ey Complications Common, Costly With Some Kidney Stone Treatments By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Complications Common, Costly With Some Kidney Stone TreatmentsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2014 12:35:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2014 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Stem Cells Used to Regenerate Heart Muscle in Monkeys By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Stem Cells Used to Regenerate Heart Muscle in MonkeysCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/30/2014 2:36:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/1/2014 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Preschoolers Getting Too Much Screen Time: Survey By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Preschoolers Getting Too Much Screen Time: SurveyCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/2/2014 12:36:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/2/2014 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Doctor Salaries and Job Satisfaction: New Survey By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Doctor Salaries and Job Satisfaction: New SurveyCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/28/2015 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/28/2015 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey ER Practices Key to Helping Those Addicted to Painkillers: Study By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: ER Practices Key to Helping Those Addicted to Painkillers: StudyCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/28/2015 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Surge in Pollen May Spur Many Cases of Dry Eye By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Surge in Pollen May Spur Many Cases of Dry EyeCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2015 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Better Diabetes Blood Sugar Management Leads to Fewer Eye Surgeries By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Better Diabetes Blood Sugar Management Leads to Fewer Eye SurgeriesCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2015 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Colorado Dog Key to U.S. Plague Outbreak, Study Confirms By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Colorado Dog Key to U.S. Plague Outbreak, Study ConfirmsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/30/2015 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Most Americans Turn to Prayer for Healing, Survey Finds By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Most Americans Turn to Prayer for Healing, Survey FindsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/22/2016 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/25/2016 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Antibody Shot Protects Monkeys From HIV-Like Infection By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Antibody Shot Protects Monkeys From HIV-Like InfectionCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/27/2016 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/28/2016 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Seniors Often Have Trouble Managing Money, Medicines By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Seniors Often Have Trouble Managing Money, MedicinesCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/28/2017 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/1/2017 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey When Grandparents Raise Grandkids, Are They Up to Date on Child Safety? By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: When Grandparents Raise Grandkids, Are They Up to Date on Child Safety?Category: Health NewsCreated: 5/4/2017 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Dental Anxiety Has Consequences Beyond Tooth Decay By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Dental Anxiety Has Consequences Beyond Tooth DecayCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/3/2017 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Mom's Money Worries May Mean Smaller Baby By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Mom's Money Worries May Mean Smaller BabyCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/3/2017 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey After Age 50, Yearly Eye Checks May Catch Common Cause of Vision Loss By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: After Age 50, Yearly Eye Checks May Catch Common Cause of Vision LossCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/28/2018 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2018 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Health Tip: Protect Your Eyes During Sports By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Tip: Protect Your Eyes During SportsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/1/2018 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/1/2018 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey End-of-Life Care Saves Money By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: End-of-Life Care Saves MoneyCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/30/2018 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/1/2018 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Health Tip: Understanding Diabetic Eye Disease By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Tip: Understanding Diabetic Eye DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/4/2018 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/4/2018 