We argue that perturbative quantum field theory and string theory can be consistently modified in the infrared to eliminate, in a radiatively stable manner, tadpole instabilities that arise after supersymmetry breaking. This is achieved by deforming the propagators of classically massless scalar fields and the graviton so as to cancel the contribution of their zero modes. In string theory, this...

The tendency to aggregate during the larval stage is widespread and highly variable among anuran species. Several studies have highlighted link between tadpole group density their activity level, confirming that, usually, living in groups brings several antipredator benefits. However, nearly all focused on average behavioural responses of tadpoles tested groups. In this study, we explored effec...

Amphibian tadpoles display extensive anti-predator phenotypic plasticity, reducing locomotory activity and, with chronic predator exposure, developing relatively smaller trunks and larger tails. In many vertebrates, predator exposure alters activity of the neuroendocrine stress axis. We investigated predator-induced effects on stress hormone production and the mechanistic link to anti-predator ...

UNLABELLED During space flights, tadpoles of the clawed toad Xenopus laevis occasionally develop upward bended tails (tail lordosis). The tail lordosis disappears after re-entry to 1g within a couple of days. The mechanisms responsible for the induction of the tail lordosis are unknown; physical conditions such as weight de-loading or physiological factors such as decreased vestibular activity ...

UNLABELLED The increasing prevalence of ranavirus (RV; Iridoviridae) infections of wild and commercially maintained aquatic species is raising considerable concerns. While Xenopus laevis is the leading model for studies of immunity to RV, amphibian antiviral interferon (IFN) responses remain largely uncharacterized. Accordingly, an X. laevis type I interferon was identified, the expression of t...

BACKGROUND INhibitor of Growth (ING) proteins belong to a large family of plant homeodomain finger-containing proteins important in epigenetic regulation and carcinogenesis. We have previously shown that ING1 and ING2 expression is regulated by thyroid hormone (TH) during metamorphosis of the Xenopus laevis tadpole. The present study investigates the possibility that ING proteins modulate TH ac...

Adaptive responses were observed using the micronucleus frequency in bullfrog tadpoles. In tanks in which control tadpoles were placed in contact with tadpoles that were previously housed in tritiated water (3.0× 104 Bq/L), the cells from all animals responded as though they were “adapted”. This suggests that direct exposure to 3.0× 104 Bq/L tritium contributes to an increased resistance to a h...

Novaluron is an insect growth regulator (IGR) used against fruit-borers and domestic pests. In this study, effects of different concentrations (0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 microg l(-1)) of novaluron on the tail regeneration, limb development and metamorphosis were examined in Bufo melanostictus. Thyroxine (1.0, 2.0, 3.5, 5.0 microg l(-1)), which promotes amphibian development/metamorphosis, and vitamin...

Gonadal differentiation, the onset of androgen-stimulated laryngeal growth and the genesis of a sex difference in laryngeal innervation, all temporally coincide with thyroid hormone (TH)-induced metamorphosis in Xenopus laevis. To explore the role TH plays in the ontogeny of the Xenopus androgen-sensitive vocal neuromuscular system, we examined gonadal and laryngeal development in tadpoles in w...