No abstract

SummaryCourtship in Drosophila melanogaster offers a powerful experimental paradigm for the study of innate sexually dimorphic behaviors [1, 2]. Fruit fly males exhibit an elaborate courtship display toward a potential mate [1, 2]. Females never actively court males, but their response to the male’s display determines whether mating will actually occur. Sex-specific behaviors are hardwired into the nervous system via the actions of the sex determination genes doublesex (dsx) and fruitless (fru) [1]. Activation of male-specific dsx/fru+ P1 neurons in the brain initiates the male’s courtship display [3, 4], suggesting that neurons unique to males trigger this sex-specific behavior. In females, dsx+ neurons play a pivotal role in sexual receptivity and post-mating behaviors [1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Yet it is still unclear how dsx+ neurons and dimorphisms in these circuits give rise to the different behaviors displayed by males and females. Here, we manipulated the function of dsx+ neurons in the female brain to investigate higher-order neurons that drive female behaviors. Surprisingly, we found that activation of female dsx+ neurons in the brain induces females to behave like males by promoting male-typical courtship behaviors. Activated females display courtship toward conspecific males or females, as well other Drosophila species. We uncovered specific dsx+ neurons critical for driving male courtship and identified pheromones that trigger such behaviors in activated females. While male courtship behavior was thought to arise from male-specific central neurons, our study shows that the female brain is equipped with latent courtship circuitry capable of inducing this male-specific behavioral program.

Calcium binding proteins (CBPs) function in response to changes in intracellular calcium (Ca 2+ ) levels by modulating intracellular signaling pathways. Calcium sensors, including Nucleobindins (Nucb1/2) undergo Ca 2+ -binding induced conformational changes and bind to target proteins.Nucleobindins possess additional uncharacterized domains including partly characterized EFhands. We study the molecular evolution of Nucleobindins in eukaryotes emphasizing on the Nterminal DNA binding domain (DBD) that emerged as a result of domain insertion event in Nucb1/2 domain-scaffold in an ancestor to the opisthokonts. Our results from in silico analyses and functional assays revealed that DBD of Nucb1 binds to canonical E-box sequences and triggers cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Thus, post gene duplication, Nucb1 has emerged as unconventional Ca 2+ -binding transcriptional regulators that can induce EMT. Highlights:1. Nucleobindins emerged from prokaryotic EF-hand containing protein.2. The DNA-binding domain was gained in these in opisthokonts.3. Gene duplication in ancestor of euteleostomes, lead to emergence of Nucb1/2. Nucb1 emerged as a canonical E-box binding protein promoting EMT

Capacity measurement of roads under mixed traffic conditions as prevailing in India is ambiguous as it varies with time, composition of traffic and roadway encroachments. High incidence of slow moving vehicles and tricycles adds to the problem. Volumecapacity ratio appears to be an inadequate measure of defming level of service under mixed traffic situations. An attempt is made in this paper to explore the possibility of presenting unconventional parameters like standard deviation of speed, coefficient of variation of speed and acceleration noise as possible measures of level of service. Tentative ranges of acceleration noise are proposed in association with flow and speed to explain level of service of urban roads catering to mixed traffic. The results are based on a study conducted in Madras, a major metropolitan city of India.

STUDY QUESTION Can a home-use device be used to predict serum hormone levels? SUMMARY ANSWER A home-use device can predict urinary hormone values which are well correlated to serum concentrations of respective hormones and hence can be used as a proxy for serum measurements WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Home-use devices that predict ovulation are calibrated against the actual day of ovulation. However, the correlation of any quantitative system to serum hormone concentrations has not been established. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A total of 73 data points obtained from 20 participants across different phases of the menstrual cycle i.e. bleeding days, follicular phase and luteal phase were used to establish the correlation between serum hormones and urinary metabolite values. Single data points from 20 random users were used to assess the correlation established. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Participants were women in the fertile age groups and only current users of the home-use device. Selection was done based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Blood hormones were tested using chemiluminescent immunoassays and urinary measurements were taken on the home-use device at home. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4) and LH were correlated with urinary estrone-3-glucuronide (E3G), pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG) and LH with an R2 of 0.96, 0.95 and 0.98 respectively. Repredicted serum concentration obtained by using the correlation equation had a correlation of 0.92, 0.94 and 0.93 in unknown samples. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study was designed to include women who have normal cycle lengths regularly therefore the values obtained were in the normal range. Certain infertility conditions may cause the values to be higher and correlation in such cases needs to be established. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Results of this study imply a new tool that can be used by fertility specialists as a proxy for blood tests whenever required. Extended study on this system can enable its use in assisted reproductive techniques as well STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No funding was received for this study. Siddharth Pattnaik and Dipankar Das are employees of the research and development division of Samplytics Technologies Pvt. Ltd. which is a forwarder for Inito Inc., USA. Aayush Rai and Varun Akur Venkatesan are co-founders of Inito Inc., USA. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER The trial was registered at the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) registry (Identifier: ISRCTN15534557)