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Food for Thought: Keys to Fruitful Fertility By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Food for Thought: Keys to Fruitful FertilityCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/3/2018 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/4/2018 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Sex Still Matters to Many Seniors, Survey Finds By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Sex Still Matters to Many Seniors, Survey FindsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/3/2018 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/4/2018 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey In a World First, Drone Delivers Kidney for Transplant By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: In a World First, Drone Delivers Kidney for TransplantCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2019 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey 'Microbiome' May Be Key to Autism Symptoms By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: 'Microbiome' May Be Key to Autism SymptomsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/1/2019 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey More Money, Better Heart Health? Not Always By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: More Money, Better Heart Health? Not AlwaysCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/28/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/28/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Kidney Pain vs. Back Pain By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Wed, 8 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Kidney Pain vs. Back PainCategory: Diseases and ConditionsCreated: 12/20/2019 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/8/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Health Tip: Preventing Eye Injuries By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Fri, 17 Jan 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Tip: Preventing Eye InjuriesCategory: Health NewsCreated: 1/17/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 1/17/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey New Drug Could Help Stop Blindness From Thyroid Eye Disease By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Jan 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: New Drug Could Help Stop Blindness From Thyroid Eye DiseaseCategory: Health NewsCreated: 1/22/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 1/23/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Many Americans in the Dark About Eye Health By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Jan 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Many Americans in the Dark About Eye HealthCategory: Health NewsCreated: 1/26/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 1/27/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Many Seniors Think They See Better Than They Actually Do By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Thu, 6 Feb 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Many Seniors Think They See Better Than They Actually DoCategory: Health NewsCreated: 2/5/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 2/6/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey With Macular Degeneration, 1 Missed Visit to Eye Doc Can Mean Vision Loss By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Mon, 10 Feb 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: With Macular Degeneration, 1 Missed Visit to Eye Doc Can Mean Vision LossCategory: Health NewsCreated: 2/7/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 2/10/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Eylea (aflibercept) By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 25 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Eylea (aflibercept)Category: MedicationsCreated: 4/25/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/25/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Key Areas of the Brain Triggered in Recent Heart Attack Survivors By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Wed, 6 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Key Areas of the Brain Triggered in Recent Heart Attack SurvivorsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Kidney Dysplasia: In Infants and Children By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Kidney Dysplasia: In Infants and ChildrenCategory: Diseases and ConditionsCreated: 5/22/2012 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/14/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey The Sooner Young Smokers Start, The Less Likely They Are to Quit By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: The Sooner Young Smokers Start, The Less Likely They Are to QuitCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/13/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/14/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey COVID-19 Data Dives: Good Serosurveys Are Needed. Not All Are Good By www.webmd.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 12:22:49 EST Bill Hanage describes the many uncertainties surrounding current data examining the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2. Full Article
