Abortion in public reason

What abortion laws a liberal political community ought to have? Much has been said about the moral problem of abortion, but there has not been yet (to my knowledge) a fully articulate account of the bearing of the competing answers to this ethical problem on liberal public reason. The first part of my project consists in a critical review of the different attempts to solve the various philosophical puzzles, both metaphysical and moral, posed by the abortion problem. Why is it wrong to kill beings like you and me? By answering this question we shall gain a better insight into those properties we have that give us such strong reasons against killing beings like us. Here we face a tremendous philosophical diffuculty, for it is not possible to determine what the robustest account of the wrongness of killing is without dealing with deeper metaethical and metaphysical problems. Indeed, consequentialist and nonconsequentialist moral theories differ in what it is that makes an action morally wrong -is it just the outcome of the action as compared with the outcomes of its alternatives? Or is it something else? Also, what are we essentially? Is the foetus merely our precursor? Then killing a foetus is relevantly similar to contraception. Or is the foetus one of us? If so, when we kill it, are we depriving it of a future as valuable as ours? Perhaps the relation of identity (the fact that it is its future as opposed to someone else's) doesn't matter. That may be because the foetus is an aggregate of biological and psychological facts and perhaps aggregates are not substances. Or maybe it is a substance but only psychological realtions matter, not personal identity. The second part of my project has to do with the different status these metaphisical and ethical positions ought to have in liberal public reason. Though this is the part in which most research is still needed, my own intuition is that, given the depth of the philosphical views in competition, restrictive abortion laws ought to be considered unrespectful to citizens' autonomy.

Nematode selenoproteome: the use of the selenocysteine insertion system to decode one codon in an animal genome?

Selenocysteine (Sec) is co-translationally inserted into selenoproteins in response to codon UGA with the help of the selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element. The number of selenoproteins in animals varies, with humans having 25 and mice having 24 selenoproteins. To date, however, only one selenoprotein, thioredoxin reductase, has been detected in Caenorhabditis elegans, and this enzyme contains only one Sec. Here, we characterize the selenoproteomes of C.elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae with three independent algorithms, one searching for pairs of homologous nematode SECIS elements, another searching for Cys- or Sec-containing homologs of potential nematode selenoprotein genes and the third identifying Sec-containing homologs of annotated nematode proteins. These methods suggest that thioredoxin reductase is the only Sec-containing protein in the C.elegans and C.briggsae genomes. In contrast, we identified additional selenoproteins in other nematodes. Assuming that Sec insertion mechanisms are conserved between nematodes and other eukaryotes, the data suggest that nematode selenoproteomes were reduced during evolution, and that in an extreme reduction case Sec insertion systems probably decode only a single UGA codon in C.elegans and C.briggsae genomes. In addition, all detected genes had a rare form of SECIS element containing a guanosine in place of a conserved adenosine present in most other SECIS structures, suggesting that in organisms with small selenoproteomes SECIS elements may change rapidly.

MDMA attenuates THC withdrawal syndrome in mice

3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and cannabis are widely abused illicit drugs that are frequently consumed in combination. Interactions between these two drugs have been reported in several pharmacological responses observed in animals, such as body temperature, anxiety, cognition and reward. However, the interaction between MDMA and cannabis in addictive processes such as physical dependence has not been elucidated yet. In this study, the effects of acute and chronic MDMA were evaluated on the behavioral manifestations of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) abstinence in mice. THC withdrawal syndrome was precipitated by injecting the cannabinoid antagonist rimonabant (10 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice chronically treated with THC, and receiving MDMA (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg i.p.) or saline just before the withdrawal induction or chronically after the THC administration. Both, chronic and acute MDMA decreased in a dose-dependent manner the severity of THC withdrawal. In vivo microdialysis experiments showed that acute MDMA (5 mg/kg, i.p.) administration increased extracellular serotonin levels in the prefrontal cortex, but not dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens. Our results also indicate that the attenuation of THC abstinence symptoms was not due to a direct interaction between rimonabant and MDMA nor to the result of the locomotor stimulating effects of MDMA. The modulation of the cannabinoid withdrawal syndrome by acute or chronic MDMA suggests a possible mechanism to explain the associated consumption of these two drugs in humans.

