Utilizing the dynamic stark shift as a probe for dielectric relaxation in photosynthetic reaction centers during charge separation.

PubMed

Guo, Zhi; Lin, Su; Woodbury, Neal W

2013-09-26

In photosynthetic reaction centers, the electric field generated by light-induced charge separation produces electrochromic shifts in the transitions of reaction center pigments. The extent of this Stark shift indirectly reflects the effective field strength at a particular cofactor in the complex. The dynamics of the effective field strength near the two monomeric bacteriochlorophylls (BA and BB) in purple photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers has been explored near physiological temperature by monitoring the time-dependent Stark shift during charge separation (dynamic Stark shift). This dynamic Stark shift was determined through analysis of femtosecond time-resolved absorbance change spectra recorded in wild type reaction centers and in four mutants at position M210. In both wild type and the mutants, the kinetics of the dynamic Stark shift differ from those of electron transfer, though not in the same way. In wild type, the initial electron transfer and the increase in the effective field strength near the active-side monomer bacteriochlorophyll (BA) occur in synchrony, but the two signals diverge on the time scale of electron transfer to the quinone. In contrast, when tyrosine is replaced by aspartic acid at M210, the kinetics of the BA Stark shift and the initial electron transfer differ, but transfer to the quinone coincides with the decay of the Stark shift. This is interpreted in terms of differences in the dynamics of the local dielectric environment between the mutants and the wild type. In wild type, comparison of the Stark shifts associated with BA and BB on the two quasi-symmetric halves of the reaction center structure confirm that the effective dielectric constants near these cofactors are quite different when the reaction center is in the state P(+)QA(-), as previously determined by Steffen et al. at 1.5 K (Steffen, M. A.; et al. Science 1994, 264, 810-816). However, it is not possible to determine from static, low-temperature measurments if the difference in the effective dielectric constant between the two sides of the reaction center is manifest on the time scale of initial electron transfer. By comparing directly the Stark shift dynamics of the ground-state spectra of the two monomer bacteriochlorophylls, it is evident that there is, in fact, a large dielectric difference between protein environments of the two quasi-symmetric electron-transfer branches on the time scale of initial electron transfer and that the effective dielectric constant in the region continues to evolve on a time scale of hundreds of picoseconds.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Wild Boars, Wild Rabbits, and Wild Chickens in Hubei Province, China.

PubMed

Luo, Houqiang; Li, Kun; Shahzad, Muhammad; Zhang, Hui; Lan, Yanfang; Xiong, Xiong

2017-02-01

Toxoplasma gondii causes serious infection worldwide in humans and animals. In this study, the seroepidemiology of toxoplasmosis was investigated in wild boars ( Sus scrofa ) (n=377), wild rabbits (cape hare, Lapus capensis ) (n=331), and wild chickens (red junglefwol, Gallus gallus ) (n=571) in 4 forested and country sided area of Hubei province of China. For this, blood samples were collected and tested by indirect hemagglutination test (IHA). The seroprevalence was found to be 7.2%, 5.1%, and 12.6% in wild boars, rabbits, and chickens, respectively, with significant differences among these species. The prevalence of T. gondii infection in male and female wild boars was found to be 7.9% and 6.5% ( P <0.01), in male and female rabbits was 5.6% and 4.9% ( P <0.01), and in male and female chickens was 17.1% and 7.7% ( P <0.01), respectively, with significant differences between 2 genders of chickens ( P <0.01). The findings of this study may help in planning of the prevention measures against T. gondii infection in wild animals in this area.

Is a wild mammal kept and reared in captivity still a wild animal?

PubMed

Künzl, Christine; Kaiser, Sylvia; Meier, Edda; Sachser, Norbert

2003-01-01

This study compared domestic guinea pigs (Cavia aperea f. porcellus; DGP) and two different populations of the wild cavy (Cavia aperea), its ancestor, to examine whether rearing of wild mammals in captivity affects their behavior and physiological stress responses. One population of wild cavies consisted of wild-trapped animals and their first laboratory-reared offspring (WGP-1). The animals of the other population were reared in captivity for about 30 generations (WGP-30). The spontaneous behavior of each of six groups of WGP-1 and WGP-30 and nine groups of DGP, each consisting of one adult male and two adult females, was analyzed quantitatively. Blood samples of the males were taken to determine cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine concentrations. In addition, the exploratory behavior of 60-day-old male WGP-1, WGP-30, and DGP was investigated in an exploration apparatus. The domesticated animals displayed significantly less aggression, but significantly more sociopositive and male courtship behavior than their wild ancestors. In addition, DGP were much less attentive to their physical environment. Surprisingly, no behavioral difference was found between WGP-1 and WGP-30. Basal cortisol concentrations did not differ between wild and domestic guinea pigs. Catecholamine concentrations, however, as well as the challenge values of cortisol, were distinctly reduced in the DGP. WGP-1 and WGP-30 did not differ with respect to their endocrine stress responses. In the exploration apparatus both forms of wild cavies were much more explorative than the domestic animals. These data suggest that the long-term breeding and rearing of wild guinea pigs in captivity do not result in significant changes in behavior and hormonal stress responses. It appears to take much longer periods of time and artificial selection by humans to bring about characters of domestication in wild animals.

Collecting Lesquerella for conservation and research on comparative seed dormancy among wild populations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lesquerella (Brassicaceae) collecting explorations remain paramount in getting diverse germplasm for continuing efforts in developing promising new crop varieties. Exploration activities in Southwestern states were conducted in April to June 2010 to obtain seeds from wild populations of two species ...

Map and interpretation of aeromagnetic data for the Wild Rogue Wilderness, Coos and Curry Counties, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blakely, Richard J.; Senior, Lisa

1983-01-01

The mapped geology of the Wild Rogue Wilderness (Gray and others, 1982) consists of a tectonic wedge of volcanic and intrusive rocks of Jurassic age surrounded on all sides by thick sequences of Jurassic, Creacetous, and Tertiary sedimentary rocks. Normally, volcanic and intrusive rocks are more magnetic than sedimentary rocks, a property which should be reflected by the areomagnetic data. We conclude, however, that most of the magnetic anomalies of the Wild Rogue Wilderness are caused by magnetic rocks that are not exposed but which occur at relatively shallow depth below the topographic surface. 

Association of Primary Tumor Site With Mortality in Patients Receiving Bevacizumab and Cetuximab for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

Aljehani, Mayada A; Morgan, John W; Guthrie, Laurel A; Jabo, Brice; Ramadan, Majed; Bahjri, Khaled; Lum, Sharon S; Selleck, Matthew; Reeves, Mark E; Garberoglio, Carlos; Senthil, Maheswari

2018-01-01

Biologic therapy (BT) (eg, bevacizumab or cetuximab) is increasingly used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Recent investigations have suggested that right- or left-sided primary tumor origin affects survival and response to BT. To evaluate the association of tumor origin with mortality in a diverse population-based data set of patients receiving systemic chemotherapy (SC) and bevacizumab or cetuximab for mCRC. This population-based nonconcurrent cohort study of statewide California Cancer Registry data included all patients aged 40 to 85 years diagnosed with mCRC and treated with SC only or SC plus bevacizumab or cetuximab from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2014. Patients were stratified by tumor origin in the left vs right sides. Treatment with SC or SC plus bevacizumab or cetuximab. Mortality hazards by tumor origin (right vs left sides) were assessed for patients receiving SC alone or SC plus bevacizumab or cetuximab. Subgroup analysis for patients with wild-type KRAS tumors was also performed. A total of 11 905 patients with mCRC (6713 men [56.4%] and 5192 women [43.6%]; mean [SD] age, 60.0 [10.9] years) were eligible for the study. Among these, 4632 patients received SC and BT. Compared with SC alone, SC plus bevacizumab reduced mortality among patients with right- and left-sided mCRC, whereas SC plus cetuximab reduced mortality only among patients with left-sided tumors and was associated with significantly higher mortality for right-sided tumors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% CI, 1.14-1.51; P < .001). Among patients treated with SC plus BT, right-sided tumor origin was associated with higher mortality among patients receiving bevacizumab (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.25-1.36; P < .001) and cetuximab (HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.68-2.12; P < .001) BT, compared with left-sided tumor origin. In patients with wild-type KRAS tumors (n = 668), cetuximab was associated with reduced mortality among only patients with left-sided mCRC compared with bevacizumab (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63-0.90; P = .002), whereas patients with right-sided mCRC had more than double the mortality compared with those with left-sided mCRC (HR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.83-3.25, P < .001). Primary tumor site is associated with response to BT in mCRC. Right-sided primary tumor location is associated with higher mortality regardless of BT type. In patients with wild-type KRAS tumors, treatment with cetuximab benefited only those with left-sided mCRC and was associated with significantly poorer survival among those with right-sided mCRC. Our results underscore the importance of stratification by tumor site for current treatment guidelines and future clinical trials.

Comparative metabolite profiling of Solanum tuberosum against six wild Solanum species with Colorado potato beetle resistance.

PubMed

Tai, Helen H; Worrall, Kraig; Pelletier, Yvan; De Koeyer, David; Calhoun, Larry A

2014-09-10

The Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (CPB) is a coleopteran herbivore that feeds on the foliage on Solanum species, in particular, potato. Six resistant wild Solanum species were identified, and two of these species had low levels of glycoalkaloids. Comparative analysis of the untargeted metabolite profiles of the foliage using UPLC-qTOF-MS was done to find metabolites shared between the wild species but not with Solanum tuberosum (L.) to identify resistance-related metabolites. It was found that only S. tuberosum produced the triose glycoalkaloids solanine and chaconine. Instead, the six wild species produced glycoalkaloids that shared in common tetrose sugar side chains. Additionally, there were non-glycoalkaloid metabolites associated with resistance including hydroxycoumarin and a phenylpropanoid, which were produced in all wild species but not in S. tuberosum.

Genome-wide association study reveals candidate genes influencing lipids and diterpenes contents in Coffea arabica L.

PubMed

Sant'Ana, Gustavo C; Pereira, Luiz F P; Pot, David; Ivamoto, Suzana T; Domingues, Douglas S; Ferreira, Rafaelle V; Pagiatto, Natalia F; da Silva, Bruna S R; Nogueira, Lívia M; Kitzberger, Cintia S G; Scholz, Maria B S; de Oliveira, Fernanda F; Sera, Gustavo H; Padilha, Lilian; Labouisse, Jean-Pierre; Guyot, Romain; Charmetant, Pierre; Leroy, Thierry

2018-01-11

Lipids, including the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol, are key compounds that contribute to the quality of coffee beverages. We determined total lipid content and cafestol and kahweol concentrations in green beans and genotyped 107 Coffea arabica accessions, including wild genotypes from the historical FAO collection from Ethiopia. A genome-wide association study was performed to identify genomic regions associated with lipid, cafestol and kahweol contents and cafestol/kahweol ratio. Using the diploid Coffea canephora genome as a reference, we identified 6,696 SNPs. Population structure analyses suggested the presence of two to three groups (K = 2 and K = 3) corresponding to the east and west sides of the Great Rift Valley and an additional group formed by wild accessions collected in western forests. We identified 5 SNPs associated with lipid content, 4 with cafestol, 3 with kahweol and 9 with cafestol/kahweol ratio. Most of these SNPs are located inside or near candidate genes related to metabolic pathways of these chemical compounds in coffee beans. In addition, three trait-associated SNPs showed evidence of directional selection among cultivated and wild coffee accessions. Our results also confirm a great allelic richness in wild accessions from Ethiopia, especially in accessions originating from forests in the west side of the Great Rift Valley.

Consumption of particulate wastes derived from cage fish farming by aggregated wild fish. An experimental approach.

PubMed

Ballester-Moltó, M; Sanchez-Jerez, P; Aguado-Giménez, F

2017-09-01

Particulate wastes derived from cage fish farming are a trophic resource used by wild fish. This study assesses waste consumption by wild fish and the impact on the final balance of wastes. Consumption was determined according to the difference between the particulate matter exiting the cages and that reaching 5 m away at three different depths, in the presence and absence of wild fish. Wild fish around the experimental cages were counted during feeding and non-feeding periods. A weighted abundance of 1057 fish 1000 m -3 consumed 17.75% of the particulate wastes exiting the cages, on average. Consumption was higher below the cages, where waste outflow was greater. However, waste removal by wild fish was noteworthy along the shallow and deep sides of the cages. Wild fish diminished the net particulate wastes by about 14%, transforming them into more easily dispersible and less harmful wastes. This study demonstrates the mitigating potential of wild fish in reducing environmental impact. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An evolutionary view on tooth development and replacement in wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

PubMed

Huysseune, A; Witten, P E

2008-01-01

To gain an insight into the evolution of tooth replacement mechanisms, we studied the development of first-generation and replacement teeth on the dentary of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), a protacanthopterygian teleost, using serially sectioned heads of early posthatching stages as well as adults. First-generation teeth develop within the oral epithelium. The anlage of the replacement tooth is first seen as a placode-like thickening of the outer dental epithelium of the predecessor, at its lingual and caudal side. Ongoing development of the replacement tooth germ is characterized by the elaboration of a population of epithelial cells, termed here the middle dental epithelium, apposed to the inner dental epithelium on the lingual side of the tooth germ. Before the formation of the new successor, a single-layered outer dental epithelium segregates from the middle dental epithelium. The dental organs of the predecessor and the successor remain broadly interconnected. The absence of a discrete successional dental lamina in salmon stands in sharp contrast to what is observed in other teleosts, even those that share with salmon the extraosseous formation of replacement teeth. The mode of tooth replacement in Atlantic salmon displays several characters similar to those observed in the shark Squalus acanthias. To interpret similarities in tooth replacement between Atlantic salmon and chondrichthyans as a case of convergence, or to see them as a result of a heterochronic shift, requires knowledge on the replacement process in more basal actinopterygian lineages. The possibility that the middle dental epithelium functionally substitutes for a successional lamina, and could be a source of stem cells, whose descendants subsequently contribute to the placode of the new replacement tooth, needs to be explored.

Teen Screen: Take a Walk on the Wild Side.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flowers, Sarah

2002-01-01

Reviews seven videos that involve some aspect of extreme sports, feature loud rock music, and are popular with teens. Includes snowboarding, Gravity Games, BMX bikes, skateboarding, and skydiving. (LRW)

Exploration and risk assessment in female wild house mice (Mus musculus musculus) and two laboratory strains.

PubMed

Augustsson, Hanna; Dahlborn, Kristina; Meyerson, Bengt J

2005-02-15

In an evolutionary prospective, it is possible that female mice have a differential perception of novel events than male mice and use a different behavioural strategy for risk assessment. However, female mice are less studied than male mice in behavioural tests of emotional reactivity. The aim of the present study was to investigate how wild-derived female house mice differ from domesticated female mice in their risk assessment strategy. A total of 46 adult female mice, 14 BALB/c, 16 C57BL/6 and 14 Wild mice were tested in the Concentric Square Field (CSF), Open Field (OF) and Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) at three consecutive days. Parameters from all three tests were categorized according to their relevance to activity, exploration, approach-avoidance and use of open areas-shelter. Principal Component Analysis (PCA-SIMCA) of the animals' behaviour in the CSF arena was performed both for females alone and in comparison with earlier findings in male mice under the same test conditions. The results clearly show that female wild mice had a higher avoidance of open areas than the laboratory strains. There was also a trend indicating differences in exploration and approach-avoidance between female Wild and the laboratory strains. The multivariate test, CSF, was able to detect differences between Wild and laboratory strains in three (exploration, approach-avoidance, open-shelter) of the four functional categories measured. Wild female mice also had a higher frequency of rearing and grooming and a lower duration in the corridors in the CSF. Clear strain differences were found between BALB and C57BL in all tests where BALB generally had higher risk assessment and lower risk taking than C57BL. No general sex differences were found, however the sex differences were greater in Wild mice compared to the laboratory strains.

Proteome profiling of virus-host interactions of wild type and attenuated measles virus strains.

PubMed

Billing, Anja M; Kessler, Julia R; Revets, Dominique; Sausy, Aurélie; Schmitz, Stephanie; Barra, Claire; Muller, Claude P

2014-08-28

Quantitative gel-based proteomics (2D DIGE coupled to MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) has been used to investigate the effects of different measles virus (MV) strains on the host cell proteome. A549/hSLAM cells were infected either with wild type MV strains, an attenuated vaccine or a multiple passaged Vero cell adapted strain. By including interferon beta treatment as a control it was possible to distinguish between the classical antiviral response and changes induced specifically by the different strains. Of 38 differentially expressed proteins in total (p-value ≤0.05, fold change ≥2), 18 proteins were uniquely modulated following MV infection with up to 9 proteins specific per individual strain. Interestingly, wt strains displayed distinct protein patterns particularly during the late phase of infection. Proteins were grouped into cytoskeleton, metabolism, transcription/translation, immune response and mitochondrial proteins. Bioinformatics analysis revealed mostly changes in proteins regulating cell death and apoptosis. Surprisingly, wt strains affected the cytokeratin system much stronger than the vaccine strain. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the MV-host proteome addressing interstrain differences. In the present study we investigated the host cell proteome upon measles virus (MV) infection. The novelty about this study is the side-by side comparison of different strains from the same virus, which has not been done at the proteome level for any other virus including MV. We used different virus strains including a vaccine strain, wild type isolates derived from MV-infected patients as well as a Vero cell adapted strain, which serves as an intermediate between vaccine and wild type strain. We observed differences between vaccine and wild type strains as well as common features between different wild type strains. Perhaps one of the most surprising findings was that differences did not only occur between wild type and vaccine or Vero cell adapted strains but also between different wild type strains. In fact our study suggests that besides the cytokeratin and the IFN system wild type viruses seem to differ as much among each other than from vaccine strains. Thus our results are suggestive of complex and diverse virus-host interactions which differ considerably between different wild type strains. Our data indicate that interstrain differences are prominent and have so far been neglected by proteomics studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Central Cavity of Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and the Evolution of AMP/Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate Synergism in Eukaryotic Organisms*

PubMed Central

Gao, Yang; Shen, Lu; Honzatko, Richard B.

2014-01-01

The effects of AMP and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P2) on porcine fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (pFBPase) and Escherichia coli FBPase (eFBPase) differ in three respects. AMP/Fru-2,6-P2 synergism in pFBPase is absent in eFBPase. Fru-2,6-P2 induces a 13° subunit pair rotation in pFBPase but no rotation in eFBPase. Hydrophilic side chains in eFBPase occupy what otherwise would be a central aqueous cavity observed in pFBPase. Explored here is the linkage of AMP/Fru-2,6-P2 synergism to the central cavity and the evolution of synergism in FBPases. The single mutation Ser45 → His substantially fills the central cavity of pFBPase, and the triple mutation Ser45 → His, Thr46 → Arg, and Leu186 → Tyr replaces porcine with E. coli type side chains. Both single and triple mutations significantly reduce synergism while retaining other wild-type kinetic properties. Similar to the effect of Fru-2,6-P2 on eFBPase, the triple mutant of pFBPase with bound Fru-2,6-P2 exhibits only a 2° subunit pair rotation as opposed to the 13° rotation exhibited by the Fru-2,6-P2 complex of wild-type pFBPase. The side chain at position 45 is small in all available eukaryotic FBPases but large and hydrophilic in bacterial FBPases, similar to eFBPase. Sequence information indicates the likelihood of synergism in the FBPase from Leptospira interrogans (lFBPase), and indeed recombinant lFBPase exhibits AMP/Fru-2,6-P2 synergism. Unexpectedly, however, AMP also enhances Fru-6-P binding to lFBPase. Taken together, these observations suggest the evolution of AMP/Fru-2,6-P2 synergism in eukaryotic FBPases from an ancestral FBPase having a central aqueous cavity and exhibiting synergistic feedback inhibition by AMP and Fru-6-P. PMID:24436333

The absence of wild game and fish species from the USDA National Nutrient Database for standard reference: addressing information gaps in wild caught foods.

PubMed

Tidball, Moira M; Tidball, Keith G; Curtis, Paul

2014-01-01

We highlighted gaps in nutritional data for wild game meat and wild caught fish that have a regulated harvesting season in New York State, and examined the possible role that wild game and fish play in current trends towards consumption of local, healthy meat sources. This project is part of larger study that examines family food decision-making, and explores possibilities for leveraging the locavore movement in support of consumption of wild game and fish.

The Kinase Fyn As a Novel Intermediate in L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Sanz-Blasco, Sara; Bordone, Melina P; Damianich, Ana; Gomez, Gimena; Bernardi, M Alejandra; Isaja, Luciana; Taravini, Irene R; Hanger, Diane P; Avale, M Elena; Gershanik, Oscar S; Ferrario, Juan E

2018-06-01

Dopamine replacement therapy with L-DOPA is the treatment of choice for Parkinson's disease; however, its long-term use is frequently associated with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). Many molecules have been implicated in the development of LID, and several of these have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets. However, to date, none of these molecules have demonstrated full clinical efficacy, either because they lie downstream of dopaminergic signaling, or due to adverse side effects. Therefore, discovering new strategies to reduce LID in Parkinson's disease remains a major challenge. Here, we have explored the tyrosine kinase Fyn, as a novel intermediate molecule in the development of LID. Fyn, a member of the Src kinase family, is located in the postsynaptic density, where it regulates phosphorylation of the NR2B subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in response to dopamine D1 receptor stimulation. We have used Fyn knockout and wild-type mice, lesioned with 6-hydroxydopamine and chronically treated with L-DOPA, to investigate the role of Fyn in the induction of LID. We found that mice lacking Fyn displayed reduced LID, ΔFosB accumulation and NR2B phosphorylation compared to wild-type control mice. Pre-administration of saracatinib (AZD0530), an inhibitor of Fyn activity, also significantly reduced LID in dyskinetic wild-type mice. These results support that Fyn has a critical role in the molecular pathways affected during the development of LID and identify Fyn as a novel potential therapeutic target for the management of dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease.

The Gene Pool Concept Applied to Crop Wild Relatives: An Evolutionary Perspective

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop wild relatives (CWR) can provide important resources for the genetic improvement of cultivated species. Because crops are often closely related to many wild species, and because exploration of CWR for useful traits can take many years and substantial resources, the categorization of CWR based o...

Differentiation among Israeli Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici isolates originating from wild vs. domesticated Triticum species

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Israel and its vicinity constitute a center of diversity of domesticated wheat species (Triticum aestivum and T. durum) and their sympatrically growing wild relatives, including wild emmer wheat (T. dicoccoides). The present study explored differentiation within the forma specialis of their obligat...

Male meiosis and gametogenesis in wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) from a chromosomal hybrid zone; a comparison between "simple" Robertsonian heterozygotes and homozygotes.

PubMed

Wallace, B M; Searle, J B; Everett, C A

1992-01-01

Wild male house mice Mus musculus domesticus were collected from the hybrid zone between the John o'Groats race (2n = 32) and the standard race (2n = 40) in northern Scotland. Meiosis in both homozygotes (2n = 32, 36, and 40) and single Robertsonian heterozygotes (2n = 33, 35, and 37) was found to be orderly. At prophase/metaphase I in heterozygotes, a trivalent was formed from the metacentric and two homologous acrocentrics. At pachytene, this trivalent usually had a single side arm at the position of the centromeres, as a result of nonhomologous pairing of the acrocentrics. This side arm persisted into diplotene. Generally only a single chiasma was formed between each acrocentric and the metacentric. Anaphase I nondisjunction frequencies were estimated as 1.5% for the homozygotes and 2.7% for the heterozygotes. The extent of germ cell death between the pachytene and round spermatid stages was 18% greater in heterozygotes than in homozygotes. Our results concur with previous studies which indicate that single Robertsonian heterozygotes in wild house mice have near-normal fertility.

Effect of Cattle on Salmonella Carriage, Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance in Free-Ranging Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) in Northeastern Spain

PubMed Central

Navarro-Gonzalez, Nora; Mentaberre, Gregorio; Porrero, Concepción M.; Serrano, Emmanuel; Mateos, Ana; López-Martín, José M.; Lavín, Santiago; Domínguez, Lucas

2012-01-01

Salmonella is distributed worldwide and is a pathogen of economic and public health importance. As a multi-host pathogen with a long environmental persistence, it is a suitable model for the study of wildlife-livestock interactions. In this work, we aim to explore the spill-over of Salmonella between free-ranging wild boar and livestock in a protected natural area in NE Spain and the presence of antimicrobial resistance. Salmonella prevalence, serotypes and diversity were compared between wild boars, sympatric cattle and wild boars from cattle-free areas. The effect of age, sex, cattle presence and cattle herd size on Salmonella probability of infection in wild boars was explored by means of Generalized Linear Models and a model selection based on the Akaike’s Information Criterion. Prevalence was higher in wild boars co-habiting with cattle (35.67%, CI 95% 28.19–43.70) than in wild boar from cattle-free areas (17.54%, CI 95% 8.74–29.91). Probability of a wild boar being a Salmonella carrier increased with cattle herd size but decreased with the host age. Serotypes Meleagridis, Anatum and Othmarschen were isolated concurrently from cattle and sympatric wild boars. Apart from serotypes shared with cattle, wild boars appear to have their own serotypes, which are also found in wild boars from cattle-free areas (Enteritidis, Mikawasima, 4:b:- and 35:r:z35). Serotype richness (diversity) was higher in wild boars co-habiting with cattle, but evenness was not altered by the introduction of serotypes from cattle. The finding of a S. Mbandaka strain resistant to sulfamethoxazole, streptomycin and chloramphenicol and a S. Enteritidis strain resistant to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid in wild boars is cause for public health concern. PMID:23284725

Understanding Urban Demand for Wild Meat in Vietnam: Implications for Conservation Actions.

PubMed

Shairp, Rachel; Veríssimo, Diogo; Fraser, Iain; Challender, Daniel; MacMillan, Douglas

2016-01-01

Vietnam is a significant consumer of wildlife, particularly wild meat, in urban restaurant settings. To meet this demand, poaching of wildlife is widespread, threatening regional and international biodiversity. Previous interventions to tackle illegal and potentially unsustainable consumption of wild meat in Vietnam have generally focused on limiting supply. While critical, they have been impeded by a lack of resources, the presence of increasingly organised criminal networks and corruption. Attention is, therefore, turning to the consumer, but a paucity of research investigating consumer demand for wild meat will impede the creation of effective consumer-centred interventions. Here we used a mixed-methods research approach comprising a hypothetical choice modelling survey and qualitative interviews to explore the drivers of wild meat consumption and consumer preferences among residents of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Our findings indicate that demand for wild meat is heterogeneous and highly context specific. Wild-sourced, rare, and expensive wild meat-types are eaten by those situated towards the top of the societal hierarchy to convey wealth and status and are commonly consumed in lucrative business contexts. Cheaper, legal and farmed substitutes for wild-sourced meats are also consumed, but typically in more casual consumption or social drinking settings. We explore the implications of our results for current conservation interventions in Vietnam that attempt to tackle illegal and potentially unsustainable trade in and consumption of wild meat and detail how our research informs future consumer-centric conservation actions.

Understanding Urban Demand for Wild Meat in Vietnam: Implications for Conservation Actions

PubMed Central

Shairp, Rachel; Veríssimo, Diogo; Fraser, Iain; Challender, Daniel; MacMillan, Douglas

2016-01-01

Vietnam is a significant consumer of wildlife, particularly wild meat, in urban restaurant settings. To meet this demand, poaching of wildlife is widespread, threatening regional and international biodiversity. Previous interventions to tackle illegal and potentially unsustainable consumption of wild meat in Vietnam have generally focused on limiting supply. While critical, they have been impeded by a lack of resources, the presence of increasingly organised criminal networks and corruption. Attention is, therefore, turning to the consumer, but a paucity of research investigating consumer demand for wild meat will impede the creation of effective consumer-centred interventions. Here we used a mixed-methods research approach comprising a hypothetical choice modelling survey and qualitative interviews to explore the drivers of wild meat consumption and consumer preferences among residents of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Our findings indicate that demand for wild meat is heterogeneous and highly context specific. Wild-sourced, rare, and expensive wild meat-types are eaten by those situated towards the top of the societal hierarchy to convey wealth and status and are commonly consumed in lucrative business contexts. Cheaper, legal and farmed substitutes for wild-sourced meats are also consumed, but typically in more casual consumption or social drinking settings. We explore the implications of our results for current conservation interventions in Vietnam that attempt to tackle illegal and potentially unsustainable trade in and consumption of wild meat and detail how our research informs future consumer-centric conservation actions. PMID:26752642

Renal Type A Intercalated Cells Contain Albumin in Organelles with Aldosterone-Regulated Abundance

PubMed Central

Jensen, Thomas Buus; Cheema, Muhammad Umar; Szymiczek, Agata; Damkier, Helle Hasager; Praetorius, Jeppe

2015-01-01

Albumin has been identified in preparations of renal distal tubules and collecting ducts by mass spectrometry. This study aimed to establish whether albumin was a contaminant in those studies or actually present in the tubular cells, and if so, identify the albumin containing cells and commence exploration of the origin of the intracellular albumin. In addition to the expected proximal tubular albumin immunoreactivity, albumin was localized to mouse renal type-A intercalated cells and cells in the interstitium by three anti-albumin antibodies. Albumin did not colocalize with markers for early endosomes (EEA1), late endosomes/lysosomes (cathepsin D) or recycling endosomes (Rab11). Immuno-gold electron microscopy confirmed the presence of albumin-containing large spherical membrane associated bodies in the basal parts of intercalated cells. Message for albumin was detected in mouse renal cortex as well as in a wide variety of other tissues by RT-PCR, but was absent from isolated connecting tubules and cortical collecting ducts. Wild type I MDCK cells showed robust uptake of fluorescein-albumin from the basolateral side but not from the apical side when grown on permeable support. Only a subset of cells with low peanut agglutinin binding took up albumin. Albumin-aldosterone conjugates were also internalized from the basolateral side by MDCK cells. Aldosterone administration for 24 and 48 hours decreased albumin abundance in connecting tubules and cortical collecting ducts from mouse kidneys. We suggest that albumin is produced within the renal interstitium and taken up from the basolateral side by type-A intercalated cells by clathrin and dynamin independent pathways and speculate that the protein might act as a carrier of less water-soluble substances across the renal interstitium from the capillaries to the tubular cells. PMID:25874770

Steroid hydroxylation by basidiomycete peroxygenases: a combined experimental and computational study.

PubMed

Babot, Esteban D; Del Río, José C; Cañellas, Marina; Sancho, Ferran; Lucas, Fátima; Guallar, Víctor; Kalum, Lisbeth; Lund, Henrik; Gröbe, Glenn; Scheibner, Katrin; Ullrich, René; Hofrichter, Martin; Martínez, Angel T; Gutiérrez, Ana

2015-06-15

The goal of this study is the selective oxyfunctionalization of steroids under mild and environmentally friendly conditions using fungal enzymes. With this purpose, peroxygenases from three basidiomycete species were tested for the hydroxylation of a variety of steroidal compounds, using H2O2 as the only cosubstrate. Two of them are wild-type enzymes from Agrocybe aegerita and Marasmius rotula, and the third one is a recombinant enzyme from Coprinopsis cinerea. The enzymatic reactions on free and esterified sterols, steroid hydrocarbons, and ketones were monitored by gas chromatography, and the products were identified by mass spectrometry. Hydroxylation at the side chain over the steroidal rings was preferred, with the 25-hydroxyderivatives predominating. Interestingly, antiviral and other biological activities of 25-hydroxycholesterol have been reported recently (M. Blanc et al., Immunity 38:106-118, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2012.11.004). However, hydroxylation in the ring moiety and terminal hydroxylation at the side chain also was observed in some steroids, the former favored by the absence of oxygenated groups at C-3 and by the presence of conjugated double bonds in the rings. To understand the yield and selectivity differences between the different steroids, a computational study was performed using Protein Energy Landscape Exploration (PELE) software for dynamic ligand diffusion. These simulations showed that the active-site geometry and hydrophobicity favors the entrance of the steroid side chain, while the entrance of the ring is energetically penalized. Also, a direct correlation between the conversion rate and the side chain entrance ratio could be established that explains the various reaction yields observed. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Steroid Hydroxylation by Basidiomycete Peroxygenases: a Combined Experimental and Computational Study

PubMed Central

Babot, Esteban D.; del Río, José C.; Cañellas, Marina; Sancho, Ferran; Lucas, Fátima; Guallar, Víctor; Kalum, Lisbeth; Lund, Henrik; Gröbe, Glenn; Scheibner, Katrin; Ullrich, René; Hofrichter, Martin; Martínez, Angel T.

2015-01-01

The goal of this study is the selective oxyfunctionalization of steroids under mild and environmentally friendly conditions using fungal enzymes. With this purpose, peroxygenases from three basidiomycete species were tested for the hydroxylation of a variety of steroidal compounds, using H2O2 as the only cosubstrate. Two of them are wild-type enzymes from Agrocybe aegerita and Marasmius rotula, and the third one is a recombinant enzyme from Coprinopsis cinerea. The enzymatic reactions on free and esterified sterols, steroid hydrocarbons, and ketones were monitored by gas chromatography, and the products were identified by mass spectrometry. Hydroxylation at the side chain over the steroidal rings was preferred, with the 25-hydroxyderivatives predominating. Interestingly, antiviral and other biological activities of 25-hydroxycholesterol have been reported recently (M. Blanc et al., Immunity 38:106–118, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2012.11.004). However, hydroxylation in the ring moiety and terminal hydroxylation at the side chain also was observed in some steroids, the former favored by the absence of oxygenated groups at C-3 and by the presence of conjugated double bonds in the rings. To understand the yield and selectivity differences between the different steroids, a computational study was performed using Protein Energy Landscape Exploration (PELE) software for dynamic ligand diffusion. These simulations showed that the active-site geometry and hydrophobicity favors the entrance of the steroid side chain, while the entrance of the ring is energetically penalized. Also, a direct correlation between the conversion rate and the side chain entrance ratio could be established that explains the various reaction yields observed. PMID:25862224

Killing tigers to save them: fallacies of the farming argument.

PubMed

Kirkpatrick, R Craig; Emerton, Lucy

2010-06-01

The lucrative, illegal trade in tigers (Panthera tigris) remains a major conservation problem. Tiger farming has been proposed as a potential solution, with farmed tigers substituting for wild tigers. At first glance, this argument's logic seems simple: farming will increase the supply of tigers, prices will fall, and poaching will no longer be profitable. We contend, however, that this supply-side argument relies on mistaken assumptions. First, tiger markets are imperfect, meaning they are dominated by a few producers who control price. Second, consumers prefer wild tigers to farmed tigers and therefore the two are not pure substitutes. In economic terms, products from wild tigers are luxury goods, commanding a price premium. Third, there is no evidence that farmed tigers can be produced or sold more cheaply than wild tigers. In sum, it is unlikely that farming will drive down the price of wild-caught tigers or decrease profitability for tiger poachers. Rather, tiger farming is more likely to increase aggregate demand for tiger products and stimulate higher levels of poaching.

In vivo imaging of the inflammatory receptor CD40 after cerebral ischemia using a fluorescent antibody.

PubMed

Klohs, Jan; Gräfe, Michael; Graf, Kristof; Steinbrink, Jens; Dietrich, Thore; Stibenz, Dietger; Bahmani, Peyman; Kronenberg, Golo; Harms, Christoph; Endres, Matthias; Lindauer, Ute; Greger, Klaus; Stelzer, Ernst H K; Dirnagl, Ulrich; Wunder, Andreas

2008-10-01

Brain inflammation is a hallmark of stroke, where it has been implicated in tissue damage as well as in repair. Imaging technologies that specifically visualize these processes are highly desirable. In this study, we explored whether the inflammatory receptor CD40 can be noninvasively and specifically visualized in mice after cerebral ischemia using a fluorescent monoclonal antibody, which we labeled with the near-infrared fluorescence dye Cy5.5 (Cy5.5-CD40MAb). Wild-type and CD40-deficient mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Mice were either intravenously injected with Cy5.5-CD40MAb or control Cy5.5-IgGMAb. Noninvasive and ex vivo near-infrared fluorescence imaging was performed after injection of the compounds. Probe distribution and specificity was further assessed with single-plane illumination microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy. Significantly higher fluorescence intensities over the stroke-affected hemisphere, compared to the contralateral side, were only detected noninvasively in wild-type mice that received Cy5.5-CD40MAb, but not in CD40-deficient mice injected with Cy5.5-CD40MAb or in wild-type mice that were injected with Cy5.5-IgGMAb. Ex vivo near-infrared fluorescence showed an intense fluorescence within the ischemic territory only in wild-type mice injected with Cy5.5-CD40MAb. In the brains of these mice, single-plane illumination microscopy demonstrated vascular and parenchymal distribution, and confocal microscopy revealed a partial colocalization of parenchymal fluorescence from the injected Cy5.5-CD40MAb with activated microglia and blood-derived cells in the ischemic region. The study demonstrates that a CD40-targeted fluorescent antibody enables specific noninvasive detection of the inflammatory receptor CD40 after cerebral ischemia using optical techniques.

