Alternative mating tactics in dimorphic males of the harvestman Longiperna concolor (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Intense male-male competition for females may drive the evolution of male morphological dimorphism, which is frequently associated with alternative mating tactics. Using modern techniques for the detection of discontinuous allometries, we describe male dimorphism in the Neotropical harvestman Longiperna concolor, the males of which use their elongated, sexually dimorphic legs IV in fights for the possession of territories where females lay eggs. We also tested three predictions related to the existence of alternative mating tactics: (1) if individuals with relatively longer legs IV (majors) are more likely to monopolize access to reproductive resources, they are expected to remain close to stable groups of females more than individuals with relatively shorter legs IV (minors) do; (2) if minors achieve fertilization by moving between territories, they are expected to be less faithful to specific sites; and (3) majors should be observed in aggressive interactions more often. We individually marked all the individuals from a population of Longiperna during the reproductive season and recorded the location of each sighting for males and females as well as the identity of males involved in fights. Majors were more likely to have harems, and large majors were even more likely to do so. Majors were more philopatric and all males involved in fights belonged to this morph. These results strongly suggest that the mating tactic of the majors is based on resource defense whereas that of the minors probably relies on sneaking into the territories of the majors and furtively copulating with females.

Conditional male dimorphism and alternative reproductive tactics in a Neotropical arachnid (Opiliones)

In arthropods, most cases of morphological dimorphism within males are the result of a conditional evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) with status-dependent tactics. In conditionally male-dimorphic species, the status` distributions of male morphs often overlap, and the environmentally cued threshold model (ET) states that the degree of overlap depends on the genetic variation in the distribution of the switchpoints that determine which morph is expressed in each value of status. Here we describe male dimorphism and alternative mating behaviors in the harvestman Serracutisoma proximum. Majors express elongated second legs and use them in territorial fights; minors possess short second legs and do not fight, but rather sneak into majors` territories and copulate with egg-guarding females. The static allometry of second legs reveals that major phenotype expression depends on body size (status), and that the switchpoint underlying the dimorphism presents a large amount of genetic variation in the population, which probably results from weak selective pressure on this trait. With a mark-recapture study, we show that major phenotype expression does not result in survival costs, which is consistent with our hypothesis that there is weak selection on the switchpoint. Finally, we demonstrate that switchpoint is independent of status distribution. In conclusion, our data support the ET model prediction that the genetic correlation between status and switchpoint is low, allowing the status distribution to evolve or to fluctuate seasonally, without any effect on the position of the mean switchpoint.

Temporal Diversity Patterns and Phenology in Fruit-feeding Butterflies in the Atlantic Forest

The Atlantic Forest deserves special attention due to its high level of species endemism and degree of threat. As in other tropical biomes, there is little information about the ecology of the organisms that occur there. The objectives of this study were to verify how fruit-feeding butterflies are distributed through time, and the relation with meteorological conditions. Species richness and Shannon index were partitioned additively at the monthly level, and beta diversity, used as a hierarchical measure of temporal species turnover, was calculated among months, trimesters, and semesters. Circular analysis was used to verify how butterflies are distributed along seasons and its relation with meteorological conditions. We sampled 6488 individuals of 73 species. Temporal diversity of butterflies was more grouped than expected by chance among the months of each trimester. Circular analyses revealed that diversity is concentrated in hot months (September-March), with the subfamily Brassolinae strongly concentrated in February-March. Average temperature was correlated with total abundance of butterflies, abundance of Biblidinae, Brassolinae and Morphinae, and richness of Satyrinae. The present results show that 3mo of sampling between September and March is enough to produce a nonbiased sample of the local assemblage of butterflies, containing at least 70 percent of the richness and 25 percent of abundance. The influence of temperature on sampling is probably related to butterfly physiology. Moreover, temperature affects resource availability for larvae and adults, which is higher in hot months. The difference in seasonality patterns among subfamilies is probably a consequence of different evolutionary pressures through time.

Feeding habits of the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Carnivora: Canidae), in southeast Brazil

The feeding habits of the maned wolf were studied in southeast Brazil to understand its response towards changes in the environment and in relation to its prey. By occurrence, miscellaneous fruits, small mammals and wolf`s fruit were the most consumed items. Armadillos, small mammals and wolf`s fruit ( Solanum lycocarpum) provided most of the ingested biomass. While wolf`s fruit and small mammals were mainly consumed in the dry season, other miscellaneous fruits were taken mostly in the wet season. There was selectivity in the predation on some small mammal species. The maned wolf`s diet followed patterns similar to those found in more pristine areas.