THC prevents MDMA neurotoxicity in mice

The majority of MDMA (ecstasy) recreational users also consume cannabis. Despite the rewarding effects that both drugs have, they induce several opposite pharmacological responses. MDMA causes hyperthermia, oxidative stress and neuronal damage, especially at warm ambient temperature. However, THC, the main psychoactive compound of cannabis, produces hypothermic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Therefore, THC may have a neuroprotective effect against MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. Mice receiving a neurotoxic regimen of MDMA (20 mg/kg ×4) were pretreated with THC (3 mg/kg ×4) at room (21°C) and at warm (26°C) temperature, and body temperature, striatal glial activation and DA terminal loss were assessed. To find out the mechanisms by which THC may prevent MDMA hyperthermia and neurotoxicity, the same procedure was carried out in animals pretreated with the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 and the CB2 receptor antagonist AM630, as well as in CB1, CB2 and CB1/CB2 deficient mice. THC prevented MDMA-induced-hyperthermia and glial activation in animals housed at both room and warm temperature. Surprisingly, MDMA-induced DA terminal loss was only observed in animals housed at warm but not at room temperature, and this neurotoxic effect was reversed by THC administration. However, THC did not prevent MDMA-induced hyperthermia, glial activation, and DA terminal loss in animals treated with the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251, neither in CB1 and CB1/CB2 knockout mice. On the other hand, THC prevented MDMA-induced hyperthermia and DA terminal loss, but only partially suppressed glial activation in animals treated with the CB2 cannabinoid antagonist and in CB2 knockout animals. Our results indicate that THC protects against MDMA neurotoxicity, and suggest that these neuroprotective actions are primarily mediated by the reduction of hyperthermia through the activation of CB1 receptor, although CB2 receptors may also contribute to attenuate neuroinflammation in this process.

Copy number variation in the porcine genome inferred from a 60 k SNP BeadChip

Background: Recent studies in pigs have detected copy number variants (CNVs) using the Comparative Genomic Hybridization technique in arrays designed to cover specific porcine chromosomes. The goal of this study was to identify CNV regions (CNVRs) in swine species based on whole genome SNP genotyping chips. Results: We used predictions from three different programs (cnvPartition, PennCNV and GADA) to analyze data from the Porcine SNP60 BeadChip. A total of 49 CNVRs were identified in 55 animals from an Iberian x Landrace cross (IBMAP) according to three criteria: detected in at least two animals, contained three or more consecutive SNPs and recalled by at least two programs. Mendelian inheritance of CNVRs was confirmed in animals belonging to several generations of the IBMAP cross. Subsequently, a segregation analysis of these CNVRs was performed in 372 additional animals from the IBMAP cross and its distribution was studied in 133 unrelated pig samples from different geographical origins. Five out of seven analyzed CNVRs were validated by real time quantitative PCR, some of which coincide with well known examples of CNVs conserved across mammalian species. Conclusions: Our results illustrate the usefulness of Porcine SNP60 BeadChip to detect CNVRs and show that structural variants can not be neglected when studying the genetic variability in this species.

Heteromeric nicotinic receptors are involved in the sensitization and addictive properties of MDMA in mice