Effect of Primary Tumor Location on Second- or Later-line Treatment Outcomes in Patients With RAS Wild-type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer and All Treatment Lines in Patients With RAS Mutations in Four Randomized Panitumumab Studies.

PubMed

Boeckx, Nele; Koukakis, Reija; Op de Beeck, Ken; Rolfo, Christian; Van Camp, Guy; Siena, Salvatore; Tabernero, Josep; Douillard, Jean-Yves; André, Thierry; Peeters, Marc

2018-03-08

The primary tumor location has a prognostic impact in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We report the results from retrospective analyses assessing the effect of tumor location on prognosis and efficacy of second- and later-line panitumumab treatment in patients with RAS wild-type (WT) mCRC and on prognosis in all lines of treatment in patients with RAS mutant (MT) mCRC. RAS WT data (n = 483) from 2 randomized phase III panitumumab trials (ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers, NCT00339183 and NCT00113763) were analyzed for treatment outcomes stratified by tumor location. The second analysis assessed the effect of tumor location in RAS MT patients (n = 1205) from 4 panitumumab studies (ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers, NCT00364013, NCT00819780, NCT00339183, and NCT00113763). Primary tumors located in the cecum to transverse colon were coded as right-sided; those located from the splenic flexure to the rectum were coded as left-sided. Of all patients, the tumor location was ascertained for 83% to 88%; 71% to 77% of patients had left-sided tumors. RAS WT patients with right-sided tumors did worse for all efficacy parameters compared with those with left-sided tumors. The patients with left-sided tumors had better outcomes with panitumumab than with the comparator treatment. Because of the low patient numbers, no conclusions could be drawn for right-sided mCRC. The prognostic effect of tumor location on survival was unclear for RAS MT patients. These retrospective analyses have confirmed that RAS WT right-sided mCRC is associated with a poor prognosis, regardless of the treatment. RAS WT patients with left-sided tumors benefitted from the addition of panitumumab in second or later treatment lines. Further research is warranted to determine the optimum management of right-sided mCRC and RAS MT tumors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wild relatives of domesticated pea in the Mediterranean Region and the Fertile Crescent will respond to global climate change

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is growing interest in conservation and utilization of crop wild relatives (CWR) in international food security policy and research. We explored macroecological patterns of wild pea in the Mediterranean Basin and the Fertile Crescent in relation to the past, current and future climate suitabil...

Extracellular blockade of K(+) channels by TEA: results from molecular dynamics simulations of the KcsA channel.

PubMed

Crouzy, S; Bernèche, S; Roux, B

2001-08-01

TEA is a classical blocker of K(+) channels. From mutagenesis studies, it has been shown that external blockade by TEA is strongly dependent upon the presence of aromatic residue at Shaker position 449 which is located near the extracellular entrance to the pore (Heginbotham, L., and R. MacKinnon. 1992. Neuron. 8:483-491). The data suggest that TEA interacts simultaneously with the aromatic residues of the four monomers. The determination of the 3-D structure of the KcsA channel using X-ray crystallography (Doyle, D.A., J.M. Cabral, R.A. Pfuetzner, A. Kuo, J.M. Gulbis, S.L. Cohen, B.T. Chait, and R. MacKinnon. 1998. Science. 280:69-77) has raised some issues that remain currently unresolved concerning the interpretation of these observations. In particular, the center of the Tyr82 side chains in KcsA (corresponding to position 449 in Shaker) forms a square of 11.8-A side, a distance which is too large to allow simultaneous interactions of a TEA molecule with the four aromatic side chains. In this paper, the external blockade by TEA is explored by molecular dynamics simulations of an atomic model of KcsA in an explicit phospholipid bilayer with aqueous salt solution. It is observed, in qualitative accord with the experimental results, that TEA is stable when bound to the external side of the wild-type KcsA channel (with Tyr82), but is unstable when bound to a mutant channel in which the tyrosine residue has been substituted by a threonine. The free energy profile of TEA relative to the pore is calculated using umbrella sampling simulations to characterize quantitatively the extracellular blockade. It is found, in remarkable agreement with the experiment, that the TEA is more stably bound by 2.3 kcal/mol to the channel with four tyrosine residues. In the case of the wild-type KcsA channel, TEA (which has the shape of a flattened oblate spheroid) acts as an ideal plug blocking the pore. In contrast, it is considerably more off-centered and tilted in the case of the mutant channel. The enhanced stability conferred by the tyrosine residues does not arise from Pi-cation interactions, but appears to be due to differences in the hydration structure of the TEA. Finally, it is shown that the experimentally observed voltage dependence of TEA block, which is traditionally interpreted in terms of the physical position of the TEA along the axis of the pore, must arise indirectly via coupling with the ions in the pore.

Are antipredator behaviours of hatchery Salmo salar juveniles similar to wild juveniles?

PubMed

Salvanes, A G V

2017-05-01

This study explores how antipredator behaviour of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar developed during conventional hatchery rearing of eggs from wild brood stock, compared with the behaviour of wild-caught juveniles from the same population. Juveniles aged 1+ years were tested in two unfamiliar environments; in one S. salar were presented with simulated predator attacks and in the other they were given the opportunity to explore an open-field arena. No difference was found in their spontaneous escape responses or ventilation rate (reflex responses) after simulated predator attacks. Hatchery-reared juveniles were more risk-prone in their behaviours than wild-caught individuals. Hatchery juveniles stayed less time in association with shelter. In the open-field arena, hatchery juveniles were more active than wild juveniles. Hatchery juveniles were also immobile for less time and spent a shorter amount of time than wild juveniles in the fringe of the open-field arena. Salmo salar size had no effect on the observed behaviour. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence that one generation of hatchery rearing does not change reflex responses associated with threats, whereas antipredator behaviour, typically associated with prior experience, was less developed in hatchery-reared than in wild individuals. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Wilde Pomegranates: The Ghost of a Room and the Soul of a Story.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoban, Russell

1997-01-01

Reflects on the author's childhood reading experiences and explorations of his father's library. Examines one book in particular, Oscar Wilde's collection of stories entitled, "A House of Pomegranates." (TB)

A dynamic N-capping motif in cytochrome b5: evidence for a pH-controlled conformational switch.

PubMed

Davis, Ronald B; Lecomte, Juliette T J

2006-05-01

Apocytochrome b5 is a marginally stable protein exhibiting under native conditions a slow conformational exchange in its C-terminal region. The affected elements of secondary structure include a 3(10)-helix containing at its N-terminus a histidine Ncap and a subsequent proline. Participation of the neutral histidine side-chain in backbone amide capping lowers the imidazole pKa. To explore the nature of the conformational exchange in the protein and determine whether it is related to cis-trans isomerization of the His-Pro bond, three octapeptides encompassing the helix were synthesized and studied by NMR spectroscopy. One corresponded to the wild-type sequence, the second was the D-histidine epimer, and the third contained an alanine in place of the proline. It was found that the rates of cis-trans interconversion in the proline-containing peptides were slower than the rates of the conformational exchange in the protein. In addition, the wild-type peptide hinted at a predisposition for Ncap formation when in the trans configuration. Analysis of the pH response of the peptides and protein suggested that at pH near neutral, the conformational exchange detected in the protein involved only species with a trans His-Pro bond and could be approximated with a three-state model by which the terminal helix sampled a locally unfolded state. This state, which contained an uncapped histidine with a normal pKa, partitioned into neutral and protonated populations according to pH. The intrinsic conformational bias of the wild-type peptide and the pH-driven equilibria illustrated how a 3(10)-element could serve as a nucleation site for structural rearrangement. 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A Single Amino Acid Substitution in the Active Site of Escherichia coli Aspartate Transcarbamoylase Prevents the Allosteric Transition

PubMed Central

Stieglitz, Kimberly A.; Pastra-Landis, Styliani C.; Xia, Jiarong; Tsuruta, Hiro; Kantrowitz, Evan R.

2005-01-01

Modeling of the tetrahedral intermediate within the active site of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase revealed a specific interaction with the side chain of Gln137, an interaction not previously observed in the structure of the X-ray enzyme in the presence of N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate (PALA). Previous site-specific mutagenesis experiments showed that when Gln137 was replaced by alanine, the resulting mutant enzyme (Q137A) exhibited approximately 50-fold less activity than the wild-type enzyme, exhibited no homotropic cooperativity, and the binding of both carbamoyl phosphate and aspartate were extremely compromised. To elucidate the structural alterations in the mutant enzyme that might lead to such pronounced changes in kinetic and binding properties, the Q137A enzyme was studied by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering and its structure was determined in the presence of PALA to 2.7Å resolution. Time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering established that the natural substrates, carbamoyl phosphate and L-aspartate, do not induce in the Q137A enzyme the same conformational changes as observed for the wild-type enzyme, although the scattering pattern of the Q137A and wild-type enzymes in the presence of PALA were identical. The overall structure of the Q137A enzyme is similar to that of the R-state structure of wild-type enzyme with PALA bound. However, there are differences in the manner by which the Q137A enzyme coordinates PALA, especially in the side chain positions of Arg105 and His134. The replacement of Gln137 by Ala also has a dramatic effect on the electrostatics of the active site. These data taken together suggest that the side chain of Gln137 in the wild-type enzyme is required for the binding of carbamoyl phosphate in the proper orientation so as to induce conformational changes required for the creation of the high-affinity aspartate binding site. The inability of carbamoyl phosphate to create the high-affinity binding site in the Q137A enzyme results in an enzyme locked in the low activity low affinity T state. These results emphasize the absolute requirement of the binding of carbamoyl phosphate for the creation of the high-affinity aspartate binding site and for inducing the homotropic cooperativity in aspartate transcarbamoylase. PMID:15890205

Able-Bodied Wild Chimpanzees Imitate a Motor Procedure Used by a Disabled Individual to Overcome Handicap

PubMed Central

Hobaiter, Catherine; Byrne, Richard W.

2010-01-01

Chimpanzee culture has generated intense recent interest, fueled by the technical complexity of chimpanzee tool-using traditions; yet it is seriously doubted whether chimpanzees are able to learn motor procedures by imitation under natural conditions. Here we take advantage of an unusual chimpanzee population as a ‘natural experiment’ to identify evidence for imitative learning of this kind in wild chimpanzees. The Sonso chimpanzee community has suffered from high levels of snare injury and now has several manually disabled members. Adult male Tinka, with near-total paralysis of both hands, compensates inability to scratch his back manually by employing a distinctive technique of holding a growing liana taut while making side-to-side body movements against it. We found that seven able-bodied young chimpanzees also used this ‘liana-scratch’ technique, although they had no need to. The distribution of the liana-scratch technique was statistically associated with individuals' range overlap with Tinka and the extent of time they spent in parties with him, confirming that the technique is acquired by social learning. The motivation for able-bodied chimpanzees copying his variant is unknown, but the fact that they do is evidence that the imitative learning of motor procedures from others is a natural trait of wild chimpanzees. PMID:20700527

Role of F357 as an Oxygen Gate in the Oxidative Half-Reaction of Choline Oxidase.

PubMed

Salvi, Francesca; Rodriguez, Isela; Hamelberg, Donald; Gadda, Giovanni

2016-03-15

Choline oxidase from Arthrobacter globiformis catalyzes the oxidation of choline to glycine betaine by using oxygen as an electron acceptor. A partially rate limiting isomerization of the reduced wild-type enzyme during the reaction with oxygen was previously detected using solvent viscosity effects. In this study, we hypothesized that the side chains of M62 and F357, located at the entrance to the active site of choline oxidase, may be related to the slow isomerization detected. We engineered a double-variant enzyme M62A/F357A. The kinetic characterization of the double-variant enzyme showed a lack of the isomerization detected in wild-type choline oxidase, and a lack of saturation with an oxygen concentration as high as 1 mM, while most other kinetic parameters were similar to those of wild-type choline oxidase. The kinetic characterization of the single-variant enzymes established that only the side chain of F357 plays a role in the isomerization of choline oxidase in the oxidative half-reaction. Molecular dynamics studies suggest that the slow isomerization related to F357 is possibly due to the participation of the phenyl ring in a newly proposed gating mechanism for a narrow tunnel, assumed to regulate the access of oxygen to the reduced cofactor.

Wild Vietnamese relatives of blueberries

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

rom 25 October to 14 November 2015, wild relatives of cultivated blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, were collected during a Vietnamese-US cooperative expedition in Northern Vietnam. The exploration involved representatives of the Plant Resources Center, Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in Han...

Alteration of cell wall polysaccharides through transgenic expression of UDP-Glc 4-epimerase-encoding genes in potato tubers.

PubMed

Huang, Jie-Hong; Kortstee, Anne; Dees, Dianka C T; Trindade, Luisa M; Schols, Henk A; Gruppen, Harry

2016-08-01

Uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose 4-epimerase (UGE) catalyzes the conversion of UDP-glucose to UDP-galactose. Cell wall materials from the cv. Kardal (wild-type, background) and two UGE transgenic lines (UGE 45-1 and UGE 51-16) were isolated and fractionated. The galactose (Gal) content (mg/100g tuber) from UGE 45-1 transgenic line was 38% higher than that of wild-type, and resulted in longer pectin side chains. The Gal content present in UGE 51-16 was 17% lower than that of wild-type, although most pectin populations maintained the same level of Gal. Both UGE transgenic lines showed unexpectedly a decrease in acetylation and an increase in methyl-esterification of pectin. Both UGE transgenic lines showed similar proportions of homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I within pectin backbone as the wild-type, except for the calcium-bound pectin fraction exhibiting relatively less rhamnogalacturonan I. Next to pectin modification, xyloglucan populations from both transgenic lines were altered resulting in different XSGG and XXGG proportion in comparison to wild-type. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

WILD SALMON RESTORATION: IS IT WORTH IT?

EPA Science Inventory

Salmon are categorized biologically into two groups: Pacific salmon and Atlantic salmon. Atlantic salmon are found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, but have declined precipitously compared to the size of runs prior to the 1700s. The largest (though small by historic ...

Prognostic Impact of Primary Tumor Location on Clinical Outcomes of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated With Cetuximab Plus Oxaliplatin-Based Chemotherapy: A Subgroup Analysis of the JACCRO CC-05/06 Trials.

PubMed

Sunakawa, Yu; Ichikawa, Wataru; Tsuji, Akihito; Denda, Tadamichi; Segawa, Yoshihiko; Negoro, Yuji; Shimada, Ken; Kochi, Mitsugu; Nakamura, Masato; Kotaka, Masahito; Tanioka, Hiroaki; Takagane, Akinori; Tani, Satoshi; Yamaguchi, Tatsuro; Watanabe, Takanori; Takeuchi, Masahiro; Fujii, Masashi; Nakajima, Toshifusa

2017-09-01

Primary tumor location is a critical prognostic factor in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC); however, it remains unclear whether tumor location is a predictor of the response to cetuximab treatment. It is also uncertain if BRAF mutation contributes to the impact of tumor location on survival. We assessed the prognostic impact of tumor location on clinical outcomes in mCRC patients treated with first-line cetuximab chemotherapy. The associations of tumor location with overall survival and progression-free survival were evaluated in mCRC patients with KRAS exon 2 wild-type tumors who were enrolled onto 2 clinical trials: JACCRO CC-05 of cetuximab plus FOLFOX (n = 57, UMIN000004197) and CC-06 of cetuximab plus SOX (n = 61, UMIN000007022). Tumors proximal or from splenic flexure to rectum were defined as right-sided or left-sided, respectively. In addition, exploratory RAS and BRAF mutation analyses were performed. A total of 110 patients were assessable for tumor location; 90 had left-sided tumors. Left-sided tumors were significantly associated with longer overall survival (36.2 vs. 12.6 months, hazard ratio = 0.28, P < .0001) and progression-free survival (11.1 vs. 5.6 months, hazard ratio = 0.47, P = .0041) than right-sided tumors; similar results were obtained in multivariate analysis. A subanalysis showed that the association was evident in the FOLFOX group and that tumor location was an independent prognostic factor irrespective of BRAF status in RAS wild-type patients. Primary tumor location might be a predictor of survival independent of BRAF status in mCRC patients who receive first-line cetuximab combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Behaviour in captivity predicts some aspects of natural behaviour, but not others, in a wild cricket population

PubMed Central

Fisher, David N.; James, Adèle; Rodríguez-Muñoz, Rolando; Tregenza, Tom

2015-01-01

Examining the relevance of ‘animal personality’ involves linking consistent among- and within-individual behavioural variation to fitness in the wild. Studies aiming to do this typically assay personality in captivity and rely on the assumption that measures of traits in the laboratory reflect their expression in nature. We examined this rarely tested assumption by comparing laboratory and field measurements of the behaviour of wild field crickets (Gryllus campestris) by continuously monitoring individual behaviour in nature, and repeatedly capturing the same individuals and measuring their behaviour in captivity. We focused on three traits that are frequently examined in personality studies: shyness, activity and exploration. All of them showed repeatability in the laboratory. Laboratory activity and exploration predicted the expression of their equivalent behaviours in the wild, but shyness did not. Traits in the wild were predictably influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and sunlight, but only activity showed appreciable within-individual repeatability. This suggests that some behaviours typically studied as personality traits can be accurately assayed in captivity, but the expression of others may be highly context-specific. Our results highlight the importance of validating the relevance of laboratory behavioural assays to analogous traits measured in the wild. PMID:26019161

Waste feed from coastal fish farms: A trophic subsidy with compositional side-effects for wild gadoids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez-Jover, Damian; Martinez-Rubio, Laura; Sanchez-Jerez, Pablo; Bayle-Sempere, Just T.; Lopez Jimenez, Jose Angel; Martínez Lopez, Francisco Javier; Bjørn, Pål-Arne; Uglem, Ingebrigt; Dempster, Tim

2011-03-01

Aquaculture of carnivorous fish species in sea-cages typically uses artificial feeds, with a proportion of these feeds lost to the surrounding environment. This lost resource may provide a trophic subsidy to wild fish in the vicinity of fish farms, yet the physiological consequences of the consumption of waste feed by wild fish remain unclear. In two regions in Norway with intensive aquaculture, we tested whether wild saithe ( Pollachius virens) and Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua) associated with fish farms (F assoc), where waste feed is readily available, had modified diets, condition and fatty acid (FA) compositions in their muscle and liver tissues compared to fish unassociated (UA) with farms. Stomach content analyses revealed that both cod and saithe consumed waste feed in the vicinity of farms (6-96% of their diet was composed of food pellets). This translated into elevated body and liver condition compared to fish caught distant from farms for cod at both locations and elevated body condition for saithe at one of the locations. As a consequence of a modified diet, we detected significantly increased concentrations of terrestrial-derived fatty acids (FAs) such as linoleic (18:2ω6) and oleic (18:1ω9) acids and decreased concentrations of DHA (22:6ω3) in the muscle and/or liver of F assoc cod and saithe when compared with UA fish. In addition, the ω3:ω6 ratio clearly differed between F assoc and UA fish. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) correctly classified 97% of fish into F assoc or UA origin for both cod and saithe based on the FA composition of liver tissues, and 89% of cod and 86% of saithe into F assoc or UA origin based on the FA composition of muscle. Thus, LDA appears a useful tool for detecting the influence of fish farms on the FA composition of wild fish. Ready availability of waste feed with high protein and fat content provides a clear trophic subsidy to wild fish in coastal waters, yet whether the accompanying side-effect of altered fatty acid compositions affects physiological performance or reproductive potential requires further research.

A Walk on the Wild Side.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, William

1991-01-01

Explains how the author encouraged students to think about censorship and the arts when conducting a field trip to Robert Mapplethorpe's "The Perfect Moment" exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum (Connecticut). Suggests preparing the students beforehand and keeping parents informed. Recommends booking a public room at a museum where…

50 CFR 14.172 - Primary enclosures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Wild Mammals and Birds to the United States Specifications for Birds § 14.172 Primary enclosures. (a) A primary enclosure for birds shall have ventilation openings on two vertical sides that comprise at least... creating a draft. (b) Perches shall be provided for birds that rest by perching. The diameter of the perch...

Solution structure of the His12 --> Cys mutant of the N-terminal zinc binding domain of HIV-1 integrase complexed to cadmium.

PubMed Central

Cai, M.; Huang, Y.; Caffrey, M.; Zheng, R.; Craigie, R.; Clore, G. M.; Gronenborn, A. M.

1998-01-01

The solution structure of His12 --> Cys mutant of the N-terminal zinc binding domain (residues 1-55; IN(1-55)) of HIV-1 integrase complexed to cadmium has been solved by multidimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. The overall structure is very similar to that of the wild-type N-terminal domain complexed to zinc. In contrast to the wild-type domain, however, which exists in two interconverting conformational states arising from different modes of coordination of the two histidine side chains to the metal, the cadmium complex of the His12 --> Cys mutant exists in only a single form at low pH. The conformation of the polypeptide chain encompassing residues 10-18 is intermediate between the two forms of the wild-type complex. PMID:9865962

Fungicide sensitivity in the wild rice pathogen Bipolaris oryzae

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In recent years the occurrence of fungal brown spot, caused by Bipolaris oryzae has increased in cultivated wild rice (Zizania palustris) paddies in spite of the use of fungicides. To implement an efficient integrated disease management system, we are exploring whether field isolates have developed ...

Novel software for analysis of root gravitropism: comparative response patterns of Arabidopsis wild-type and axr1 seedlings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ishikawa, H.; Evans, M. L.

1997-01-01

In an earlier study (Evans, Ishikawa & Estelle 1994, Planta 194, 215-222) we used a video digitizer system to compare the kinetics of auxin action on root elongation in wild-type seedlings and seedlings of auxin response mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. We have since modified the system software to allow determination of elongation on opposite sides of vertical or gravistimulated roots and to allow continuous measurement of the angle of orientation of sequential subsections of the root during the response. We used this technology to compare the patterns of differential growth that generate curvature in roots of the Columbia ecotype and in the mutants axr1-3, axr1-12 and axr2, which show reduced gravitropic responsiveness and reduced sensitivity to inhibition by auxin. The pattern of differential growth during gravitropism differed in roots of wild-type and axr1 seedlings. In wild-type roots, initial curvature resulted from differential inhibition of elongation in the distal elongation zone (DEZ). This was followed by an acceleration of elongation along the top side of the DEZ. In roots of axr1-3, curvature resulted from differential stimulation of elongation whereas in roots of axr1-12 the response was variable. Roots of axr2 did not exhibit gravitropic curvature. The observation that the pattern of differential growth causing curvature is dramatically altered by a change in sensitivity to auxin is consistent with the classical Cholodny-Went theory of gravitropism which maintains that differential growth patterns induced by gravistimulation are mediated primarily by gravi-induced shifts in auxin distribution. The new technology introduced with this report allows automated determination of stimulus response patterns in the small but experimentally popular roots of Arabidopsis.

Landscape fragmentation and pollinator movement within agricultural environments: a modelling framework for exploring foraging and movement ecology

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Pollinator decline has been linked to landscape change, through both habitat fragmentation and the loss of habitat suitable for the pollinators to live within. One method for exploring why landscape change should affect pollinator populations is to combine individual-level behavioural ecological techniques with larger-scale landscape ecology. A modelling framework is described that uses spatially-explicit individual-based models to explore the effects of individual behavioural rules within a landscape. The technique described gives a simple method for exploring the effects of the removal of wild corridors, and the creation of wild set-aside fields: interventions that are common to many national agricultural policies. The effects of these manipulations on central-place nesting pollinators are varied, and depend upon the behavioural rules that the pollinators are using to move through the environment. The value of this modelling framework is discussed, and future directions for exploration are identified. PMID:24795848

Landscape fragmentation and pollinator movement within agricultural environments: a modelling framework for exploring foraging and movement ecology.

PubMed

Rands, Sean A

2014-01-01

Pollinator decline has been linked to landscape change, through both habitat fragmentation and the loss of habitat suitable for the pollinators to live within. One method for exploring why landscape change should affect pollinator populations is to combine individual-level behavioural ecological techniques with larger-scale landscape ecology. A modelling framework is described that uses spatially-explicit individual-based models to explore the effects of individual behavioural rules within a landscape. The technique described gives a simple method for exploring the effects of the removal of wild corridors, and the creation of wild set-aside fields: interventions that are common to many national agricultural policies. The effects of these manipulations on central-place nesting pollinators are varied, and depend upon the behavioural rules that the pollinators are using to move through the environment. The value of this modelling framework is discussed, and future directions for exploration are identified.

Phylogeny and biogeography of North-American wild rice (Zizania L.Poaceae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The wild-rice genus Zizania includes four species disjunctly distributed in eastern Asia and North America, with three species (Z. aquatica, Z. palustris, and Z. texana) in North America and one (Z. latifolia) in eastern Asia. The phylogeny and biogeography of Zizania were explored using sequences o...

Tales from Camp Wilde: Queer(y)ing Environmental Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gough, Noel; Gough, Annette

2003-01-01

This paper questions the relative silence of queer theory and theorizing in environmental education research. We explore some possibilities for queering environmental education research by fabricating (and inviting colleagues to fabricate) stories of Camp Wilde, a fictional location that helps us to expose the facticity of the field's…

Collection of wild Helianthus anomalus and deserticola sunflower from the desert southwest USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genetic resources are the biological basis of global food security. Collection and preservation of wild relatives of important crop species such as sunflower provide the basic foundation to improve and sustain the crop. Acquisition through exploration is the initial step in the germplasm conservatio...

Identification of Juglans wild relatives resistant to crown gall caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wild species are a source of useful agronomic traits for crop plants including but not limited to pathogen resistance, drought tolerance, and salt tolerance (Aradhya and Kluepfel 2012). To exploit this natural diversity of disease resistance, we are conducting the first systematic exploration of th...

A Walk on the Wild Side: Field Trips for the Educational Administrator.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Telfer, Ross

1980-01-01

Australia's public elementary and secondary education system lacks a variety of types of schools, so some educational administration students are sent on field trips to study other school and nonschool organizations. One university, for example, sends its students to a hospital, private schools and colleges, and retail stores. Before the field…

Natural enemies: people-wildlife conflicts in anthropological perspective

Treesearch

John Schelhas

2004-01-01

Human relationships with wildlife are complex and multifaceted. It is not uncommon for conservationists, in an effort to raise awareness and build support for biodiversity conservation, to focus on the positive side of human relations with wildlife such as the role of wild species in controlling pests and pollinating crops, sacred and totemic associations, and...

Read Hard, Play Later: Putting Summer Reading into Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wemett, Lisa C.; Bolan, Kimberly

1998-01-01

Provides an overview of "Read on the Wild Side," a summer reading program for young adults established by the Webster (New York) Public Library, and "Read Hard, Play Later," a young adult summer reading program of the Pioneer Library System (New York). Highlights include reading logs, T-shirts, publicity, program evaluation,…

Environmental Assessment for Central Wyoming Relay Node, Site Number RN 8C928WY

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-02-19

alkali sacaton, Indian ricegrass, basin wild rye, thread leaf sedge, side oats grama, and milk vetch (SCS, 1990). 3-4 The SSA contains an abundance of free...Russian thistle , indicating that its native vegetation has been disturbed. Thermopolis, the nearest residential community, is approximately 7.5 miles

Looking at a predator with the left or right eye: asymmetry of response in lizards.

PubMed

Bonati, Beatrice; Csermely, Davide; Sovrano, Valeria Anna

2013-01-01

Studies carried out with the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) revealed preferential use of the left eye during responses to predatory threat in laboratory settings and in the wild. Here we tested lizards under monocular conditions of vision, using temporary eye-patching. Lizards were facing a (simulated) predatory threat laterally, from the side of the non-patched eye. Results showed that lizards with the left eye uncovered during predatory threat used the left eye to monitor the predator, whereas lizards with the right eye uncovered nonetheless tried to use the covered left eye. Moreover, lizards frequently tried to change the eye exposition, making a body C-bend behaviour. Right-eyed lizards showed more frequent and faster C-bending responses than left-eyed lizards, trying to monitor the predator with the left eye even though it was patched. Results fit with asymmetries in spontaneous eye use observed in laboratory conditions and in the wild in this species, confirming that structures located on the right side of the brain (mainly served by the left eye) predominantly attend to predatory threat.

Fine tuning of coenzyme specificity in family 2 aldo-keto reductases revealed by crystal structures of the Lys-274 → Arg mutant of Candida tenuis xylose reductase (AKR2B5) bound to NAD + and NADP +

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leitgeb, Stefan; Petschacher, Barbara; Wilson, David K.

2005-01-11

Aldo-keto reductases of family 2 employ single site replacement Lys → Arg to switch their cosubstrate preference from NADPH to NADH. X-ray crystal structures of Lys-274 → Arg mutant of Candida tenuis xylose reductase (AKR2B5) bound to NAD + and NADP + were determined at a resolution of 2.4 and 2.3 Å, respectively. Due to steric conflicts in the NADP +-bound form, the arginine side chain must rotate away from the position of the original lysine side chain, thereby disrupting a network of direct and water-mediated interactions between Glu-227, Lys-274 and the cofactor 2'-phosphate and 3'-hydroxy groups. Because anchoring contactsmore » of its Glu-227 are lost, the coenzyme-enfolding loop that becomes ordered upon binding of NAD(P) + in the wild-type remains partly disordered in the NADP +-bound mutant. The results delineate a catalytic reaction profile for the mutant in comparison to wild-type.« less

A hundred years of change in wild vegetable use in southern Herzegovina.

PubMed

Łuczaj, Łukasz; Dolina, Katija

2015-05-26

Wild vegetable mixes used in southern Europe are interesting from the pharmacological point of view, as they contain many species which have considerable nutritional and medicinal value, but some are potentially toxic to humans. Although many ethnobotanical studies document the rich tradition of using wild vegetables at the turn of the 20th and 21st century in the Mediterranean region, there is a dearth of older historical studies which could help us to assess the extent of Traditional Knowledge loss. The aim of this study was to document the use of wild foods in an area of southern Herzegovina (in Bosnia-Herzegovina) and to compare it with a list of 27 taxa of wild green vegetables used there, compiled in 1913 by Vejsil Ćurčić. We carried out 49 interviews in the same area to estimate the current use and knowledge of wild foods. Eighty-two species of wild food and herbal tea plants were recorded in the study. This includes 44 species whose wild leaves are used as salads or cooked side dishes, 17 species with edible fruits and 24 species whose leaves, shoots or flowers are used for everyday herbal teas. On average, 14.2 species (median=16.5) were listed per interview, including 9.0 species of wild vegetables. Out of 27 plant names mentioned 100 years ago - five remain unidentified. Out of the 22 species or species groups, which were identified, 18 are still used as wild vegetables (including five species used very rarely and known by very few people or only by one person). Nowadays, the most commonly used wild greens are: Dioscorea communis, Sonchus spp., Allium spp., Papaver rhoeas, Rumex pulcher, Silene latifolia, and Taraxacum spp. Although we observed some changes in the names and uses of plants compared to the list from a hundred years ago, around three quarters of the taxa are still used to some extent nowadays. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Where the Wild Things Are: The Evolving Iconography of Rural Fauna

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buller, Henry

2004-01-01

This paper explores the changing relationship between "nature" and rurality through an examination of the shifting iconography of animals, and particularly "wild" animals, in a rural setting. Drawing upon a set of examples, the paper argues that the faunistic icons of rural areas are evolving as alternative conceptions of the countryside, of…

Yucca! Teaching the Essentials of a Wild Food Feast.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamberton, Ken

1994-01-01

Using science from the classroom, a teacher involves students in variety of explorations to identify safe foods from outdoors. These activities culminate in a Wild Plant and Beast Feast day, where the students have an opportunity to share their new cuisine and recipes with classmates and teachers. Tips on the successful development and…

A walk on the wild side: Oryza species as source for rice abiotic stress tolerance.

PubMed

Menguer, Paloma Koprovski; Sperotto, Raul Antonio; Ricachenevsky, Felipe Klein

2017-01-01

Oryza sativa, the common cultivated rice, is one of the most important crops for human consumption, but production is increasingly threatened by abiotic stresses. Although many efforts have resulted in breeding rice cultivars that are relatively tolerant to their local environments, climate changes and population increase are expected to soon call for new, fast generation of stress tolerant rice germplasm, and current within-species rice diversity might not be enough to overcome such needs. The Oryza genus contains other 23 wild species, with only Oryza glaberrima being also domesticated. Rice domestication was performed with a narrow genetic diversity, and the other Oryza species are a virtually untapped genetic resource for rice stress tolerance improvement. Here we review the origin of domesticated Oryza sativa from wild progenitors, the ecological and genomic diversity of the Oryza genus, and the stress tolerance variation observed for wild Oryza species, including the genetic basis underlying the tolerance mechanisms found. The summary provided here is important to indicate how we should move forward to unlock the full potential of these germplasms for rice improvement.

A walk on the wild side: Oryza species as source for rice abiotic stress tolerance

PubMed Central

Menguer, Paloma Koprovski; Sperotto, Raul Antonio; Ricachenevsky, Felipe Klein

2017-01-01

Abstract Oryza sativa, the common cultivated rice, is one of the most important crops for human consumption, but production is increasingly threatened by abiotic stresses. Although many efforts have resulted in breeding rice cultivars that are relatively tolerant to their local environments, climate changes and population increase are expected to soon call for new, fast generation of stress tolerant rice germplasm, and current within-species rice diversity might not be enough to overcome such needs. The Oryza genus contains other 23 wild species, with only Oryza glaberrima being also domesticated. Rice domestication was performed with a narrow genetic diversity, and the other Oryza species are a virtually untapped genetic resource for rice stress tolerance improvement. Here we review the origin of domesticated Oryza sativa from wild progenitors, the ecological and genomic diversity of the Oryza genus, and the stress tolerance variation observed for wild Oryza species, including the genetic basis underlying the tolerance mechanisms found. The summary provided here is important to indicate how we should move forward to unlock the full potential of these germplasms for rice improvement. PMID:28323300

Using Agent-Based Modelling to Predict the Role of Wild Refugia in the Evolution of Resistance of Sea Lice to Chemotherapeutants.

PubMed

McEwan, Gregor F; Groner, Maya L; Fast, Mark D; Gettinby, George; Revie, Crawford W

2015-01-01

A major challenge for Atlantic salmon farming in the northern hemisphere is infestation by the sea louse parasite Lepeophtheirus salmonis. The most frequent method of controlling these sea louse infestations is through the use of chemical treatments. However, most major salmon farming areas have observed resistance to common chemotherapeutants. In terrestrial environments, many strategies employed to manage the evolution of resistance involve the use of refugia, where a portion of the population is left untreated to maintain susceptibility. While refugia have not been deliberately used in Atlantic salmon farming, wild salmon populations that migrate close to salmon farms may act as natural refugia. In this paper we describe an agent-based model that explores the influence of different sizes of wild salmon populations on resistance evolution in sea lice on a salmon farm. Using the model, we demonstrate that wild salmon populations can act as refugia that limit the evolution of resistance in the sea louse populations. Additionally, we demonstrate that an increase in the size of the population of wild salmon results in an increased effect in slowing the evolution of resistance. We explore the effect of a population fitness cost associated with resistance, finding that in some cases it substantially reduces the speed of evolution to chemical treatments.

Vaccination Against Porcine Circovirus-2 Reduces Severity of Tuberculosis in Wild Boar.

PubMed

Risco, David; Bravo, María; Martínez, Remigio; Torres, Almudena; Gonçalves, Pilar; Cuesta, Jesús; García-Jiménez, Waldo; Cerrato, Rosario; Iglesias, Rocío; Galapero, Javier; Serrano, Emmanuel; Gómez, Luis; Fernández-Llario, Pedro; Hermoso de Mendoza, Javier

2018-03-09

Tuberculosis (TB) in wild boar (Sus scrofa) may be affected by coinfections with other pathogens, such as porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). Therefore, sanitary measures focused on controlling PCV2 could be useful in reducing the impact of TB in this wild suid. The aim of this study was to explore whether vaccination against PCV2 targeting young animals affects TB prevalence and TB severity in wild boar. The study was conducted on a game estate in mid-western Spain. Seventy animals of ages ranging from 4 to 8 months were captured, individually identified, vaccinated against PCV2 and released, forming a vaccinated group. Not-captured animals cohabiting with the vaccinated wild boar constituted the control group. Animals from both groups were hunted between 2013 and 2016 and a TB diagnosis based on pathological assessment and microbiological culture was made in all of them. The effect of PCV2 vaccination on TB prevalence and severity was explored using generalized lineal models. Whereas TB prevalence was similar in vaccinated and control groups (54.55 vs. 57.78%), vaccinated animals showed less probabilities to develop generalized TB lesions. Furthermore, mean TB severity score was significantly lower in vaccinated animals (1.55 vs. 2.42) suggesting a positive effect of PCV2 vaccination.