ey Peyronie's Disease (Curvature of the Penis) By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Thu, 5 Dec 2019 00:00:00 PDT Title: Peyronie's Disease (Curvature of the Penis)Category: Diseases and ConditionsCreated: 11/14/2002 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 12/5/2019 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Don't Use Pricey New HIV PrEP Drug When Generics Available: Study By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Tue, 10 Mar 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Don't Use Pricey New HIV PrEP Drug When Generics Available: StudyCategory: Health NewsCreated: 3/9/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 3/10/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Money Not a Good Measure of Your Self-Worth By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Money Not a Good Measure of Your Self-WorthCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/14/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/15/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
ey Membrane domains beyond the reach of microscopy [Commentaries] By www.jlr.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:05:27-07:00 Full Article
ey Context Is Key: Comparative Biology Illuminates the Vertebrate Microbiome By mbio.asm.org Published On :: 2020-03-10T01:30:41-07:00 ABSTRACT Microbes affect vertebrates on timescales from daily to evolutionary, and the cumulative effect of these interactions is immense. However, how microbiomes compare across (host) species is poorly understood, as most studies focus on relatively few species. A recent mBio article by S. J. Song, J. G. Sanders, F. Delsuc, J. Metcalf, et al. (mBio 11:e02901-19, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02901-19) expands our collective understanding of the vertebrate microbiome by analyzing ~900 species. They demonstrate that patterns within mammals contrast with those within birds. Their results suggest many hypotheses about the role of host ecology and evolution on microbiome variation. Bats, the only volant mammals, appear to contradict many of the general mammal microbiome trends, in some ways resembling birds. What role has powered flight, and the evolution thereof, played in microbiome structure and function? Comparative methods, mechanistic hypotheses, and theory will elucidate this exciting question (and others) that we can ask using Song, Sanders et al.’s data and results. Full Article
ey Erratum for Teymournejad et al., "Isolation and Molecular Analysis of a Novel Neorickettsia Species That Causes Potomac Horse Fever" By mbio.asm.org Published On :: 2020-04-21T01:31:26-07:00 Full Article
ey Low-carbon GeoEnergy resource options in the Midland Valley of Scotland, UK By sjg.lyellcollection.org Published On :: 2019-11-29T02:21:48-08:00 Scotland is committed to be a carbon-neutral society by 2040 and has achieved the important initial step of decarbonizing power production. However, more ambitious measures are required to fully decarbonize all of the electricity, transport and heating sectors. We explore the potential to use low-carbon GeoEnergy resources and bioenergy combined with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) in the Midland Valley area to decarbonize the Scottish economy and society. The Midland Valley has a long history of geological resource extraction and, as a result, the geology of the region is well characterized. Geothermal energy and subsurface energy storage have the potential to be implemented. Some of them, such as gravity and heat storage, could re-use the redundant mining infrastructure to decrease investment costs. Hydrogen storage could be of particular interest as the Midland Valley offers the required caprock–reservoir assemblages. BECCS is also a promising option to reduce overall CO2 emissions by between 1.10 and 4.40 MtCO2 a–1. The Midland Valley has enough space to grow the necessary crops, but CO2 storage will most likely be implemented in North Sea saline aquifers. The studied aspects suggest that the Midland Valley represents a viable option in Scotland for the exploitation of the majority of low-carbon GeoEnergy resources. Thematic collection: This article is part of the ‘Early Career Research’ available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research Full Article
ey "Detection of SV40 like viral DNA and viral antigens in malignant pleural mesothelioma." M. Ramael, J. Nagels, H. Heylen, S. De Schepper, J. Paulussen, M. De Maeyer and C. Van Haesendonck. Eur Respir J 1999; 14: 1381-1386. By erj.ersjournals.com Published On :: 2020-05-07T01:15:55-07:00 Full Article
ey Worldwide survey of neurologists on approach to autoimmune encephalitis By cp.neurology.org Published On :: 2020-04-06T12:45:20-07:00 Objective To explore practice differences in the diagnosis and management of autoimmune encephalitis (AE), which is complicated by issues with sensitivity/specificity of antibody testing, nonspecific MRI/EEG/CSF findings, and competing differential diagnoses. Methods We used a worldwide electronic survey with practice-related demographic questions and clinical questions about 2 cases: (1) a 20-year-old woman with a neuropsychiatric presentation strongly suspicious of AE and (2) a 40-year-old man with new temporal lobe seizures and cognitive impairment. Responses among different groups were compared using multivariable logistic regression. Results We received 1,333 responses from 94 countries; 12.0% identified as neuroimmunologists. Case 1: those treating >5 AE cases per year were more likely to send antibodies in both serum and CSF (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] vs 0 per year: 3.29, 95% CI 1.31–8.28, p = 0.011), pursue empiric immunotherapy (aOR: 2.42, 95% CI 1.33–4.40, p = 0.004), and continue immunotherapy despite no response and negative antibodies at 2 weeks (aOR: 1.65, 