We have investigated the effect of nicotinic receptor ligands in the behavioral sensitization (hyperlocomotion) and rewarding properties (conditioned place preference paradigm, CPP) of 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) in mice. Each animal received intraperitoneal pretreatment with either saline, dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE, 1 mg/kg) or varenicline (VAR, 0.3 mg/kg), 15 min prior to subcutaneous saline or MDMA (5 mg/kg), for 10 consecutive days. On day 1, both DHβE and VAR inhibited the MDMA-induced hyperlocomotion. After 10 days of treatment, MDMA induced a hyperlocomotion that was not reduced (rather enhanced) in antagonist-pretreated animals. This early hyperlocomotion was accompanied by a significant increase in heteromeric nicotinic receptors in cortex that was not blocked by DHβE or VAR. Behavioral sensitization to MDMA was highest 2 weeks after the discontinuation of MDMA treatment. This additional increase in sensitivity was prevented in animals pretreated with DHβE or VAR. At this time, MDMA-treated mice showed a significant increase in heteromeric receptors in cortex that was prevented by DHβE and VAR. An involvement of α7 nicotinic receptors in this effect is ruled out. MDMA (10 mg/kg) induced positive CPP that was abolished by DHβE (2 mg/kg) and VAR (2 mg/kg). Moreover, chronic nicotine pretreatment (2 mg/kg, ip, b.i.d., for 14 days) caused MDMA, administered at a low dose (3 mg/kg), to induce CPP, which would otherwise not occur. Finally, present results point out that heteromeric nicotinic receptors are involved in locomotor sensitization and addictive potential induced by MDMA. Thus, varenicline might be a useful drug to treat both tobacco and MDMA abuse at once.

Heteromeric nicotinic receptors are involved in the sensitization and addictive properties of MDMA in mice

We have investigated the effect of nicotinic receptor ligands in the behavioral sensitization (hyperlocomotion) and rewarding properties (conditioned place preference paradigm, CPP) of 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) in mice. Each animal received intraperitoneal pretreatment with either saline, dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE, 1 mg/kg) or varenicline (VAR, 0.3 mg/kg), 15 min prior to subcutaneous saline or MDMA (5 mg/kg), for 10 consecutive days. On day 1, both DHβE and VAR inhibited the MDMA-induced hyperlocomotion. After 10 days of treatment, MDMA induced a hyperlocomotion that was not reduced (rather enhanced) in antagonist-pretreated animals. This early hyperlocomotion was accompanied by a significant increase in heteromeric nicotinic receptors in cortex that was not blocked by DHβE or VAR. Behavioral sensitization to MDMA was highest 2 weeks after the discontinuation of MDMA treatment. This additional increase in sensitivity was prevented in animals pretreated with DHβE or VAR. At this time, MDMA-treated mice showed a significant increase in heteromeric receptors in cortex that was prevented by DHβE and VAR. An involvement of α7 nicotinic receptors in this effect is ruled out. MDMA (10 mg/kg) induced positive CPP that was abolished by DHβE (2 mg/kg) and VAR (2 mg/kg). Moreover, chronic nicotine pretreatment (2 mg/kg, ip, b.i.d., for 14 days) caused MDMA, administered at a low dose (3 mg/kg), to induce CPP, which would otherwise not occur. Finally, present results point out that heteromeric nicotinic receptors are involved in locomotor sensitization and addictive potential induced by MDMA. Thus, varenicline might be a useful drug to treat both tobacco and MDMA abuse at once.

Moths behaving like butterflies. Evolutionary loss of long range attractant pheromones in Castniid Moths: A Paysandisia archon model

Background: In the course of evolution butterflies and moths developed two different reproductive behaviors. Whereas butterflies rely on visual stimuli for mate location, moths use the"female calling plus male seduction" system, in which females release long-range sex pheromones to attract conspecific males. There are few exceptions from this pattern but in all cases known female moths possess sex pheromone glands which apparently have been lost in female butterflies. In the day-flying moth family Castniidae ("butterfly-moths"), which includes some important crop pests, no pheromones have been found so far. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a multidisciplinary approach we described the steps involved in the courtship of P. archon, showing that visual cues are the only ones used for mate location; showed that the morphology and fine structure of the antennae of this moth are strikingly similar to those of butterflies, with male sensilla apparently not suited to detect female-released long range pheromones; showed that its females lack pheromone-producing glands, and identified three compounds as putative male sex pheromone (MSP) components of P. archon, released from the proximal halves of male forewings and hindwings. Conclusions/Significance: This study provides evidence for the first time in Lepidoptera that females of a moth do not produce any pheromone to attract males, and that mate location is achieved only visually by patrolling males, which may release a pheromone at short distance, putatively a mixture of Z,E-farnesal, E,E-farnesal, and (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienol. The outlined behavior, long thought to be unique to butterflies, is likely to be widespread in Castniidae implying a novel, unparalleled butterfly-like reproductive behavior in moths. This will also have practical implications in applied entomology since it signifies that the monitoring/control of castniid pests should not be based on the use of female-produced pheromones, as it is usually done in many moths.