How to make a sexy snake: estrogen activation of female sex pheromone in male red-sided garter snakes.

PubMed

Parker, M Rockwell; Mason, Robert T

2012-03-01

Vertebrates indicate their genetic sex to conspecifics using secondary sexual signals, and signal expression is often activated by sex hormones. Among vertebrate signaling modalities, the least is known about how hormones influence chemical signaling. Our study species, the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), is a model vertebrate for studying hormonal control of chemical signals because males completely rely on the female sex pheromone to identify potential mates among thousands of individuals. How sex hormones can influence the expression of this crucial sexual signal is largely unknown. We created two groups of experimental males for the first experiment: Sham (blank implants) and E2 (17β-estradiol implants). E2 males were vigorously courted by wild males in outdoor bioassays, and in a Y-maze E2 pheromone trails were chosen by wild males over those of small females and were indistinguishable from large female trails. Biochemically, the E2 pheromone blend was similar to that of large females, and it differed significantly from Shams. For the second experiment, we implanted males with 17β-estradiol in 2007 but removed the implants the following year (2008; Removal). That same year, we implanted a new group of males with estrogen implants (Implant). Removal males were courted by wild males in 2008 (implant intact) but not in 2009 (removed). Total pheromone quantity and quality increased following estrogen treatment, and estrogen removal re-established male-typical pheromone blends. Thus, we have shown that estrogen activates the production of female pheromone in adult red-sided garter snakes. This is the first known study to quantify both behavioral and biochemical responses in chemical signaling following sex steroid treatment of reptiles in the activation/organization context. We propose that the homogametic sex (ZZ, male) may possess the same targets for activation of sexual signal production, and the absence of the activator (17β-estradiol in this case) underlies expression of the male phenotype.

Left Versus Right: Does Location Matter for Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients in Phase 1 Clinical Trials?

PubMed

Arora, Sukeshi Patel; Ketchum, Norma S; Michalek, Joel; Gelfond, Jonathon; Mahalingam, Devalingam

2017-04-22

Location of the primary tumor is prognostic and predictive of efficacy with VEGF-inhibitors (I) versus EGFR-I given first-line to metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. However, little is known regarding the effect of location on prognosis and prediction in refractory mCRC. We assessed the efficacy of VEGF-I and EGFR-I in regards to location of the primary tumor in patients with refractory mCRC enrolled in early phase studies. A historical cohort analysis of mCRC patients, including 44 phase I trials our institution, from March 2004 to September 2012. Median Progression free survival (mPFS) and overall survival (mOS) were estimated from Kaplan-Meier curves and groups were statistically compared with the log-rank test. One hundred thirty-nine patients with a median age 59 (33-81). 73.9% received 3+ lines of therapy. All KRAS wild-type patients had received prior EGFR-I. right 20.9%, left 61.9%, and transverse 4.3%. For survival analysis, transverse CRC were included with right. Of the 112 patients, mOS was left (N = 80) 6.6 months versus right (N = 32) 5.9 months, P = 0.18. mPFS was left (n = 86) 2.0 months versus right (N = 35) 2.0 months, P = 0.76. In subgroup analysis, survival was significant for KRAS wild-type patients with left-sided mCRC had mOS of 6.2 months with other agents versus 9.4 months with EGFR-I (P = 0.03). In phase 1 clinical trials, although location alone was not prognostic in heavily pretreated patients, left-sided mCRC had improved survival with EGFR-I. Despite progression on EGFR-I, left-sided KRAS wild mCRC patients should be considered for phase 1 studies of agents targeting growth factor pathways.

Coat color genetics of Peromyscus: IV. Variable white, a new dominant mutation in the deer mouse.

PubMed

Cowling, K; Robbins, R J; Haigh, G R; Teed, S K; Dawson, W D

1994-01-01

The variable white mutation arose spontaneously in 1983 within a laboratory stock of wild-type deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The original mutant animal was born to a wild-type pair that had previously produced several entirely wild-type litters. Other variable white animals were bred from the initial individual. Variable white deer mice exhibit extensive areas of white on the head, sides, and tail. Usually a portion of pigmented pelage occurs dorsally and on the shoulders, but the extent of white varies from nearly all white to patches of white on the muzzle, tip of tail, and sides. The pattern is irregular, but not entirely asymmetrical. Eyes are pigmented, but histologically reveal a decrease in thickness and pigmentation of the choroid layer. Many variable white animals do not respond to auditory stimuli, an effect that is particularly evident in animals in which the head is entirely white. Ataxic behavior is also prevalent. Pigment distribution, together with auditory and retinal deficiencies, suggests a neural crest cell migration defect. Breeding data are consistent with an autosomal semidominant, lethal mode of inheritance. The trait differs from two somewhat similar variants in Peromyscus: from dominant spot (S) in extent and pattern of pigmentation and from whiteside (ws), an autosomal recessive trait, in the mode of inheritance and viability. Evidence for possible homology with the Va (varitint-waddler) locus in house mouse (Mus) is presented. The symbol Vw is tentatively assigned for the variable white locus in Peromyscus.

Characterization of yakju brewed from glutinous rice and wild-type yeast strains isolated from nuruks.

PubMed

Kim, Hye Ryun; Kim, Jae-Ho; Bae, Dong-Hoon; Ahn, Byung-Hak

2010-12-01

Korean traditional rice wines yakju and takju are generally brewed with nuruk as the source of the saccharogenic enzymes by natural fermentation. To improve the quality of Korean rice wine, the microorganisms in the nuruk need to be studied. The objective of this research was to improve the quality of Korean wine with the wild-type yeast strains isolated from the fermentation starter, nuruk. Only strain YA-6 showed high activity in 20% ethanol. Precipitation of Y89-5-3 was similar to that of very flocculent yeast (〉80%) at 75.95%. Using 18S rRNA sequencing, all 10 strains were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Volatile compounds present in yakju were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass selective detector. The principal component analysis (PCA) of the volatile compounds grouped long-chain esters on the right side of the first principal component, PC1; these compounds were found in yakju that was made with strains YA-6, Y89-5-3, Y89-5- 2, Y90-9, and Y89-1-1. On the other side of PC1 were short-chain esters; these compounds were found in wines that were brewed with strains Y183-2, Y268-3, Y54-3, Y98-4, and Y88-4. Overall, the results indicated that using different wild-type yeast strains in the fermentation process significantly affects the chemical characteristics of the glutinous rice wine.

Single delivery of an adeno-associated viral construct to transfer the CASQ2 gene to knock-in mice affected by catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is able to cure the disease from birth to advanced age.

PubMed

Denegri, Marco; Bongianino, Rossana; Lodola, Francesco; Boncompagni, Simona; De Giusti, Verónica C; Avelino-Cruz, José E; Liu, Nian; Persampieri, Simone; Curcio, Antonio; Esposito, Francesca; Pietrangelo, Laura; Marty, Isabelle; Villani, Laura; Moyaho, Alejandro; Baiardi, Paola; Auricchio, Alberto; Protasi, Feliciano; Napolitano, Carlo; Priori, Silvia G

2014-06-24

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is an inherited arrhythmogenic disorder characterized by sudden cardiac death in children. Drug therapy is still insufficient to provide full protection against cardiac arrest, and the use of implantable defibrillators in the pediatric population is limited by side effects. There is therefore a need to explore the curative potential of gene therapy for this disease. We investigated the efficacy and durability of viral gene transfer of the calsequestrin 2 (CASQ2) wild-type gene in a catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia knock-in mouse model carrying the CASQ2(R33Q/R33Q) (R33Q) mutation. We engineered an adeno-associated viral vector serotype 9 (AAV9) containing cDNA of CASQ2 wild-type (AAV9-CASQ2) plus the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene to infect newborn R33Q mice studied by in vivo and in vitro protocols at 6, 9, and 12 months to investigate the ability of the infection to prevent the disease and adult R33Q mice studied after 2 months to assess whether the AAV9-CASQ2 delivery could revert the catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia phenotype. In both protocols, we observed the restoration of physiological expression and interaction of CASQ2, junctin, and triadin; the rescue of electrophysiological and ultrastructural abnormalities in calcium release units present in R33Q mice; and the lack of life-threatening arrhythmias. Our data demonstrate that viral gene transfer of wild-type CASQ2 into the heart of R33Q mice prevents and reverts severe manifestations of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and that this curative effect lasts for 1 year after a single injection of the vector, thus posing the rationale for the design of a clinical trial. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Site-saturation engineering of lysine 47 in cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Paenibacillus macerans to enhance substrate specificity towards maltodextrin for enzymatic synthesis of 2-O-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G).

PubMed

Han, Ruizhi; Liu, Long; Shin, Hyun-dong; Chen, Rachel R; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

2013-07-01

In this work, the site-saturation engineering of lysine 47 in cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) from Paenibacillus macerans was conducted to improve the specificity of CGTase towards maltodextrin, which can be used as a cheap and easily soluble glycosyl donor for the enzymatic synthesis of 2-O-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G) by CGTase. When using maltodextrin as glycosyl donor, four mutants K47F (lysine→ phenylalanine), K47L (lysine→ leucine), K47V (lysine→ valine) and K47W (lysine→ tryptophan) showed higher AA-2G yield as compared with that produced by the wild-type CGTase. The transformation conditions (temperature, pH and the mass ratio of L-ascorbic acid to maltodextrin) were optimized and the highest titer of AA-2G produced by the mutant K47L could reach 1.97 g/l, which was 64.2% higher than that (1.20 g/l) produced by the wild-type CGTase. The reaction kinetics analysis confirmed the enhanced maltodextrin specificity, and it was also found that compared with the wild-type CGTase, the four mutants had relatively lower cyclization activities and higher disproportionation activities, which was favorable for AA-2G synthesis. The mechanism responsible for the enhanced substrate specificity was further explored by structure modeling and it was indicated that the enhancement of maltodextrin specificity may be due to the short residue chain and the removal of hydrogen bonding interactions between the side chain of residue 47 and the sugar at -3 subsite. Here the obtained mutant CGTases, especially the K47L, has a great potential in the production of AA-2G with maltodextrin as a cheap and easily soluble substrate.

Reverse spillover of avian viral vaccine strains from domesticated poultry to wild birds.

PubMed

Rohaim, M A; El Naggar, R F; Helal, A M; Hussein, H A; Munir, Muhammad

2017-06-16

Transmission of viruses from the commercial poultry to wild birds is an emerging paradigm of livestock-wildlife interface. Here, we report the identification and isolation of vaccine strains of avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (APMV1) and avian coronaviruses (ACoV) from different wild bird species across eight Egyptian governorates between January 2014 and December 2015. Surveillance of avian respiratory viruses in free-ranging wild birds (n=297) identified three species that harboured or excreted APMV1 and ACoVs. Genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of recovered viruses revealed a close association with the most widely utilized vaccine strains in the country. These results highlight the potential spillover of vaccine-viruses probably due to extensive use of live-attenuated vaccines in the commercial poultry, and close interaction between domesticated and wild bird populations. Further exploring the full spectrum of vaccine-derived viral vaccine strains in wild birds might help to assess the emergence of future wild-birds origin viruses. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined use of alcohol and energy drinks: Dose relationship with self-reported physiological stimulation and sedation side effects.

PubMed

Droste, Nicolas; Peacock, Amy; Bruno, Raimondo; Pennay, Amy; Zinkiewicz, Lucy; Lubman, Dan I; Miller, Peter

2017-08-01

Negative physiological stimulation and sedation side effects are experienced by a significant proportion of consumers who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED). Few studies have compared the frequency of side effects between sessions of AmED and sessions of alcohol only within-subject, and none have explored a dose relationship. Explore the occurrence of self-reported physiological stimulant and sedative side effects between sessions of AmED and alcohol only, and at varying ED dosage levels within AmED sessions. A convenience sample of 2953 residents of New South Wales, Australia completed an online survey. N=731 AmED users reported daily caffeine intake, typical alcohol and AmED consumption, and past 12-month experience of physiological stimulation and sedation side effects during AmED and alcohol only sessions. Within-subject analyses compared occurrence of side effects between session types. Hierarchical binary logistic regression analyses explored the association of ED dose during AmED sessions with the experience of physiological side effects. There were greater odds of most stimulant side effects, and lower odds of sedation side effects, during AmED sessions compared to alcohol only sessions. Compared to one ED, consumption of three or more EDs was significantly associated with the majority of both stimulant and alcohol intoxication side effects after controlling for demographics and consumption covariates. AmED is associated with perceived changes in physiological stimulant and sedation side effects of alcohol. Experience of side effects is positively associated with ED dosage. Future research should account for varying ED dosage, and reflect real world consumption levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gathering "wild" food in the city: rethinking the role of foraging in urban ecosystem planning and management

Treesearch

Rebecca J. McLain; Patrick T. Hurley; Marla R. Emery; Melissa R. Poe

2014-01-01

Recent "green" planning initiatives envision food production, including urban agriculture and livestock production, as desirable elements of sustainable cities. We use an integrated urban political ecology and human-plant geographies framework to explore how foraging for "wild" foods in cities, a subversive practice that challenges prevailing views...

On the Brink: Activity and Resource Guide to Teaching about Massachusetts Endangered Species.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervoni, Cleti, Ed.

Project WILD is the first large-scale curriculum supplement focusing on wildlife concepts and integrated with many areas of the general school curriculum. It features decision-making processes and explores a diversity of attitudes toward wildlife. The goal of Project WILD is to prepare young people to make decisions affecting people and wildlife…

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Eric M.

2010-01-01

Imagine a magical treehouse hidden in the woods, with secret doors and rope swings--the stuff of one's wildest dreams! Imagine children rolling their wheelchairs all the way around a lake and arriving at this wondrous place. At Camp Twin Lakes (CTL), a not-for-profit organization in Georgia, one doesn't have to imagine--it's the real thing. Each…

Deciphering the Dynamics of Non-Covalent Interactions Affecting Thermal Stability of a Protein: Molecular Dynamics Study on Point Mutant of Thermus thermophilus Isopropylmalate Dehydrogenase.

PubMed

Sharma, Reetu; Sastry, G Narahari

2015-01-01

Thermus thermophilius isopropylmalate dehydrogenase catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation and dehydrogenation of isopropylmalate. Substitution of leucine to alanine at position 172 enhances the thermal stability among the known point mutants. Exploring the dynamic properties of non-covalent interactions such as saltbridges, hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions to explain thermal stability of a protein is interesting in its own right. In this study dynamic changes in the non-covalent interactions are studied to decipher the deterministic features of thermal stability of a protein considering a case study of a point mutant in Thermus thermophilus isopropylmalate dehydrogenase. A total of four molecular dynamic simulations of 0.2 μs were carried out on wild type and mutant's functional dimers at 300 K and 337 K. Higher thermal stability of the mutant as compared to wild type is revealed by root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuations and Cα-Cα distance with an increase in temperature from 300 K to 337 K. Most of the regions of wild type fluctuate higher than the corresponding regions of mutant with an increase in temperature. Cα-Cα distance analysis suggests that long distance networks are significantly affected in wild type as compared to the mutant. Short lived contacts are higher in wild type, while long lived contacts are lost at 337 K. The mutant forms less hydrogen bonds with water as compared to wild type at 337 K. In contrast to wild type, the mutant shows significant increase in unique saltbridges, hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts at 337 K. The current study indicates that there is a strong inter-dependence of thermal stability on the way in which non-covalent interactions reorganize, and it is rewarding to explore this connection in single mutant studies.

A Review of Patti Lather's "Engaging Science Policy from the Side of the Messy"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosser, Sue V.

2011-01-01

In "Engaging Science Policy from the Side of the Messy," Patti Lather explores the relationship between science and policy. In this review Rosser explores how Lather argues for the use of all forms of research to make policy that is democratic, complex and messy.

Rationalizing spatial exploration patterns of wild animals and humans through a temporal discounting framework.

PubMed

Namboodiri, Vijay Mohan K; Levy, Joshua M; Mihalas, Stefan; Sims, David W; Hussain Shuler, Marshall G

2016-08-02

Understanding the exploration patterns of foragers in the wild provides fundamental insight into animal behavior. Recent experimental evidence has demonstrated that path lengths (distances between consecutive turns) taken by foragers are well fitted by a power law distribution. Numerous theoretical contributions have posited that "Lévy random walks"-which can produce power law path length distributions-are optimal for memoryless agents searching a sparse reward landscape. It is unclear, however, whether such a strategy is efficient for cognitively complex agents, from wild animals to humans. Here, we developed a model to explain the emergence of apparent power law path length distributions in animals that can learn about their environments. In our model, the agent's goal during search is to build an internal model of the distribution of rewards in space that takes into account the cost of time to reach distant locations (i.e., temporally discounting rewards). For an agent with such a goal, we find that an optimal model of exploration in fact produces hyperbolic path lengths, which are well approximated by power laws. We then provide support for our model by showing that humans in a laboratory spatial exploration task search space systematically and modify their search patterns under a cost of time. In addition, we find that path length distributions in a large dataset obtained from free-ranging marine vertebrates are well described by our hyperbolic model. Thus, we provide a general theoretical framework for understanding spatial exploration patterns of cognitively complex foragers.

Prevalence of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) in wild salmonids in western Norway.

PubMed

Plarre, H; Devold, M; Snow, M; Nylund, A

2005-08-09

Studies of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV), an important pathogen of farmed salmon in Norway, Scotland, the Faeroe Islands, Ireland, Canada, the USA and Chile, suggest that natural reservoirs for this virus can be found on both sides of the North Atlantic. Based on existing information about ISAV it is believed to be maintained in wild populations of trout and salmon in Europe. It has further been suggested that ISAV is transmitted between wild hosts, mainly during their freshwater spawning phase in rivers, and that wild salmonids, mainly trout, are possible carriers of benign wild-type variants of ISAV. Change in virulence is probably a result of deletions of amino acid segments from the highly polymorphic region (HPR) of benign wild-type isolates after transmission to farmed salmon. Hence, it has been suggested that the frequency of new outbreaks of ISA in farmed salmon could partly reflect natural variation in the prevalence of ISAV in wild populations of salmonids. The aims of the present study were to screen for ISAV in wild salmonids during spawning in rivers and to determine the pathogenicity of resultant isolates from wild fish. Tissues from wild salmonids were screened by RT-PCR and real-time PCR. The prevalence of ISAV in wild trout Salmo trutta varied from 62 to 100% between tested rivers in 2001. The prevalence dropped in 2002, ranging from 13 to 36% in the same rivers and to only 6% in 2003. All ISAV were nonpathogenic when injected into disease-free Atlantic salmon, but were capable of propagation, as indicated by subsequent viral recovery. However, non-pathogenic ISAV has also been found in farmed salmon, where a prevalence as high as 60% has been registered, but with no mortalities occurring. Based on the results of the present and other studies, it must be concluded that vital information about the importance of wild and man-made reservoirs for the emergence of ISA in salmon farming is still lacking. This information can only be gained by further screening of possible reservoirs, combined with the development of a molecular tool for typing virulence and the geographical origin of the virus isolates.

Expanding proteome coverage with orthogonal-specificity α-Lytic proteases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meyer, Jesse G.; Kim, Sangtae; Maltby, David A.

2014-03-01

Bottom-up proteomics studies traditionally involve proteome digestion with a single protease, trypsin. However, trypsin alone does not generate peptides that encompass the entire proteome. Alternative proteases have been explored, but most have specificity for charged amino acid side chains. Therefore, additional proteases that improve proteome coverage by cleavage at sequences complimentary to trypsin may increase proteome coverage. We demonstrate the novel application of two proteases for bottom-up proteomics: wild type alpha-lytic protease (WaLP), and an active site mutant of WaLP, M190A alpha-lytic protease (MaLP). We assess several relevant factors including MS/MS fragmentation, peptide length, peptide yield, and protease specificity. Bymore » combining data from separate digestions with trypsin, LysC, WaLP, and MaLP, proteome coverage was increased 101% compared to trypsin digestion alone. To demonstrate how the gained sequence coverage can access additional PTM information, we show identification of a number of novel phosphorylation sites in the S. pombe proteome and include an illustrative example from the protein MPD2, wherein two novel sites are identified, one in a tryptic peptide too short to identify and the other in a sequence devoid of tryptic sites. The specificity of WaLP and MaLP for aliphatic amino acid side chains was particularly valuable for coverage of membrane protein sequences, which increased 350% when the data from trypsin, LysC, WaLP, and MaLP were combined.« less

The wild type as concept and in experimental practice: A history of its role in classical genetics and evolutionary theory.

PubMed

Holmes, Tarquin

2017-06-01

Wild types in genetics are specialised strains of laboratory experimental organism which principally serve as standards against which variation is measured. As selectively inbred lineages highly isolated from ancestral wild populations, there appears to be little wild or typical about them. I will nonetheless argue that they have historically been successfully used as stand-ins for nature, allowing knowledge produced in the laboratory to be extrapolated to the natural world. In this paper, I will explore the 19th century origins of the wild type concept, the theoretical and experimental innovations which allowed concepts and organisms to move from wild nature to laboratory domestication c. 1900 (resulting in the production of standardised lab strains), and the conflict among early geneticists between interactionist and atomist accounts of wild type, which would eventually lead to the conceptual disintegration of wild types and the triumph of genocentrism and population genetics. I conclude by discussing how the strategy of using wild type strains to represent nature in the lab has nonetheless survived the downfall of the wild type concept and continues to provide, significant limitations acknowledged, an epistemically productive means of investigating heredity and evolutionary variation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical and tomographic imaging of a middle ear malformation in the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana).

PubMed

Horowitz, Seth S; Simmons, Andrea Megela; Ketten, Darlene R

2005-08-01

Using a combination of in vivo computerized tomography and histological staining, a middle ear anomaly in two wild-caught American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) is characterized. In these animals, the tympanic membrane, extrastapes, and pars media (shaft) of the stapes are absent on one side of the head, with the other side exhibiting normal morphology. The pars interna (footplate) of the stapes and the operculum are present in their normal positions at the entrance of the otic capsule on both the affected and unaffected sides. The pattern of deformity suggests a partial failure of development of tympanic pathway tissues, but with a preservation of the opercularis pathway. While a definitive proximate cause of the condition could not be determined, the anomalies show similarities to developmental defects in mammalian middle ear formation.

Optical and tomographic imaging of a middle ear malformation in the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

PubMed Central

Horowitz, Seth S.; Simmons, Andrea Megela; Ketten, Darlene R.

2005-01-01

Using a combination of in vivo computerized tomography and histological staining, a middle ear anomaly in two wild-caught American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) is characterized. In these animals, the tympanic membrane, extrastapes, and pars media (shaft) of the stapes are absent on one side of the head, with the other side exhibiting normal morphology. The pars interna(footplate) of the stapes and the operculum are present in their normal positions at the entrance of the otic capsule on both the affected and unaffected sides. The pattern of deformity suggests a partial failure of development of tympanic pathway tissues, but with a preservation of theopercularis pathway. While a definitive proximate cause of the condition could not be determined, the anomalies show similarities to developmental defects in mammalian middle ear formation. PMID:16158670

Using Agent-Based Modelling to Predict the Role of Wild Refugia in the Evolution of Resistance of Sea Lice to Chemotherapeutants

PubMed Central

McEwan, Gregor F.; Groner, Maya L.; Fast, Mark D.; Revie, Crawford W.

2015-01-01

A major challenge for Atlantic salmon farming in the northern hemisphere is infestation by the sea louse parasite Lepeophtheirus salmonis. The most frequent method of controlling these sea louse infestations is through the use of chemical treatments. However, most major salmon farming areas have observed resistance to common chemotherapeutants. In terrestrial environments, many strategies employed to manage the evolution of resistance involve the use of refugia, where a portion of the population is left untreated to maintain susceptibility. While refugia have not been deliberately used in Atlantic salmon farming, wild salmon populations that migrate close to salmon farms may act as natural refugia. In this paper we describe an agent-based model that explores the influence of different sizes of wild salmon populations on resistance evolution in sea lice on a salmon farm. Using the model, we demonstrate that wild salmon populations can act as refugia that limit the evolution of resistance in the sea louse populations. Additionally, we demonstrate that an increase in the size of the population of wild salmon results in an increased effect in slowing the evolution of resistance. We explore the effect of a population fitness cost associated with resistance, finding that in some cases it substantially reduces the speed of evolution to chemical treatments. PMID:26485023

The Release of a Captive-Raised Female African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

PubMed Central

Evans, Kate; Moore, Randall J.; Harris, Stephen

2013-01-01

Simple Summary Managing captive elephants poses a significant challenge because of their complex social behaviour. While wild female elephants live in close-knit family groups of related individuals, captive herds often consist of unrelated animals. Some of the elephants in captive groups may be excluded by their companions and experience increased aggression, so that their welfare is compromised. There is no easy solution to this problem and novel approaches are required since slaughter of captive elephants is not publicly acceptable. We show that captive-raised female elephants can be released into the wild, survive and reproduce, and suggest that this management option should be explored further for female elephants currently held under various captive conditions. Abstract Wild female elephants live in close-knit matrilineal groups and housing captive elephants in artificial social groupings can cause significant welfare issues for individuals not accepted by other group members. We document the release of a captive-raised female elephant used in the safari industry because of welfare and management problems. She was fitted with a satellite collar, and spatial and behavioural data were collected over a 17-month period to quantify her interactions with the wild population. She was then monitored infrequently for a further five-and-a-half years. We observed few signs of aggression towards her from the wild elephants with which she socialized. She used an area of comparable size to wild female elephants, and this continued to increase as she explored new areas. Although she did not fully integrate into a wild herd, she had three calves of her own, and formed a social unit with another female and her calf that were later released from the same captive herd. We recommend that release to the wild be considered as a management option for other captive female elephants. PMID:26487408

Fear and Exploration in European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris): A Comparison of Hand-Reared and Wild-Caught Birds

PubMed Central

Feenders, Gesa; Klaus, Kristel; Bateson, Melissa

2011-01-01

The revision of EU legislation will ban the use of wild-caught animals in scientific procedures. This change is partially predicated on the assumption that captive-rearing produces animals with reduced fearfulness. Previously, we have shown that hand-reared starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) indeed exhibit reduced fear of humans compared to wild-caught conspecifics. Here, we asked whether this reduction in fear in hand-reared birds is limited to fear of humans or extends more generally to fear of novel environments and novel objects. Comparing 6–8 month old birds hand-reared in the lab with age-matched birds caught from the wild as fledged juveniles a minimum of 1 month previously, we examined the birds' initial reactions in a novel environment (a small cage) and found that wild-caught starlings were faster to initiate movement compared to the hand-reared birds. We interpret this difference as evidence for greater escape motivation in the wild-caught birds. In contrast, we found no differences between hand-reared and wild-caught birds when tested in novel object tests assumed to measure neophobia and exploratory behaviour. Moreover, we found no correlations between individual bird's responses in the different tests, supporting the idea that these measure different traits (e.g. fear and exploration). In summary, our data show that developmental origin affects one measure of response to novelty in young starlings, indicative of a difference in either fear or coping style in a stressful situation. Our data contribute to a growing literature demonstrating effects of early-life experience on later behaviour in a range of species. However, since we did not find consistent evidence for reduced fearfulness in hand-reared birds, we remain agnostic about the welfare benefits of hand-rearing as a method for sourcing wild birds for behavioural and physiological research. PMID:21526000

Personality and problem-solving performance explain competitive ability in the wild.

PubMed

Cole, Ella F; Quinn, John L

2012-03-22

Competitive ability is a major determinant of fitness, but why individuals vary so much in their competitiveness remains only partially understood. One increasingly prevalent view is that realized competitive ability varies because it represents alternative strategies that arise because of the costs associated with competitiveness. Here we use a population of great tits (Parus major) to explore whether individual differences in competitive ability when foraging can be explained by two traits that have previously been linked to alternative behavioural strategies: the personality trait 'exploration behaviour' and a simple cognitive trait, 'innovative problem-solving performance'. We assayed these traits under standardized conditions in captivity and then measured competitive ability at feeders with restricted access in the wild. Competitive ability was repeatable within individual males across days and correlated positively with exploration behaviour, representing the first such demonstration of a link between a personality trait and both competitive ability and food intake in the wild. Competitive ability was also simultaneously negatively correlated with problem-solving performance; individuals who were poor competitors were good at problem-solving. Rather than being the result of variation in 'individual quality', our results support the hypothesis that individual variation in competitive ability can be explained by alternative behavioural strategies.

Reflections on Using Pinhole Photography as a Pedagogical and Methodological Tool with Adolescents in Wild Nature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Socha, Teresa; Potter, Tom; Potter, Stephanie; Jickling, Bob

2016-01-01

This paper shares our experiences using pinhole photography with adolescents as both a pedagogical tool to support and deepen adolescent experiences in wild nature, and as a visual methodological tool to elucidate their experiences. Reflecting on a journey that explored the nature-based experiences of two adolescents on a family canoe trip in…

Genetic diversity and mutation of avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (Newcastle disease virus) in wild birds and evidence for intercontinental spread

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (APMV-1), or Newcastle disease virus, is the causative agent of Newcastle disease (ND), one of the most economically important diseases for poultry production worldwide and a cause of periodic epornitics in wild birds in North America. In this study, we explored the ge...

Relations among Five Radii of Circles in a Triangle, Its Sides and Other Segments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sigler, Avi; Stupel, Moshe; Flores, Alfinio

2017-01-01

Students use GeoGebra to explore the mathematical relations among different radii of circles in a triangle (circumcircle, incircle, excircles) and the sides and other segments in the triangle. The more formal mathematical development of the relations that follows the explorations is based on known geometrical properties, different formulas…

Searching Jobs through Vocabulary. English-Vietnamese Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Angella D., Comp.

This English-Vietnamese glossary, which is intended for use in career exploration, special education, and English as a second language courses, consists of side-by-side English and Vietnamese definitions of terms related to the job search process. A wide range of terms that are likely to be encountered in a career awareness/exploration class is…

Cognitive deficits in a genetic mouse model of the most common biochemical cause of human mental retardation.

PubMed

Zagreda, L; Goodman, J; Druin, D P; McDonald, D; Diamond, A

1999-07-15

Phenylalanine hydroxylase (Pah)-deficient "PKU mice" have a mutation in the Pah gene that causes phenylketonuria (PKU) in humans. PKU produces cognitive deficits in humans if it is untreated. We report here the first evidence that the genetic mouse model of PKU (Pah(enu2)) also produces cognitive impairments. PKU mice were impaired on both odor discrimination reversal and latent learning compared with heterozygote littermates and with wild-type mice of the same BTBR strain. A small container of cinnamon-scented sand was presented on the right or left, and nutmeg-scented sand was presented on the other side; left-right location varied over trials. Digging in sand of the correct scent was rewarded by finding phenylalanine-free chocolate. To prevent scent cuing, new containers were used on every trial, and both containers always contained chocolate. Digging in the incorrect choice was stopped before the chocolate was uncovered. Once criterion was reached, the other scent was rewarded. PKU mice were impaired on reversals 2, 3, and 4. They were also impaired in latent learning. On day 1, half the mice were allowed to explore a maze and discover the location of water. On day 2, all mice were water-deprived and were placed in the maze. Whereas pre-exposed wild-type and heterozygous mice showed evidence that they remembered the location of the water and hence could find the water faster on day 2, pre-exposed PKU mice showed no significant benefit from their pre-exposure on day 1.

Solution structure of a small protein containing a fluorinated side chain in the core

PubMed Central

Cornilescu, Gabriel; Hadley, Erik B.; Woll, Matthew G.; Markley, John L.; Gellman, Samuel H.; Cornilescu, Claudia C.

2007-01-01

We report the first high-resolution structure for a protein containing a fluorinated side chain. Recently we carried out a systematic evaluation of phenylalanine to pentafluorophenylalanine (Phe → F5-Phe) mutants for the 35-residue chicken villin headpiece subdomain (c-VHP), the hydrophobic core of which features a cluster of three Phe side chains (residues 6, 10, and 17). Phe → F5-Phe mutations are interesting because aryl–perfluoroaryl interactions of optimal geometry are intrinsically more favorable than either aryl–aryl or perfluoroaryl–perfluoroaryl interactions, and because perfluoroaryl units are more hydrophobic than are analogous aryl units. Only one mutation, Phe10 → F5-Phe, was found to provide enhanced tertiary structural stability relative to the native core (by ∼1 kcal/mol, according to guanidinium chloride denaturation studies). The NMR structure of this mutant, described here, reveals very little variation in backbone conformation or side chain packing relative to the wild type. Thus, although Phe → F5-Phe mutations offer the possibility of greater tertiary structural stability from side chain–side chain attraction and/or side chain desolvation, the constraints associated with the native c-VHP fold apparently prevent the modified polypeptide from taking advantage of this possibility. Our findings are important because they complement several studies that have shown that fluorination of saturated side chain carbon atoms can provide enhanced conformational stability. PMID:17123960

High yield of secondary B-side electron transfer in mutant Rhodobacter capsulatus reaction centers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kressel, Lucas; Faries, Kaitlyn M.; Wander, Marc J.

2014-08-01

From the crystal structures of reaction centers (RCs) from purple photosynthetic bacteria, two pathways for electron transfer (ET) are apparent but only one pathway (the A side) operates in the native protein-cofactor complex. Partial activation of the B-side pathway has unveiled the true inefficiencies of ET processes on that side in comparison to analogous reactions on the A side. Of significance are the relative rate constants for forward ET and the competing charge recombination reactions. On the B side, these rate constants are nearly equal for the secondary charge-separation step (ET from bacteriopheophytin to quinone), relegating the yield of thismore » process to < 50%. Herein we report efforts to optimize this step. In surveying all possible residues at position 131 in the M subunit, we discovered that when glutamic acid replaces the native valine the efficiency of the secondary ET is nearly two-fold higher than in the wild-type RC. The positive effect of M131 Glu is likely due to formation of a hydrogen bond with the ring V keto group of the B-side bacteriopheophytin leading to stabilization of the charge-separated state involving this cofactor. In conclusion, this change slows charge recombination by roughly a factor of two and affords the improved yield of the desired forward ET to the B-side quinone terminal acceptor.« less

The impact of dnaKJ overexpression on recombinant protein solubility results from antagonistic effects on the control of protein quality.

PubMed

Petersson, Lisa; Carrió, M Mar; Vera, Andrea; Villaverde, Antonio

2004-04-01

We have produced increasing levels of DnaK and its co-chaperone DnaJ along with the model VP1LAC misfolding-prone protein, to explore the role of DnaK on the management of Escherichia coli inclusion bodies. While relative solubility of VP1LAC is progressively enhanced, the heat-shock response is down-regulated as revealed by decreasing levels of GroEL. This is accompanied by an increasing yield of VP1LAC and a non-regular evolution of its insoluble fraction, at moderate levels of DnaK resulting in more abundant inclusion bodies. Also, the impact of chaperone co-expression is much more pronounced in wild type cells than in a DnaK- mutant, probably due to the different background of heat shock proteins in these cells. The involvement of DnaK in the supervision of misfolding proteins is then pictured as a dynamic balance between its immediate holding and folding activities, and the side-effect downregulation of the heat shock response though the limitation of other chaperone and proteases activities.

Site-Specific Modulation of Charge Controls the Structure and Stimulus Responsiveness of Intrinsically Disordered Peptide Brushes.

PubMed

Bhagawati, Maniraj; Rubashkin, Matt G; Lee, Jessica P; Ananthanarayanan, Badriprasad; Weaver, Valerie M; Kumar, Sanjay

2016-06-14

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are an important and emerging class of materials for tailoring biointerfaces. While the importance of chain charge and resultant electrostatic interactions in controlling conformational properties of IDPs is beginning to be explored through in silico approaches, there is a dearth of experimental studies motivated toward a systematic study of these effects. In an effort to explore this relationship, we measured the conformations of two peptides derived from the intrinsically disordered neurofilament (NF) side arm domain: one depicting the wild-type sequence with four lysine-serine-proline repeats (KSP peptide) and another in which the serine residues were replaced with aspartates (KDP peptide), a strategy sometimes used to mimic phosphorylation. Using a variety of biophysical measurements including a novel application of scanning angle interference microscopy, we demonstrate that the KDP peptide assumes comparatively more expanded conformations in solution and forms significantly thicker brushes when immobilized on planar surfaces at high densities. In both settings, the peptides respond to changes in ambient ionic strength, with each peptide showing distinct stimulus-responsive characteristics. While the KDP peptide undergoes compaction with increasing ionic strength as would be expected for a polyampholyte, the KSP peptide shows biphasic behavior, with an initial compaction followed by an expanded state at a higher ionic strength. Together these results support the notion that modulation of charge on IDPs can regulate conformational and interfacial properties.

Reducing Aversion to Side Effects in Preventive Medical Treatment Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, Erika A.; Weinstein, Neil D.; Colditz, Graham A.; Emmons, Karen M.

