Do female hyaenas choose mates based on tenure?

In their investigation into whether female mate-choice drives male dispersal, H?ner et al. argue that female spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) prefer mates whose tenure in the social group is less than the females' age, to avoid paternal incest, and suggest that male dispersal reflects this preference. However, we are not persuaded that females choose mates on the basis of tenure because H?ner et al. overlook the alternative hypothesis that dispersal status itself is important in female mate-choice, such that females prefer immigrants over natal males. Like mate-choice based on tenure, choice based on dispersal status reduces the risk of incest.     

Semi-annual oscillations in Saturn's low-latitude stratospheric temperatures

Observations of oscillations of temperature and wind in planetary atmospheres provide a means of generalizing models for atmospheric dynamics in a diverse set of planets in the Solar System and elsewhere. An equatorial oscillation similar to one in the Earth's atmosphere has been discovered in Jupiter. Here we report the existence of similar oscillations in Saturn's atmosphere, from an analysis of over two decades of spatially resolved observations of its 7.8-microm methane and 12.2-microm ethane stratospheric emissions, where we compare zonal-mean stratospheric brightness temperatures at planetographic latitudes of 3.6 degrees and 15.5 degrees in both the northern and the southern hemispheres. These results support the interpretation of vertical and meridional variability of temperatures in Saturn's stratosphere as a manifestation of a wave phenomenon similar to that on the Earth and in Jupiter. The period of this oscillation is 14.8 +/- 1.2 terrestrial years, roughly half of Saturn's year, suggesting the influence of seasonal forcing, as is the case with the Earth's semi-annual oscillation.     

Mutations in the gene encoding pejvakin, a newly identified protein of the afferent auditory pathway, cause DFNB59 auditory neuropathy

Auditory neuropathy is a particular type of hearing impairment in which neural transmission of the auditory signal is impaired, while cochlear outer hair cells remain functional. Here we report on DFNB59, a newly identified gene on chromosome 2q31.1-q31.3 mutated in four families segregating autosomal recessive auditory neuropathy. DFNB59 encodes pejvakin, a 352-residue protein. Pejvakin is a paralog of DFNA5, a protein of unknown function also involved in deafness. By immunohistofluorescence, pejvakin is detected in the cell bodies of neurons of the afferent auditory pathway. Furthermore, Dfnb59 knock-in mice, homozygous for the R183W variant identified in one DFNB59 family, show abnormal auditory brainstem responses indicative of neuronal dysfunction along the auditory pathway. Unlike previously described sensorineural deafness genes, all of which underlie cochlear cell pathologies, DFNB59 is the first human gene implicated in nonsyndromic deafness due to a neuronal defect.     

A TEM study on the microstructure of spark plasma sintered ZrB_2-based composite with nano-sized SiC dopant

Sintering behavior of ZrB₂ ceramic with nano-sized SiC dopant was studied. ZrB₂-25 vol% nano-sized SiC was selected as the starting mixture to fabricate the composite. The manufacturing process was accomplished at 1800℃ for 5 min under 25 MPa via spark plasma sintering(SPS). The as-sintered sample reached a relative density of 99%. Besides the initial phases, namely ZrB₂ and SiC, the high-resolution X-ray diffraction(HRXRD) was used to study the formation of an i...     

Trans-spliced leader RNA exists as small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles in Caenorhabditis elegans

Maturation of some messenger RNAs in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans involves the acquisition of a 22-base leader at their 5' ends. This 22-base leader, called the spliced leader (SL), is derived from the 5' end of a precursor RNA of 90-100 bases, called spliced leader RNA (SL RNA). SL RNA is transcribed from a 1-kilobase DNA repeat which also encodes the 5S ribosomal RNA. A subset of mRNAs in C. elegans acquire SL from SL RNA by a trans-splicing mechanism. SL behaves as a 5' exon in the trans-splicing reaction. Using antisera against the Sm antigen that is associated with small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs), we precipitated SL RNA from extracts of C. elegans, indicating that it is bound by the Sm antigen in vivo. SL RNA also possesses the unique trimethylguanosine (m32,2,7G) cap characteristic of most small nuclear RNAs. Therefore, SL RNA is a chimaeric molecule, made up of an snRNA attached to a 5' exon and is a constituent of a snRNP.     

Circadian rhythm of apical Na-channels and Na-transport in rabbit distal colon

In vivo and in vitro studies showed that electrogenic sodium transport in rabbit distal colon is modulated by aldosterone. It varies in a circadian rhythm; the external synchronizer is the light-dark cycle. The site of regulation was found to be in the apical membrane of colonic epithelial cells, in which the number of conducting sodium-channels is increased by aldosterone.