Transcriptomics of In Vitro Immune-Stimulated Hemocytes from the Manila Clam Ruditapes philippinarum Using High-Throughput Sequencing

The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is a worldwide cultured bivalve species with important commercial value. Diseases affecting this species can result in large economic losses. Because knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of the immune response in bivalves, especially clams, is scarce and fragmentary, we sequenced RNA from immune-stimulated R. philippinarum hemocytes by 454-pyrosequencing to identify genes involved in their immune defense against infectious diseases.

Agonistic strategies and spatial distribution in captive sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys lunulatus)

The aim of this article is to study the relationship between the dominance hierarchy and the spatial distribution of a group of captive sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys). The analysis of the spatial distribution of individuals in relation to their rank in the dominance hierarchy showed a clear linear hierarchy in which the dominant individual was located in central positions with regard to the rest of the group members. The large open enclosure where the group was living allowed them to adopt a high-risk agonistic strategy in which individuals attacked other individuals whose rank was significantly different from their own. The comparison of the results with a previous study of mangabeys showed that, although the dominance ranks of both groups were similar, the fact that they lived in facilities with different layouts caused different agonistic strategies to emerge and allowed the dominant individual to assume different spatial locations.

Serological and virological surveys of the influenza A viruses in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic penguins

To evaluate the avian influenza virus (AIV) circulation in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic penguins we carried out a serosurvey on six species from Livingston, Marion and Gough islands. Seropositivity against AIV was performed on serum samples using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and haemagglutination and neuraminidase inhibition assays. Some oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were also assayed to detect influenza virus genomes by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Overall, 12.1% (n = 140) penguins were seropositive to AIV. By species, we detected 5% (n = 19) and 11% (n = 18) seroprevalence in sub-Antarctic rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes spp.) from Gough and Marion islands, respectively, 42% (n = 33) seroprevalence in macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chysolophus Brandt), but no positives in the three other species, gentoo (Pygoscelis papua Forster; n = 25) and chinstrap penguins (P. antarctica Forster; n = 16), from Livingston Island and king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus Miller; n = 27) from Marion Island. While seropositivity reflected previous exposure to the AIV, the influenza genome was not detected. Our results indicate that AIV strains have circulated in penguin species in the sub-Antarctic region, but further studies are necessary to determine the precise role that such penguin species play in AIV epidemiology and if this circulation is species (or genus) specific.

Sexual foraging segregation in South American sea lions increases during the pre-breeding period in the La Plata River plume

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in skin and bone of South American sea lions from Brazil and Uruguay were analysed to test the hypothesis that trophic overlap between the sexes is lower during the pre-breeding season than throughout the rest of the year. The isotopic values of skin and bone were used to infer the trophic relationships between the sexes during the pre-breeding period and year round, respectively. Prey species were also analysed to establish a baseline necessary for interpreting the stable isotope ratios of skin and bone. Standard ellipse areas, estimated using Bayesian inference in the SIBER routine of the SIAR package in R, suggested that males and females used a wide diversity of foraging strategies throughout the year and that no differences existed between the sexes. However, the diversity of foraging strategies was largely reduced during the pre-breeding period, with all the individuals of each sex adopting similar strategies, but with the two sexes differing considerably in stable isotope values and the ellipse areas of males and females not overlapping at all. Nevertheless, the results revealed a general increase in the consumption of pelagic prey by both sexes during the pre-breeding period. The progressive crowding of individuals in the areas surrounding the breeding rookeries during the pre-breeding period could lead to an increase in the local population density, which could explain the above reported changes.