95% CI 1.02–2.69, p = 0.043). Case 2: neuroimmunologists were more likely to send antibodies in both serum and CSF (aOR: 1.80, 95% CI 1.12–2.90, p = 0.015). Those seeing >5 AE cases per year (aOR: 1.86, 95% CI 1.22–2.86, p = 0.004) were more likely to start immunotherapy without waiting for antibody results. Conclusions Our results highlight the heterogeneous management of AE. Neuroimmunologists and those treating more AE cases generally take a more proactive approach to testing and immunotherapy than peers. Results highlight the need for higher-quality cohorts and trials to guide empiric immunotherapy, and evidence-based guidelines aimed at both experts and nonexperts. Because the average AE patient is unlikely to be first seen by a neuroimmunologist, ensuring greater uniformity in our approach to suspected cases is essential to ensure that patients are appropriately managed. Full Article
ey Author response: Symptom burden among individuals with Parkinson disease: A national survey By cp.neurology.org Published On :: 2020-04-06T12:45:20-07:00 We appreciate the readers' comments on the prevalence and impact of apathy on quality of life among individuals with Parkinson disease. In constructing our survey instrument, we discussed the inclusion of apathy as a symptom. However, we ultimately opted against inclusion because of concerns about the specificity of terminology in our online survey. Patients and care partners may not be familiar with the term "apathy,"and near-synonyms such as "reduced motivation" have substantial overlap with other nonmotor features. Still, as the readers point out, apathy is extremely common and under-recognized. Similar to many of the nonmotor symptoms identified in our study,1 we agree that clinicians should be screening for apathy among those with Parkinson disease. Full Article
ey Reader response: Symptom burden among individuals with Parkinson disease: A national survey By cp.neurology.org Published On :: 2020-04-06T12:45:20-07:00 We read with great interest the study by Tarolli et al.,1 which explored the burden of disease in Parkinson disease (PD) by evaluating the prevalence of nonmotor symptoms and their association with quality of life. The authors selected nonmotor symptoms based on literature review, expert opinions, and patient interviews. We note that apathy, which has major consequences for patients and carers, was not included as a relevant nonmotor symptom in their study. We performed a subcohort analysis of 60 patients from a study of pain in PD in 110 outpatients (PaCoMo-study, registered trial number: NL6311402917 [toetsingonline.nl]). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records to check whether the clinician identified apathy in these patients in the previous year, which was the case in 15% of the patients (n = 9). Blind to those results, patients were examined with the Apathy Scale (AS).2 In total, 63.3% (n = 38) of the patients scored positive on the AS. Only 18.4% of the patients who scored positive on the AS were also classified or mentioned with apathy in the medical records by clinicians. Full Article
ey Complement Deficiencies Result in Surrogate Pathways of Complement Activation in Novel Polygenic Lupus-like Models of Kidney Injury [AUTOIMMUNITY] By www.jimmunol.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T13:00:27-07:00 Key Points Novel TM lupus mouse strains develop spontaneous nephritis. In C1q deficiency, kidney complement activation likely occurred via the LP. In C3 deficiency, coagulation cascade contributed to kidney complement activation. Full Article
ey Novel Insights into the Roles of Bcl-2 Homolog Nr-13 (vNr-13) Encoded by Herpesvirus of Turkeys in the Virus Replication Cycle, Mitochondrial Networks, and Apoptosis Inhibition [Virus-Cell Interactions] By jvi.asm.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T08:00:47-07:00 The Bcl-2 (B cell lymphoma 2)-related protein Nr-13 plays a major role in the regulation of cell death in developing avian B cells. With over 65% sequence similarity to the chicken Nr-13, herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) vNr-13, encoded by the HVT079 and HVT096 genes, is the first known alphaherpesvirus-encoded Bcl-2 homolog. HVT-infected cells were reported to be relatively more resistant to serum starvation, suggested that vNr-13 could be involved in protecting the cells. Here, we describe CRISPR/Cas9-based editing of exon 1 of the HVT079 and HVT096 genes from the HVT genome to generate the mutant HVT-vNr-13 to gain insights into its functional roles. Overall, wild-type HVT and HVT-vNr-13 showed similar growth kinetics; however, at early time points, HVT-vNr-13 showed 1.3- to 1.7-fold-lower growth of cell-associated virus and 3- to 6.2-fold-lower growth of cell-free virus. In transfected cells, HVT vNr-13 showed a mainly diffuse cytoplasmic distribution with faint nuclear staining. Further, vNr-13 localized to the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and disrupted mitochondrial network morphology in the transfected cells. In the wild-type HVT-infected cells, vNr-13 expression appeared to be directly involved in the disruption of the mitochondrial network, as the mitochondrial network morphology was substantially restored in the HVT-vNr-13-infected cells. IncuCyte S3 real-time apoptosis monitoring demonstrated that vNr-13 is unequivocally involved in the apoptosis inhibition, and it is associated with an increase of PFU, especially under serum-free conditions in the later stages of the viral replication cycle. Furthermore, HVT blocks apoptosis