. Here, looking to increase the reprograming efficiency in somatic cells, we evaluated the effect of epigenetic molecules 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5AZ) and valproic acid (VPA) and two small molecules reported as reprogramming enhancers, CHIR99021 and A83-01, on the expression of pluripotency genes and the methylation profile of the OCT4 promoter in a human dermal fibroblasts cell strain. The addition of this cocktail to culture medium increased the expression of OCT4, SOX2, and KLF4 expression by 2.1-fold, 8.5-fold, and 2-fold, respectively, with respect to controls; concomitantly, a reduction in methylated CpG sites in OCT4 promoter region was observed. The epigenetic cocktail also induced the expression of the metastasis-associated gene S100A4. However, the epigenetic cocktail did not induce the morphological changes characteristic of the reprogramming process. In summary, 5AZ, VPA, CHIR99021, and A83-01 induced the expression of OCT4 and SOX2, two critical genes for iPSC. Future studies will allow us to precise the mechanisms by which these compounds exert their reprogramming effects.

Interdisciplinary geriatric and palliative care team narratives: collaboration practices and barriers.

Despite the development and implementation of team training models in geriatrics and palliative care, little attention has been paid to the nature and process of teamwork. Geriatrics and palliative care in the clinical setting offer an interdisciplinary approach structured to meet the comprehensive needs of a patient and his or her family. Fellowship members of an interdisciplinary geriatric and palliative care team participated in semistructured interviews. Team members represented social work, chaplaincy, psychology, nursing, and medicine. A functional narrative analysis revealed four themes: voice of the lifeworld, caregiver teamwork, alone on a team, and storying disciplinary communication. The content-ordering function of narratives revealed a divergence in team members' conceptualization of teamwork and team effectiveness, and group ordering of narratives documented the collaborative nature of teams. The study findings demonstrate the potential for narratives as a pedagogical tool in team training, highlighting the benefits of reflective practice for improving teamwork and sustainability.