Blocking and unblocking in a navigation task

Rodrigo, Chamizo, McLaren, & Mackintosh (1997) demonstrated the blocking effect in a navigational task using a swimming pool: rats initially trained to use three landmarks (ABC) to find an invisible platform learned less about a fourth landmark (X) added later than did rats trained from the outset with these four landmarks (ABCX). The aim of the experiment reported here was to demonstrate unblocking using a similar procedure as in the previous work. Three groups of rats were initially trained to find an invisible platfom in the presence of three landmarks: ABC for the Blocking and Unblocking groups and LMN for the Control group. Then, all animals were trained to find the platform in the presence of four landmarks, ABCX. In this second training, unlike animals in the Blocking group to which only a new landmark (X) was added in comparison to the first training, the animals in the Unblocking group also had a change in the platform position. In the Control group, both the four landmarks and the platform position were totally new at the beginning of this second training. As in Rodrigo et al. (1997) a blocking effect was found: rats in the Blocking group learned less with respect to the added landmark (X) than did animals in the Control group. However, rats in the Unblocking group learned about the added landmark (X) as well as did animals in the Control group. The results are interpreted as an unblocking effect due to a change in the platform position between the two phases of training, similarly to what is normal in classical conditioning experiments, in which a change in the conditions of reinforcement between the two training phases of a blocking design produce an attenuation or elimination of this effect. These results are explained within an error-correcting connectionist account of spatial navigation (McLaren, 2002).

Understanding the two-component sensing System of virulent bacteria

Report for the scientific sojourn carried out at the l’ Institute for Computational Molecular Science of the Temple University, United States, from 2010 to 2012. Two-component systems (TCS) are used by pathogenic bacteria to sense the environment within a host and activate mechanisms related to virulence and antimicrobial resistance. A prototypical example is the PhoQ/PhoP system, which is the major regulator of virulence in Salmonella. Hence, PhoQ is an attractive target for the design of new antibiotics against foodborne diseases. Inhibition of the PhoQ-mediated bacterial virulence does not result in growth inhibition, presenting less selective pressure for the generation of antibiotic resistance. Moreover, PhoQ is a histidine kinase (HK) and it is absent in animals. Nevertheless, the design of satisfactory HK inhibitors has been proven to be a challenge. To compete with the intracellular ATP concentrations, the affinity of a HK inhibidor must be in the micromolar-nanomolar range, whereas the current lead compounds have at best millimolar affinities. Moreover, the drug selectivity depends on the conformation of a highly variable loop, referred to as the “ATP-lid, which is difficult to study by X-Ray crystallography due to its flexibility. I have investigated the binding of different HK inhibitors to PhoQ. In particular, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations have been combined with enhanced sampling techniques in order to provide structural and dynamic information of the conformation of the ATP-lid. Transient interactions between these drugs and the ATP-lid have been identified and the free energy of the different binding modes has been estimated. The results obtained pinpoint the importance of protein flexibility in the HK-inhibitor binding, and constitute a first step in developing more potent and selective drugs. The computational resources of the hosting institution as well as the experience of the members of the group in drug binding and free energy methods have been crucial to carry out this work.

Pathogenic plant-microbe interactions. What we know and how we benefit

Plants, like humans and other animals, also get sick, exhibit disease symptoms, and die. Plant diseases are caused by environmental stress, genetic or physiological disorders and infectious agents including viroids, viruses, bacteria and fungi. Plant pathology originated from the convergence of microbiology, botany and agronomy; its ultimate goal is the control of plant disease. Microbiologists have been attracted to this field of research because of the need for identification of the agents causing infectious diseases in economically important crops. In 1878—only two years after Pasteur and Koch had shown for the first time that anthrax in animals was caused by a bacteria—Burril, in the USA, discovered that the fire blight disease of apple and pear was also caused by a bacterium (nowadays known as Erwinia amylovora). In 1898, Beijerinck concluded that tobacco mosaic was caused by a “contagium vivum fluidum” which he called a virus. In 1971, Diener proved that a potato disease named potato spindle tuber was caused by infectious RNA which he called viroid