Variation in personality shaped by evolutionary history, genotype and developmental plasticity in response to feeding modalities in the Arctic charr.

Animal personality has been shown to be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors and shaped by natural selection. Currently, little is known about mechanisms influencing the development of personality traits. This study examines the extent to which personality development is genetically influenced and/or environmentally responsive (plastic). We also investigated the role of evolutionary history, assessing whether personality traits could be canalized along a genetic and ecological divergence gradient. We tested the plastic potential of boldness in juveniles of five Icelandic Arctic charr morphs (Salvelinus alpinus), including two pairs of sympatric morphs, displaying various degrees of genetic and ecological divergence from the ancestral anadromous charr, split between treatments mimicking benthic versus pelagic feeding modalities. We show that differences in mean boldness are mostly affected by genetics. While the benthic treatment led to bolder individuals overall, the environmental effect was rather weak, suggesting that boldness lies under strong genetic influence with reduced plastic potential. Finally, we found hints of differences by morphs in boldness canalization through reduced variance and plasticity, and higher consistency in boldness within morphs. These findings provide new insights on how behavioural development may impact adaptive diversification.

Concurrent midurethral sling excision or lysis at the time of repeat sling for treatment of recurrent or persistent stress urinary incontinence.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Limited evidence guides operative technique in primary midurethral sling (MUS) lysis or excision at the time of repeat sling placement for persistent or recurrent stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Our objective is to compare subjective improvement in patients undergoing repeat MUS placement with and without concurrent primary sling lysis or removal. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study with a prospective survey of patients who underwent two MUS placements for SUI at a single institution from January 1996 to December 2015. After patient identification, the electronic record was queried for demographic and perioperative data. Subjects then completed the Urogenital Distress Index, (UDI-6), Incontinence Severity Index (ISI), and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7). Subjects were also asked if they would choose to undergo repeat MUS surgery again. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were included. 17 out of 61 (28%) underwent concomitant primary sling lysis or excision, and 44 out of 61 (72%) did not. Fifty-seven percent (n = 35) completed the survey. Of the respondents, the median ISI score was 4 (1-8), with no difference between groups; 14 out of 35 (40%) reported the presence of bothersome urge incontinence, 11 out of 35 (31%) reported bothersome stress urinary incontinence, and 8 out of 35 (23%) reported symptoms of voiding dysfunction, with no difference between groups. 57% of patients (20 out of 35) would undergo repeat MUS placement again. CONCLUSIONS: In a small cohort, concurrent excision of the primary sling at the time of repeat MUS did not improve subjective outcomes. Many patients reported urinary urgency and voiding symptoms, and only about half of patients would choose to undergo the surgery again if given the choice.

Breakdown of Perineal Laceration Repair After Vaginal Delivery: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to estimate risk factors associated with breakdown of perineal laceration repair after vaginal delivery. METHODS: This is a case-control study of women who sustained a breakdown of perineal laceration repair after vaginal delivery between 2002 and 2015. Cases were patients who sustained a perineal wound breakdown after vaginal delivery and repair of a second-, third-, or fourth-degree laceration. Controls, matched 1:1, were patients who either sustained a second-, third-, or fourth-degree perineal laceration and repair without evidence of breakdown and who delivered on the same day and institution as the case. RESULTS: A total of 104,301 deliveries were assessed for breakdown of perineal laceration. One hundred forty-four met the inclusion criteria. These were matched with 144 controls. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that smoking is associated with increased risk for breakdown of perineal laceration (adjusted odds ratio [adj. OR], 6.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-38.5), whereas a previous vaginal delivery is protective (adj. OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.05-0.3). In addition, third- or fourth-degree laceration (adj. OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.1-15.7), presence of episiotomy at time of delivery (adj. OR, 11.1; 95% CI, 2.9-48.8), operative delivery (adj. OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.2-10.3), midwife performing the laceration repair (adj. OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.5-15.8), and use of chromic suture (adj. OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.6-9.8) were independent risk factors for breakdown of perineal laceration. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking, nulliparity, episiotomy, operative delivery, third- or fourth-degree laceration, repair by a midwife, and use of chromic suture are independent risk factors for breakdown of perineal laceration repair after vaginal delivery.