Do individuals in better condition survive for longer? Field survival estimates according to male alternative reproductive tactics and sex

There is a gap in terms of the supposed survival differences recorded in the field according to individual condition. This is partly due to our inability to assess survival in the wild. Here we applied modern statistical techniques to field-gathered data in two damselfly species whose males practice alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) and whose indicators of condition in both sexes are known. In Paraphlebia zoe, there are two ART: a larger black-winged (BW) male which defends mating territories and a smaller hyaline-winged (HW) male that usually acts as a satellite. In this species, condition in both morphs is correlated with body size. In Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis, males follow tactics according to their condition with males in better condition practicing a territorial ART. In addition, in this species, condition correlates positively with wing pigmentation in both sexes. Our prediction for both species was that males practicing the territorial tactic will survive less longer than males using a nonterritorial tactic, and larger or more pigmented animals will survive for longer. In P. zoe, BW males survived less than females but did not differ from HW males, and not necessarily larger individuals survived for longer. In fact, size affected survival but only when group identity was analysed, showing a positive relationship in females and a slightly negative relationship in both male morphs. For C. haemorrhoidalis, survival was larger for more pigmented males and females, but size was not a good survival predictor. Our results partially confirm assumptions based on the maintenance of ARTs. Our results also indicate that female pigmentation, correlates with a fitness component - survival - as proposed by recent sexual selection ideas applied to females.

Patterns of fos activation in rat raphe nuclei during feeding behavior

To analyze the differential recruitment of the raphe nuclei during different phases of feeding behavior, rats were subjected to a food restriction schedule (food for 2 h/day, during 15 days). The animals were submitted to different feeding conditions, constituting the experimental groups: search for food (MFS), food ingestion (MFI), satiety (MFSa) and food restriction control (MFC). A baseline condition (BC) group was included as further control. The MFI and MFC groups, which presented greater autonomic and somatic activation, had more FOS-immunoreactive (FOS-IR) neurons. The MFI group presented more labeled cells in the linear (LRN) and dorsal (DRN) nuclei; the MFC group showed more labeling in the median (MRN), pontine (PRN), magnus (NRM) and obscurus (NRO) nuclei; and the MFSa group had more labeled cells in the pallidus (NRP). The BC exhibited the lowest number of reactive cells. The PRN presented the highest percentage of activation in the raphe while the DRN the lowest. Additional experiments revealed few double-labeled (FOS-IR+ 5-HT-IR) cells within the raphe nuclei in the MFI group, suggesting little serotonergic activation in the raphe during food ingestion. These findings suggest a differential recruitment of raphe nuclei during various phases of feeding behavior. Such findings may reflect changes in behavioral state (e.g., food-induced arousal versus sleep) that lead to greater motor activation, and consequently increased FOS expression. While these data are consistent with the idea that the raphe system acts as gain setter for autonomic and somatic activities, the functional complexity of the raphe is not completely understood. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of biodegradable polyhydroxyalcanoate copolymer from a renewable source by alternate feeding

Polyhydroxyalcanoates copolymers with 3-hydroxybutirate (3HB) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) co-monomers, P3(HB-co-x%HV), were produced in fed-batch culture by Ralstonia eutropha DSM428 using fructose as a single carbon source in the first step and adding propionic acid in the second step by alternating feeding. Polymer yield was 0.18 g/L with a content of 24 mol% of the 3HV fraction determined by H-1 NMR. NMR measurements indicated that the polymer obtained is isotactic. The copolymer attained 35% of crystallinity according to X-ray diffraction measurements, and two (020) planes were observed. Thermal behavior presented melting temperature at 154 degrees C and the crystallization temperature was 65 degrees C. A glass transition temperature was observed at -10 degrees C. Average molecular weight measured by GPC was 4.9 x 10(5) Dalton. Isothermal radial growth rates of spherulites of P3(HB-co-24%HV) were studied. All experimental facts and the analysis of the sequence distribution of diads and triads of 3HB and 3HV units led to the conclusion that it is not a completely statistical random copolymer once it contains different types of segments. POLYM.

HOST-MEDIATED INDUCTION OF alpha-AMYLASES BY LARVAE OF THE MEXICAN BEAN WEEVIL Zabrotes subfasciatus (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE: BRUCHINAE) IS IRREVERSIBLE AND OBSERVED FROM THE INITIATION OF THE FEEDING PERIOD