2007-01-01

Laypeople tend to be overly sensitive to side effects of treatments that prevent illness, possibly leading them to refuse beneficial therapies. This Internet-based study attempted to reduce such side effect aversion by adding graphic displays to the numerical risk probabilities. It also explored whether graphics reduce side effect aversion by…

Molecular characterization of canine kobuvirus in wild carnivores and the domestic dog in Africa.

PubMed

Olarte-Castillo, Ximena A; Heeger, Felix; Mazzoni, Camila J; Greenwood, Alex D; Fyumagwa, Robert; Moehlman, Patricia D; Hofer, Heribert; East, Marion L

2015-03-01

Knowledge of Kobuvirus (Family Picornaviridae) infection in carnivores is limited and has not been described in domestic or wild carnivores in Africa. To fill this gap in knowledge we used RT-PCR to screen fresh feces from several African carnivores. We detected kobuvirus RNA in samples from domestic dog, golden jackal, side-striped jackal and spotted hyena. Using next generation sequencing we obtained one complete Kobuvirus genome sequence from each of these species. Our phylogenetic analyses revealed canine kobuvirus (CaKV) infection in all four species and placed CaKVs from Africa together and separately from CaKVs from elsewhere. Wild carnivore strains were more closely related to each other than to those from domestic dogs. We found that the secondary structure model of the IRES was similar to the Aichivirus-like IRES subclass and was conserved among African strains. We describe the first CaKVs from Africa and extend the known host range of CaKV. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing Autonomy: Opportunities for New Wildness in the Anthropocene.

PubMed

Cantrell, Bradley; Martin, Laura J; Ellis, Erle C

2017-03-01

Maintaining wild places increasingly involves intensive human interventions. Several recent projects use semi-automated mediating technologies to enact conservation and restoration actions, including re-seeding and invasive species eradication. Could a deep-learning system sustain the autonomy of nonhuman ecological processes at designated sites without direct human interventions? We explore here the prospects for automated curation of wild places, as well as the technical and ethical questions that such co-creation poses for ecologists, conservationists, and designers. Our goal is to foster innovative approaches to creating and maintaining the autonomy of evolving ecological systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Searching Jobs through Vocabulary. English-Spanish Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Angella D., Comp.

This English-Spanish glossary, which is intended for use in career exploration, special education, and English-as-a-second-language courses, consists of side-by-side English and Spanish definitions of terms related to the job search process. A wide range of terms that are likely to be encountered in a career awareness/exploration class is covered,…

Wild harvests from Scottish woodlands: an exploration of the health and well-being of non-timber forest products collection and use

Treesearch

Suzanne Martin; Marla Emery; Alison Dyke

2005-01-01

Small-scale gathering of nontimber forest products (NTFPs) - wild edibles, medicinals, craft materials, etc. - has a range of benefits which have a specific bearing on the health and well-being of gatherers in contemporary Scottish society. The information discussed in this paper is drawn from qualitative research which focused on identifying and understanding the...

Shrinking wild lands: Assessing human intrusion in the Highlands of Scotland, 1870 to 2004, using Geographical Information Systems

Treesearch

Steve Carver; Mark Wrightham

2007-01-01

Wild land in Scotland has been subject to steady attrition due to various types of development. This paper explores approaches that might be used to describe this attrition in Scotland, in order to promote more informed debate and assist policy development. Current digital map databases showing roads, bulldozed trails, plantation forest and hydropower schemes were...

Rationalizing spatial exploration patterns of wild animals and humans through a temporal discounting framework

PubMed Central

Namboodiri, Vijay Mohan K.; Levy, Joshua M.; Mihalas, Stefan; Sims, David W.; Hussain Shuler, Marshall G.

2016-01-01

Understanding the exploration patterns of foragers in the wild provides fundamental insight into animal behavior. Recent experimental evidence has demonstrated that path lengths (distances between consecutive turns) taken by foragers are well fitted by a power law distribution. Numerous theoretical contributions have posited that “Lévy random walks”—which can produce power law path length distributions—are optimal for memoryless agents searching a sparse reward landscape. It is unclear, however, whether such a strategy is efficient for cognitively complex agents, from wild animals to humans. Here, we developed a model to explain the emergence of apparent power law path length distributions in animals that can learn about their environments. In our model, the agent’s goal during search is to build an internal model of the distribution of rewards in space that takes into account the cost of time to reach distant locations (i.e., temporally discounting rewards). For an agent with such a goal, we find that an optimal model of exploration in fact produces hyperbolic path lengths, which are well approximated by power laws. We then provide support for our model by showing that humans in a laboratory spatial exploration task search space systematically and modify their search patterns under a cost of time. In addition, we find that path length distributions in a large dataset obtained from free-ranging marine vertebrates are well described by our hyperbolic model. Thus, we provide a general theoretical framework for understanding spatial exploration patterns of cognitively complex foragers. PMID:27385831

[Distribution features of wild feces in schistosomiasis endemic areas in Jiangling County, Hubei Province].

PubMed

Xia, Zhang; Jing-Bo, Xue; He-Hua, Hu; Xiong, Liu; Cai-Xia, Cui; Xiao-Hong, Wen; Xiao-Ping, Xie; Wei-Rong, Zhang; Rong, Tian; Li-Chun, Dong; Chun-Li, Cao; Shi-Zhu, Li; Yi-Biao, Zhou

2017-03-07

To understand the spatial distribution characteristics of wild feces in schistosomiasis endemic areas of Jiangling County, Hubei Province and further explore the source of infection efficiently, so as to provide the evidence for the development of corresponding monitoring and response technology. In 2011, the fresh wild feces were investigated every two months in the selected 15 villages by the severity of historical endemic in Jiangling County. The schistosome miracidium hatching method was used to test the schistosome infection of the wild feces. The descriptive analysis and spatial analysis were used for the description of the spatial distribution of the wild feces. Totally 701 wild feces samples were collected with the average density of 0.055 6/100 m 2 , and the positive rate of the wild feces was 11.70% (82/701). The results of the regression analysis showed a positive spatial correlation between the positive rate of wild feces and the rate of human infection, the area with infected Oncomelania hupensis and the number of fenced cattle, and the corrected R 2 of the model was 0.58. The infection rate of wild feces is positively correlated with the rate of human infection, area with infected O. hupensis and number of fenced cattle in space in Jiangling County, so the prevention and control measures could be conducted according to the spatial distribution of the positive wild feces.

Chronic cannabinoid receptor 2 activation reverses paclitaxel neuropathy without tolerance or cannabinoid receptor 1-dependent withdrawal.

PubMed

Deng, Liting; Guindon, Josée; Cornett, Benjamin L; Makriyannis, Alexandros; Mackie, Ken; Hohmann, Andrea G

2015-03-01

Mixed cannabinoid receptor 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2) agonists such as Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC) can produce tolerance, physical withdrawal, and unwanted CB1-mediated central nervous system side effects. Whether repeated systemic administration of a CB2-preferring agonist engages CB1 receptors or produces CB1-mediated side effects is unknown. We evaluated antiallodynic efficacy, possible tolerance, and cannabimimetic side effects of repeated dosing with a CB2-preferring agonist AM1710 in a model of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy produced by paclitaxel using CB1 knockout (CB1KO), CB2 knockout (CB2KO), and wild-type (WT) mice. Comparisons were made with the prototypic classic cannabinoid Δ(9)-THC. We also explored the site and possible mechanism of action of AM1710. Paclitaxel-induced mechanical and cold allodynia developed to an equivalent degree in CB1KO, CB2KO, and WT mice. Both AM1710 and Δ(9)-THC suppressed established paclitaxel-induced allodynia in WT mice. In contrast to Δ(9)-THC, chronic administration of AM1710 did not engage CB1 activity or produce antinociceptive tolerance, CB1-mediated cannabinoid withdrawal, hypothermia, or motor dysfunction. Antiallodynic efficacy of systemic administration of AM1710 was absent in CB2KO mice and WT mice receiving the CB2 antagonist AM630, administered either systemically or intrathecally. Intrathecal administration of AM1710 also attenuated paclitaxel-induced allodynia in WT mice, but not CB2KO mice, implicating a possible role for spinal CB2 receptors in AM1710 antiallodynic efficacy. Finally, both acute and chronic administration of AM1710 decreased messenger RNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 in lumbar spinal cord of paclitaxel-treated WT mice. Our results highlight the potential of prolonged use of CB2 agonists for managing chemotherapy-induced allodynia with a favorable therapeutic ratio marked by sustained efficacy and absence of tolerance, physical withdrawal, or CB1-mediated side effects. Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of Prognostic Value of Primary Tumor Location in Stage III Colon Cancer With RAS and BRAF Mutational Status.

PubMed

Taieb, Julien; Kourie, Hampig Raphael; Emile, Jean-François; Le Malicot, Karine; Balogoun, Ralyath; Tabernero, Josep; Mini, Enrico; Folprecht, Gunnar; Van Laethem, Jean-Luc; Mulot, Claire; Bouché, Olivier; Aparicio, Thomas; Michel, Pierre; Thaler, Josef; Bridgewater, John; Van Cutsem, Eric; Perkins, Géraldine; Lepage, Come; Salazar, Ramon; Laurent-Puig, Pierre

2017-11-22

We know of no data on the prognostic value of primary tumor location (PTL) according to BRAF, RAS, and microsatellite instability (MSI) status in patients who have undergone resection for colon cancer (CC) and have been treated with current standard adjuvant chemotherapy. To determine the prognostic and predictive value of PTL according to BRAF, RAS, and MSI status in patients with stage III CC receiving adjuvant treatment with FOLFOX (folinic acid [leucovorin calcium], fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) with or without cetuximab. This post hoc analysis included patients with available tumor blocks of resected stage III colon adenocarcinoma who participated in the Pan-European Trials in Alimentary Tract Cancer (PETACC)-8 phase 3 randomized trial. Among the 2559 patients who underwent randomization, 1900 were screened by next-generation sequencing, which showed that 1869 had full information concerning PTL. We categorized primary tumor site as located proximal (right) or distal (left) to the splenic flexure. The associations between PTL (right- vs left-sided) and disease-free survival (DFS), survival after relapse (SAR), and overall survival (OS) were assessed by Cox models and adjusted for clinical and pathological features, treatment, and MSI, BRAF, and RAS status. Among the 1869 patients (1056 [57%] male; mean [SD] age, 59.4 [9.5] years) with full molecular data analyzed, 755 (40%) had a right-sided tumor, 164 (10%) had MSI, 942 (50%) had RAS mutations, and 212 (11%) had BRAF mutations. Right-sided tumor location was not prognostic for DFS in the whole population but was associated with a shorter SAR (hazard ratio [HR], 1.54; 95% CI, 1.23-1.93; P = .001) and OS (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.02-1.54; P = .03). When looking at DFS in the different molecular subgroups, we found similar results for microsatellite-stable tumors and tumors with MSI; a better DFS in right-sided vs left-sided tumors in patients with RAS mutations (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-1.00; P = .046); and a worse DFS in right-sided vs left-sided tumors in patients with RAS and BRAF double wild type (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.01-1.92; P = .04). These results were found independently of the treatment received, and no beneficial effect of cetuximab on DFS or OS was observed in left-sided tumors. Although right-sided tumor location is associated with poor survival in patients with metastatic CC as previously reported, the association with disease recurrence appears to vary for patients with stage III CC and RAS or BRAF mutations vs those with double wild type.

First radiobiological results of LDEF-1 experiment A0015 with Arabidopsis seed embryos and Sordaria fungus spores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmermann, M. W.; Gartenbach, K. E.; Kranz, A. R.

1994-10-01

This article highlights the first results of investigations on the general vitality and damage endpoints caused by cosmic ionizing radiation in dry, dormant plant seeds of the crucifer plant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Hennh. and the ascomycete Sordaria fimicola after 69 month stay in space. Wild-type and mutant gene marker lines were included in Free Flyer Biostack containers and exposed on earth and side tray of the LDEF-1 satellite. The damage in biological endpoints observed in the seeds increased in the side tray sample compared to the earth tray sample. For the ascospores we found different effects depending on the biological endpoints investigated for both expositions.

First radiobiological results of LDEF-1 experiment A0015 with Arabidopsis seed embryos and Sordaria fungus spores.

PubMed

Zimmermann, M W; Gartenbach, K E; Kranz, A R

1994-10-01

This article highlights the first results of investigations on the general vitality and damage endpoints caused by cosmic ionizing radiation in dry, dormant plant seeds of the crucifer plant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. and the ascomycete Sordaria fimicola after 69 month stay in space. Wild-type and mutant gene marker lines were included in Free Flyer Biostack containers and exposed on earth and side tray of the LDEF-1 satellite. The damage in biological endpoints observed in the seeds increased in the side tray sample compared to the earth tray sample. For the ascospores we found different effects depending on the biological endpoints investigated for both expositions.

Collection and evaluaton of Astragalus filipes for rangeland revegetation in western North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Exploration Program supports domestic and foreign plant germplasm explorations for a variety of crop species and their wild relatives. Seed collections and associated passport data are incorporated into the National Plant Germplasm System (NP...

The utility of captive animals in actualistic research: A geometric morphometric exploration of the tooth row of Alligator mississippiensis suggesting ecophenotypic influences and functional constraints.

PubMed

Drumheller, Stephanie K; Wilberg, Eric W; Sadleir, Rudyard W

2016-07-01

Captive broad snouted crocodylians are generally thought to have wider, shorter rostra than their wild counterparts. Interpreted to reflect morphological change in response to the conditions of captivity, this qualitative pattern could affect the utility of these animals in a variety of fields of research. However, due to relative ease of access and availability of life history data, captive animals are often utilized in actualistic research. Thus, this issue should be addressed in more detail. Here we explore snout shape variation between captive and wild members of Alligator mississippiensis using two-dimensional (2D) morphometric techniques. Several landmark schemesare used to assess the utility of different aspects of morphology in distinguishing the groups. While statistical analyses consistently differentiated between the groups, the area of morphospace occupied by wild members of A. mississippiensis generally overlapped with the larger area encompassing the captive specimens. This indicates that the captive condition is not as uniform as previously thought and instead encompasses a large spectrum of morphologies, ranging from the stereotypical broad, shortened snouts to outlines that are indistinguishable from the wild morphotype. These results align well with the interpretation that this change reflects an extreme example of ecophenotypy, since ranched, farmed, or zoo organisms are held in an array of enclosures, ranging from indoor, climate controlled pens to outdoor, more natural areas. This variation in environments should be reflected in different reactions to the animals' surroundings, resulting in a broad spectrum of morphotypes. While wild specimens are still preferred, especially for fine scale analyses, these results indicate that not all captive members of A. mississippiensis exhibit the extreme morphological alterations often cited in the literature. Weighing the conditions in which the animals are held and exploring the possibility of morphological differences against the benefits of using captive specimens should be part of any actualistic study. J. Morphol. 277:866-878, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Removal of the Side Chain at the Active-Site Serine by a Glycine Substitution Increases the Stability of a Wide Range of Serine β-Lactamases by Relieving Steric Strain

DOE PAGES

Stojanoski, Vlatko; Adamski, Carolyn J.; Hu, Liya; ...

2016-04-12

Serine β-lactamases are bacterial enzymes that hydrolyze β- lactam antibiotics. They utilize an active-site serine residue as a nucleophile, forming an acyl-enzyme intermediate during hydrolysis. Here, thermal denaturation experiments as well as X-ray crystallography were performed to test the effect of substitution of the catalytic serine with glycine on protein stability in serine β-lactamases. Six different enzymes comprising representatives from each of the three classes of serine β-lactamases were examined, including TEM-1, CTX-M- 14, and KPC-2 of class A, P99 of class C, and OXA-48 and OXA-163 of class D. For each enzyme, the wild type and a serine-to-glycine mutantmore » were evaluated for stability. The glycine mutants all exhibited enhanced thermostability compared to that of the wild type. In contrast, alanine substitutions of the catalytic serine in TEM-1, OXA-48, and OXA-163 did not alter stability, suggesting removal of the Cβ atom is key to the stability increase associated with the glycine mutants. The X-ray crystal structures of P99 S64G, OXA-48 S70G and S70A, and OXA-163 S70G suggest that removal of the side chain of the catalytic serine releases steric strain to improve enzyme stability. In addition, analysis of the torsion angles at the nucleophile position indicates that the glycine mutants exhibit improved distance and angular parameters of the intrahelical hydrogen bond network compared to those of the wild-type enzymes, which is also consistent with increased stability. The increased stability of the mutants indicates that the enzyme pays a price in stability for the presence of a side chain at the catalytic serine position but that the cost is necessary in that removal of the serine drastically impairs function. Our findings support the stability-function hypothesis, which states that active-site residues are optimized for substrate binding and catalysis but that the requirements for catalysis are often not consistent with the requirements for optimal stability.« less

Removal of the Side Chain at the Active-Site Serine by a Glycine Substitution Increases the Stability of a Wide Range of Serine β-Lactamases by Relieving Steric Strain

PubMed Central

Stojanoski, Vlatko; Adamski, Carolyn J.; Hu, Liya; Mehta, Shrenik C.; Sankaran, Banumathi; Zwart, Peter; Prasad, B.V. Venkataram; Palzkill, Timothy

2016-01-01

Serine β-lactamases are bacterial enzymes that hydrolyze β-lactam antibiotics. They utilize an active-site serine residue as a nucleophile, forming an acyl-enzyme intermediate during hydrolysis. In this study, thermal denaturation experiments as well as X-ray crystallography were performed to test the effect of substitution of the catalytic serine by glycine on protein stability in serine β-lactamases. Six different enzymes comprising representatives from each of the three classes of serine β-lactamases were examined including TEM-1, CTX-M-14, and KPC-2 of class A, P99 of class C, and OXA-48 and OXA-163 of class D. For each enzyme, the wild type and a serine-to-glycine mutant were evaluated for stability. The glycine mutants all exhibited enhanced thermostability compared to the wild type. In contrast, alanine substitutions of the catalytic serine in TEM-1, OXA-48 and OXA-163 did not alter stability, suggesting removal of the Cβ atom is key to the stability increase associated with the glycine mutants. The X-ray crystal structures of P99 S64G, OXA-48 S70G and S70A, and OXA-163 S70G suggest that removal of the side chain of the catalytic serine releases steric strain to improve enzyme stability. Additionally, analysis of the torsion angles at the nucleophile position indicates that the glycine mutants exhibit improved distance and angular parameters of the intra-helical hydrogen bond network compared to the wild-type enzymes, which is also consistent with increased stability. The increased stability of the mutants indicates that the enzyme pays a price in stability for the presence of a side chain at the catalytic serine position but that the cost is necessary in that removal of the serine drastically impairs function. These findings support the stability-function hypothesis, which states that active-site residues are optimized for substrate binding and catalysis but that the requirements for catalysis are often not consistent with the requirements for optimal stability. PMID:27073009

Removal of the Side Chain at the Active-Site Serine by a Glycine Substitution Increases the Stability of a Wide Range of Serine β-Lactamases by Relieving Steric Strain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stojanoski, Vlatko; Adamski, Carolyn J.; Hu, Liya

Serine β-lactamases are bacterial enzymes that hydrolyze β- lactam antibiotics. They utilize an active-site serine residue as a nucleophile, forming an acyl-enzyme intermediate during hydrolysis. Here, thermal denaturation experiments as well as X-ray crystallography were performed to test the effect of substitution of the catalytic serine with glycine on protein stability in serine β-lactamases. Six different enzymes comprising representatives from each of the three classes of serine β-lactamases were examined, including TEM-1, CTX-M- 14, and KPC-2 of class A, P99 of class C, and OXA-48 and OXA-163 of class D. For each enzyme, the wild type and a serine-to-glycine mutantmore » were evaluated for stability. The glycine mutants all exhibited enhanced thermostability compared to that of the wild type. In contrast, alanine substitutions of the catalytic serine in TEM-1, OXA-48, and OXA-163 did not alter stability, suggesting removal of the Cβ atom is key to the stability increase associated with the glycine mutants. The X-ray crystal structures of P99 S64G, OXA-48 S70G and S70A, and OXA-163 S70G suggest that removal of the side chain of the catalytic serine releases steric strain to improve enzyme stability. In addition, analysis of the torsion angles at the nucleophile position indicates that the glycine mutants exhibit improved distance and angular parameters of the intrahelical hydrogen bond network compared to those of the wild-type enzymes, which is also consistent with increased stability. The increased stability of the mutants indicates that the enzyme pays a price in stability for the presence of a side chain at the catalytic serine position but that the cost is necessary in that removal of the serine drastically impairs function. Our findings support the stability-function hypothesis, which states that active-site residues are optimized for substrate binding and catalysis but that the requirements for catalysis are often not consistent with the requirements for optimal stability.« less

Theoretical calculation of pKa reveals an important role of Arg205 in the activity and stability of Streptomyces sp. N174 chitosanase.

PubMed

Fukamizo, T; Juffer, A H; Vogel, H J; Honda, Y; Tremblay, H; Boucher, I; Neugebauer, W A; Brzezinski, R

2000-08-18

Based on the crystal structure of chitosanase from Streptomyces sp. N174, we have calculated theoretical pK(a) values of the ionizable groups of this protein using a combination of the boundary element method and continuum electrostatics. The pK(a) value obtained for Arg(205), which is located in the catalytic cleft, was abnormally high (>20.0), indicating that the guanidyl group may interact strongly with nearby charges. Chitosanases possessing mutations in this position (R205A, R205H, and R205Y), produced by Streptomyces lividans expression system, were found to have less than 0.3% of the activity of the wild type enzyme and to possess thermal stabilities 4-5 kcal/mol lower than that of the wild type protein. In the crystal structure, the Arg(205) side chain is in close proximity to the Asp(145) side chain (theoretical pK(a), -1.6), which is in turn close to the Arg(190) side chain (theoretical pK(a), 17.7). These theoretical pK(a) values are abnormal, suggesting that both of these residues may participate in the Arg(205) interaction network. Activity and stability experiments using Asp(145)- and Arg(190)-mutated chitosanases (D145A and R190A) provide experimental data supporting the hypothesis derived from the theoretical pK(a) data and prompt the conclusion that Arg(205) forms a strong interaction network with Asp(145) and Arg(190) that stabilizes the catalytic cleft.

Simultaneous prediction of binding free energy and specificity for PDZ domain-peptide interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crivelli, Joseph J.; Lemmon, Gordon; Kaufmann, Kristian W.; Meiler, Jens

2013-12-01

Interactions between protein domains and linear peptides underlie many biological processes. Among these interactions, the recognition of C-terminal peptides by PDZ domains is one of the most ubiquitous. In this work, we present a mathematical model for PDZ domain-peptide interactions capable of predicting both affinity and specificity of binding based on X-ray crystal structures and comparative modeling with R osetta. We developed our mathematical model using a large phage display dataset describing binding specificity for a wild type PDZ domain and 91 single mutants, as well as binding affinity data for a wild type PDZ domain binding to 28 different peptides. Structural refinement was carried out through several R osetta protocols, the most accurate of which included flexible peptide docking and several iterations of side chain repacking and backbone minimization. Our findings emphasize the importance of backbone flexibility and the energetic contributions of side chain-side chain hydrogen bonds in accurately predicting interactions. We also determined that predicting PDZ domain-peptide interactions became increasingly challenging as the length of the peptide increased in the N-terminal direction. In the training dataset, predicted binding energies correlated with those derived through calorimetry and specificity switches introduced through single mutations at interface positions were recapitulated. In independent tests, our best performing protocol was capable of predicting dissociation constants well within one order of magnitude of the experimental values and specificity profiles at the level of accuracy of previous studies. To our knowledge, this approach represents the first integrated protocol for predicting both affinity and specificity for PDZ domain-peptide interactions.

Personality and problem-solving performance explain competitive ability in the wild

PubMed Central

Cole, Ella F.; Quinn, John L.

2012-01-01

Competitive ability is a major determinant of fitness, but why individuals vary so much in their competitiveness remains only partially understood. One increasingly prevalent view is that realized competitive ability varies because it represents alternative strategies that arise because of the costs associated with competitiveness. Here we use a population of great tits (Parus major) to explore whether individual differences in competitive ability when foraging can be explained by two traits that have previously been linked to alternative behavioural strategies: the personality trait ‘exploration behaviour’ and a simple cognitive trait, ‘innovative problem-solving performance’. We assayed these traits under standardized conditions in captivity and then measured competitive ability at feeders with restricted access in the wild. Competitive ability was repeatable within individual males across days and correlated positively with exploration behaviour, representing the first such demonstration of a link between a personality trait and both competitive ability and food intake in the wild. Competitive ability was also simultaneously negatively correlated with problem-solving performance; individuals who were poor competitors were good at problem-solving. Rather than being the result of variation in ‘individual quality’, our results support the hypothesis that individual variation in competitive ability can be explained by alternative behavioural strategies. PMID:21937498

The Safety of Hospital Beds

PubMed Central

Gervais, Pierre; Pooler, Charlotte; Merryweather, Andrew; Doig, Alexa K.; Bloswick, Donald

2015-01-01

To explore the safety of the standard and the low hospital bed, we report on a microanalysis of 15 patients’ ability to ingress, move about the bed, and egress. The 15 participants were purposefully selected with various disabilities. Bed conditions were randomized with side rails up or down and one low bed with side rails down. We explored the patients’ use of the side rails, bed height, ability to lift their legs onto the mattress, and ability to turn, egress, and walk back to the chair. The standard bed was too high for some participants, both for ingress and egress. Side rails were used by most participants when entering, turning in bed, and exiting. We recommend that side rails be reconsidered as a means to facilitate in-bed movement, ingress, and egress. Furthermore, single deck height settings for all patients are not optimal. Low beds as a safety measure must be re-evaluated. PMID:28462302

Exploring the Wild World of Wiggly Worms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dominguez, Lynn; McDonald, James; Kalajian, Katie; Stafford, Kristine

2013-01-01

Young children are naturally curious and constantly exploring the world around them. Combining this curiosity with the outdoors and nature for science skill development has many advantages for young learners. As children develop an enhanced understanding of the natural world, they are also developing explanations of how things work. Allowing…

The Scientific Value and Technical Challenge of Chang'E-4 Landing on the Far-side of the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fei; Zhang, He; Wu, Xueying; Ma, Jinan; Zhou, Wenyan

2016-07-01

The mission of Chang'E-4 probe is landing on the far-side of the moon for the first time in human history. Compared with the near-side, far-side landing has unique scientific value and more challenging technology implementation. The scientific significance of the exploration of far-side of the moon and the technical difficulties and solution approach of the Chang'E-4 were discussed in this paper. In science, the far-side of the Moon is an ideal scientific platform in that it is shielded from terrestrial radio-frequency interference. The terrane that records the formation of the primordial crust is located largely on the far-side hemisphere, and there is the largest and oldest recognized impact basin in our Solar System, the South Pole-Aitken basin. In technology, the difficulties mainly includes the analysis of the influence of lunar topography of far-side on the landing descent strategy, the study of relay orbit and operating modes for the relay satellite in the Earth-Moon L2(Lagrange point 2), and the requirement analysis of autonomous management due to the relay communication. It will provide the reference for landing exploration of the far-side of the moon.

Mangifera sylvatica (Wild Mango): A new cocoa butter alternative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhter, Sayma; McDonald, Morag A.; Marriott, Ray

2016-08-01

Cocoa butter is the pure butter extracted from cocoa beans and is a major ingredient in the chocolate industry. Global production of cocoa is in decline due to crop failure, diseases and ageing plantations, leading to price fluctuations and the necessity for the industry to find high quality cocoa butter alternatives. This study explored the potential of a wild mango (Mangifera sylvatica), an underutilised fruit in south-east Asia, as a new Cocoa Butter Alternative (CBA). Analyses showed that wild mango butter has a light coloured fat with a similar fatty acid profile (palmitic, stearic and oleic acid) and triglyceride profile (POP, SOS and POS) to cocoa butter. Thermal and physical properties are also similar to cocoa butter. Additionally, wild mango butter comprises 65% SOS (1, 3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol) which indicates potential to become a Cocoa Butter Improver (an enhancement of CBA). It is concluded that these attractive properties of wild mango could be prompted by a coalition of policy makers, foresters, food industries and horticulturists to promote more widespread cultivation of this wild fruit species to realise the market opportunity.

Mangifera sylvatica (Wild Mango): A new cocoa butter alternative

PubMed Central

Akhter, Sayma; McDonald, Morag A.; Marriott, Ray

2016-01-01

Cocoa butter is the pure butter extracted from cocoa beans and is a major ingredient in the chocolate industry. Global production of cocoa is in decline due to crop failure, diseases and ageing plantations, leading to price fluctuations and the necessity for the industry to find high quality cocoa butter alternatives. This study explored the potential of a wild mango (Mangifera sylvatica), an underutilised fruit in south-east Asia, as a new Cocoa Butter Alternative (CBA). Analyses showed that wild mango butter has a light coloured fat with a similar fatty acid profile (palmitic, stearic and oleic acid) and triglyceride profile (POP, SOS and POS) to cocoa butter. Thermal and physical properties are also similar to cocoa butter. Additionally, wild mango butter comprises 65% SOS (1, 3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol) which indicates potential to become a Cocoa Butter Improver (an enhancement of CBA). It is concluded that these attractive properties of wild mango could be prompted by a coalition of policy makers, foresters, food industries and horticulturists to promote more widespread cultivation of this wild fruit species to realise the market opportunity. PMID:27555345

Comparison of investigation methods of heat injury in grapevine (Vitis) and assessment to heat tolerance in different cultivars and species.

PubMed

Xu, Hongguo; Liu, Guojie; Liu, Guotian; Yan, Bofang; Duan, Wei; Wang, Lijun; Li, Shaohua

2014-06-05

In the context of global climate change, heat stress is becoming an increasingly important constraint on grapevine growth and berry quality. There is a need to breed new grape cultivars with heat tolerance and to design effective physiological defenses against heat stress. The investigation of heat injury to plants or tissues under high temperature is an important step in achieving these goals. At present, evaluation methods for heat injury include the gas exchange parameters of photosynthesis, membrane thermostability, chlorophyll content etc.; however, these methods have obvious disadvantages, such as insensitivity, inconvenience and delayed information. An effective and convenient method for investigating the heat injury of grapevine must be developed. In this study, an investigation protocol for a critical temperature (47°C) and heat treatment time (40 min) was developed in detached grape leaves. Based on the results, we found that the OJIP test was superior to measuring electrolyte leakage or photosynthetic O₂ evolution for investigating the heat injury of three cultivars of grapevine. Heat tolerance of 47 grape species and cultivars was evaluated through investigating heat injury using the OJIP test. Moreover, the electron transport chain (donor side, acceptor side and reaction center) of PSII in photosynthesis was further investigated. The OJIP test was a rapid, sensitive and convenient method for investigating heat injury in grapevine. An analysis of PSII function using this method indicated that the acceptor side was less sensitive to heat than was the donor side or the reaction center in grape leaves. Among the 47 taxa evaluated (cultivars, hybrids, and wild species), heat tolerance varied largely in each genotype group: most wild species and hybrids between V. labrusca and V. vinifera had relatively strong heat tolerance, but most cultivars from V. vinifera had relatively weak heat tolerance.

Comparison of investigation methods of heat injury in grapevine (Vitis) and assessment to heat tolerance in different cultivars and species

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In the context of global climate change, heat stress is becoming an increasingly important constraint on grapevine growth and berry quality. There is a need to breed new grape cultivars with heat tolerance and to design effective physiological defenses against heat stress. The investigation of heat injury to plants or tissues under high temperature is an important step in achieving these goals. At present, evaluation methods for heat injury include the gas exchange parameters of photosynthesis, membrane thermostability, chlorophyll content etc.; however, these methods have obvious disadvantages, such as insensitivity, inconvenience and delayed information. An effective and convenient method for investigating the heat injury of grapevine must be developed. Results In this study, an investigation protocol for a critical temperature (47°C) and heat treatment time (40 min) was developed in detached grape leaves. Based on the results, we found that the OJIP test was superior to measuring electrolyte leakage or photosynthetic O2 evolution for investigating the heat injury of three cultivars of grapevine. Heat tolerance of 47 grape species and cultivars was evaluated through investigating heat injury using the OJIP test. Moreover, the electron transport chain (donor side, acceptor side and reaction center) of PSII in photosynthesis was further investigated. Conclusions The OJIP test was a rapid, sensitive and convenient method for investigating heat injury in grapevine. An analysis of PSII function using this method indicated that the acceptor side was less sensitive to heat than was the donor side or the reaction center in grape leaves. Among the 47 taxa evaluated (cultivars, hybrids, and wild species), heat tolerance varied largely in each genotype group: most wild species and hybrids between V. labrusca and V. vinifera had relatively strong heat tolerance, but most cultivars from V. vinifera had relatively weak heat tolerance. PMID:24898786

Optimization of rotamers prior to template minimization improves stability predictions made by computational protein design.

PubMed

Davey, James A; Chica, Roberto A

2015-04-01

Computational protein design (CPD) predictions are highly dependent on the structure of the input template used. However, it is unclear how small differences in template geometry translate to large differences in stability prediction accuracy. Herein, we explored how structural changes to the input template affect the outcome of stability predictions by CPD. To do this, we prepared alternate templates by Rotamer Optimization followed by energy Minimization (ROM) and used them to recapitulate the stability of 84 protein G domain β1 mutant sequences. In the ROM process, side-chain rotamers for wild-type (WT) or mutant sequences are optimized on crystal or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structures prior to template minimization, resulting in alternate structures termed ROM templates. We show that use of ROM templates prepared from sequences known to be stable results predominantly in improved prediction accuracy compared to using the minimized crystal or NMR structures. Conversely, ROM templates prepared from sequences that are less stable than the WT reduce prediction accuracy by increasing the number of false positives. These observed changes in prediction outcomes are attributed to differences in side-chain contacts made by rotamers in ROM templates. Finally, we show that ROM templates prepared from sequences that are unfolded or that adopt a nonnative fold result in the selective enrichment of sequences that are also unfolded or that adopt a nonnative fold, respectively. Our results demonstrate the existence of a rotamer bias caused by the input template that can be harnessed to skew predictions toward sequences displaying desired characteristics. © 2014 The Protein Society.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barta, Michael L.; Skaff, D. Andrew; McWhorter, William J.

The polyisoprenoid compound undecaprenyl phosphate is required for biosynthesis of cell wall peptidoglycans in Gram-positive bacteria, including pathogenic Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus spp. In these organisms, the mevalonate pathway is used to produce the precursor isoprenoid, isopentenyl 5-diphosphate. Mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD) catalyzes formation of isopentenyl 5-diphosphate in an ATP-dependent irreversible reaction and is therefore an attractive target for inhibitor development that could lead to new antimicrobial agents. To facilitate exploration of this possibility, we report the crystal structure of Staphylococcus epidermidis MDD (1.85 {angstrom} resolution) and, to the best of our knowledge, the first structures of liganded MDD. Thesemore » structures include MDD bound to the mevalonate 5-diphosphate analogs diphosphoglycolyl proline (2.05 {angstrom} resolution) and 6-fluoromevalonate diphosphate (FMVAPP; 2.2 {angstrom} resolution). Comparison of these structures provides a physical basis for the significant differences in K{sub i} values observed for these inhibitors. Inspection of enzyme/inhibitor structures identified the side chain of invariant Ser{sup 192} as making potential contributions to catalysis. Significantly, Ser {yields} Ala substitution of this side chain decreases k{sub cat} by {approx}10{sup 3}-fold, even though binding interactions between FMVAPP and this mutant are similar to those observed with wild type MDD, as judged by the 2.1 {angstrom} cocrystal structure of S192A with FMVAPP. Comparison of microbial MDD structures with those of mammalian counterparts reveals potential targets at the active site periphery that may be exploited to selectively target the microbial enzymes. These studies provide a structural basis for previous observations regarding the MDD mechanism and inform future work toward rational inhibitor design.« less

Comparison of Diagnostic Techniques for Helicobacter cetorum Infection in Wild Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

PubMed Central

Harper, Claudia G.; Whary, Mark T.; Feng, Yan; Rhinehart, Howard L.; Wells, Randall S.; Xu, Shilu; Taylor, Nancy S.; Fox, James G.

2003-01-01

Helicobacter cetorum sp. nov. has been cultured from the stomach of Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) and the feces of Pacific white-sided (L. obliquidens) and Atlantic bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins and a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). H. cetorum has high homology to Helicobacter pylori as shown by 16S rRNA sequencing, and H. cetorum infection has been associated with gastritis and clinical signs in cetaceans. Because the prevalence of H. cetorum in wild populations is unknown, minimally invasive techniques for detecting H. cetorum were compared for 20 wild bottlenose dolphins sampled as part of a long-term health study. Fecal samples were tested for helicobacter by culture, Southern blotting, and PCR using genus-specific and H. cetorum-specific primers. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measure H. cetorum immunoglobulin G (IgG). H. cetorum was cultured from 4 of 20 fecal samples, 7 samples were positive using Helicobacter sp. PCR, and 8 samples were positive for H. cetorum using species-specific primers. Two additional fecal samples were positive by Helicobacter sp. Southern blotting, suggesting infection with another helicobacter. All 20 sera contained high levels of IgG antibodies to H. cetorum that were significantly lowered by preabsorption of the sera with whole-cell suspensions of H. cetorum (P < 0.02). Until the specificity of the serum ELISA can be determined by testing sera from dolphins confirmed to be uninfected, PCR and Southern blot screenings of feces are the most sensitive techniques for detection of H. cetorum, and results indicate there is at least a 50% prevalence of H. cetorum infection in these dolphins. PMID:12843010

Drosophila increase exploration after visually detecting predators.