in infected cells but activates apoptosis in noninfected bystander cells. IMPORTANCE B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins play important roles in regulating apoptosis during homeostasis, tissue development, and infectious diseases. Several viruses encode homologs of cellular Bcl-2-proteins (vBcl-2) to inhibit apoptosis, which enable them to replicate and persist in the infected cells and to evade/modulate the immune response of the host. Herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) is a nonpathogenic alphaherpesvirus of turkeys and chickens that is widely used as a live vaccine against Marek’s disease and as recombinant vaccine viral vectors for protecting against multiple avian diseases. Identical copies of the HVT genes HVT079 and HVT096 encode the Bcl-2 homolog vNr-13. While previous studies have identified the potential ability of vNr-13 in inhibiting apoptosis induced by serum deprivation, there have been no detailed investigations on the functions of vNr-13. Using CRISPR/Cas9-based ablation of the vNr-13 gene, we demonstrated the roles of HVT vNr-13 in early stages of the viral replication cycle, mitochondrial morphology disruption, and apoptosis inhibition in later stages of viral replication. Full Article
ey A genome-wide association study identifies key modulators of complement factor H binding to malondialdehyde-epitopes [Immunology and Inflammation] By www.pnas.org Published On :: 2020-05-05T10:31:24-07:00 Genetic variants within complement factor H (CFH), a major alternative complement pathway regulator, are associated with the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other complementopathies. This is explained with the reduced binding of CFH or its splice variant factor H-like protein 1 (FHL-1) to self-ligands or altered self-ligands (e.g.,... Full Article
ey Octopamine mobilizes lipids from honey bee (Apis mellifera) hypopharyngeal glands [RESEARCH ARTICLE] By jeb.biologists.org Published On :: 2020-04-16T04:02:51-07:00 Vanessa Corby-Harris, Megan E. Deeter, Lucy Snyder, Charlotte Meador, Ashley C. Welchert, Amelia Hoffman, and Bethany T. Obernesser Recent widespread honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony loss is attributed to a variety of stressors, including parasites, pathogens, pesticides and poor nutrition. In principle, we can reduce stress-induced declines in colony health by either removing the stressor or increasing the bees' tolerance to the stressor. This latter option requires a better understanding than we currently have of how honey bees respond to stress. Here, we investigated how octopamine, a stress-induced hormone that mediates invertebrate physiology and behavior, influences the health of young nurse-aged bees. Specifically, we asked whether octopamine induces abdominal lipid and hypopharyngeal gland (HG) degradation, two physiological traits of stressed nurse bees. Nurse-aged workers were treated topically with octopamine and their abdominal lipid content, HG size and HG autophagic gene expression were measured. Hemolymph lipid titer was measured to determine whether tissue degradation was associated with the release of nutrients from these tissues into the hemolymph. The HGs of octopamine-treated bees were smaller than control bees and had higher levels of HG autophagy gene expression. Octopamine-treated bees also had higher levels of hemolymph lipid compared with control bees. Abdominal lipids did not change in response to octopamine. Our findings support the hypothesis that the HGs are a rich source of stored energy that can be mobilized during periods of stress. Full Article
ey Fly eyes are not still: a motion illusion in Drosophila flight supports parallel visual processing [RESEARCH ARTICLE] By jeb.biologists.org Published On :: 2020-04-22T03:44:39-07:00 Wael Salem, Benjamin Cellini, Mark A. Frye, and Jean-Michel MongeauMost animals shift gaze by a ‘fixate and saccade’ strategy, where the fixation phase stabilizes background motion. A logical prerequisite for robust detection and tracking of moving foreground objects, therefore, is to suppress the perception of background motion. In a virtual reality magnetic tether system enabling free yaw movement, Drosophila implemented a fixate and saccade strategy in the presence of a static panorama. When the spatial wavelength of a vertical grating was below the Nyquist wavelength of the compound eyes, flies drifted continuously and gaze could not be maintained at a single location. Because the drift occurs from a motionless stimulus—thus any perceived motion stimuli are generated by the fly itself—it is illusory, driven by perceptual aliasing. Notably, the drift speed was significantly faster than under a uniform panorama suggesting perceptual enhancement due to aliasing. Under the same visual conditions in a rigid tether paradigm, wing steering responses to the unresolvable static panorama were not distinguishable from a resolvable static pattern, suggesting visual aliasing is induced by ego motion. We hypothesized that obstructing the control of gaze fixation also disrupts detection and tracking of objects. Using the illusory motion stimulus, we show that magnetically tethered Drosophila track objects robustly in flight even when gaze is not fixated as flies continuously drift. Taken together, our study provides further support for parallel visual motion processing and reveals the critical influence of body motion on visuomotor processing. Motion illusions can reveal important shared principles of information processing across taxa. Full Article