Larvae of Zabrotes subfasciatus secrete alpha-amylases that are insensitive to the alpha-amylase inhibitor found in seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris. By analyzing amylase activities during larval development on P. vulgaris, we detected activity of the constitutive amylase and the two inducible amylase isoforms at all stages. When larvae were transferred from the non alpha-amylase inhibitor containing seeds of Vigna unguiculata to P. vulgaris, the inducible alpha-amylases were expressed at the same level as in control larvae fed on P. vulgaris. Interestingly, when larvae were transferred from seeds of P. vulgaris to those of V. unguiculata, inducible alpha-amylases continued to be expressed at a level similar to that found in control larvae fed P. vulgaris continuously. When 10-day-old larvae were removed from seeds of V. unguiculata and transferred into capsules containing flour of P. vulgaris cotyledons, and thus maintained until completing 17 days ( age when the larvae stopped feeding), we could detect higher activity of the inducible alpha-amylases. However, when larvae of the same age were transferred from P. vulgaris into capsules containing flour of V. unguiculata, the inducible alpha-amylases remained up-regulated. These results suggest that the larvae of Z. subfasciatus have the ability to induce insensitive amylases early in their development. A short period of feeding on P. vulgaris cotyledon flour was sufficient to irreversibly induce the inducible alpha-amylase isoforms. Incubations of brush border membrane vesicles with the alpha-amylase inhibitor 1 from P. vulgaris suggest that the inhibitor is recognized by putative receptors found in the midgut microvillar membranes. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Long-term intermittent feeding, but not caloric restriction, leads to redox imbalance, insulin receptor nitration, and glucose intolerance

Calorie restriction is a dietary intervention known to improve redox state, glucose tolerance, and animal life span. Other interventions have been adopted as study models for caloric restriction, including nonsupplemented food restriction and intermittent, every-other-day feedings. We compared the short- and long-term effects of these interventions to ad libitum protocols and found that, although all restricted diets decrease body weight, intermittent feeding did not decrease intra-abdominal adiposity. Short-term calorie restriction and intermittent feeding presented similar results relative to glucose tolerance. Surprisingly, long-term intermittent feeding promoted glucose intolerance, without a loss in insulin receptor phosphorylation. Intermittent feeding substantially increased insulin receptor nitration in both intra-abdominal adipose tissue and muscle, a modification associated with receptor inactivation. All restricted diets enhanced nitric oxide synthase levels in the insulin-responsive adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. However, whereas calorie restriction improved tissue redox state, food restriction and intermittent feedings did not. In fact, long-term intermittent feeding resulted in largely enhanced tissue release of oxidants. Overall, our results show that restricted diets are significantly different in their effects on glucose tolerance and redox state when adopted long-term. Furthermore, we show that intermittent feeding can lead to oxidative insulin receptor inactivation and glucose intolerance. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sequestration of prenylated benzoic acid and chromenes by Naupactus bipes (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) feeding on Piper gaudichaudianum (Piperaceae)

The curculionid beetle Naupactus bipes (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Brachycerinae) has shown feeding preference for leaves of Piper gaudichaudianum, demonstrating an unexpected specificity for an insect considered to be a generalist. The leaves of P. gaudichaudianum contain the prenylated chromenes gaudichaudianic acid (4, major compound) and its methyl ester (5) in addition to a chromene (3) lacking one prenyl residue. In addition to 4, roots contain the chromone methyl ester (1) and methyl taboganate (2, major compound). Feeding on roots, larvae of N. bipes sequester exclusively the root-specific compounds 1 and 2. Adult beetles sequester the leaf-specific chromenes 3 and 4, but were found to also contain compounds 1 and 2 that are absent in leaves. Therefore, it is suggested that 1 and 2 are sequestered by larvae and can be found in the body of adult insects after long-term storage. In addition, 3 and 4, the major compounds in leaves were found to be associated with the eggs.

‘Being in a womb’ or ‘playing musical chairs’ : the impact of place and space on infant feeding in NICUs

Background: Becoming a parent of a preterm baby requiring neonatal care constitutes an extraordinary life situation in which parenting begins and evolves in a medical and unfamiliar setting. Although there is increasing emphasis within maternity and neonatal care on the influence of place and space upon the experiences of staff and service users, there is a lack of research on how space and place influence relationships and care in the neonatal environment. The aim of this study was to explore, in-depth, the impact of place and space on parents’ experiences and practices related to feeding their preterm babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in Sweden and England. Methods: An ethnographic approach was utilised in two NICUs in Sweden and two comparable units in England, UK. Over an eleven month period, a total of 52 mothers, 19 fathers and 102 staff were observed and interviewed. A grounded theory approach was utilised throughout data collection and analysis. Results: The core category of ‘the room as a conveyance for an attuned feeding’ was underpinned by four categories: the level of ‘ownership’ of space and place; the feeling of ‘at-homeness’; the experience of ‘the door or a shield’ against people entering, for privacy, for enabling a focus within, and for regulating socialising and the; ‘window of opportunity’. Findings showed that the construction and design of space and place was strongly influential on the developing parent-infant relationship and for experiencing a sense of connectedness and a shared awareness with the baby during feeding, an attuned feeding. Conclusions: If our proposed model is valid, it is vital that these findings are considered when developing or reconfiguring NICUs so that account is taken of the influences of spatiality upon parent’s experiences. Even without redesign there are measures that may be taken to make a positive difference for parents and their preterm babies.