PubMed

de la Flor, Miguel; Chen, Lijian; Manson-Bishop, Claire; Chu, Tzu-Chun; Zamora, Kathya; Robbins, Danielle; Gunaratne, Gemunu; Roman, Gregg

2017-01-01

Novel stimuli elicit behaviors that are collectively known as specific exploration. These behaviors allow the animal to become more familiar with the novel objects within its environment. Specific exploration is frequently suppressed by defensive reactions to predator cues. Herein, we examine if this suppression occurs in Drosophila melanogaster by measuring the response of these flies to wild harvested predators. The flies used in our experiments have been cultured and had not lived under predator threat for multiple decades. In a circular arena with centrally-caged predators, wild type Drosophila actively avoided the pantropical jumping spider, Plexippus paykulli, and the Texas unicorn mantis, Phyllovates chlorophaena, indicating an innate defensive reaction to these predators. Interestingly, wild type Drosophila males also avoided a centrally-caged mock spider, and the avoidance of the mock spider became exaggerated when it was made to move within the cage. Visually impaired Drosophila failed to detect and avoid the Plexippus paykulli and the moving mock spider, while the broadly anosmic orco2 mutants were fully capable of detecting and avoiding Plexippus paykulli, indicating that these flies principally relied upon vison to perceive the predator stimuli. During early exploration of the arena, exploratory activity increased in the presence of Plexippus paykulli and the moving mock spider. The elevated activity induced by Plexippus paykulli disappeared after the fly had finished exploring, suggesting the flies were capable of habituating the predator cues. Taken together, these results indicate that despite being isolated from predators for decades Drosophila will visually detect these predators, retain innate defensive behaviors, respond by increasing exploratory activity in the arena rather than suppressing activity, and may habituate to normal predator cues.

Drosophila increase exploration after visually detecting predators

PubMed Central

Manson-Bishop, Claire; Chu, Tzu-Chun; Zamora, Kathya; Robbins, Danielle; Gunaratne, Gemunu

2017-01-01

Novel stimuli elicit behaviors that are collectively known as specific exploration. These behaviors allow the animal to become more familiar with the novel objects within its environment. Specific exploration is frequently suppressed by defensive reactions to predator cues. Herein, we examine if this suppression occurs in Drosophila melanogaster by measuring the response of these flies to wild harvested predators. The flies used in our experiments have been cultured and had not lived under predator threat for multiple decades. In a circular arena with centrally-caged predators, wild type Drosophila actively avoided the pantropical jumping spider, Plexippus paykulli, and the Texas unicorn mantis, Phyllovates chlorophaena, indicating an innate defensive reaction to these predators. Interestingly, wild type Drosophila males also avoided a centrally-caged mock spider, and the avoidance of the mock spider became exaggerated when it was made to move within the cage. Visually impaired Drosophila failed to detect and avoid the Plexippus paykulli and the moving mock spider, while the broadly anosmic orco2 mutants were fully capable of detecting and avoiding Plexippus paykulli, indicating that these flies principally relied upon vison to perceive the predator stimuli. During early exploration of the arena, exploratory activity increased in the presence of Plexippus paykulli and the moving mock spider. The elevated activity induced by Plexippus paykulli disappeared after the fly had finished exploring, suggesting the flies were capable of habituating the predator cues. Taken together, these results indicate that despite being isolated from predators for decades Drosophila will visually detect these predators, retain innate defensive behaviors, respond by increasing exploratory activity in the arena rather than suppressing activity, and may habituate to normal predator cues. PMID:28746346

Exploring the associations between drug side-effects and therapeutic indications.

PubMed

Wang, Fei; Zhang, Ping; Cao, Nan; Hu, Jianying; Sorrentino, Robert

2014-10-01

Drug therapeutic indications and side-effects are both measurable patient phenotype changes in response to the treatment. Inferring potential drug therapeutic indications and identifying clinically interesting drug side-effects are both important and challenging tasks. Previous studies have utilized either chemical structures or protein targets to predict indications and side-effects. In this study, we compared drug therapeutic indication prediction using various information including chemical structures, protein targets and side-effects. We also compared drug side-effect prediction with various information sources including chemical structures, protein targets and therapeutic indication. Prediction performance based on 10-fold cross-validation demonstrates that drug side-effects and therapeutic indications are the most predictive information source for each other. In addition, we extracted 6706 statistically significant indication-side-effect associations from all known drug-disease and drug-side-effect relationships. We further developed a novel user interface that allows the user to interactively explore these associations in the form of a dynamic bipartitie graph. Many relationship pairs provide explicit repositioning hypotheses (e.g., drugs causing postural hypotension are potential candidates for hypertension) and clear adverse-reaction watch lists (e.g., drugs for heart failure possibly cause impotence). All data sets and highly correlated disease-side-effect relationships are available at http://astro.temple.edu/∼tua87106/druganalysis.html. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hfq variant with altered RNA binding functions

PubMed Central

Ziolkowska, Katarzyna; Derreumaux, Philippe; Folichon, Marc; Pellegrini, Olivier; Régnier, Philippe; Boni, Irina V.; Hajnsdorf, Eliane

2006-01-01

The interaction between Hfq and RNA is central to multiple regulatory processes. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we have found a missense mutation in Hfq (V43R) which strongly affects2 the RNA binding capacity of the Hfq protein and its ability to stimulate poly(A) tail elongation by poly(A)-polymerase in vitro. In vivo, overexpression of this Hfq variant fails to stimulate rpoS–lacZ expression and does not restore a normal growth rate in hfq null mutant. Cells in which the wild-type gene has been replaced by the hfqV43R allele exhibit a phenotype intermediate between those of the wild-type and of the hfq minus or null strains. This missense mutation derepresses Hfq synthesis. However, not all Hfq functions are affected by this mutation. For example, HfqV43R represses OppA synthesis as strongly as the wild-type protein. The dominant negative effect of the V43R mutation over the wild-type allele suggests that hexamers containing variant and genuine subunits are presumably not functional. Finally, molecular dynamics studies indicate that the V43R substitution mainly changes the position of the K56 and Y55 side chains involved in the Hfq–RNA interaction but has probably no effect on the folding and the oligomerization of the protein. PMID:16449205

Prognostic and predictive value of primary tumour side in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy and EGFR directed antibodies in six randomized trials.

PubMed

Arnold, D; Lueza, B; Douillard, J-Y; Peeters, M; Lenz, H-J; Venook, A; Heinemann, V; Van Cutsem, E; Pignon, J-P; Tabernero, J; Cervantes, A; Ciardiello, F

2017-08-01

There is increasing evidence that metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is a genetically heterogeneous disease and that tumours arising from different sides of the colon (left versus right) have different clinical outcomes. Furthermore, previous analyses comparing the activity of different classes of targeted agents in patients with KRAS wild-type (wt) or RAS wt mCRC suggest that primary tumour location (side), might be both prognostic and predictive for clinical outcome. This retrospective analysis investigated the prognostic and predictive influence of the localization of the primary tumour in patients with unresectable RAS wt mCRC included in six randomized trials (CRYSTAL, FIRE-3, CALGB 80405, PRIME, PEAK and 20050181), comparing chemotherapy plus EGFR antibody therapy (experimental arm) with chemotherapy or chemotherapy and bevacizumab (control arms). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with left-sided versus right-sided tumours, and odds ratios (ORs) for objective response rate (ORR) were estimated by pooling individual study HRs/ORs. The predictive value was evaluated by pooling study interaction between treatment effect and tumour side. Primary tumour location and RAS mutation status were available for 2159 of the 5760 patients (37.5%) randomized across the 6 trials, 515 right-sided and 1644 left-sided. A significantly worse prognosis was observed for patients with right-sided tumours compared with those with left-sided tumours in both the pooled control and experimental arms for OS [HRs = 2.03 (95% CI: 1.69-2.42) and 1.38 (1.17-1.63), respectively], PFS [HRs = 1.59 (1.34-1.88) and 1.25 (1.06-1.47)], and ORR [ORs = 0.38 (0.28-0.50) and 0.56 (0.43-0.73)]. In terms of a predictive effect, a significant benefit for chemotherapy plus EGFR antibody therapy was observed in patients with left-sided tumours [HRs = 0.75 (0.67-0.84) and 0.78 (0.70-0.87) for OS and PFS, respectively] compared with no significant benefit for those with right-sided tumours [HRs = 1.12 (0.87-1.45) and 1.12 (0.87-1.44) for OS and PFS, respectively; P value for interaction <0.001 and 0.002, respectively]. For ORR, there was a trend (P value for interaction = 0.07) towards a greater benefit for chemotherapy plus EGFR antibody therapy in the patients with left-sided tumours [OR = 2.12 (1.77-2.55)] compared with those with right-sided tumours [OR = 1.47 (0.94-2.29)]. Exclusion of the unique phase II trial or the unique second-line trial had no impact on the results. The predictive effect on PFS may depend of the type of EGFR antibody therapy and on the presence or absence of bevacizumab in the control arm. This pooled analysis showed a worse prognosis for OS, PFS and ORR for patients with right-sided tumours compared with those with left-sided tumours in patients with RAS wt mCRC and a predictive effect of tumour side, with a greater effect of chemotherapy plus EGFR antibody therapy compared with chemotherapy or chemotherapy and bevacizumab, the effect being greatest in patients with left-sided tumours. These predictive results should be interpreted with caution due to the retrospective nature of the analysis, which was carried out on subpopulations of patients included in these trials, and because none of these studies contemplated a full treatment sequence strategy. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Country-of-origin labeling prior to and at the point of purchase: an exploration of the information environment in Baltimore City grocery stores.

PubMed

Lagasse, Lisa P; Love, David C; Smith, Katherine Clegg

2014-01-01

The country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law requires United States grocers to indicate the origin and procurement method (farm-raised or wild-caught) for seafood. This study explored the presentation of COOL on fresh, frozen, packaged, and unpackaged seafood in Baltimore City grocery stores. Eight stores were visited bi-monthly to photograph seafood labels, and circulars were collected weekly from fourteen stores over three months. Ninety-six percent of products were labeled correctly. Forty-eight percent of advertisements included COOL. While in-store labels did not highlight COOL, advertising featured references to domestic and wild-caught seafood, signaling to customers that these are high-value product qualities.

Does the primary site of colorectal cancer impact outcomes for patients with metastatic disease?

PubMed

Price, Timothy J; Beeke, Carol; Ullah, Shahid; Padbury, Robert; Maddern, Guy; Roder, David; Townsend, Amanda R; Moore, James; Roy, Amitesh; Tomita, Yoko; Karapetis, Christos

2015-03-15

Previous reports have described differences in biology and outcome for colorectal cancer based on whether the primary is right or left sided. Further division by right, left, and rectum or even exact primary site has also been explored. Possible differences in response to biological agents have also been reported based on side of primary lesion. We explored the South Australian registry for metastatic colorectal cancer to assess if there were any differences in patient characteristics, prognostic markers, and treatment received and outcomes based on whether the primary was right or left sided. We also explored if differences exist based on left colon and rectum and by exact primary site. Two thousand nine hundred seventy-two patients were analyzed. Thirty-five percent had a right-sided primary. The median overall survival for the entire group right versus left was 9.6 versus 20.3 months (P < .001). Multivariate analysis confirmed side of primary as an independent prognostic factor. For the group that had active therapy, defined as chemotherapy (± metastasis resection), median overall survival was right, 18.2 months; and left, 29.4 months (P < .001). Importantly, we found no suggestion of major differences if left side was divided by left colon and rectum, and trends by individual site still supported a left and right division. Patients with a right-sided primary have more negative prognostic factors and indeed have inferior outcomes compared with those with a left-sided primary. Our data with further breakdown by exact site still favor a simple left-versus-right division moving forward for metastatic colorectal cancer. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

The practical side of immunocontraception: zona proteins and wildlife.

PubMed

Kirkpatrick, J F; Rowan, A; Lamberski, N; Wallace, R; Frank, K; Lyda, R

2009-12-01

With shrinking habitat, the humane control of certain wildlife populations is relevant. The contraceptive vaccine based on native porcine zona pellucida (PZP) has been applied to various wildlife populations for 20 years. Prominent efforts include wild horses, urban deer, zoo animals and African elephants, among others. This approach has been successful in managing entire populations and to date, no significant debilitating short- or long-term health effects have been documented.

A Walk on the Wild Side: Adventures with Project Learning Tree. A Gifted Science Unit for Grades 1-5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hestad, Marsha; Avellone, Kathy

This 9-week curriculum unit on trees is designed for gifted students in grades 1-5. The lessons are designed for 40-minute classes meeting two or three times a week and stress the development of creative thinking skills, creative problem solving and decision making skills, and critical and logical thinking skills. Each of the 12 lesson plans…

Cashew Nut Positioning during Stone Tool Use by Wild Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus).

PubMed

Falótico, Tiago; Luncz, Lydia V; Svensson, Magdalena S; Haslam, Michael

2016-01-01

Wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) at Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil, regularly use stone tools to break open cashew nuts (Anacardium spp.). Here we examine 2 approaches used by the capuchins to position the kidney-shaped cashew nuts on an anvil before striking with a stone tool. Lateral positioning involves placing the nut on its flatter, more stable side, therefore requiring less attention from the monkey during placement. However, the less stable and never previously described arched position, in which the nut is balanced with its curved side uppermost, requires less force to crack the outer shell. We observed cashew nut cracking in a field experimental setting. Only 6 of 20 adults, of both sexes, were observed to deliberately place cashew nuts in an arched position, which may indicate that the technique requires time and experience to learn. We also found that use of the arched position with dry nuts, but not fresh, required, in 63% of the time, an initial processing to remove one of the cashew nut lobes, creating a more stable base for the arch. This relatively rare behaviour appears to have a complex ontogeny, but further studies are required to establish the extent to which social learning is involved. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cranial and dental abnormalities of the endangered red wolf Canis rufus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Federoff, Nicholas E.; Nowak, Ronald M.

1998-01-01

Three skulls of captive-raised female endangered red wolves (Canis rufus) exhibited severe malocclusion of the jaws. Cranial and dental abnormalities (including crowding of upper toothrows, and an extra tooth behind the lower left M3 in one of the three mandibles) were also evident. Ratios of alveolar length of maxillary toothrow to maximum width across the outer sides of crowns of P4 were significantly different (p=0.008) compared to unaffected skulls. Significant differences were also evident when ratios of maximum width across inner edges of alveoli of P1 to alveolar length of maxillary toothrow and maximum width across outer sides of crowns of P4 were compared between the two groups. Although the three skulls all exhibited malocclusion, the abnormality expressed itself differently in relation to the effects to each skull. Captive inbreeding may increase the probability and frequency of expressing these anomalies, although inbreeding coefficients calculated for the wolves expressing malocclusion were not considered high (0.0313-0.0508). A wild female red wolf specimen captured in 1921 in Arkansas also exhibited the malocclusion, although not as severely as in the captive females. This demonstrates that this trait was present in wild populations prior to, and not a result of, the captive breeding program.

Development and characterization of transgenic dominant male sterile rice toward an outcross-based breeding system.

PubMed

Abe, Kiyomi; Oshima, Masao; Akasaka, Maiko; Konagaya, Ken-Ichi; Nanasato, Yoshihiko; Okuzaki, Ayako; Taniguchi, Yojiro; Tanaka, Junichi; Tabei, Yutaka

2018-03-01

Genomic selection is attracting attention in the field of crop breeding. To apply genomic selection effectively for autogamous (self-pollinating) crops, an efficient outcross system is desired. Since dominant male sterility is a powerful tool for easy and successive outcross of autogamous crops, we developed transgenic dominant male sterile rice ( Oryza sativa L.) using the barnase gene that is expressed by the tapetum-specific promoter BoA9 . Barnase -induced male sterile rice No. 10 (BMS10) was selected for its stable male sterility and normal growth characteristics. The BMS10 flowering habits, including heading date, flowering date, and daily flowering time of BMS10 tended to be delayed compared to wild type. When BMS10 and wild type were placed side-by-side and crossed under an open-pollinating condition, the seed-setting rate was <1.5%. When the clipping method was used to avoid the influence of late flowering habits, the seed-setting rate of BMS10 increased to a maximum of 86.4%. Although flowering synchronicity should be improved to increase the seed-setting rate, our results showed that this system can produce stable transgenic male sterility with normal female fertility in rice. The transgenic male sterile rice would promote a genomic selection-based breeding system in rice.

Structural signatures of DRD4 mutants revealed using molecular dynamics simulations: Implications for drug targeting.

PubMed

Jatana, Nidhi; Thukral, Lipi; Latha, N

2016-01-01

Human Dopamine Receptor D4 (DRD4) orchestrates several neurological functions and represents a target for many psychological disorders. Here, we examined two rare variants in DRD4; V194G and R237L, which elicit functional alterations leading to disruption of ligand binding and G protein coupling, respectively. Using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we provide in-depth analysis to reveal structural signatures of wild and mutant complexes with their bound agonist and antagonist ligands. We constructed intra-protein network graphs to discriminate the global conformational changes induced by mutations. The simulations also allowed us to elucidate the local side-chain dynamical variations in ligand-bound mutant receptors. The data suggest that the mutation in transmembrane V (V194G) drastically disrupts the organization of ligand binding site and causes disorder in the native helical arrangement. Interestingly, the R237L mutation leads to significant rewiring of side-chain contacts in the intracellular loop 3 (site of mutation) and also affects the distant transmembrane topology. Additionally, these mutations lead to compact ICL3 region compared to the wild type, indicating that the receptor would be inaccessible for G protein coupling. Our findings thus reveal unreported structural determinants of the mutated DRD4 receptor and provide a robust framework for design of effective novel drugs.

An Education for Life Abundant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roels, Shirley J.

2014-01-01

In the late 1990s, the wild hope of the Lilly Endowment was that a set of American higher education institutions would respond to the call for an exploration of vocation, giving a portion of their precious institutional lives to explore this question with undergraduates. Through projects on multiple campuses, the intent was to learn whether and…

Using Archaeology To Explore Cultures of North America through Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Mary S.

1998-01-01

Discusses the reasons for introducing archaeology into the elementary classroom focusing on the cultures of North America. Offers wild maize, or corn, as one area of investigation into North American cultures providing books and Internet sites. Lists resources for archaeology education and lesson plans for exploring North American cultures though…

Behavioral correlates between daily activity and sociality in wild and captive origin African lions.

PubMed

Dunston, Emma J; Abell, Jackie; Freire, Rafael

2016-01-01

Study of behavioral correlations within and across populations has long been of interest to ethologists. An exploration of behavioral correlations between sociality and behavior of African lions ( Panthera leo ) was undertaken to examine if this approach is better able to reveal important aspects of lion behavior not easily discernible by looking at these behaviors separately. Resting behavior and received play interactions were correlated in 2 captive-origin prides and one wild pride, attributable to the involvement of cubs and sub-adults. Direct and exploratory movement was negatively correlated with groom centrality in 2 of the 3 prides, due to adults engaging in high levels of both of these activities. Exploration of these behavioral correlations highlighted the differences between age-groups in activity and sociality, facilitating the understanding of the complex behavior and interactions of lions. In addition, the finding of similar behavioral correlations between captive-origin and the wild prides provides confidence in the suitability if captive-origin candidates for ex-situ release. This is imperative to ensure the success of sub-groups and prides under an ex-situ reintroduction program.

Genome wide re-sequencing of newly developed Rice Lines from common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) for the identification of NBS-LRR genes.

PubMed

Liu, Wen; Ghouri, Fozia; Yu, Hang; Li, Xiang; Yu, Shuhong; Shahid, Muhammad Qasim; Liu, Xiangdong

2017-01-01

Common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) is an important germplasm for rice breeding, which contains many resistance genes. Re-sequencing provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore the abundant useful genes at whole genome level. Here, we identified the nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) encoding genes by re-sequencing of two wild rice lines (i.e. Huaye 1 and Huaye 2) that were developed from common wild rice. We obtained 128 to 147 million reads with approximately 32.5-fold coverage depth, and uniquely covered more than 89.6% (> = 1 fold) of reference genomes. Two wild rice lines showed high SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) variation rate in 12 chromosomes against the reference genomes of Nipponbare (japonica cultivar) and 93-11 (indica cultivar). InDels (insertion/deletion polymorphisms) count-length distribution exhibited normal distribution in the two lines, and most of the InDels were ranged from -5 to 5 bp. With reference to the Nipponbare genome sequence, we detected a total of 1,209,308 SNPs, 161,117 InDels and 4,192 SVs (structural variations) in Huaye 1, and 1,387,959 SNPs, 180,226 InDels and 5,305 SVs in Huaye 2. A total of 44.9% and 46.9% genes exhibited sequence variations in two wild rice lines compared to the Nipponbare and 93-11 reference genomes, respectively. Analysis of NBS-LRR mutant candidate genes showed that they were mainly distributed on chromosome 11, and NBS domain was more conserved than LRR domain in both wild rice lines. NBS genes depicted higher levels of genetic diversity in Huaye 1 than that found in Huaye 2. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction analysis showed that NBS genes mostly interacted with the cytochrome C protein (Os05g0420600, Os01g0885000 and BGIOSGA038922), while some NBS genes interacted with heat shock protein, DNA-binding activity, Phosphoinositide 3-kinase and a coiled coil region. We explored abundant NBS-LRR encoding genes in two common wild rice lines through genome wide re-sequencing, which proved to be a useful tool to exploit elite NBS-LRR genes in wild rice. The data here provide a foundation for future work aimed at dissecting the genetic basis of disease resistance in rice, and the two wild rice lines will be useful germplasm for the molecular improvement of cultivated rice.

Genome wide re-sequencing of newly developed Rice Lines from common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) for the identification of NBS-LRR genes

PubMed Central

Yu, Hang; Li, Xiang; Yu, Shuhong; Shahid, Muhammad Qasim

2017-01-01

Common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) is an important germplasm for rice breeding, which contains many resistance genes. Re-sequencing provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore the abundant useful genes at whole genome level. Here, we identified the nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) encoding genes by re-sequencing of two wild rice lines (i.e. Huaye 1 and Huaye 2) that were developed from common wild rice. We obtained 128 to 147 million reads with approximately 32.5-fold coverage depth, and uniquely covered more than 89.6% (> = 1 fold) of reference genomes. Two wild rice lines showed high SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) variation rate in 12 chromosomes against the reference genomes of Nipponbare (japonica cultivar) and 93–11 (indica cultivar). InDels (insertion/deletion polymorphisms) count-length distribution exhibited normal distribution in the two lines, and most of the InDels were ranged from -5 to 5 bp. With reference to the Nipponbare genome sequence, we detected a total of 1,209,308 SNPs, 161,117 InDels and 4,192 SVs (structural variations) in Huaye 1, and 1,387,959 SNPs, 180,226 InDels and 5,305 SVs in Huaye 2. A total of 44.9% and 46.9% genes exhibited sequence variations in two wild rice lines compared to the Nipponbare and 93–11 reference genomes, respectively. Analysis of NBS-LRR mutant candidate genes showed that they were mainly distributed on chromosome 11, and NBS domain was more conserved than LRR domain in both wild rice lines. NBS genes depicted higher levels of genetic diversity in Huaye 1 than that found in Huaye 2. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction analysis showed that NBS genes mostly interacted with the cytochrome C protein (Os05g0420600, Os01g0885000 and BGIOSGA038922), while some NBS genes interacted with heat shock protein, DNA-binding activity, Phosphoinositide 3-kinase and a coiled coil region. We explored abundant NBS-LRR encoding genes in two common wild rice lines through genome wide re-sequencing, which proved to be a useful tool to exploit elite NBS-LRR genes in wild rice. The data here provide a foundation for future work aimed at dissecting the genetic basis of disease resistance in rice, and the two wild rice lines will be useful germplasm for the molecular improvement of cultivated rice. PMID:28700714

Testing Eurasian wild boar piglets for serum antibodies against Mycobacterium bovis.

PubMed

Che' Amat, A; González-Barrio, D; Ortiz, J A; Díez-Delgado, I; Boadella, M; Barasona, J A; Bezos, J; Romero, B; Armenteros, J A; Lyashchenko, K P; Venteo, A; Rueda, P; Gortázar, C

2015-09-01

Animal tuberculosis (TB) caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis and closely related members of the M. tuberculosis complex (MTC), is often reported in the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). Tests detecting antibodies against MTC antigens are valuable tools for TB monitoring and control in suids. However, only limited knowledge exists on serology test performance in 2-6 month-old piglets. In this age-class, recent infections might cause lower antibody levels and lower test sensitivity. We examined 126 wild boar piglets from a TB-endemic site using 6 antibody detection tests in order to assess test performance. Bacterial culture (n=53) yielded a M. bovis infection prevalence of 33.9%, while serum antibody prevalence estimated by different tests ranged from 19% to 38%, reaching sensitivities between 15.4% and 46.2% for plate ELISAs and between 61.5% and 69.2% for rapid immunochromatographic tests based on dual path platform (DPP) technology. The Cohen kappa coefficient of agreement between DPP WTB (Wildlife TB) assay and culture results was moderate (0.45) and all other serological tests used had poor to fair agreements. This survey revealed the ability of several tests for detecting serum antibodies against the MTC antigens in 2-6 month-old naturally infected wild boar piglets. The best performance was demonstrated for DPP tests. The results confirmed our initial hypothesis of a lower sensitivity of serology for detecting M. bovis-infected piglets, as compared to older wild boar. Certain tests, notably the rapid animal-side tests, can contribute to TB control strategies by enabling the setup of test and cull schemes or improving pre-movement testing. However, sub-optimal test performance in piglets as compared to that in older wild boar should be taken into account. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NMR studies of structure, hydrogen exchange, and main-chain dynamics in a disrupted-core mutant of thioredoxin.

PubMed Central

De Lorimier, R.; Hellinga, H. W.; Spicer, L. D.

1996-01-01

Core-packing mutants of proteins often approach molten globule states, and hence may have attributes of folding intermediates. We have studied a core-packing mutant of thioredoxin, L78K, in which a leucine residue is substituted by lysine, using 15N heteronuclear two- and three-dimensional NMR. Chemical shift differences between the mutant and wild-type main-chain resonances reveal that structural changes caused by the mutation are localized within 12 A of the altered side chain. The majority of resonances are unchanged, as are many 1H-1H NOEs indicative of the main-chain fold, suggesting that the structure of L78K is largely similar to wild type. Hydrogen exchange studies reveal that residues comprising the central beta-sheet of both mutant and wild-type proteins constitute a local unfolding unit, but with the unfolding/folding equilibrium approximately 12 times larger in L78K. The dynamics of main-chain NH bonds in L78K were studied by 15N spin relaxation and compared with a previous study of wild type. Order parameters for angular motion of NH bonds in the mutant are on average lower than in wild type, suggesting greater spatial freedom on a rapid time scale, but may also be related to different rotational correlation times in the two proteins. There is also evidence of greater conformational exchange in the mutant. Differences between mutant and wild type in hydrogen exchange and main-chain dynamics are not confined to the vicinity of the mutation. We infer that mispacking of the protein core in one location affects local dynamics and stability throughout. PMID:8976564

Lateralization in trunk and forefoot movements in a population of free-ranging Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).

PubMed

Keerthipriya, P; Tewari, Rachna; Vidya, T N C

2015-11-01

We examined side preferences in trunk and forefoot movement during feeding in a wild population of Asian elephants. Trunk sweeping movements to pluck/uproot/gather vegetation and forefoot scuffing movements to uproot vegetation were scored in 206 individuals. We found a much stronger side preference in trunk use than in forefoot use, supporting a modified task complexity hypothesis. The forefoot and trunk appeared to be coordinated while feeding and, among individuals that had significant forefoot preferences, the proportion of right forefoot use was higher among right trunkers than left trunkers. Trunk and forefoot preferences were not dependent on individuals' social associates, and trunk preferences were also not dependent on feeding associates. There was a significant effect of individual identity on forefoot preference strength but no population-level side preference in trunk or forefoot movement, suggesting no dominant eye control over the task, which might be true of feeding-related foot movement in other herbivores also. There was no effect of age or sex on trunk or forefoot side preference or strength. The onset of trunk side preference, however, was very early compared with that observed in other species studied and calls for a comparison of the ontogeny of side preferences in precocial and altricial species. Based on 57 mother-offspring pairs, we found that offspring trunk side preferences were independent of their mothers' preferences, suggesting that these preferences are not maternally inherited. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Wild food plants traditionally consumed in the area of Bologna (Emilia Romagna region, Italy).

PubMed

Sansanelli, Sabrina; Tassoni, Annalisa

2014-09-25

This research was performed in an area belonging to the province of the city of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy). The purpose of the present survey was to record the local knowledge concerning traditional uses of wild food plants and related practices, such as gathering, processing, cooking, therapeutic uses, with the aim of preserving an important part of the local cultural heritage. Thirty-nine people still retaining Traditional Local Knowledge (TLK) were interviewed between March-April 2012 and September-October 2013 by means of open and semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews. For each plant species mentioned, we recorded the botanical family, the English common name, the Italian common and/or folk names, the parts of the plant used, the culinary preparation, and the medicinal usage. The relative frequency of citation index (RFC), a tool that measures the local cultural importance of a plant species, was also included. The folk plants mentioned by the respondents belonged to 33 botanical families, of which the Rosaceae (14 plants) and the Asteraceae (9 plants) were the most representative. The species with the highest RFC index (0.77) were Crepis vesicaria subsp. taraxacifolia (Thuill) Thell and Taraxacum officinale Weber. Eleven folk plants were indicated as having therapeutic effects. T. officinale Weber, C. vesicaria subsp. taraxacifolia (Thuill) Thell and Sonchus spp., which are used as food, were reported to be depurative, blood cleaning, refreshing, diuretic and laxative. The most commonly used species was Urtica spp, which was also the most frequently cited for medicinal uses. The present survey documented the wild food plant traditional knowledge of an area belonging to the province of the city of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy). The general perception obtained is that on one side the TLK related to wild food plants has strongly been eroded, mainly due to immigration and urbanization phenomena, whereas on the other side these plants are revaluated today because they are perceived as healthy and also because they represent the preservation of biodiversity and a way of getting back to nature.

The eco-evolutionary impacts of domestication and agricultural practices on wild species.

PubMed

Turcotte, Martin M; Araki, Hitoshi; Karp, Daniel S; Poveda, Katja; Whitehead, Susan R

2017-01-19

Agriculture is a dominant evolutionary force that drives the evolution of both domesticated and wild species. However, the various mechanisms of agriculture-induced evolution and their socio-ecological consequences are not often synthetically discussed. Here, we explore how agricultural practices and evolutionary changes in domesticated species cause evolution in wild species. We do so by examining three processes by which agriculture drives evolution. First, differences in the traits of domesticated species, compared with their wild ancestors, alter the selective environment and create opportunities for wild species to specialize. Second, selection caused by agricultural practices, including both those meant to maximize productivity and those meant to control pest species, can lead to pest adaptation. Third, agriculture can cause non-selective changes in patterns of gene flow in wild species. We review evidence for these processes and then discuss their ecological and sociological impacts. We finish by identifying important knowledge gaps and future directions related to the eco-evolutionary impacts of agriculture including their extent, how to prevent the detrimental evolution of wild species, and finally, how to use evolution to minimize the ecological impacts of agriculture.This article is part of the themed issue 'Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences'. © 2016 The Author(s).

The eco-evolutionary impacts of domestication and agricultural practices on wild species

PubMed Central

Araki, Hitoshi; Karp, Daniel S.; Poveda, Katja

2017-01-01

Agriculture is a dominant evolutionary force that drives the evolution of both domesticated and wild species. However, the various mechanisms of agriculture-induced evolution and their socio-ecological consequences are not often synthetically discussed. Here, we explore how agricultural practices and evolutionary changes in domesticated species cause evolution in wild species. We do so by examining three processes by which agriculture drives evolution. First, differences in the traits of domesticated species, compared with their wild ancestors, alter the selective environment and create opportunities for wild species to specialize. Second, selection caused by agricultural practices, including both those meant to maximize productivity and those meant to control pest species, can lead to pest adaptation. Third, agriculture can cause non-selective changes in patterns of gene flow in wild species. We review evidence for these processes and then discuss their ecological and sociological impacts. We finish by identifying important knowledge gaps and future directions related to the eco-evolutionary impacts of agriculture including their extent, how to prevent the detrimental evolution of wild species, and finally, how to use evolution to minimize the ecological impacts of agriculture. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences’. PMID:27920378

Anthropogenic and natural drivers of gene flow in a temperate wild fruit tree: a basis for conservation and breeding programs in apples

PubMed Central

Cornille, Amandine; Feurtey, Alice; Gélin, Uriel; Ropars, Jeanne; Misvanderbrugge, Kristine; Gladieux, Pierre; Giraud, Tatiana

2015-01-01

Gene flow is an essential component of population adaptation and species evolution. Understanding of the natural and anthropogenic factors affecting gene flow is also critical for the development of appropriate management, breeding, and conservation programs. Here, we explored the natural and anthropogenic factors impacting crop-to-wild and within wild gene flow in apples in Europe using an unprecedented dense sampling of 1889 wild apple (Malus sylvestris) from European forests and 339 apple cultivars (Malus domestica). We made use of genetic, environmental, and ecological data (microsatellite markers, apple production across landscapes and records of apple flower visitors, respectively). We provide the first evidence that both human activities, through apple production, and human disturbance, through modifications of apple flower visitor diversity, have had a significant impact on crop-to-wild interspecific introgression rates. Our analysis also revealed the impact of previous natural climate change on historical gene flow in the nonintrogressed wild apple M. sylvestris, by identifying five distinct genetic groups in Europe and a north–south gradient of genetic diversity. These findings identify human activities and climate as key drivers of gene flow in a wild temperate fruit tree and provide a practical basis for conservation, agroforestry, and breeding programs for apples in Europe. PMID:25926882

Influence of Lift Offset on Rotorcraft Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Wayne

2009-01-01

The influence of lift offset on the performance of several rotorcraft configurations is explored. A lift-offset rotor, or advancing blade concept, is a hingeless rotor that can attain good efficiency at high speed by operating with more lift on the advancing side than on the retreating side of the rotor disk. The calculated performance capability of modern-technology coaxial rotors utilizing a lift offset is examined, including rotor performance optimized for hover and high-speed cruise. The ideal induced power loss of coaxial rotors in hover and twin rotors in forward flight is presented. The aerodynamic modeling requirements for performance calculations are evaluated, including wake and drag models for the high-speed flight condition. The influence of configuration on the performance of rotorcraft with lift-offset rotors is explored, considering tandem and side-by-side rotorcraft as well as wing-rotor lift share.

Influence of Lift Offset on Rotorcraft Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Wayne

2008-01-01

The influence of lift offset on the performance of several rotorcraft configurations is explored. A lift-offset rotor, or advancing blade concept, is a hingeless rotor that can attain good efficiency at high speed, by operating with more lift on the advancing side than on the retreating side of the rotor disk. The calculated performance capability of modern-technology coaxial rotors utilizing a lift offset is examined, including rotor performance optimized for hover and high-speed cruise. The ideal induced power loss of coaxial rotors in hover and twin rotors in forward flight is presented. The aerodynamic modeling requirements for performance calculations are evaluated, including wake and drag models for the high speed flight condition. The influence of configuration on the performance of rotorcraft with lift-offset rotors is explored, considering tandem and side-by-side rotorcraft as well as wing-rotor lift share.

Arginine residues on the opposite side of the active site stimulate the catalysis of ribosome depurination by ricin A chain by interacting with the P-protein stalk.

PubMed

Li, Xiao-Ping; Kahn, Peter C; Kahn, Jennifer Nielsen; Grela, Przemyslaw; Tumer, Nilgun E

2013-10-18

Ricin inhibits protein synthesis by depurinating the α-sarcin/ricin loop (SRL). Ricin holotoxin does not inhibit translation unless the disulfide bond between the A (RTA) and B (RTB) subunits is reduced. Ricin holotoxin did not bind ribosomes or depurinate them but could depurinate free RNA. When RTA is separated from RTB, arginine residues located at the interface are exposed to the solvent. Because this positively charged region, but not the active site, is blocked by RTB, we mutated arginine residues at or near the interface of RTB to determine if they are critical for ribosome binding. These variants were structurally similar to wild type RTA but could not bind ribosomes. Their K(m) values and catalytic rates (k(cat)) for an SRL mimic RNA were similar to those of wild type, indicating that their activity was not altered. However, they showed an up to 5-fold increase in K(m) and up to 38-fold decrease in kcat toward ribosomes. These results suggest that the stalk binding stimulates the catalysis of ribosome depurination by RTA. The mutated arginines have side chains behind the active site cleft, indicating that the ribosome binding surface of RTA is on the opposite side of the surface that interacts with the SRL. We propose that stalk binding stimulates the catalysis of ribosome depurination by orienting the active site of RTA toward the SRL and thereby allows docking of the target adenine into the active site. This model may apply to the translation factors that interact with the stalk.