Body size diversity and frequency distributions of Neotropical cichlid fishes (Cichliformes: Cichlidae: Cichlinae).

Body size is an important correlate of life history, ecology and distribution of species. Despite this, very little is known about body size evolution in fishes, particularly freshwater fishes of the Neotropics where species and body size diversity are relatively high. Phylogenetic history and body size data were used to explore body size frequency distributions in Neotropical cichlids, a broadly distributed and ecologically diverse group of fishes that is highly representative of body size diversity in Neotropical freshwater fishes. We test for divergence, phylogenetic autocorrelation and among-clade partitioning of body size space. Neotropical cichlids show low phylogenetic autocorrelation and divergence within and among taxonomic levels. Three distinct regions of body size space were identified from body size frequency distributions at various taxonomic levels corresponding to subclades of the most diverse tribe, Geophagini. These regions suggest that lineages may be evolving towards particular size optima that may be tied to specific ecological roles. The diversification of Geophagini appears to constrain the evolution of body size among other Neotropical cichlid lineages; non-Geophagini clades show lower species-richness in body size regions shared with Geophagini. Neotropical cichlid genera show less divergence and extreme body size than expected within and among tribes. Body size divergence among species may instead be present or linked to ecology at the community assembly scale.

Krobia petitella, a new species of cichlid fish from the Berbice River in Guyana (Teleostei: Cichlidae).

Krobia petitella, new species, is described from the Berbice River drainage of northeastern Guyana. It is distinguished from all other described species of Krobia (K. guianensis Regan, K. itanyi Puyo and K. xinguensis Kullander) as well as the closely related 'Aequidens' potaroensis and 'A'. paloemeuensis by tubed scales of the upper lateral line extending caudally into a line bisecting the lateral band blotches posterior to the mid-lateral spot. Krobia petitella n. sp. can be further diagnosed by the anterior lateral band spots lying immediately ventral to the upper lateral line, instead of being separated from the upper lateral line by a complete row of scales in all other species. Additionally, K. petitella n. sp. possesses a unique lateral coloration pattern formed by the combination of six vertical bars and four lateral band spots (vs. K. itanyi 5 bars/3 or 4 spots, K. guianensis 5/5, K. xinguensis 7/6, 'Aequidens' potaroensis 6/6, 'A'. paloemeuensis 5/5). The presence of Krobia petitella n. sp. in reaches of the Berbice River drainage in the Upper Demerara-Berbice region provides a novel locality for the genus in the Guianas and suggests the Berbice River has been isolated from the rest of nearby Guianese basins, particularly the Essequibo and the Corantijn.

Identification of 3-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-ones as isoform-selective PKC-zeta inhibitors and potential therapeutics for psychostimulant abuse.

From a screen of small molecule libraries to identify potential therapeutics for psychostimulant abuse, 3-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-ones were shown to be isoform-selective PKC-zeta inhibitors.

Innate immunity in Caenorhabditis elegans is regulated by neurons expressing NPR-1/GPCR.

A large body of evidence indicates that metazoan innate immunity is regulated by the nervous system, but the mechanisms involved in the process and the biological importance of such control remain unclear. We show that a neural circuit involving npr-1, which encodes a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) related to mammalian neuropeptide Y receptors, functions to suppress innate immune responses. The immune inhibitory function requires a guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate-gated ion channel encoded by tax-2 and tax-4 as well as the soluble guanylate cyclase GCY-35. Furthermore, we show that npr-1- and gcy-35-expressing sensory neurons actively suppress immune responses of nonneuronal tissues. A full-genome microarray analysis on animals with altered neural function due to mutation in npr-1 shows an enrichment in genes that are markers of innate immune responses, including those regulated by a conserved PMK-1/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. These results present evidence that neurons directly control innate immunity in C. elegans, suggesting that GPCRs may participate in neural circuits that receive inputs from either pathogens or infected sites and integrate them to coordinate appropriate immune responses.