Defining the links between retail price strategies and price tactics

Retailers tend to become trapped in a price-promotion war where price issues are dealt with on a short-term basis, indicating almost solely tactical choices. Since price is the only part of the marketing mix providing direct revenues to the organisation, it should also be of strategic importance for the retailer. Not only in practice are price tactics often separated from pricing strategies, it is also the case in research where these are often studied in isolation from each other probably due to their individual complexity. This paper contributes to both the research area and practice by discussing these two complex areas together, and the essence of both strategy and tactics are defined. By considering the planning horizon for the retailer this paper further contributes by defining the links between price strategy and price tactic. The conclusion shows the importance of clearly establishing which analytical level is being analysed.

Parent’s experiences of feeding their preterm infant in Neonatal Units in Sweden. : Ethnographic design

Introduction: Studies have shown that having a preterm infant may cause stress and powerlessness for parents. It is important to support parents around the feeding situation, and that the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has appropriate space and place to help the family to bond to each other. For the healthcare professionals it is important to promote skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding; particularly for preterm infants. There are many studies on parent’s experiences of NICUs and a few studies on parent’s experiences of feeding their infant in the NICU. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore parents experiences of feeding their infant in the NICU. Design: The study was conducted using an ethnographic design. Results: A global theme of ‘The journey in feeding’ was developed from four organising themes: ‘Ways of infant feeding’; ‘Environmental influences’; ‘Relationships’ and ‘Emotional factors’. These themes illustrate the challenges mothers reported with different methods of feeding. The environment had a big impact on parent’s experiences of infant feeding. Some mothers felt that breastfeeding seemed unnatural because their infant was so tiny but breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact helped them to bond to their infant. The mothers thought it was difficult to keep up with the milk production by only pumping. Routines were not inviting parents to find their own rhythm. They also felt stressed about the weighing. Healthcare professionals had positive and negative influences on the parents. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that while all parents expressed the wish to breastfeed, their ‘journey in feeding’ was highly influenced by method of feeding, environmental, relational and emotional factors. The general focus upon routines and assessing milk intake generated anxiety and reduced relationality. Midwives and neonatal nurses need to ensure that they emphasise and support the relational aspects of parenting and avoid over-emphasising milk intake and associated progress of the infant

Can humming caregivers´ facilitate feeding during mealtime situations with persons with dementia? A qualitative study

Background. ‘Music Therapeutic Caregiving’, defined as when caregivers’ sing for or together with persons with dementia care situations, has been shown to facilitate the caring situation, and enhance positive and decrease negative expressions in persons with dementia. No studies about singing during mealtimes have been conducted, and this project was designed to elucidate this. However, since previous studies have shown that there is a risk that persons with dementia will start to sing along with the caregiver, the caregiver in this study hummed such that the person with dementia did not sing instead of eat. Aim. To describe professional caregivers’ experiences of humming during meal time while feeding persons with dementia. Method. An intervention with caregivers humming was implemented during lunch time. Focus group interviews were conducted to fetch the caregivers experiences. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Results. The caregivers described that humming disseminated relaxation and joy, and awakened memories about the songs hummed which encouraged the persons with the dementia to join in the songs. They also described that humming seemed to make the persons with dementia associate with mealtime and could make them eat more. However it also revealed suspiciousness and agitation from the persons with dementia. Conclusion. Humming during mealtime revealed mainly positive as well as some negative influences. More and larger studies are needed to be able to draw general conclusions.

Predator Survival Tactics and Use of Habitat Cover in Rana Catesbeiana.

Predator-prey relationships are an important aspect of the natural world, and, because of its relevance to survival and natural selection, is an interesting relationship to study. In amphibian larvae, level of activity and landscape use are often what determines the survival as prey. I studied the anti-predator behavior of the North American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles when presented with dragonfly (Aeshna) larvae, a known predator of tadpoles. Tadpoles were acclimated to four different habitats with varying degrees of habitat cover, and were transferred to a new habitat with a degree of cover equal to one of the acclimation tanks. A restrained predator, and thus its chemical cue, was introduced, and the behavior, particularly the use of the habitat cover to hide from the perceived risk of predation was observed. A significantly higher frequency of inactivity was found in tank I than in II and III, and inactivity followed a general trend of decreasing with increasing habitat cover. Difference in tank cover was not found to have a significant effect on swimming behavior, but did have a significant effect on hiding behavior, which increased with higher availability. Foraging decreased significantly with the addition of a predator, but did not vary significantly with different levels of cover. Hiding behavior and reducing conspicuous behaviors (like foraging) are probably the behaviors that afford the tadpole the most success at eluding a predator in their natural environment.