Structural basis for the mutation-induced dysfunction of human CYP2J2: a computational study.

PubMed

Cong, Shan; Ma, Xiao-Tu; Li, Yi-Xue; Wang, Jing-Fang

2013-06-24

Arachidonic acid is an essential fatty acid in cells, acting as a key inflammatory intermediate in inflammatory reactions. In cardiac tissues, CYP2J2 can adopt arachidonic acid as a major substrate to produce epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which can protect endothelial cells from ischemic or hypoxic injuries and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease and hypertension. However, some CYP2J2 polymorphisms, i.e., T143A and N404Y, significantly reduce the metabolism of arachidonic acid. Lacking experimental structural data for CYP2J2, the detailed mechanism for the mutation-induced dysfunction in the metabolism of arachidonic acid is still unknown. In the current study, three-dimensional structural models of the wild-type CYP2J2 and two mutants (T143A and N404Y) were constructed by a coordinate reconstruction approach and ab initio modeling using CYP2R1 as a template. The structural analysis of the computational models showed that the wild-type CYP2J2 exhibited a typical CYP fold with 12 alpha-helices and three beta-sheets on one side and with the heme group buried deeply inside the core. Due to the small and hydrophobic side-chain, T143A mutation could destabilize the C helix, further placing the water access channel in a closed state to prevent the escape of the produced water molecules during the catalytic processes. N404Y mutation could reposition the side-chain of Leu(378), making it no longer form a hydrogen bond with the carboxyl group of arachidonic acid. However, this hydrogen bond was essential for substrate recognition and positioning in a correct orientation.

How gender and boat-side affect shape characteristics of force-angle profiles in single sculling: Insights from functional data analysis.

PubMed

Warmenhoven, John; Cobley, Stephen; Draper, Conny; Harrison, Andrew; Bargary, Norma; Smith, Richard

2018-05-01

To examine whether gender or side of the boat influenced shape characteristics of the force-angle profile in on-water single sculling. Cross-sectional study design. Bivariate functional principal components analysis (bfPCA) was applied to force-angle data to identify the main modes of variance in curves of forty highly skilled male and female rowers (national and international level), rowing at 32 strokes per minute in a single scull boat. Separate discriminant function analyses for each side of the boat showed strong classification of rowers for gender. Force application close to (or closely around) the perpendicular oar position was demonstrated to be different between genders. A mixed ANOVA exploring gender, boat side and their interaction revealed that bow and stroke side forces were also statistically different from each other independently of gender. A main effect, independent of side of the boat, was also present for gender and no interaction was found between gender and boat side. Bow side forces seemingly acted as a driver of power and peak force production, while stroke side forces may have acted as a mediator of propulsive forces with an additional potential role in steering due to known asymmetrical offsets in boat rigging. Results demonstrate that propulsive force differences according to gender and boat-side are evident and must be acknowledged and accounted for before force-angle graphs are explored relative to performance measures. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Chimpanzees and the mathematics of battle.

PubMed

Wilson, Michael L; Britton, Nicholas F; Franks, Nigel R

2002-06-07

Recent experiments have demonstrated the importance of numerical assessment in animal contests. Nevertheless, few attempts have been made to model explicitly the relationship between the relative number of combatants on each side and the costs and benefits of entering a contest. One framework that may be especially suitable for making such explicit predictions is Lanchester's theory of combat, which has proved useful for understanding combat strategies in humans and several species of ants. We show, with data from a recent series of playback experiments, that a model derived from Lanchester's 'square law' predicts willingness to enter intergroup contests in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Furthermore, the model predicts that, in contests with multiple individuals on each side, chimpanzees in this population should be willing to enter a contest only if they outnumber the opposing side by a factor of 1.5. We evaluate these results for intergroup encounters in chimpanzees and also discuss potential applications of Lanchester's square and linear laws for understanding combat strategies in other species.

Chimpanzees and the mathematics of battle.

PubMed Central

Wilson, Michael L; Britton, Nicholas F; Franks, Nigel R

2002-01-01

Recent experiments have demonstrated the importance of numerical assessment in animal contests. Nevertheless, few attempts have been made to model explicitly the relationship between the relative number of combatants on each side and the costs and benefits of entering a contest. One framework that may be especially suitable for making such explicit predictions is Lanchester's theory of combat, which has proved useful for understanding combat strategies in humans and several species of ants. We show, with data from a recent series of playback experiments, that a model derived from Lanchester's 'square law' predicts willingness to enter intergroup contests in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Furthermore, the model predicts that, in contests with multiple individuals on each side, chimpanzees in this population should be willing to enter a contest only if they outnumber the opposing side by a factor of 1.5. We evaluate these results for intergroup encounters in chimpanzees and also discuss potential applications of Lanchester's square and linear laws for understanding combat strategies in other species. PMID:12061952

Young Scientists Explore Wild Plants and Animals. Book 12 Primary Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penn, Linda

Designed to present interesting facts about science and to heighten the curiosity of primary age students, this book contains activities about the natural world and numerous black and white illustrations. This activity book explores easily recognized animals, along with a few not-so-well-known plants. The theme of the first section is fall…

Cytotoxic grifolin derivatives isolated from the wild mushroom Boletus pseudocalopus (Basidiomycetes).

PubMed

Song, Junsik; Manir, Md Maniruzzaman; Moon, Surk-Sik

2009-09-01

Activity-guided purification of a MeOH extract of the Korean wild mushroom Boletus pseudocalopus afforded three new grifolin derivatives, 1-3, along with four known phenolic compounds 4-7. Their structures were established by a combination of 1H- and 13C-NMR, NOESY, and extensive two-dimensional NMR spectroscopic experiments such as gCOSY, gHSQC, gHMBC, and ROESY. The major metabolites 4 and 5 were subjected to reduction to provide the side chain-reduced compounds 8 and 9 for biological testing. All of the compounds except compound 6 showed anticancer activities in the range of IC(50) 3.5-11.0 microg/ml against human lung carcinoma A549 and mouse melanoma B16F1 cell lines. In addition, all compounds showed moderate radical-scavenging activities determined by DPPH assay.

Hot dogs: High ambient temperatures impact reproductive success in a tropical carnivore.

PubMed

Woodroffe, Rosie; Groom, Rosemary; McNutt, J Weldon

2017-10-01

Climate change imposes an urgent need to recognise and conserve the species likely to be worst affected. However, while ecologists have mostly explored indirect effects of rising ambient temperatures on temperate and polar species, physiologists have predicted direct impacts on tropical species. The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), a tropical species, exhibits few of the traits typically used to predict climate change vulnerability. Nevertheless, we predicted that wild dog populations might be sensitive to weather conditions, because the species shows strongly seasonal reproduction across most of its geographical range. We explored associations between weather conditions, reproductive costs, and reproductive success, drawing on long-term wild dog monitoring data from sites in Botswana (20°S, 24 years), Kenya (0°N, 12 years), and Zimbabwe (20°S, 6 years). High ambient temperatures were associated with reduced foraging time, especially during the energetically costly pup-rearing period. Across all three sites, packs which reared pups at high ambient temperatures produced fewer recruits than did those rearing pups in cooler weather; at the non-seasonal Kenya site such packs also had longer inter-birth intervals. Over time, rising ambient temperatures at the (longest-monitored) Botswana site coincided with falling wild dog recruitment. Our findings suggest a direct impact of high ambient temperatures on African wild dog demography, indicating that this species, which is already globally endangered, may be highly vulnerable to climate change. This vulnerability would have been missed by simplistic trait-based assessments, highlighting the limitations of such assessments. Seasonal reproduction, which is less common at low latitudes than at higher latitudes, might be a useful indicator of climate change vulnerability among tropical species. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

Heritability and genetic correlations of personality traits in a wild population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris).

PubMed

Petelle, M B; Martin, J G A; Blumstein, D T

2015-10-01

Describing and quantifying animal personality is now an integral part of behavioural studies because individually distinctive behaviours have ecological and evolutionary consequences. Yet, to fully understand how personality traits may respond to selection, one must understand the underlying heritability and genetic correlations between traits. Previous studies have reported a moderate degree of heritability of personality traits, but few of these studies have either been conducted in the wild or estimated the genetic correlations between personality traits. Estimating the additive genetic variance and covariance in the wild is crucial to understand the evolutionary potential of behavioural traits. Enhanced environmental variation could reduce heritability and genetic correlations, thus leading to different evolutionary predictions. We estimated the additive genetic variance and covariance of docility in the trap, sociability (mirror image stimulation), and exploration and activity in two different contexts (open-field and mirror image simulation experiments) in a wild population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris). We estimated both heritability of behaviours and of personality traits and found nonzero additive genetic variance in these traits. We also found nonzero maternal, permanent environment and year effects. Finally, we found four phenotypic correlations between traits, and one positive genetic correlation between activity in the open-field test and sociability. We also found permanent environment correlations between activity in both tests and docility and exploration in the MIS test. This is one of a handful of studies to adopt a quantitative genetic approach to explain variation in personality traits in the wild and, thus, provides important insights into the potential variance available for selection. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Pharmacologic Treatment Assigned for Niemann Pick Type C1 Disease Partly Changes Behavioral Traits in Wild-Type Mice.

PubMed

Schlegel, Victoria; Thieme, Markus; Holzmann, Carsten; Witt, Martin; Grittner, Ulrike; Rolfs, Arndt; Wree, Andreas

2016-11-09

Niemann-Pick Type C1 (NPC1) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by accumulation of cholesterol and glycosphingolipids. Previously, we demonstrated that BALB/c-npc1 nih Npc1 -/- mice treated with miglustat, cyclodextrin and allopregnanolone generally performed better than untreated Npc1 -/- animals. Unexpectedly, they also seemed to accomplish motor tests better than their sham-treated wild-type littermates. However, combination-treated mutant mice displayed worse cognition performance compared to sham-treated ones. To evaluate effects of these drugs in healthy BALB/c mice, we here analyzed pharmacologic effects on motor and cognitive behavior of wild-type mice. For combination treatment mice were injected with allopregnanolone/cyclodextrin weekly, starting at P7. Miglustat injections were performed daily from P10 till P23. Starting at P23, miglustat was embedded in the chow. Other mice were treated with miglustat only, or sham-treated. The battery of behavioral tests consisted of accelerod, Morris water maze, elevated plus maze, open field and hot-plate tests. Motor capabilities and spontaneous motor behavior were unaltered in both drug-treated groups. Miglustat-treated wild-type mice displayed impaired spatial learning compared to sham- and combination-treated mice. Both combination- and miglustat-treated mice showed enhanced anxiety in the elevated plus maze compared to sham-treated mice. Additionally, combination treatment as well as miglustat alone significantly reduced brain weight, whereas only combination treatment reduced body weight significantly. Our results suggest that allopregnanolone/cyclodextrin ameliorate most side effects of miglustat in wild-type mice.

Point mutations abolishing the mannose-binding capability of boar spermadhesin AQN-1.

PubMed

Ekhlasi-Hundrieser, Mahnaz; Calvete, Juan J; Von Rad, Bettina; Hettel, Christiane; Nimtz, Manfred; Töpfer-Petersen, Edda

2008-05-01

The mannose-binding capability of recombinant wild-type boar spermadhesin AQN-1 and of its site-directed mutants in the highly-conserved region around of the single glycosylation site (asparagine 50) of some spermadhesins, where the carbohydrate binding site has been proposed to be located, was checked using a solid-phase assay and a biotinylated mannose ligand. Substitution of glycine 54 by amino acids bearing an unipolar side chain did not cause significant decrease in the mannose-binding activity. However, amino acids with uncharged polar side chains or having a charged polar side chain abolished the binding of biotinylated mannose to the corresponding AQN-1 mutants. The results suggest that the higher surface accessibility of amino acids possessing polar side chains compared to those bearing nonpolar groups may sterically interfere with monosaccharide binding. The location of the mannose-binding site in AQN-1 appears to be topologically conserved in other heparin-binding boar spermadhesins, i.e., AQN-3 and AWN, but departs from the location of the mannose-6-phosphate-recognition site of PSP-II. This indicates that different spermadhesin molecules have evolved non-equivalent carbohydrate-binding capabilities, which may underlie their distinct patterns of biological activities.

Investigation of arc repressor DNA-binding specificity by comparative molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Song, Wei; Guo, Jun-Tao

2015-01-01

Transcription factors regulate gene expression through binding to specific DNA sequences. How transcription factors achieve high binding specificity is still not well understood. In this paper, we investigated the role of protein flexibility in protein-DNA-binding specificity by comparative molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Protein flexibility has been considered as a key factor in molecular recognition, which is intrinsically a dynamic process involving fine structural fitting between binding components. In this study, we performed comparative MD simulations on wild-type and F10V mutant P22 Arc repressor in both free and complex conformations. The F10V mutant has lower DNA-binding specificity though both the bound and unbound main-chain structures between the wild-type and F10V mutant Arc are highly similar. We found that the DNA-binding motif of wild-type Arc is structurally more flexible than the F10V mutant in the unbound state, especially for the six DNA base-contacting residues in each dimer. We demonstrated that the flexible side chains of wild-type Arc lead to a higher DNA-binding specificity through forming more hydrogen bonds with DNA bases upon binding. Our simulations also showed a possible conformational selection mechanism for Arc-DNA binding. These results indicate the important roles of protein flexibility and dynamic properties in protein-DNA-binding specificity.

A survey of entodiniomorphid ciliates in chimpanzees and bonobos.

PubMed

Pomajbíková, Katerina; Petrzelková, Klára J; Profousová, Ilona; Petrásová, Jana; Kisidayová, Svetlana; Varádyová, Zora; Modrý, David

2010-05-01

Intestinal entodiniomorphid ciliates are commonly diagnosed in the feces of wild apes of the genera Pan and Gorilla. Although some authors previously considered entodiniomorphid ciliates as possible pathogens, a symbiotic function within the intestinal ecosystem and their participation in fiber fermentation has been proposed. Previous studies have suggested that these ciliates gradually disappear under captive conditions. We studied entodiniomorphid ciliates in 23 captive groups of chimpanzees, three groups of captive bonobos and six populations of wild chimpanzees. Fecal samples were examined using Sheather's flotation and Merthiolate-Iodine-Formaldehyde Concentration (MIFC) methods. We quantified the number of ciliates per gram of feces. The MIFC method was more sensitive for ciliate detection than the flotation method. Ciliates of genus Troglodytella were detected in 13 groups of captive chimpanzees, two groups of bonobos and in all wild chimpanzee populations studied. The absence of entodiniomorphids in some captive groups might be because of the extensive administration of chemotherapeutics in the past or a side-effect of the causative or prophylactic administration of antiparasitic or antibiotic drugs. The infection intensities of ciliates in captive chimpanzees were higher than in wild ones. We suppose that the over-supply of starch, typical in captive primate diets, might induce an increase in the number of ciliates. In vitro studies on metabolism and biochemical activities of entodiniomorphids are needed to clarify their role in ape digestion.

Experimental Evaluation of Faecal Escherichia coli and Hepatitis E Virus as Biological Indicators of Contacts Between Domestic Pigs and Eurasian Wild Boar.

PubMed

Barth, S; Geue, L; Hinsching, A; Jenckel, M; Schlosser, J; Eiden, M; Pietschmann, J; Menge, C; Beer, M; Groschup, M; Jori, F; Etter, E; Blome, S

2017-04-01

Domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) share several important viral and bacterial pathogens. Therefore, direct and indirect contacts between domestic pigs and wild boar present a risk of pathogen spillover and can lead to long-term perpetuation of infection. Biological indicators could be a powerful tool to understand and characterize contacts between wild boar and domestic pigs. Here, faecal Escherichia coli and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) were explored as potential biological indicators under experimental conditions. The data gained in our pilot study suggest that faecal E. coli can be used as biological indicator of contact between wild boar and domestic pig. For HEV, faecal transmission was also confirmed. However, molecular studies on full-genome basis did not reveal markers that would allow tracing of transmission direction. Based on these promising results, future field studies will especially target the practicability of E. coli microbiome molecular typing as surrogate of contacts at the wildlife-livestock interface. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Heritage strain and diet of wild young of year and yearling lake trout in the main basin of Lake Huron

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roseman, E.F.; Stott, W.; O'Brien, T. P.; Riley, S.C.; Schaeffer, J.S.

2009-01-01

Restoration of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush stocks in Lake Huron is a fish community objective developed to promote sustainable fish communities in the lake. Between 1985 and 2004, 12.65 million lake trout were stocked into Lake Huron representing eight different genetic strains. Collections of bona fide wild fish in USGS surveys have increased in recent years and this study examined the ancestry and diet of fish collected between 2004 and 2006 to explore the ecological role they occupy in Lake Huron. Analysis of microsatellite DNA revealed that both pure strain and inter-strain hybrids were observed, and the majority of fish were classified as Seneca Lake strain or Seneca Lake hybrids. Diets of 50 wild age-0 lake trout were examined. Mysis, chironomids, and zooplankton were common prey items of wild age-0 lake trout. These results indicate that stocked fish are successfully reproducing in Lake Huron indicating a level of restoration success. However, continued changes to the benthic macroinvertebrate community, particularly declines of Mysis, may limit growth and survival of wild fish and hinder restoration efforts.

Exploring Tradeoffs in Demand-side and Supply-side Management of Urban Water Resources using Agent-based Modeling and Evolutionary Computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanta, L.; Berglund, E. Z.

2015-12-01

Urban water supply systems may be managed through supply-side and demand-side strategies, which focus on water source expansion and demand reductions, respectively. Supply-side strategies bear infrastructure and energy costs, while demand-side strategies bear costs of implementation and inconvenience to consumers. To evaluate the performance of demand-side strategies, the participation and water use adaptations of consumers should be simulated. In this study, a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) framework is developed to simulate consumer agents that change their consumption to affect the withdrawal from the water supply system, which, in turn influences operational policies and long-term resource planning. Agent-based models are encoded to represent consumers and a policy maker agent and are coupled with water resources system simulation models. The CAS framework is coupled with an evolutionary computation-based multi-objective methodology to explore tradeoffs in cost, inconvenience to consumers, and environmental impacts for both supply-side and demand-side strategies. Decisions are identified to specify storage levels in a reservoir that trigger (1) increases in the volume of water pumped through inter-basin transfers from an external reservoir and (2) drought stages, which restrict the volume of water that is allowed for residential outdoor uses. The proposed methodology is demonstrated for Arlington, Texas, water supply system to identify non-dominated strategies for an historic drought decade. Results demonstrate that pumping costs associated with maximizing environmental reliability exceed pumping costs associated with minimizing restrictions on consumer water use.

Rapid desensitization of the rat α7 nAChR is facilitated by the presence of a proline residue in the outer β-sheet

PubMed Central

McCormack, Thomas J; Melis, Claudio; Colón, José; Gay, Elaine A; Mike, Arpad; Karoly, Robert; Lamb, Patricia W; Molteni, Carla; Yakel, Jerrel L

2010-01-01

The rat α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) has a proline residue near the middle of the β9 strand. The replacement of this proline residue at position 180 (P180) by either threonine (α7-P180T) or serine (α7-P180S) slowed the onset of desensitization dramatically, with half-times of ∼930 and 700 ms, respectively, compared to 90 ms for the wild-type receptor. To investigate the importance of the hydroxyl group on the position 180 side-chains, the mutant receptors α7-P180Y and α7-P180F were studied and showed half-times of desensitization of 650 and 160 ms, respectively. While a position 180 side-chain OH group may contribute to the slow desensitization rates, α7-P180S and α7-P180V resulted in receptors with similar desensitization rates, suggesting that increased backbone to backbone H bonding expected in the absence of proline at position 180 would likely exert a great effect on desensitization. Single channel recordings indicated that for the α7-P180T receptor there was a significantly reduced closed time without any change in single channel conductance (as compared to wild-type). Kinetic simulations indicated that all changes observed for the mutant channel behaviour were reproduced by decreasing the rate of desensitization, and increasing the microscopic affinity to resting receptors. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on a homology model were used to provide insight into likely H bond interactions within the outer β-sheet that occur when the P180 residue is mutated. All mutations analysed increased about twofold the predicted number of H bonds between the residue at position 180 and the backbone of the β10 strand. Moreover, the α7-P180T and α7-P180S mutations also formed some intrastrand H bonds along the β9 strand, although H bonding of the OH groups of the threonine or serine side-chains was predicted to be infrequent. Our results indicate that rapid desensitization of the wild-type rat α7 nAChR is facilitated by the presence of the proline residue within the β9 strand. PMID:20837638

Rapid desensitization of the rat α7 nAChR is facilitated by the presence of a proline residue in the outer β-sheet.

PubMed

McCormack, Thomas J; Melis, Claudio; Colón, José; Gay, Elaine A; Mike, Arpad; Karoly, Robert; Lamb, Patricia W; Molteni, Carla; Yakel, Jerrel L

2010-11-15

The rat α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) has a proline residue near the middle of the β9 strand. The replacement of this proline residue at position 180 (P180) by either threonine (α7-P180T) or serine (α7-P180S) slowed the onset of desensitization dramatically, with half-times of ~930 and 700 ms, respectively, compared to 90 ms for the wild-type receptor. To investigate the importance of the hydroxyl group on the position 180 side-chains, the mutant receptors α7-P180Y and α7-P180F were studied and showed half-times of desensitization of 650 and 160 ms, respectively. While a position 180 side-chain OH group may contribute to the slow desensitization rates, α7-P180S and α7-P180V resulted in receptors with similar desensitization rates, suggesting that increased backbone to backbone H bonding expected in the absence of proline at position 180 would likely exert a great effect on desensitization. Single channel recordings indicated that for the α7-P180T receptor there was a significantly reduced closed time without any change in single channel conductance (as compared to wild-type). Kinetic simulations indicated that all changes observed for the mutant channel behaviour were reproduced by decreasing the rate of desensitization, and increasing the microscopic affinity to resting receptors. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on a homology model were used to provide insight into likely H bond interactions within the outer β-sheet that occur when the P180 residue is mutated. All mutations analysed increased about twofold the predicted number of H bonds between the residue at position 180 and the backbone of the β10 strand. Moreover, the α7-P180T and α7-P180S mutations also formed some intrastrand H bonds along the β9 strand, although H bonding of the OH groups of the threonine or serine side-chains was predicted to be infrequent. Our results indicate that rapid desensitization of the wild-type rat α7 nAChR is facilitated by the presence of the proline residue within the β9 strand.

Systematic screen of chemotherapeutics in Drosophila stem cell tumors

PubMed Central

Markstein, Michele; Dettorre, Samantha; Cho, Julio; Neumüller, Ralph A.; Craig-Müller, Sören; Perrimon, Norbert

2014-01-01

Here we report the development of an in vivo system to study the interaction of stem cells with drugs using a tumor model in the adult Drosophila intestine. Strikingly, we find that some Food and Drug Administration-approved chemotherapeutics that can inhibit the growth of Drosophila tumor stem cells can paradoxically promote the hyperproliferation of their wild-type counterparts. These results reveal an unanticipated side effect on stem cells that may contribute to tumor recurrence. We propose that the same side effect may occur in humans based on our finding that it is driven in Drosophila by the evolutionarily conserved Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway. An immediate implication of our findings is that supplementing traditional chemotherapeutics with anti-inflammatories may reduce tumor recurrence. PMID:24616500

The Missing Response to Selection in the Wild.

PubMed

Pujol, Benoit; Blanchet, Simon; Charmantier, Anne; Danchin, Etienne; Facon, Benoit; Marrot, Pascal; Roux, Fabrice; Scotti, Ivan; Teplitsky, Céline; Thomson, Caroline E; Winney, Isabel

2018-05-01

Although there are many examples of contemporary directional selection, evidence for responses to selection that match predictions are often missing in quantitative genetic studies of wild populations. This is despite the presence of genetic variation and selection pressures - theoretical prerequisites for the response to selection. This conundrum can be explained by statistical issues with accurate parameter estimation, and by biological mechanisms that interfere with the response to selection. These biological mechanisms can accelerate or constrain this response. These mechanisms are generally studied independently but might act simultaneously. We therefore integrated these mechanisms to explore their potential combined effect. This has implications for explaining the apparent evolutionary stasis of wild populations and the conservation of wildlife. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Repacking the Core of T4 lysozyme by automated design.

PubMed

Mooers, Blaine H M; Datta, Deepshikha; Baase, Walter A; Zollars, Eric S; Mayo, Stephen L; Matthews, Brian W

2003-09-19

Automated protein redesign, as implemented in the program ORBIT, was used to redesign the core of phage T4 lysozyme. A total of 26 buried or partially buried sites in the C-terminal domain were allowed to vary both their sequence and side-chain conformation while the backbone and non-selected side-chains remained fixed. A variant with seven substitutions ("Core-7") was identified as having the most favorable energy. The redesign experiment was repeated with a penalty for the presence of methionine residues. In this case the redesigned protein ("Core-10") had ten amino acid changes. The two designed proteins, as well as the constituent single mutants, and several single-site revertants were over-expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and subjected to crystallographic and thermal analyses. The thermodynamic and structural data show that some repacking was achieved although neither redesigned protein was more stable than the wild-type protein. The use of the methionine penalty was shown to be effective. Several of the side-chain rotamers in the predicted structure of Core-10 differ from those observed. Rather than changing to new rotamers predicted by the design process, side-chains tend to maintain conformations similar to those seen in the native molecule. In contrast, parts of the backbone change by up to 2.8A relative to both the designed structure and wild-type. Water molecules that are present within the lysozyme molecule were removed during the design process. In the redesigned protein the resultant cavities were, to some degree, re-occupied by side-chain atoms. In the observed structure, however, water molecules were still bound at or near their original sites. This suggests that it may be preferable to leave such water molecules in place during the design procedure. The results emphasize the specificity of the packing that occurs within the core of a typical protein. While point substitutions within the core are tolerated they almost always result in a loss of stability. Likewise, combinations of substitutions may also be tolerated but usually destabilize the protein. Experience with T4 lysozyme suggests that a general core repacking methodology with retention or enhancement of stability may be difficult to achieve without provision for shifts in the backbone.

Exploring consumer opinions on the presentation of side-effects information in Australian Consumer Medicine Information leaflets.

PubMed

Tong, Vivien; Raynor, David K; Blalock, Susan J; Aslani, Parisa

2016-06-01

Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is a brand-specific and standardized source of written medicine information available in Australia for all prescription medicines. Side-effect information is poorly presented in CMI and may not adequately address consumer information needs. To explore consumer opinions on (i) the presentation of side-effect information in existing Australian CMI leaflets and alternative study-designed CMIs and (ii) side-effect risk information and its impact on treatment decision making. Fuzzy trace, affect heuristic, frequency hypothesis and cognitive-experiential theories were applied when revising existing CMI side-effects sections. Together with good information design, functional linguistics and medicine information expertise, alternative ramipril and clopidogrel CMI versions were proposed. Focus groups were then conducted to address the study objectives. Three focus groups (n = 18) were conducted in Sydney, Australia. Mean consumer age was 58 years (range 50-65 years), with equal number of males and females. All consumers preferred the alternative CMIs developed as part of the study, with unequivocal preference for the side-effects presented in a simple tabular format, as it allowed quick and easy access to information. Consumer misunderstandings reflected literacy and numeracy issues inherent in consumer risk appraisal. Many preferred no numerical information and a large proportion preferred natural frequencies. One single method of risk presentation in CMI is unable to cater for all consumers. Consumer misunderstandings are indicative of possible health literacy and numeracy factors that influence consumer risk appraisal, which should be explored further. © 2014 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Guinea Pig Chymase Is Leucine-specific

PubMed Central

Caughey, George H.; Beauchamp, Jeremy; Schlatter, Daniel; Raymond, Wilfred W.; Trivedi, Neil N.; Banner, David; Mauser, Harald; Fingerle, Jürgen

2008-01-01

To explore guinea pigs as models of chymase biology, we cloned and expressed the guinea pig ortholog of human chymase. In contrast to rats and mice, guinea pigs appear to express just one chymase, which belongs to the α clade, like primate chymases and mouse mast cell protease-5. The guinea pig enzyme autolyzes at Leu residues in the loop where human chymase autolyzes at Phe. In addition, guinea pig α-chymase selects P1 Leu in a combinatorial peptide library and cleaves Ala-Ala-Pro-Leu-4-nitroanilide but has negligible activity toward substrates with P1 Phe and does not cleave angiotensin I. This contrasts with human chymase, which cleaves after Phe or Tyr, prefers P1 Phe in peptidyl 4-nitroanilides, and avidly hydrolyzes angiotensin I at Phe8 to generate bioactive angiotensin II. The guinea pig enzyme also is inactivated more effectively by α1-antichymotrypsin, which features P1 Leu in the reactive loop. Unlike mouse, rat, and hamster α-chymases, guinea pig chymase lacks elastase-like preference for P1 Val or Ala. Partially humanized A216G guinea pig chymase acquires human-like P1 Phe- and angiotensin-cleaving capacity. Molecular models suggest that the wild type active site is crowded by the Ala216 side chain, which potentially blocks access by bulky P1 aromatic residues. On the other hand, the guinea pig pocket is deeper than in Val-selective chymases, explaining the preference for the longer aliphatic side chain of Leu. These findings are evidence that chymase-like peptidase specificity is sensitive to small changes in structure and provide the first example of a vertebrate Leu-selective peptidase. PMID:18353771

Influence of pressure cooking on antioxidant activity of wild (Ensete superbum) and commercial banana (Musa paradisiaca var. Monthan) unripe fruit and flower.

PubMed

Sasipriya, Gopalakrishnan; Maria, Cherian Lintu; Siddhuraju, Perumal

2014-10-01

Banana is a highly nutritious fruit crop consumed by many people's worldwide while endangered species are consumed by limited peoples and their health benefits are not explored. The unripe fruits and flowers of wild and commercial banana are consumed by peoples after cooking only. Hence, the present study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the effect of pressure cooking on antioxidant activity of wild and commercial banana species. The raw and processed samples were extracted with 70 % acetone. Except wild flower, thermal processing enhanced the content of phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, hydroxyl and peroxidation activity than raw. Wild species presented higher phenolics, tannins, DPPH, ABTS and FRAP activity than commercial ones. Except few samples, wild species and commercial species exhibit similar activity in superoxide, hydroxyl and peroxidation activity. FRAP (r (2)  = 0.922; 0.977) and hydroxyl (r (2)  = 0.773; 0.744) activities were dependent on phenolics and tannin content whereas tannins may be responsible for DPPH scavenging activity (r (2)  = 0.745). Thermal processing enhanced the antioxidant activity might be due to the release of bound phenolics from cell wall and oxidation and polymerisation of compounds present in it. This wild species may be an alternative to commercial ones and will be valuable to consumers for protecting from chronic diseases.

Building Capacity in Urban Sustainability Assessment through Use of a Scenarios Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Rhys E.; Rutledge, Daniel T.; van Roon, Henri

2011-01-01

Urban form, the patterns of cities, in New Zealand is explored 50 years into the future through a scenarios game, published on the Internet. Four diverse scenarios provide a means to explore the present situation and envision how it may change over time with different trend drivers. Wild card events introduce uncertainty in a way that resonates…

Translations on North Korea, Number 553

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-09-28

in this year’s farming, the county people’s committee discussed measures to more satisfactorily supply by itself edible oil for inhabitants of the...land on which beans could be planted as a side crop among young fruit trees and discovered empty land on the periphery of medicinal herb patches...misfortunes and catastrophy to our people but still forcively occupy south Korea, and who are opposed to the nation’s unification and are running wild to

Role of tryptophan 95 in substrate specificity and structural stability of Sulfolobus solfataricus alcohol dehydrogenase.

PubMed

Pennacchio, Angela; Esposito, Luciana; Zagari, Adriana; Rossi, Mosè; Raia, Carlo A

2009-09-01

A mutant of the thermostable NAD(+)-dependent (S)-stereospecific alcohol dehydrogenase from Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsADH) which has a single substitution, Trp95Leu, located at the substrate binding pocket, was fully characterized to ascertain the role of Trp95 in discriminating between chiral secondary alcohols suggested by the wild-type SsADH crystallographic structure. The Trp95Leu mutant displays no apparent activity with short-chain primary and secondary alcohols and poor activity with aromatic substrates and coenzyme. Moreover, the Trp --> Leu substitution affects the structural stability of the archaeal ADH, decreasing its thermal stability without relevant changes in secondary structure. The double mutant Trp95Leu/Asn249Tyr was also purified to assist in crystallographic analysis. This mutant exhibits higher activity but decreased affinity toward aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes as well as NAD(+) and NADH compared to the wild-type enzyme. The crystal structure of the Trp95Leu/Asn249Tyr mutant apo form, determined at 2.0 A resolution, reveals a large local rearrangement of the substrate site with dramatic consequences. The Leu95 side-chain conformation points away from the catalytic metal center and the widening of the substrate site is partially counteracted by a concomitant change of Trp117 side chain conformation. Structural changes at the active site are consistent with the reduced activity on substrates and decreased coenzyme binding.

Brain size growth in wild and captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

PubMed

Cofran, Zachary

2018-05-24

Despite many studies of chimpanzee brain size growth, intraspecific variation is under-explored. Brain size data from chimpanzees of the Taï Forest and the Yerkes Primate Research Center enable a unique glimpse into brain growth variation as age at death is known for individuals, allowing cross-sectional growth curves to be estimated. Because Taï chimpanzees are from the wild but Yerkes apes are captive, potential environmental effects on neural development can also be explored. Previous research has revealed differences in growth and health between wild and captive primates, but such habitat effects have yet to be investigated for brain growth. Here, I use an iterative curve fitting procedure to estimate brain growth and regression parameters for each population, statistically comparing growth models using bootstrapped confidence intervals. Yerkes and Taï brain sizes overlap at all ages, although the sole Taï newborn is at the low end of captive neonatal variation. Growth rate and duration are statistically indistinguishable between the two populations. Resampling the Yerkes sample to match the Taï sample size and age group composition shows that ontogenetic variation in the two groups are remarkably similar despite the latter's limited size. Best fit growth curves for each sample indicate cessation of brain size growth at around 2 years, earlier than has previously been reported. The overall similarity between wild and captive chimpanzees points to the canalization of brain growth in this species. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Take Your Class Outdoors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shellenberger, Barbara R.

1981-01-01

Offers suggestions for designing outdoor activities to provide students with opportunities for exploring, observing, and discovering. Outlines several science activities for each of the following topics: trees, rocks, soil, insects, wild flowers, grasses, lichens, and clouds. (DS)

Differences in Lateral Line Morphology between Hatchery- and Wild-Origin Steelhead

PubMed Central

Brown, Andrew D.; Sisneros, Joseph A.; Jurasin, Tyler; Nguyen, Chau; Coffin, Allison B.

2013-01-01

Despite identification of multiple factors mediating salmon survival, significant disparities in survival-to-adulthood among hatchery- versus wild-origin juveniles persist. In the present report, we explore the hypothesis that hatchery-reared juveniles might exhibit morphological defects in vulnerable mechanosensory systems prior to release from the hatchery, potentiating reduced survival after release. Juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from two different hatcheries were compared to wild-origin juveniles on several morphological traits including lateral line structure, otolith composition (a proxy for auditory function), and brain weight. Wild juveniles were found to possess significantly more superficial lateral line neuromasts than hatchery-reared juveniles, although the number of hair cells within individual neuromasts was not significantly different across groups. Wild juveniles were also found to possess primarily normal, aragonite-containing otoliths, while hatchery-reared juveniles possessed a high proportion of crystallized (vaterite) otoliths. Finally, wild juveniles were found to have significantly larger brains than hatchery-reared juveniles. These differences together predict reduced sensitivity to biologically important hydrodynamic and acoustic signals from natural biotic (predator, prey, conspecific) and abiotic (turbulent flow, current) sources among hatchery-reared steelhead, in turn predicting reduced survival fitness after release. Physiological and behavioral studies are required to establish the functional significance of these morphological differences. PMID:23554988

A common garden design reveals population-specific variability in potential impacts of hybridization between populations of farmed and wild Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

PubMed

Harvey, Alison C; Glover, Kevin A; Taylor, Martin I; Creer, Simon; Carvalho, Gary R

2016-03-01

Released individuals can have negative impacts on native populations through various mechanisms, including competition, disease transfer and introduction of maladapted gene complexes. Previous studies indicate that the level of farmed Atlantic salmon introgression in native populations is population specific. However, few studies have explored the potential role of population diversity or river characteristics, such as temperature, on the consequences of hybridization. We compared freshwater growth of multiple families derived from two farmed, five wild and two F1 hybrid salmon populations at three contrasting temperatures (7°C, 12°C and 16°C) in a common garden experiment. As expected, farmed salmon outgrew wild salmon at all temperatures, with hybrids displaying intermediate growth. However, differences in growth were population specific and some wild populations performed better than others relative to the hybrid and farmed populations at certain temperatures. Therefore, the competitive balance between farmed and wild salmon may depend both on the thermal profile of the river and on the genetic characteristics of the respective farmed and wild strains. While limited to F1 hybridization, this study shows the merits in adopting a more complex spatially resolved approach to risk management of local populations.

