17Social networks are increasingly being used to describe animal social structure, however we 18 still have a limited understanding of the factors that shape networks, and this is particularly so either through sex-biased dispersal or behavioural avoidance (Pusey and Wolf 1996). Increasingly, social networks are being used to explore the structure of social 56 associations within populations and within aggregations (Krause et al. 2007; Sih et al. 2009). 57They provide a framework for quantifying associations among individuals on a dyadic level, 58by representing a population as a series of nodes (representing individuals) connected by 59 edges (representing associations) and are particularly useful for testing hypotheses about the 60 factors influencing social structure (Wey et al. 2008 92Although it has a largely solitary life, each spring, adult lizards form monogamous pair-bonds 93 for up to 10 weeks before they mate, and individual pairs of lizards often re-establish those 94 partnerships in subsequent years (Bull 1988; 1994; Bull et al. 1998; Bull 2000; Bull & 95 Burzacott 2006; Leu et al. 2010a). The use of on-board activity and GPS loggers (Kerr et al. 99Social networks based on frequency of contacts among active lizards have shown that 100 individuals associate with some neighbours and avoid others, and that this social structure 101 remains stable both within a year and over multiple years (Leu et al. 2010a; Godfrey et al. 102 2013). Our current study builds upon this previous research by exploring the genetic 103 relationships between adult lizards in a social network. The aim of the study was to determine 104 whether lizards that were connected in the social network were more (or less) related to each 105 other than if there had been random associations. In any population, individuals that live 106 closer together will have more opportunities to interact than those living further apart. In our 107 analyses we specifically asked whether we could detect an influence of genetic relatedness on 108 network structure after controlling for spatial proximity. Methods 111The study was conducted from October to December 2010, in a 1.0 x 1.5 km area of Water and Natural Resources. 144Network structure 145 We developed a social network from incidents of spatial proximity of dyads of active lizards. 146These were derived from synchronous GPS locations every 10 min for each of the 60 lizards. with female-female dyads the least related (Fig. 1). 266Association strength was strongly positively correlated with expected associations 267 (derived from the spatial overlap among dyads), although observed association strength was 268 substantially lower than expected association rates (Fig. 2). Association strength was not 269 significantly influenced by genetic relatedness at this spatial scale (Table 2). lizards that had home range centres less than 200 m apart (Fig. 2). For this subset of dyads, 274 association strength was also positively correlated with expected association rates (Fig....

White matter alterations in the cingulum, IFOF regions, and corpus callosum might explain faster cognitive deterioration in PD patients with RBD, in terms of visual recognition and visuospatial dysfunction and executive function. Disturbed brain structural tissue markers in CST in PD + RBD patients, could be justified in the light of faster motor progression in these patients.

Pleistocene diversification and biogeographic barriers in southern Australia reflected in the phylogeography of a widespread and common lizard species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 133, 107-119.

These results suggest the prominent circuits involved in emotion recognition, particularly negative emotions, might be impaired in comorbid depressive symptoms in PD.

Background: Changes in the enteric microbiota have been suggested to contribute to gastrointestinal diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome. Most of the published work is on bacterial dysbiosis with meager data on the role of the virome in irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal diseases. In the current study, we therefore aimed to investigate the viral community composition of the gut and test for potential dysbiosis linked to irritable bowel syndrome. Results: A metagenomics analysis on fecal samples of 50 individuals -30 of whom met the Rome IV criteria for IBS and 20 healthy controls-was conducted. There was a noticeable alteration in viral taxa observed in association with irritable bowel syndrome when compared to healthy individualswhere some eukaryotic viral taxa noticeably prevail over others. We observed a significant decrease in the diversity and abundance of enteric virome particularly in eukaryotic viruses of Megavirales in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Conclusions: These findings shed light on a new hypothesis that the alteration of the viral taxa contributes to the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome and related symptoms, and therefore, pave the way for developing a new diagnostic biomarker or anti-viral drugs for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Land alteration for intensive agriculture has been a major cause of species decline and extinction globally. In marginal grazing regions of southern Australia, native perennial shrubs are increasingly being planted to supplement pasture feeding of stock. Such revegetation has the benefits of reducing erosion and salinity, and importantly, the potential provision of habitat for native fauna. We explored the use of revegetated native saltbush by the sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) an endemic Australian species common in the region. We repeatedly sampled revegetated saltbush throughout 2010 and 2011 for adults (n = 55) and juveniles (n = 26). Using genotypes from eight microsatellite loci, parents were assigned to half of all juveniles with high statistical confidence. Parents were sampled in the same patch of revegetated saltbush as their offspring, thus supporting the observation that juvenile sleepy lizards remain within the home range of their parents before dispersal. Most importantly, our findings indicate that revegetated saltbush provides important habitat for T. rugosa at significant life stages – before and during breeding for adults, and before dispersal for juveniles. We conclude that revegetation using simple, monoculture plantations provides beneficial habitat for T. rugosa and may also be beneficial habitat for other native species in human-altered agricultural landscapes.

Background: One in four families has at least one member with a mental disorder and families are the main caregivers in most patients in low and middle-income countries. Caregivers experience disruption in their routine lives, increased responsibilities, increased need for support, and changes in their network. The role of personal support networks in the health and burden of the caregivers is complex and depends on the context, cultural and socioeconomical variables. In this study, we aimed to investigate the personal support network of caregivers of patients with severe mental illness in Iran. Methods: By using a mixed-methods design, we focused on the structure and composition of caregiver networks, as well as self-perceived caregiver support. Results: We found that the support network of caregivers was mostly composed of immediate family members whom themselves were selectively chosen as a result of the multidimensional process of interaction between stigma, availability, and the perceived needs of caregivers. The participants mentioned economic and instrumental supports more frequently than emotional support, probably reflecting their unmet basic needs. Advocacy for providing formal systemic supports to caregivers, as well as interventions that expand caregivers personal support network is recommended. Conclusions: Most participants of the study were relatively isolated and had a small network of support, mostly composed of immediate family members. Stigma was a serious source of family distress for caregivers and a limiting factor in social relationships.

No abstract