Sided functions of an arginine-agmatine antiporter oriented in liposomes.

PubMed

Tsai, Ming-Feng; Fang, Yiling; Miller, Christopher

2012-02-28

The arginine-dependent extreme acid resistance system helps enteric bacteria survive the harsh gastric environment. At the center of this multiprotein system is an arginine-agmatine antiporter, AdiC. To maintain cytoplasmic pH, AdiC imports arginine and exports its decarboxylated product, agmatine, resulting in a net extrusion of one "virtual proton" in each turnover. The random orientation of AdiC in reconstituted liposomes throws up an obstacle to quantifying its transport mechanism. To overcome this problem, we introduced a mutation, S26C, near the substrate-binding site. This mutant exhibits substrate recognition and pH-dependent activity similar to those of the wild-type protein but loses function completely upon reaction with thiol reagents. The membrane-impermeant MTSES reagent can then be used as a cleanly sided inhibitor to silence those S26C-AdiC proteins whose extracellular portion projects from the external side of the liposome. Alternatively, the membrane-permeant MTSEA and membrane-impermeant reducing reagent, TCEP, can be used together to inhibit proteins in the opposite orientation. This approach allows steady-state kinetic analysis of AdiC in a sided fashion. Arginine and agmatine have similar Michaelis-Menten parameters for both sides of the protein, while the extracellular side selects arginine over argininamide, a mimic of the carboxylate-protonated form of arginine, more effectively than does the cytoplasmic side. Moreover, the two sides of AdiC have different pH sensitivities. AdiC activity increases to a plateau at pH 4 as the extracellular side is acidified, while the cytoplasmic side shows an optimal pH of 5.5, with further acidification inhibiting transport. This oriented system allows more precise analysis of AdiC-mediated substrate transport than has been previously available and permits comparison to the situation experienced by the bacterial membrane under acid stress.

Can we stop transgenes from taking a walk on the wild side?

PubMed

Dlugosch, Katrina M; Whitton, Jeannette

2008-03-01

Whether the potential costs associated with broad-scale use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) outweigh possible benefits is highly contentious, including within the scientific community. Even among those generally in favour of commercialization of GM crops, there is nonetheless broad recognition that transgene escape into the wild should be minimized. But is it possible to achieve containment of engineered genetic elements in the context of large scale agricultural production? In a previous study, Warwick et al. (2003) documented transgene escape via gene flow from herbicide resistant (HR) canola (Brassica napus) into neighbouring weedy B. rapa populations (Fig. 1) in two agricultural fields in Quebec, Canada. In a follow-up study in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Warwick et al. (2008) show that the transgene has persisted and spread within the weedy population in the absence of selection for herbicide resistance. Certainly a trait like herbicide resistance is expected to spread when selected through the use of the herbicide, despite potentially negative epistatic effects on fitness. However, Warwick et al.'s findings suggest that direct selection favouring the transgene is not required for its persistence. So is there any hope of preventing transgene escape into the wild?

Protein side chain rotational isomerization: A minimum perturbation mapping study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haydock, Christopher

1993-05-01

A theory of the rotational isomerization of the indole side chain of tryptophan-47 of variant-3 scorpion neurotoxin is presented. The isomerization potential energy, entropic part of the isomerization free energy, isomer probabilities, transition state theory reaction rates, and indole order parameters are calculated from a minimum perturbation mapping over tryptophan-47 χ1×χ2 torsion space. A new method for calculating the fluorescence anisotropy from molecular dynamics simulations is proposed. The method is based on an expansion that separates transition dipole orientation from chromophore dynamics. The minimum perturbation potential energy map is inverted and applied as a bias potential for a 100 ns umbrella sampling simulation. The entropic part of the isomerization free energy as calculated by minimum perturbation mapping and umbrella sampling are in fairly close agreement. Throughout, the approximation is made that two glutamine and three tyrosine side chains neighboring tryptophan-47 are truncated at the Cβ atom. Comparison with the previous combination thermodynamic perturbation and umbrella sampling study suggests that this truncated neighbor side chain approximation leads to at least a qualitatively correct theory of tryptophan-47 rotational isomerization in the wild type variant-3 scorpion neurotoxin. Analysis of van der Waals interactions in a transition state region indicates that for the simulation of barrier crossing trajectories a linear combination of three specially defined dihedral angles will be superior to a simple side chain dihedral reaction coordinate.

Increased and Altered Fragrance of Tobacco Plants after Metabolic Engineering Using Three Monoterpene Synthases from Lemon

PubMed Central

Lücker, Joost; Schwab, Wilfried; van Hautum, Bianca; Blaas, Jan; van der Plas, Linus H. W.; Bouwmeester, Harro J.; Verhoeven, Harrie A.

2004-01-01

Wild-type tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants emit low levels of terpenoids, particularly from the flowers. By genetic modification of tobacco cv Petit Havana SR1 using three different monoterpene synthases from lemon (Citrus limon L. Burm. f.) and the subsequent combination of these three into one plant by crossings, we show that it is possible to increase the amount and alter the composition of the blend of monoterpenoids produced in tobacco plants. The transgenic tobacco plant line with the three introduced monoterpene synthases is emitting β-pinene, limonene, and γ-terpinene and a number of side products of the introduced monoterpene synthases, from its leaves and flowers, in addition to the terpenoids emitted by wild-type plants. The results show that there is a sufficiently high level of substrate accessible for the introduced enzymes. PMID:14718674

A Simple Visual Estimation of Food Consumption in Carnivores

PubMed Central

Potgieter, Katherine R.; Davies-Mostert, Harriet T.

2012-01-01

Belly-size ratings or belly scores are frequently used in carnivore research as a method of rating whether and how much an animal has eaten. This method provides only a rough ordinal measure of fullness and does not quantify the amount of food an animal has consumed. Here we present a method for estimating the amount of meat consumed by individual African wild dogs Lycaon pictus. We fed 0.5 kg pieces of meat to wild dogs being temporarily held in enclosures and measured the corresponding change in belly size using lateral side photographs taken perpendicular to the animal. The ratio of belly depth to body length was positively related to the mass of meat consumed and provided a useful estimate of the consumption. Similar relationships could be calculated to determine amounts consumed by other carnivores, thus providing a useful tool in the study of feeding behaviour. PMID:22567086

Retrospective analysis of icotinib neoadjuvant therapy of 63 lung cancer patients.

PubMed

Wang, T; Liu, Y; Zhou, B; Hao, S; Wang, Z; Liang, N; Liu, J; Wang, S

2017-01-01

This study aims to explore the feasibility of icotinib neoadjuvant therapy for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical data for 63 NSCLC patients (61 cases of adenocarcinoma and two cases of squamous cell carcinoma) receiving surgical resection of lung lesions after oral intake of icotinib from December 2011 to November 2013 in the PLA General Hospital. Preoperative oral intake of the patients was icotinib 125 mg tid, drug side effects were evaluated according to the American National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria Version 4.0; computed tomography scan was done on the day taking medicine and 2 weeks later to determine tumor changes. After oral intake of Icotinib for 2 to 22 weeks (5 cases for 2 weeks,13 cases for 3 to 22 weeks), all patients receive surgical resection of lung cancer lesions, and testing of removed tumor to evaluate the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation status was performed by fluorescence polymerase chain reaction. The patients with sensitive EGFR mutations receive Icotinib as postoperative adjuvant therapy. Side effects of medication within 2 weeks included rash (44.4%, 28/63), dry skin (34.9%, 22/63), diarrhea (14.3%, 9/63), and oral ulcer (1.6%, 1/63); there were no icotinib-associated thoracic surgery complications during the perioperational period. 71.4% patients (45/63) achieve an average reduction of 23.5% ±10.7%(10%-53.5%) after 2 weeks medication of Icotinib(regressive tumor[RT]) .28.6% patients(18/63) achieve stable tumor(ST),enlargement of 8.7% to reduction of 8.7% of the maximum diameter of lung cancer after 2 weeks medication of Icotinib. Of the RT group, 68.9% (31/45) of the tumors were detected with EGFR-sensitive mutation (exon 19 or 21 mutation), 24.4% (11/45) with wild-type EGFR, and three cases of exon 20 mutation. Of the ST group, 77.8% (14/18) were detected with wild-type EGFR, three cases of exon 20 mutation, and one case of exon 19 deletion mutation (tumor reduction by 7.9%). 45 cases in RT group and 1 case with EGFR 19 exon metation in ST group receive Icotinib as adjuvant therapy. Among 45 cases in RT group and 18 cases in ST group, there was no difference in gender, age, smoking history, tumor diameter, tumor differentiation degree, and incidence of side effects (P = 0.076). There was significant difference (P < 0.0001) in terms of symptom remission rate after medication and EGFR gene-sensitive mutation rate in RT and ST groups. Icotinib neoadjuvant therapy for NSCLC is safe and feasible, and the reactivity of lung cancer patients to icotinib can be determined within 2 weeks of medication. People sensitive to preoperative selection of drugs can more accurately determine the sensitivity of tumors to drugs, thus providing evidence for postoperative adjuvant therapy.

Motion of spin label side chains in cellular retinol-binding protein: correlation with structure and nearest-neighbor interactions in an antiparallel beta-sheet.

PubMed

Lietzow, Michael A; Hubbell, Wayne L

2004-03-23

A goal in the development of site-directed spin labeling in proteins is to correlate the motion of a nitroxide side chain with local structure, interactions, and dynamics. Significant progress toward this goal has been made using alpha-helical proteins of known structure, and the present study is the first step in a similar exploration of a beta-sheet protein, cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP). Nitroxide side chains were introduced along both interior and edge strands. At sites in interior strands, the side-chain motion is strongly influenced by interactions with side chains of neighboring strands, giving rise to a rich variety of dynamic modes (weakly ordered, strongly ordered, immobilized) and complex electron paramagnetic resonance spectra that are modulated by strand twist. The interactions giving rise to the dynamic modes are explored using mutagenesis, and the results demonstrate the particular importance of the non-hydrogen-bonded neighbor residue in giving rise to highly ordered states. Along edge strands of the beta-sheet, the motion of the side chain is simple and weakly ordered, resembling that at solvent-exposed surfaces of an alpha-helix. A simple working model is proposed that can account for the wide variety of dynamic modes encountered. Collectively, the results suggest that the nitroxide side chain is an effective probe of side-chain interactions, and that site-directed spin labeling should be a powerful means of monitoring conformational changes that involve changes in beta-sheet topology.

Scientific Objectives of China Chang E 4 CE-4 Lunar Far-side Exploration Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongbo; Zeng, Xingguo; Chen, Wangli

2017-10-01

China has achieved great success in the recently CE-1~CE-3 lunar missions, and in the year of 2018, China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) is going to launch the CE-4 mission. CE-4 satellite is the backup satellite of CE-3, so that it also consists of a Lander and a Rover. However, CE-4 is the first mission designed to detect the far side of the Moon in human lunar exploration history. So the biggest difference between CE-4 and CE-3 is that it will be equipped with a relay satellite in Earth-Moon-L2 Point for Earth-Moon Communication. And the scientific payloads carried on the Lander and Rover will also be different. It has been announced by the Chinese government that CE-4 mission will be equipped with some new international cooperated scientific payloads, such as the Low Frequency Radio Detector from Holland, Lunar Neutron and Radiation Dose Detector from Germany, Neutral Atom Detector from Sweden, and Lunar Miniature Optical Imaging Sounder from Saudi Arabia. The main scientific objective of CE-4 is to provide scientific data for lunar far side research, including: 1)general spatial environmental study of lunar far side；2)general research on the surface, shallow layer and deep layer of lunar far side；3)detection of low frequency radio on lunar far side using Low Frequency Radio Detector, which would be the first time of using such frequency band in lunar exploration history .

Cancer Treatment Side Effects: A Meta-analysis of the Relationship Between Response Expectancies and Experience.

PubMed

Devlin, Elise J; Denson, Linley A; Whitford, Hayley S

2017-08-01

Although previous research has, overall, suggested a moderate relationship between response expectancies (REs) and cancer treatment-related side effects, empirical results have been mixed. We aimed to further explore these relationships, hypothesizing that REs would predict subsequent toxicities with the inclusion of more recent studies, across a broader range of side effects, while incorporating the impact of potential moderators including patients' experience with treatment and measurement methods. We further investigated the impact of REs across individual toxicities. A systematic search and analysis were conducted across four databases (PsychInfo, PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase) and reference lists, from 1985 to February 2016. This provided 27 eligible studies with 4474 participants, through which the main analysis, moderator analyses, and individual side-effect analyses were explored. REs were moderately related to side effects overall (r = 0.26), and effect sizes were significantly influenced by sample diagnostic homogeneity, whereas differences between type and timing of measurement showed trends. Of the 16 toxicities examined, 15 demonstrated significant relationships between REs and side-effect experience, with hair loss (r = 0.48) the strongest. No clear difference emerged between objective and subjective side effects; however, significant differences across individual toxicities were revealed. Findings support a relationship between REs and a wide range of subsequent side effects, yet differences between individual RE-toxicity associations emerged. These findings provide direction for the measurement of side effects and REs and support REs as potential targets for intervention during the informed consent process. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mount Hood exploration, Oregon: a case history

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowen, R.G.

1981-05-01

An assessment program of Mount Hood is giving information useful for geothermal development in the area and is expected to characterize and aid in exploration of other Cascade volcanoes. These studies have shown the presence of thermal waters coming to the surface around the south flank of the mountain and subsurface flow in other areas. Geothermal gradient drilling shows the average heat flow in the area to be about two times normal increasing toward the summit. Two commercial exploration programs resulting in drilling are underway; Northwest Natural Gas is exploring the west side for direct utilization in the Portland area,more » and Wy'East is exploring near Timberline Lodge on the south flank. On the west side adequate temperatures have been found but the wells have not found enough permeability to be useful. At Timberline Lodge a 4000' well appears to have sufficient temperature, but it has not yet been tested. Further exploration and testing will continue this summer.« less

Exploring the molecular basis of dsRNA recognition by NS1 protein of influenza A virus using molecular dynamics simulation and free energy calculation.

PubMed

Pan, Dabo; Sun, Huijun; Shen, Yulin; Liu, Huanxiang; Yao, Xiaojun

2011-12-01

The frequent outbreak of influenza pandemic and the limited available anti-influenza drugs highlight the urgent need for the development of new antiviral drugs. The dsRNA-binding surface of nonstructural protein 1 of influenza A virus (NS1A) is a promising target. The detailed understanding of NS1A-dsRNA interaction will be valuable for structure-based anti-influenza drug discovery. To characterize and explore the key interaction features between dsRNA and NS1A, molecular dynamics simulation combined with MM-GBSA calculations were performed. Based on the MM-GBSA calculations, we find that the intermolecular van der Waals interaction and the nonpolar solvation term provide the main driving force for the binding process. Meanwhile, 17 key residues from NS1A were identified to be responsible for the dsRNA binding. Compared with the wild type NS1A, all the studied mutants S42A, T49A, R38A, R35AR46A have obvious reduced binding free energies with dsRNA reflecting in the reduction of the polar and/or nonpolar interactions. In addition, the structural and energy analysis indicate the mutations have a small effect to the backbone structures but the loss of side chain interactions is responsible for the decrease of the binding affinity. The uncovering of NS1A-dsRNA recognition mechanism will provide some useful insights and new chances for the development of anti-influenza drugs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nebulae: Not as Close as They Appear

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

This image from NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, shows three different nebulae located in the constellation of Perseus. NGC 1491 is seen on the right side of the image, SH 2-209 is on the left side and BFS 34 lies in between.

Impact of managed honey bee viruses on wild bees.

PubMed

Tehel, Anja; Brown, Mark Jf; Paxton, Robert J

2016-08-01

Several viruses found in the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) have recently been detected in other bee species, raising the possibility of spill-over from managed to wild bee species. Alternatively, these viruses may be shared generalists across flower-visiting insects. Here we explore the former hypothesis, pointing out weaknesses in the current evidence, particularly in relation to deformed wing virus (DWV), and highlighting research areas that may help test it. Data so far suggest that DWV spills over from managed to wild bee species and has the potential to cause population decline. That DWV and other viruses of A. mellifera are found in other bee species needs to be considered for the sustainable management of bee populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wild food plants and fungi used in the mycophilous Tibetan community of Zhagana (Tewo County, Gansu, China).

PubMed

Kang, Jin; Kang, Yongxiang; Ji, Xiaolian; Guo, Quanping; Jacques, Guillaume; Pietras, Marcin; Łuczaj, Nasim; Li, Dengwu; Łuczaj, Łukasz

2016-06-01

The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge and use of wild food plants and fungi in a highland valley in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Region on the north-eastern edges of the Tibetan Plateau. Field research was carried out in four neighbouring villages in a mountain valley of the Diebu (Tewo) county, surrounded by spruce forests. The study consisted of 30 interviews with single informants, or group interviews (altogether 63 informants). Apart from collecting voucher specimens, we also identified fungi using DNA barcoding. We recorded the use of 54 species of vascular plants. We also recorded the use of 22 mushroom taxa, which made up the largest category of wild foods. Fruits formed the largest category of food plants, with 21 species, larger than the wild greens category, which consisted of 20 species eaten after boiling or frying and 7 as raw snacks. We also recorded the alimentary use of 10 species of edible flowers and 3 species with underground edible organs. On average, 20.8 edible taxa were listed per interview (median - 21). The most listed category of wild foods was green vegetables (mean - 7.5 species, median - 8 species), but fruits and mushrooms were listed nearly as frequently (mean - 6.3, median - 6 and mean - 5.8, - median 6 respectively). Other category lists were very short, e.g., flowers (mean - 1.3, median - 1) and underground edible parts (mean - 0.7, median - 1). Wild vegetables are usually boiled and/or fried and served as side-dishes, or their green parts are eaten as snacks during mountain treks (e.g., peeled rhubarb shoots). Wild fruits are mainly collected by children and eaten raw, they are not stored for further use. The most widely used wild staple foods are Potetilla anserina roots, an important ceremonial food served on such occasions as New Year or at funerals. They are boiled and served with sugar and butter. The most important famine plants remembered by people are the aerial bulbils of Persicaria vivipara. Flowers are used as children's snacks - their nectar is sucked. The number of wild taxa eaten in the studied valley is similar to that of other Tibetan areas. The structure of wild food plant taxa is also very typical for Tibetan speaking areas (e.g., the use of rhubarb shoots, Potentilla anserina, Persicaria vivipara). The studied community show a high level of mycophilia.

Cervical necrotizing fasciitis and myositis in a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

PubMed

Allender, M C; McCain, S L; Ramsay, E C; Schumacher, J; Ilha, M R S

2009-06-01

A 39-yr-old wild-caught, female western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) died during an immobilization to assess swelling and apparent pain of the cervical region. Necropsy revealed a fistulous tract containing plant material in the oropharynx, above the soft palate, communicating with a left-sided cervical necrotizing fasciitis and myositis. Alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus and Prevotella sp. were isolated from the cervical lesion. This is a report of cervical necrotizing fasciitis in a western lowland gorilla.

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic relationship of wild type 1 poliovirus strains circulating across Pakistan and Afghanistan bordering areas during 2010-2012.

PubMed

Shaukat, Shahzad; Angez, Mehar; Alam, Muhammad Masroor; Sharif, Salmaan; Khurshid, Adnan; Malik, Farzana; Rehman, Lubna; Zaidi, Syed Sohail Zahoor

2014-01-01

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long uncontrolled border with extensive population movement on both sides. Wild poliovirus transmission has never been interrupted in this block due to war against terrorism, poor public health infrastructure, misconceptions about polio vaccines and inadequate immunization activities. All these issues complicate the eradication operations and reinforce the complexity of wiping out poliomyelitis from this region. This study illustrates the origins and routes of cross-border wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission during 2010-2012 between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sequence analyses were conducted based on complete VP1 capsid protein sequences for WPV1 study strains to determine the origin of poliovirus genetic lineages and their evolutionary relationships. Phylogenetic tree was constructed from VP1 gene sequences applying Maximum Likelihood method using Kimura 2- parameter model in MEGA program v 5.0. A total of 72 (14.3%) out of 502 wild-type 1 polioviruses were found circulating in border areas of both countries during 2010-2012. Molecular phylogenetic analysis classified these strains in to two sub-genotypes with four clusters and 18 lineages. Genetic data confirmed that the most of WPV1 lineages (12; 66.6%) were transmitted from Pakistan to Afghanistan. However, the genetic diversity was significantly reduced during 2012 as most of the lineages were completely eliminated. In conclusion, Pakistan-Afghanistan block has emerged as a single poliovirus reservoir sharing the multiple poliovirus lineages due to uncontrolled movement of people across the borders between two countries. If it is neglected, it can jeopardize the extensive global efforts done so-far to eradicate the poliovirus infection. Our data will be helpful to devise the preventive strategies for effective control of wild poliovirus transmission in this region.

Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants of Kara and Kwego semi-pastoralist people in Lower Omo River Valley, Debub Omo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The rural populations in Ethiopia have a rich knowledge of wild edible plants and consumption of wild edible plants is still an integral part of the different cultures in the country. In the southern part of the country, wild edible plants are used as dietary supplements and a means of survival during times of food shortage. Therefore, the aim of this study is to document the wild edible plants gathered and consumed by Kara and Kwego people, and to analyze patterns of use between the two people. Methods A cross sectional ethnobotanical study of wild edible plant species was conducted from January 2005 to March 2007. About 10% of each people: 150 Kara and 56 Kwego were randomly selected to serve as informants. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire and group discussions. Analysis of variance (α = 0.05) was used to test the similarity of species richness of wild edible plants reported by Kara and Kwego people; Pearson's Chi-square test (α = 0.05) was used to test similarity of growth forms and plant parts of wild edible plants used between the two people. Results Thirty-eight wild plant species were reported as food sources that were gathered and consumed both at times of plenty and scarcity; three were unique to Kara, five to Kwego and 14 had similar local names. The plant species were distributed among 23 families and 33 genera. The species richness: families, genera and species (p > 0.05) were not significantly different between Kara and Kwego. Nineteen (50%) of the reported wild edible plants were trees, 11 (29%) were shrubs, six (16%) were herbs and two (5%) were climbers. Forty plant parts were indicated as edible: 23 (58.97%) fruits, 13 (33.33%) leaves, 3 (7.69%) roots and one (2.56%) seed. There was no difference between wild edible plants growth forms reported (Pearson's Chi-square test (d.f. = 3) = 0.872) and plant parts used (Pearson's Chi-square test (d.f. = 3) = 0.994) by Kara and Kwego people. The majority of wild edible plants were gathered and consumed from 'Duka' (March) to 'Halet' (May) and from 'Meko' (August) to 'Tejo' (November). Sixteen (41%) of the plant parts were used as a substitute for cultivated vegetables during times of scarcity. The vegetables were chopped and boiled to make 'Belesha' (sauce) or as a relish to 'Adano' (porridge). The ripe fruits were gathered and consumed fresh and some were made into juices. The seeds and underground parts were only consumed in times of famine. Thirty-seven percent of the wild edible plants were used as medicine and 23.6% were used for other functions. Conclusions The wild edible plants were used as supplements to the cultivated crops and as famine foods between harvesting seasons. But information on the nutritional values and possible toxic effects of most of the wild edible plants reported by Kara and Kwego, and others in different part of Ethiopia is not available. Therefore, the documented information on the wild edible plants may serve as baseline data for future studies on nutritional values and possible side effects, and to identify plants that may improve nutrition and increase dietary diversity. Some of these wild edible plants may have the potential to be valuable food sources (if cultivated) and could be part of a strategy in tackling food insecurity. PMID:20712910

Performance of hybrid progeny formed between genetically modified herbicide-tolerant soybean and its wild ancestor

PubMed Central

Guan, Zheng-Jun; Zhang, Peng-Fei; Wei, Wei; Mi, Xiang-Cheng; Kang, Ding-Ming; Liu, Biao

2015-01-01

Gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops to wild relatives might affect the evolutionary dynamics of weedy populations and result in the persistence of escaped genes. To examine the effects of this gene flow, the growth of F1 hybrids that were formed by pollinating wild soybean (Glycine soja) with glyphosate-tolerant GM soybean (G. max) or its non-GM counterpart was examined in a greenhouse. The wild soybean was collected from two geographical populations in China. The performance of the wild soybean and the F2 hybrids was further explored in a field trial. Performance was measured by several vegetative and reproductive growth parameters, including the vegetative growth period, pod number, seed number, above-ground biomass and 100-seed weight. The pod setting percentage was very low in the hybrid plants. Genetically modified hybrid F1 plants had a significantly longer period of vegetative growth, higher biomass and lower 100-seed weight than the non-GM ones. The 100-seed weight of both F1 and F2 hybrids was significantly higher than that of wild soybean in both the greenhouse and the field trial. No difference in plant growth was found between GM and non-GM F2 hybrids in the field trial. The herbicide-resistant gene appeared not to adversely affect the growth of introgressed wild soybeans, suggesting that the escaped transgene could persist in nature in the absence of herbicide use. PMID:26507568

Dynamics of an Active-Site Flap Contributes to Catalysis in a JAMM Family Metallo Deubiquitinase.

PubMed

Bueno, Amy N; Shrestha, Rashmi K; Ronau, Judith A; Babar, Aditya; Sheedlo, Michael J; Fuchs, Julian E; Paul, Lake N; Das, Chittaranjan

2015-10-06

The endosome-associated deubiquitinase (DUB) AMSH is a member of the JAMM family of zinc-dependent metallo isopeptidases with high selectivity for Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chains, which play a key role in endosomal-lysosomal sorting of activated cell surface receptors. The catalytic domain of the enzyme features a flexible flap near the active site that opens and closes during its catalytic cycle. Structural analysis of its homologues, AMSH-LP (AMSH-like protein) and the fission yeast counterpart, Sst2, suggests that a conserved Phe residue in the flap may be critical for substrate binding and/or catalysis. To gain insight into the contribution of this flap in substrate recognition and catalysis, we generated mutants of Sst2 and characterized them using a combination of enzyme kinetics, X-ray crystallography, molecular dynamics simulations, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Our analysis shows that the Phe residue in the flap contributes key interactions during the rate-limiting step but not to substrate binding, since mutants of Phe403 exhibit a defect only in kcat but not in KM. Moreover, ITC studies show Phe403 mutants have similar KD for ubiquitin compared to the wild-type enzyme. The X-ray structures of both Phe403Ala and the Phe403Trp, in both the free and ubiquitin bound form, reveal no appreciable structural change that might impair substrate or alter product binding. We observed that the side chain of the Trp residue is oriented identically with respect to the isopeptide moiety of the substrate as the Phe residue in the wild-type enzyme, so the loss of activity seen in this mutant cannot be explained by the absence of a group with the ability to provide van der Waals interactions that facilitate the hyrdolysis of the Lys63-linked diubiquitin. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the flap in the Trp mutant is quite flexible, allowing almost free rotation of the indole side chain. Therefore, it is possible that these different dynamic properties of the flap in the Trp mutant, compared to the wild-type enzyme, manifest as a defect in interactions that facilitate the rate-limiting step. Consistent with this notion, the Trp mutant was able to cleave Lys48-linked and Lys11-linked diubiquitin better than the wild-type enzyme, indicating altered mobility and hence reduced selectivity.

Exploring the Other Side of the Brain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Therese

1984-01-01

At a school for the deaf, weekly hobby classes encourage use of the right side of the brain. Mini courses have included oil painting, sewing, ceramics, gymnastics, and photography with a stress on such right-brain learning techniques as imaging, sequencing, and manipulating patterns. (CL)

Galactose-depleted xyloglucan is dysfunctional and leads to dwarfism in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Kong, Yingzhen; Peña, Maria J; Renna, Luciana; Avci, Utku; Pattathil, Sivakumar; Tuomivaara, Sami T; Li, Xuemei; Reiter, Wolf-Dieter; Brandizzi, Federica; Hahn, Michael G; Darvill, Alan G; York, William S; O'Neill, Malcolm A

2015-04-01

Xyloglucan is a polysaccharide that has important roles in the formation and function of the walls that surround growing land plant cells. Many of these plants synthesize xyloglucan that contains galactose in two different side chains (L and F), which exist in distinct molecular environments. However, little is known about the contribution of these side chains to xyloglucan function. Here, we show that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants devoid of the F side chain galactosyltransferase MURUS3 (MUR3) form xyloglucan that lacks F side chains and contains much less galactosylated xylose than its wild-type counterpart. The galactose-depleted xyloglucan is dysfunctional, as it leads to mutants that are dwarfed with curled rosette leaves, short petioles, and short inflorescence stems. Moreover, cell wall matrix polysaccharides, including xyloglucan and pectin, are not properly secreted and instead accumulate within intracellular aggregates. Near-normal growth is restored by generating mur3 mutants that produce no detectable amounts of xyloglucan. Thus, cellular processes are affected more by the presence of the dysfunctional xyloglucan than by eliminating xyloglucan altogether. To identify structural features responsible for xyloglucan dysfunction, xyloglucan structure was modified in situ by generating mur3 mutants that lack specific xyloglucan xylosyltransferases (XXTs) or that overexpress the XYLOGLUCAN L-SIDE CHAIN GALACTOSYLTRANSFERASE2 (XLT2) gene. Normal growth was restored in the mur3-3 mutant overexpressing XLT2 and in mur3-3 xxt double mutants when the dysfunctional xyloglucan was modified by doubling the amounts of galactosylated side chains. Our study assigns a role for galactosylation in normal xyloglucan function and demonstrates that altering xyloglucan side chain structure disturbs diverse cellular and physiological processes. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Sexual conflict over mating in red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) as indicated by experimental manipulation of genitalia.

PubMed

Friesen, Christopher R; Uhrig, Emily J; Squire, Mattie K; Mason, Robert T; Brennan, Patricia L R

2014-01-07

Sexual conflict over mating can result in sex-specific morphologies and behaviours that allow each sex to exert control over the outcome of reproduction. Genital traits, in particular, are often directly involved in conflict interactions. Via genital manipulation, we experimentally investigated whether genital traits in red-sided garter snakes influence copulation duration and formation of a copulatory plug. The hemipenes of male red-sided garter snakes have a large basal spine that inserts into the female cloaca during mating. We ablated the spine and found that males were still capable of copulation but copulation duration was much shorter and copulatory plugs were smaller than those produced by intact males. We also anaesthetized the female cloacal region and found that anaesthetized females copulated longer than control females, suggesting that female cloacal and vaginal contractions play a role in controlling copulation duration. Both results, combined with known aspects of the breeding biology of red-sided garter snakes, strongly support the idea that sexual conflict is involved in mating interactions in this species. Our results demonstrate the complex interactions among male and female traits generated by coevolutionary processes in a wild population. Such complexity highlights the importance of simultaneous examination of male and female traits.

Post-Transcriptional Dysregulation by miRNAs Is Implicated in the Pathogenesis of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor [GIST

PubMed Central

Kelly, Lorna; Bryan, Kenneth; Kim, Su Young; Janeway, Katherine A.; Killian, J. Keith; Schildhaus, Hans-Ulrich; Miettinen, Markku; Helman, Lee; Meltzer, Paul S.; van de Rijn, Matt; Debiec-Rychter, Maria; O’Sullivan, Maureen

2013-01-01

In contrast to adult mutant gastrointestinal stromal tumors [GISTs], pediatric/wild-type GISTs remain poorly understood overall, given their lack of oncogenic activating tyrosine kinase mutations. These GISTs, with a predilection for gastric origin in female patients, show limited response to therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and generally pursue a more indolent course, but still may prove fatal. Defective cellular respiration appears to underpin tumor development in these wild-type cases, which as a group lack expression of succinate dehydrogenase [SDH] B, a surrogate marker for respiratory chain metabolism. Yet, only a small subset of the wild-type tumors show mutations in the genes coding for the SDH subunits [SDHx]. To explore additional pathogenetic mechanisms in these wild-type GISTs, we elected to investigate post-transcriptional regulation of these tumors by conducting microRNA (miRNA) profiling of a mixed cohort of 73 cases including 18 gastric pediatric wild-type, 25 (20 gastric, 4 small bowel and 1 retroperitoneal) adult wild-type GISTs and 30 gastric adult mutant GISTs. By this approach we have identified distinct signatures for GIST subtypes which correlate tightly with clinico-pathological parameters. A cluster of miRNAs on 14q32 show strikingly different expression patterns amongst GISTs, a finding which appears to be explained at least in part by differential allelic methylation of this imprinted region. Small bowel and retroperitoneal wild-type GISTs segregate with adult mutant GISTs and express SDHB, while adult wild-type gastric GISTs are dispersed amongst adult mutant and pediatric wild-type cases, clustering in this situation on the basis of SDHB expression. Interestingly, global methylation analysis has recently similarly demonstrated that these wild-type, SDHB-immunonegative tumors show a distinct pattern compared with KIT and PDGFRA mutant tumors, which as a rule do express SDHB. All cases with Carney triad within our cohort cluster together tightly. PMID:23717541

Post-transcriptional dysregulation by miRNAs is implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor [GIST].

PubMed

Kelly, Lorna; Bryan, Kenneth; Kim, Su Young; Janeway, Katherine A; Killian, J Keith; Schildhaus, Hans-Ulrich; Miettinen, Markku; Helman, Lee; Meltzer, Paul S; van de Rijn, Matt; Debiec-Rychter, Maria; O'Sullivan, Maureen

2013-01-01

In contrast to adult mutant gastrointestinal stromal tumors [GISTs], pediatric/wild-type GISTs remain poorly understood overall, given their lack of oncogenic activating tyrosine kinase mutations. These GISTs, with a predilection for gastric origin in female patients, show limited response to therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and generally pursue a more indolent course, but still may prove fatal. Defective cellular respiration appears to underpin tumor development in these wild-type cases, which as a group lack expression of succinate dehydrogenase [SDH] B, a surrogate marker for respiratory chain metabolism. Yet, only a small subset of the wild-type tumors show mutations in the genes coding for the SDH subunits [SDHx]. To explore additional pathogenetic mechanisms in these wild-type GISTs, we elected to investigate post-transcriptional regulation of these tumors by conducting microRNA (miRNA) profiling of a mixed cohort of 73 cases including 18 gastric pediatric wild-type, 25 (20 gastric, 4 small bowel and 1 retroperitoneal) adult wild-type GISTs and 30 gastric adult mutant GISTs. By this approach we have identified distinct signatures for GIST subtypes which correlate tightly with clinico-pathological parameters. A cluster of miRNAs on 14q32 show strikingly different expression patterns amongst GISTs, a finding which appears to be explained at least in part by differential allelic methylation of this imprinted region. Small bowel and retroperitoneal wild-type GISTs segregate with adult mutant GISTs and express SDHB, while adult wild-type gastric GISTs are dispersed amongst adult mutant and pediatric wild-type cases, clustering in this situation on the basis of SDHB expression. Interestingly, global methylation analysis has recently similarly demonstrated that these wild-type, SDHB-immunonegative tumors show a distinct pattern compared with KIT and PDGFRA mutant tumors, which as a rule do express SDHB. All cases with Carney triad within our cohort cluster together tightly.

Wet and Wild: A Multidisciplinary Marine Education Teacher Guide, Grades K-6. Unit III. Research: Innerspace Explorers = Humedo y Salvaje. Tercera Unidad. La Investigacion Cientifica: Exploradores del Espacio Interior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Richard C.

Topics and activities related to oceanographic research (innerspace exploration) are the focus of this multidisciplinary, marine education teaching guide for students in kindergarten through grade 6. The guide is divided into six sections (labeled A through F). The first five sections consist of various kinds of activities, with the appropriate…

A Case Analysis of a Model Program for the Leadership Development of Women Faculty and Staff Seeking to Advance Their Careers in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calizo, Lee Scherer Hawthorne

2011-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to explore a model of leadership development for women faculty and staff in higher education. This study is significant because it explored the only identified campus-based program open to both faculty and staff. The campus-based Women's Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) program at the University of…

"We're a Little Bit Lost Aren't We?": Outdoor Exploration, Real and Fantastical Lands, and the Educational Possibilities of Disorientation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilenski, Deb

2014-01-01

This article advocates an approach to outdoor exploration that begins by welcoming the unknown and quite possibly disorientating aspects of wild places. It proposes that one of the major ways in which young children make lasting connections with landscape is through imagination and the power of invention, and argues for the rights of children to…

Wild food plants used by the Tibetans of Gongba Valley (Zhouqu county, Gansu, China)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The ethnobotany of Tibetans is a seriously under-studied topic. The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge and use of wild food plants in a valley inhabited by Tibetans in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Region. Methods The field research was carried out in a wooded mountain valley in 9 neighbouring villages the Zhouqu (Brugchu) county, and comprised 17 interviews with single informants and 14 group interviews, involving 122 people altogether. Results We recorded the use of 81 species of vascular plants from 41 families. Fruits formed the largest category, with 42 species, larger than the wild greens category, with 36 species. We also recorded the culinary use of 5 species of edible flowers, 7 species with underground edible organs and 5 taxa of fungi. On average, 16.2 edible taxa were listed per interview (median – 16). Green vegetables formed the largest category of wild foods (mean – 8.7 species, median – 9 species), but fruits were listed nearly as frequently (mean – 6.9, median – 6). Other categories were rarely mentioned: flowers (mean – 0.2, median – 0), underground edible parts (mean – 0.3, median – 0) and mushrooms (mean – 1.5, – median 1). Wild vegetables are usually boiled and/or fried and served as side-dishes (cai). They are often lacto-fermented. Wild fruits are mainly collected by children and eaten raw, they are not stored for further use. The most widely used wild vegetables are: Eleuterococcus spp., Pteridium aquilinum, Helwingia japonica, Aralia chinensis, Allium victorialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Ixeris chinensis, Thlaspi arvense and Chenopodium album. The culinary use of Caltha palustris as a green vegetable is very interesting. In its raw state, marsh marigold is a toxic plant, due to the presence of protoanemonin. In this area it is dried or lactofermented before use. The most commonly eaten fruits are: Pyrus xerophila, Prunus salicina, Berchemia sinica, Rubus spp. and Eleagnus umbellata. Conclusions The number of wild taxa eaten in the studied valley is relatively large compared to most studies from around the world. However, compared to the northern slope of the Qinling, in Shaanxi, the list is considerably shorter, in spite of the similar methodology applied and similar research effort involved. PMID:24502461

Male and Female Mice Lacking Neuroligin-3 Modify the Behavior of Their Wild-Type Littermates.

PubMed

Kalbassi, Shireene; Bachmann, Sven O; Cross, Ellen; Roberton, Victoria H; Baudouin, Stéphane J

2017-01-01

In most mammals, including humans, the postnatal acquisition of normal social and nonsocial behavior critically depends on interactions with peers. Here we explore the possibility that mixed-group housing of mice carrying a deletion of Nlgn3 , a gene associated with autism spectrum disorders, and their wild-type littermates induces changes in each other's behavior. We have found that, when raised together, male Nlgn3 knockout mice and their wild-type littermates displayed deficits in sociability. Moreover, social submission in adult male Nlgn3 knockout mice correlated with an increase in their anxiety. Re-expression of Nlgn3 in parvalbumin-expressing cells in transgenic animals rescued their social behavior and alleviated the phenotype of their wild-type littermates, further indicating that the social behavior of Nlgn3 knockout mice has a direct and measurable impact on wild-type animals' behavior. Finally, we showed that, unlike male mice, female mice lacking Nlgn3 were insensitive to their peers' behavior but modified the social behavior of their littermates. Altogether, our findings show that the environment is a critical factor in the development of behavioral phenotypes in transgenic and wild-type mice. In addition, these results reveal that the social environment has a sexually dimorphic effect on the behavior of mice lacking Nlgn3 , being more influential in males than females.

Male and Female Mice Lacking Neuroligin-3 Modify the Behavior of Their Wild-Type Littermates

PubMed Central

Kalbassi, Shireene; Cross, Ellen

2017-01-01

Abstract In most mammals, including humans, the postnatal acquisition of normal social and nonsocial behavior critically depends on interactions with peers. Here we explore the possibility that mixed-group housing of mice carrying a deletion of Nlgn3, a gene associated with autism spectrum disorders, and their wild-type littermates induces changes in each other’s behavior. We have found that, when raised together, male Nlgn3 knockout mice and their wild-type littermates displayed deficits in sociability. Moreover, social submission in adult male Nlgn3 knockout mice correlated with an increase in their anxiety. Re-expression of Nlgn3 in parvalbumin-expressing cells in transgenic animals rescued their social behavior and alleviated the phenotype of their wild-type littermates, further indicating that the social behavior of Nlgn3 knockout mice has a direct and measurable impact on wild-type animals’ behavior. Finally, we showed that, unlike male mice, female mice lacking Nlgn3 were insensitive to their peers’ behavior but modified the social behavior of their littermates. Altogether, our findings show that the environment is a critical factor in the development of behavioral phenotypes in transgenic and wild-type mice. In addition, these results reveal that the social environment has a sexually dimorphic effect on the behavior of mice lacking Nlgn3, being more influential in males than females. PMID:28795135

Computer image processing in marine resource exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paluzzi, P. R.; Normark, W. R.; Hess, G. R.; Hess, H. D.; Cruickshank, M. J.

1976-01-01

Pictographic data or imagery is commonly used in marine exploration. Pre-existing image processing techniques (software) similar to those used on imagery obtained from unmanned planetary exploration were used to improve marine photography and side-scan sonar imagery. Features and details not visible by conventional photo processing methods were enhanced by filtering and noise removal on selected deep-sea photographs. Information gained near the periphery of photographs allows improved interpretation and facilitates construction of bottom mosaics where overlapping frames are available. Similar processing techniques were applied to side-scan sonar imagery, including corrections for slant range distortion, and along-track scale changes. The use of digital data processing and storage techniques greatly extends the quantity of information that can be handled, stored, and processed.

"Side effects affected my daily activities a lot": a qualitative exploration of the impact of contraceptive side effects in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Jain, Aparna; Reichenbach, Laura; Ehsan, Iqbal; Rob, Ubaidur

2017-01-01

In a country like Bangladesh that has made great progress in contraceptive use with one of the lowest levels of fertility and highest levels of contraceptive use, understanding what factors influence women's decisions to discontinue a contraceptive method and not switch to a new method is critical in designing interventions and programs that will help enable Bangladesh to reach its FP2020 goals. Research on side effects has focused on physical manifestations like headaches, moodiness, abdominal pain, and menstrual irregularities. While physical effects alone may stop women from continuing a contraceptive method, less is known about how side effects influence women's daily activities and lives. The purpose of this study is to understand the ways that side effects affect Bangladeshi women's participation in different social settings. Thirty-five in-depth interviews with married women who recently discontinued or switched to a different contraceptive method were conducted in Sylhet and Khulna Divisions. Interviews explored reasons for discontinuation including experience of side effects and impact of side effects on women's lives. Key themes emerged including that side effects are not only experienced physically but are barriers to women's participation in many aspects of their lives. The spheres of life that most commonly appeared to be influenced by side effects include religion, household, and sexual intimacy irrespective of method used or residence. Family planning providers need to be aware of these additional consequences associated with contraceptive side effects to provide tailored counseling that recognizes these issues and helps women to mitigate them. For Bangladesh to achieve its FP2020 goals, understanding the broader context in which family planning decisions are made vis-à-vis side effects is critical to design programs and interventions that meet all the needs of women beyond just their fertility intentions.

Iterative key-residues interrogation of a phytase with thermostability increasing substitutions identified in directed evolution.

PubMed

Shivange, Amol V; Roccatano, Danilo; Schwaneberg, Ulrich

2016-01-01

Bacterial phytases have attracted industrial interest as animal feed supplement due to their high activity and sufficient thermostability (required for feed pelleting). We devised an approach named KeySIDE,  an iterative Key-residues interrogation of the wild type with Substitutions Identified in Directed Evolution for improving Yersinia mollaretii phytase (Ymphytase) thermostability by combining key beneficial substitutions and elucidating their individual roles. Directed evolution yielded in a discovery of nine positions in Ymphytase and combined iteratively to identify key positions. The "best" combination (M6: T77K, Q154H, G187S, and K289Q) resulted in significantly improved thermal resistance; the residual activity improved from 35 % (wild type) to 89 % (M6) at 58 °C and 20-min incubation. Melting temperature increased by 3 °C in M6 without a loss of specific activity. Molecular dynamics simulation studies revealed reduced flexibility in the loops located next to helices (B, F, and K) which possess substitutions (Helix-B: T77K, Helix-F: G187S, and Helix-K: K289E/Q). Reduced flexibility in the loops might be caused by strengthened hydrogen bonding network (e.g., G187S and K289E/K289Q) and a salt bridge (T77K). Our results demonstrate a promising approach to design phytases in food research, and we hope that the KeySIDE might become an attractive approach for understanding of structure-function relationships of enzymes.

Statistical Modeling Suggests that Antiandrogens in Effluents from Wastewater Treatment Works Contribute to Widespread Sexual Disruption in Fish Living in English Rivers

PubMed Central

Jobling, Susan; Burn, Robert. W.; Thorpe, Karen; Williams, Richard; Tyler, Charles

2009-01-01

Background The widespread occurrence of feminized male fish downstream of some wastewater treatment works has led to substantial interest from ecologists and public health professionals. This concern stems from the view that the effects observed have a parallel in humans, and that both phenomena are caused by exposure to mixtures of contaminants that interfere with reproductive development. The evidence for a “wildlife–human connection” is, however, weak: Testicular dysgenesis syndrome, seen in human males, is most easily reproduced in rodent models by exposure to mixtures of antiandrogenic chemicals. In contrast, the accepted explanation for feminization of wild male fish is that it results mainly from exposure to steroidal estrogens originating primarily from human excretion. Objectives We sought to further explore the hypothesis that endocrine disruption in fish is multicausal, resulting from exposure to mixtures of chemicals with both estrogenic and antiandrogenic properties. Methods We used hierarchical generalized linear and generalized additive statistical modeling to explore the associations between modeled concentrations and activities of estrogenic and antiandrogenic chemicals in 30 U.K. rivers and feminized responses seen in wild fish living in these rivers. Results In addition to the estrogenic substances, antiandrogenic activity was prevalent in almost all treated sewage effluents tested. Further, the results of the modeling demonstrated that feminizing effects in wild fish could be best modeled as a function of their predicted exposure to both antiandrogens and estrogens or to antiandrogens alone. Conclusion The results provide a strong argument for a multicausal etiology of widespread feminization of wild fish in U.K. rivers involving contributions from both steroidal estrogens and xenoestrogens and from other (as yet unknown) contaminants with antiandrogenic properties. These results may add further credence to the hypothesis that endocrine-disrupting effects seen in wild fish and in humans are caused by similar combinations of endocrine-disrupting chemical cocktails. PMID:19479024

Reproductive Ratio for the Local Spread of African Swine Fever in Wild Boars in the Russian Federation.

PubMed

Iglesias, I; Muñoz, M J; Montes, F; Perez, A; Gogin, A; Kolbasov, D; de la Torre, A

2016-12-01

African swine fever (ASF) has caused the swine industry of the Russian Federation substantial economic losses over the last 7 years, and the disease spread from there to a number of neighbouring countries. Wild boar has been involved in the spread of the disease both at local and at transboundary levels. Understanding ASF dynamics in wild boars is prerequisite to preventing the spread and to designing and applying effective surveillance and control plans. The reproductive ratio (R 0 ) is an epidemiological indicator commonly used to quantify the extent of disease spread. Here, it was estimated in nine spatio-temporal clusters of ASF in wild boar cases in the Russian Federation (2007-2013). Clusters were defined by exploring the maximum distance of association of ASF cases using K Ripley analysis and spatio-temporal scan statistics. A maximum spatial association of 133 km in wild boar cases was identified which is within de the conventional radius of surveillance zone (100-150 km). The mean range value of R 0  = 1.58 (1.13-3.77) was lower compared to values previously estimated for ASF transmission within farms but similar to early estimates between farm (R 0  = 2-3), in domestic pigs using notification data in the Russian Federation. Results obtained provide quantitative knowledge on the epidemiology of ASF in wild boars in the Russian Federation. They identify the ASF transmission rate value in affected natural wild populations, for the first time, which could provide basis for modelling ASF transmission and suggest that current surveillance radius should be reviewed to make surveillance in wild nature more targeted and effective. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Nurses' discourse in contraceptive prescribing: an analysis using Foucault's 'procedures of exclusion'.

PubMed

Hayter, Mark

2007-05-01

This paper is a report of an analysis of the discourse about contraceptive efficacy and side effects used by nurses when prescribing contraception. All women seeking contraception should be informed of the efficacy and potential adverse effects of the particular method they are considering. This information facilitates an informed choice. Women also require this information in order to monitor for any side effects. Paradoxically, side effects are also a key factor in reducing adherence with contraceptive regimens. However, there is no literature that explores specifically how this issue is addressed in clinical consultations, or places these practices in a theoretical context. Forty-nine consultations between nurses and women in sexual health clinics were audio-recorded during 2002. Data were subject to a discourse analysis using Foucault's 'procedures of exclusion' to explore the discursive construction of contraceptive efficacy and side effects The nurses employed specific discursive strategies when discussing contraception. When addressing efficacy, discourse centred on medico-statistical facts, but side effects were described in lay terms that minimized their severity. Nurses contextualized contraceptive side effects within potential problems that women might experience in pregnancy, and also attempted to 'normalize' contraceptive-related problems. Discourse and its deployment play a key role in practitioner-client relationships that sexual health nurses need to become more aware of how they discuss clinical issues about contraception with women. Clinical data on contraceptive side-effects are present in the literature, and it is important that sexual health nurses use this to help women make truly informed decisions.

Characteristics of mutants designed to incorporate a new ion pair into the structure of a cold adapted subtilisin-like serine proteinase.

PubMed

Sigurdardóttir, Anna Gudný; Arnórsdóttir, Jóhanna; Thorbjarnardóttir, Sigrídur H; Eggertsson, Gudmundur; Suhre, Karsten; Kristjánsson, Magnús M

2009-03-01

Structural comparisons of VPR, a subtilisin-like serine proteinase from a psychrotrophic Vibrio species and a thermophilic homologue, aqualysin I, have led us to hypothesize about the roles of different residues in the temperature adaptation of the enzymes. Some of these hypotheses are now being examined by analysis of mutants of the enzymes. The selected substitutions are believed to increase the stability of the cold adapted enzyme based on structural analysis of the thermostable structure. We report here on mutants, which were designed to incorporate an ion pair into the structure of VPR. The residues Asp17 and Arg259 are assumed to form an ion pair in aqualysin I. The cold adapted VPR contains Asn (Asn15) and Lys (Lys257) at corresponding sites in its structure. In VPR, Asn 15 is located on a surface loop with its side group pointing towards the side chain of Lys257. By substituting Asn15 by Asp (N15D) it was considered feasible that a salt bridge would form between the oppositely charged groups. To mimic further the putative salt bridge from the thermophile enzyme the corresponding double mutant (N15D/K257R) was also produced. The N15D mutation increased the thermal stability of VPR by approximately 3 degrees C, both in T(50%) and T(m). Addition of the K257R mutation did not however, increase the stability of the double mutant any further. Despite this stabilization of the VPR mutants the catalytic activity (k(cat)) against the substrate Suc-AAPF-NH-Np was increased in the mutants. Molecular dynamics simulations on wild type and the two mutant proteins suggested that indeed a salt bridge was formed in both cases. Furthermore, a truncated form of the N15D mutant (N15DDeltaC) was produced, lacking a 15 residue long C-terminal extended sequence not present in the thermophilic enzyme. In wild type VPR this supposedly moveable, negatively charged arm on the protein molecule might interfere with the new salt bridge introduced as a result of the N15D mutation. Removal of the C-terminal arm improved the thermal stability (T(m) approximately +1.5 degrees C) of the truncated enzyme (VPRDeltaC) as compared to the wild type VPR. Introduction of the N15D substitution into VPRDeltaC improved the thermal stability further by about 3 degrees C, or to about the same extent as in the wild type. However, contrary to what was observed for the wild type, the introduction of the putative salt bridge did not affect the catalytic properties (k(cat)) of the C-terminal truncated enzyme.

YRE Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Div. of School Facilities Planning.

This report examines single- and multi-track educational programs as found in California's public school system, explores the pros and cons of using year-round education (YRE) programs, and how to implement these programs. Each year-round tracking system is detailed using each of their calendars in a side-by-side comparison along with the…

Side View of 'Endurance Crater'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This picture from the rear hazard-avoidance camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a side view of 'Endurance Crater.' Opportunity took the image on sol 188 (Aug. 4, 2004), before transmitting it and other data to the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The orbiter then relayed the data to Earth.

Topic Centred Subject/Language Learning Materials and Their Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rado, Marta

Social bilinguals (second language learners in a linguistic minority) and cultural bilinguals (foreign language learners) often learn side by side in the same classroom, making syllabus planning and choice of teaching methodology difficult. Adopting a bilingual approach and exploring the semantic and discourse aspects of language can overcome the…

ARES I AND ARES V CONCEPT IMAGE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

THIS CONCEPT IMAGE SHOWS NASA'S NEXT GENERATION LAUNCH VEHICLE SYSTEMS STANDING SIDE BY SIDE. ARES I, LEFT, IS THE CREW LAUNCH VEHICLE THAT WILL CARRY THE ORION CREW EXPLORATION VEHICLE TO SPACE. ARES V IS THE CARGO LAUNCH VEHICLE THAT WILL DELIVER LARGE SCALE HARDWARE, INCLUDING THE LUNAR LANDER, TO SPACE.

Visual Juxtaposition as Qualitative Inquiry in Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metcalfe, Amy Scott

2015-01-01

Visual juxtaposition is inquiry through contrast, facilitated by side-by-side positioning of two images, or images and text. When combined with a theoretical foundation that explores interactions between the material and discursive elements of visual data, juxtaposition creates opportunities for qualitative analysis that are not as readily…

Dynamic Conformational Changes in MUNC18 Prevent Syntaxin Binding

PubMed Central

Bar-On, Dana; Nachliel, Esther; Gutman, Menachem; Ashery, Uri

2011-01-01

The Sec1/munc18 protein family is essential for vesicle fusion in eukaryotic cells via binding to SNARE proteins. Protein kinase C modulates these interactions by phosphorylating munc18a thereby reducing its affinity to one of the central SNARE members, syntaxin-1a. The established hypothesis is that the reduced affinity of the phosphorylated munc18a to syntaxin-1a is a result of local electrostatic repulsion between the two proteins, which interferes with their compatibility. The current study challenges this paradigm and offers a novel mechanistic explanation by revealing a syntaxin-non-binding conformation of munc18a that is induced by the phosphomimetic mutations. In the present study, using molecular dynamics simulations, we explored the dynamics of the wild-type munc18a versus phosphomimetic mutant munc18a. We focused on the structural changes that occur in the cavity between domains 3a and 1, which serves as the main syntaxin-binding site. The results of the simulations suggest that the free wild-type munc18a exhibits a dynamic equilibrium between several conformations differing in the size of its cavity (the main syntaxin-binding site). The flexibility of the cavity's size might facilitate the binding or unbinding of syntaxin. In silico insertion of phosphomimetic mutations into the munc18a structure induces the formation of a conformation where the syntaxin-binding area is rigid and blocked as a result of interactions between residues located on both sides of the cavity. Therefore, we suggest that the reduced affinity of the phosphomimetic mutant/phosphorylated munc18a is a result of the closed-cavity conformation, which makes syntaxin binding energetically and sterically unfavorable. The current study demonstrates the potential of phosphoryalation, an essential biological process, to serve as a driving force for dramatic conformational changes of proteins modulating their affinity to target proteins. PMID:21390273

Spatiotemporal evolutionary epidemiology of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in West Africa and Nigeria, 2006-2015.

PubMed

Ekong, P S; Fountain-Jones, N M; Alkhamis, M A

2018-02-01

H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) was first observed in Nigeria in early 2006 and has now spread to more than 17 African countries having severe economic and public health implications. Here, we explore the spatiotemporal patterns of viral dispersal both among West African countries and within Nigeria using sequence data from hemagglutinin (HA) gene region of the virus. Analyses were performed within a statistical Bayesian framework using phylodynamic models on data sets comprising of all publically available HA sequence data collected from seven West African countries and Egypt between 2006 and 2015. Our regional-level analyses indicated that H5N1 in West Africa originated in Nigeria in three geopolitical regions, specifically north central and north-east, where backyard poultry and wild birds are in frequent contact, as well as south-west, a major commercial poultry area, then dispersed to West African countries. We inferred significant virus dispersal routes between Niger and Nigeria on one side and Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Egypt on the other. Furthermore, south-west Nigeria identified as a primary source for virus dispersal within Nigeria as well as to Niger in 2006 and 2008. Niger was an important epicentre for the virus spread into other West African countries in 2015. Egyptian introductions from West Africa were sporadic and resulted most likely from poultry trade with Nigeria rather than contact with infected wild birds. Our inferred viral dispersal routes reflected the large-scale unrestricted movements of infected poultry in the region. Our study illustrates the ability of phylodynamic models to trace important HPAIV dispersal routes at a regional and national level. Our results have clear implications for the control and prevention of this pathogen across scales and will help improve molecular surveillance of transboundary HPAIVs. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Comparison of bilateral whisker movement in freely exploring and head-fixed adult rats.

PubMed

Sellien, Heike; Eshenroder, Donna S; Ebner, Ford F

2005-09-01

Rats move their whiskers actively during tactile exploration of their environment. The whiskers emanate from densely innervated whisker follicles that are moved individually by intrinsic facial muscles and as a group by extrinsic muscles. Several descriptions of whisker movements in normal adult rats during unrestrained exploration indicate that rats move their whiskers in the 6-9 Hz range when exploring a new environment. The rate can be elevated to nearly 20 Hz for brief episodes just prior to making a behavioural decision. The present studies were undertaken to compare whisker dynamics in head-restrained and freely moving rats with symmetrical or asymmetrical numbers of whiskers on the two sides of their face and to provide a description of differences in whisker use in exploring rats after trimming all but two whiskers on one side of the face, a condition that has been shown to induce robust cortical plasticity. Head-fixed rats were trained to protract their whiskers against a contact detector with sufficient force to trigger a chocolate milk reward. Whisker movements were analyzed, and the results from head-fixed animals were compared with free-running animals using trials taken during their initial exploration of novel objects that blocked the rat's progress down an elevated runway. The results show that symmetrical whisker movements are modulated both by the nature of the task and the number of whiskers available for exploration. Rats can change their whisker movements when the sensitivity (threshold) of a contact detector is raised or lowered, or when the nature of the task requires bilateral input from the whiskers. We show that trimming some, but not all whiskers on one side of the face modifies the synchrony of whisker movement compared to untrimmed or symmetrically trimmed whiskers.

Financing pharmaceuticals in transition economies.

PubMed

Kanavos, P

1999-06-01

This paper (a) provides a methodological taxonomy of pricing, financing, reimbursement, and cost containment methodologies for pharmaceuticals; (b) analyzes complex agency relationships and the health versus industrial policy tradeoff; (c) pinpoints financing measures to balance safety and effectiveness of medicines and their affordability by publicly funded systems in transition; and (d) highlights viable options for policy-makers for the financing of pharmaceuticals in transition. Three categories of measures and their implications for pharmaceutical policy cost containing are analyzed: supply-side measures, targeting manufacturers, proxy demand-side measures, targeting physicians and pharmacists, and demand-side measures, targeting patients. In pursuing supply side measures, we explore free pricing for pharmaceuticals, direct price controls, cost-plus and cost pricing, average pricing and international price comparisons, profit control, reference pricing, the introduction of a fourth hurdle, positive and negative lists, and other price control measures. The analysis of proxy-demand measures includes budgets for physicians, generic policies, practice guidelines, monitoring the authorizing behavior of physicians, and disease management schemes. Demand-side measures explore the effectiveness of patient co-payments, the impact of allowing products over-the-counter and health promotion programs. Global policies should operate simultaneously on the supply, the proxy demand, and the demand-side. Policy-making needs to have a continuous long-term planning. The importation of policies into transition economy may require extensive and expensive adaptation, and/or lead to sub-optimal policy outcomes.

Wild populations of Triatoma infestans: Compilation of positive sites and comparison of their ecological niche with domestic population niche.

PubMed

Brenière, Simone Frédérique; Buitrago, Rosio; Waleckx, Etienne; Depickère, Stéphanie; Sosa, Victor; Barnabé, Christian; Gorla, David

2017-12-01

For several years, the wild populations of Triatoma infestans, main vector of Trypanosoma cruzi causing Chagas disease, have been considered or suspected of being a source of reinfestation of villages. The number of sites reported for the presence of wild T. infestans, often close to human habitats, has greatly increased, but these data are scattered in several publications, and others obtained by our team in Bolivia have not been published yet. Herein is compiled the largest number of wild sites explored for the presence of T. infestans collected with two methods The standardized methods aimed to determine the relationship between wild T. infestans and the ecoregion, and the directed method help to confirm the presence/absence of triatomines in the ecoregions. Entomological indices were compared between ecoregions and an environmental niche modelling approach, based on bioclimatic variables, was applied. The active search for wild T. infestans in Bolivia suggests a discontinuous distribution from the Andean valleys to the lowlands (Chaco), while the models used suggest a continuous distribution between the two regions and very large areas where wild populations remain to be discovered. The results compile the description of different habitats where these populations were found, and we demonstrate that the environmental niches of wild and domestic populations, defined by climatic variables, are similar but not equivalent, showing that during domestication, T. infestans has conquered new spaces with wider ranges of temperature and precipitation. The great diversity of wild T. infestans habitats and the comparison of their ecological niches with that of domestic populations confirm the behavioural plasticity of the species that increase the possibility of contact with humans. The result of the geographical distribution model of the wild populations calls for more entomological vigilance in the corresponding areas in the Southern Cone countries and in Bolivia. The current presentation is the most comprehensive inventory of wild T. infestans-positive sites that can be used as a reference for further entomological vigilance in inhabited areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXII. Ixodid ticks on domestic dogs and on wild carnivores.

PubMed

Horak, I G; Guillarmod, A J; Moolman, L C; de Vos, V

1987-12-01

Ixodid ticks were collected from 4 dogs on smallholdings near Grahamstown, eastern Cape Province, on 1 or more occasions each week for periods ranging from 9-36 months. Fourteen tick species were recovered and the seasonal abundance of adult Haemaphysalis leachi and adult Rhipicephalus simus was determined. Complete collections of ticks were made from 50 caracals (Felis caracal) in the Cradock, Graaff-Reinet and Southwell regions in the eastern Cape Province. The animals from Cradock and Graaff-Reinet harboured 13 ixodid tick species. The caracals from Southwell were infested with 11 tick species and the seasonal abundance of Ixodes pilosus on these animals was determined. A small-spotted genet (Genetta genetta), 1 bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), 1 aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) and 6 black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) from various localities in the eastern Cape Province were examined for ticks and 9 species were collected. Complete tick collections were made from a side-striped jackal (Canis adustus), 2 wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), a spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), a several (Felis serval), 2 African civets (Civettictis civetta), 2 leopards (Panthera pardus) and a lion (Panthera leo) in the Kruger National Park in the north-eastern Transvaal. Twelve ixodid tick specis were recovered from these animals.

First molecular identification of kobuviruses in wolves (Canis lupus) in Italy.

PubMed

Melegari, Irene; Sarchese, Vittorio; Di Profio, Federica; Robetto, Serena; Carella, Emanuele; Bermudez Sanchez, Sandra; Orusa, Riccardo; Martella, Vito; Marsilio, Fulvio; Di Martino, Barbara

2018-02-01

Canine kobuviruses (CaKoVs) were first identified in diarrhoeic and asymptomatic dogs in 2011 in the USA. Subsequent studies have demonstrated a worldwide distribution of these viruses, but it is not clear if CaKoVs play a role as enteric pathogens of dogs. More recently, CaKoV RNA has been detected in wild carnivores, including red fox, golden jackal, side-striped jackal and spotted hyena. In this study, we addressed the hypothesis that wolves are susceptible to CaKoV infections. A total of 185 wolf stool samples were collected from necropsied animals and from transects in the Liguria, Piemonte and Valle D'Aosta regions of Italy, and CaKoV RNA was identified in two of these specimens. Both samples were obtained from necropsied wolves, with a prevalence rate of 4.9% (2/41). Sequence analysis of the full-length VP1 region showed that these strains displayed the highest nucleotide (nt) sequence identity (86.3-98.5%) to canine strains identified in the UK and Africa, and to kobuviruses that were previously detected in other African wild carnivores. This suggests that genetically related CaKoV strains circulate in domestic and wild carnivores, with interspecies transmission being not uncommon among carnivores of different ecosystems.

Tryptophanase from Proteus vulgaris: the conformational rearrangement in the active site, induced by the mutation of Tyrosine 72 to phenylalanine, and its mechanistic consequences.

PubMed

Kulikova, Vitalia V; Zakomirdina, Ludmila N; Dementieva, Irene S; Phillips, Robert S; Gollnick, Paul D; Demidkina, Tatyana V; Faleev, Nicolai G

2006-04-01

Tyr72 is located at the active site of tryptophanase (Trpase) from Proteus vulgaris. For the wild-type Trpase Tyr72 might be considered as the general acid catalyst at the stage of elimination of the leaving groups. The replacement of Tyr72 by Phe leads to a decrease in activity for L-tryptophan by 50,000-fold and to a considerable rearrangement of the active site of Trpase. This rearrangement leads to an increase of room around the alpha-C atom of any bound amino acid, such that covalent binding of alpha-methyl-substituted amino acids becomes possible (which cannot be realized in wild-type Trpase). The changes in reactivities of S-alkyl-L-cysteines provide evidence for an increase of congestion in the proximity of their side groups in the mutant enzyme as compared to wild-type enzyme. The observed alteration of catalytic properties in a large degree originates from a conformational change in the active site. The Y72F Trpase retains significant activity for L-serine, which allowed us to conclude that in the mutant enzyme, some functional group is present which fulfills the role of the general acid catalyst in reactions associated with elimination of small leaving groups.

BclxL changes conformation upon binding to wild-type but not mutant p53 DNA binding domain.

PubMed

Hagn, Franz; Klein, Christian; Demmer, Oliver; Marchenko, Natasha; Vaseva, Angelina; Moll, Ute M; Kessler, Horst

2010-01-29

p53 can induce apoptosis through mitochondrial membrane permeabilization by interaction of its DNA binding region with the anti-apoptotic proteins BclxL and Bcl2. However, little is known about the action of p53 at the mitochondria in molecular detail. By using NMR spectroscopy and fluorescence polarization we characterized the binding of wild-type and mutant p53 DNA binding domains to BclxL and show that the wild-type p53 DNA binding domain leads to structural changes in the BH3 binding region of BclxL, whereas mutants fail to induce such effects due to reduced affinity. This was probed by induced chemical shift and residual dipolar coupling data. These data imply that p53 partly achieves its pro-apoptotic function at the mitochondria by facilitating interaction between BclxL and BH3-only proteins in an allosteric mode of action. Furthermore, we characterize for the first time the binding behavior of Pifithrin-mu, a specific small molecule inhibitor of the p53-BclxL interaction, and present a structural model of the protein-ligand complex. A rather unusual behavior is revealed whereby Pifithrin-mu binds to both sides of the protein-protein complex. These data should facilitate the rational design of more potent specific BclxL-p53 inhibitors.

Xenografted islet cell clusters from INSLEA29Y transgenic pigs rescue diabetes and prevent immune rejection in humanized mice.

PubMed

Klymiuk, Nikolai; van Buerck, Lelia; Bähr, Andrea; Offers, Monika; Kessler, Barbara; Wuensch, Annegret; Kurome, Mayuko; Thormann, Michael; Lochner, Katharina; Nagashima, Hiroshi; Herbach, Nadja; Wanke, Rüdiger; Seissler, Jochen; Wolf, Eckhard

2012-06-01

Islet transplantation is a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes, but the shortage of donor organs limits its routine application. As potential donor animals, we generated transgenic pigs expressing LEA29Y, a high-affinity variant of the T-cell costimulation inhibitor CTLA-4Ig, under the control of the porcine insulin gene promoter. Neonatal islet cell clusters (ICCs) from INSLEA29Y transgenic (LEA-tg) pigs and wild-type controls were transplanted into streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic NOD-scid IL2Rγ(null) mice. Cloned LEA-tg pigs are healthy and exhibit a strong β-cell-specific transgene expression. LEA-tg ICCs displayed the same potential to normalize glucose homeostasis as wild-type ICCs after transplantation. After adoptive transfer of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, transplanted LEA-tg ICCs were completely protected from rejection, whereas reoccurrence of hyperglycemia was observed in 80% of mice transplanted with wild-type ICCs. In the current study, we provide the first proof-of-principle report on transgenic pigs with β-cell-specific expression of LEA29Y and their successful application as donors in a xenotransplantation model. This approach may represent a major step toward the development of a novel strategy for pig-to-human islet transplantation without side effects of systemic immunosuppression.

Physiological Correlates of Multiple Parasitic Infections in Side-Blotched Lizards.

PubMed

Spence, Austin R; Durso, Andrew M; Smith, Geoffrey D; Skinner, Heather M; French, Susannah S

We investigated the presence of ectoparasites and hemoparasites in side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) across a large part of their range and measured how parasitic infection related to several key physiological indicators of health. Blood samples were collected from 132 lizards from central Arizona, southern Utah, and eastern Oregon. Hemoparasites were found in 22 individuals (3.2% prevalence in Arizona, 19.1% in Utah, and 6.3% in Oregon), and ectoparasites were found on 51 individuals (56.3% prevalence in Arizona, 56.1% in Utah, and 6.7% in Oregon), with 11 individuals infected with both. Hemoparasites and ectoparasites were found in all three states. Immunocompetence was higher in individuals infected with both hemoparasites and ectoparasites. Body condition, glucocorticoid levels, and reproductive investment were not related to infection status. Our study provides evidence that parasitic infection is associated with an active immune system in wild reptiles but may not impose other costs usually associated with parasites.

Central nervous system side effects associated with zolpidem treatment.

PubMed

Toner, L C; Tsambiras, B M; Catalano, G; Catalano, M C; Cooper, D S

2000-01-01

Zolpidem is one of the newer medications developed for the treatment of insomnia. It is an imidazopyridine agent that is an alternative to the typical sedative-hypnotic agents. Zolpidem use is gaining favor because of its efficacy and its side effect profile, which is milder and less problematic than that of the benzodiazepines and barbiturates used to treat insomnia. Still, side effects are not uncommon with zolpidem use. We report a series of cases in which the patients developed delirium, nightmares and hallucinations during treatment with zolpidem. We will review its pharmacology, discuss previous reports of central nervous system side effects, examine the impact of drug interactions with concurrent use of antidepressants, examine gender differences in susceptibility to side effects, and explore the significance of protein binding in producing side effects.

Influenza A virus evolution and spatio-temporal dynamics in Eurasian wild birds: a phylogenetic and phylogeographical study of whole-genome sequence data

PubMed Central

Lewis, Nicola S.; Verhagen, Josanne H.; Javakhishvili, Zurab; Russell, Colin A.; Lexmond, Pascal; Westgeest, Kim B.; Bestebroer, Theo M.; Halpin, Rebecca A.; Lin, Xudong; Ransier, Amy; Fedorova, Nadia B.; Stockwell, Timothy B.; Latorre-Margalef, Neus; Olsen, Björn; Smith, Gavin; Bahl, Justin; Wentworth, David E.; Waldenström, Jonas; Fouchier, Ron A. M.

2015-01-01

Low pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) have a natural host reservoir in wild waterbirds and the potential to spread to other host species. Here, we investigated the evolutionary, spatial and temporal dynamics of avian IAVs in Eurasian wild birds. We used whole-genome sequences collected as part of an intensive long-term Eurasian wild bird surveillance study, and combined this genetic data with temporal and spatial information to explore the virus evolutionary dynamics. Frequent reassortment and co-circulating lineages were observed for all eight genomic RNA segments over time. There was no apparent species-specific effect on the diversity of the avian IAVs. There was a spatial and temporal relationship between the Eurasian sequences and significant viral migration of avian IAVs from West Eurasia towards Central Eurasia. The observed viral migration patterns differed between segments. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges faced when analysing these surveillance and sequence data, and the caveats to be borne in mind when drawing conclusions from the apparent results of such analyses. PMID:25904147

Role of Rhodobacter sphaeroides photosynthetic reaction center residue M214 in the composition, absorbance properties, and conformations of H(A) and B(A) cofactors.

PubMed

Saer, Rafael G; Hardjasa, Amelia; Rosell, Federico I; Mauk, A Grant; Murphy, Michael E P; Beatty, J Thomas

2013-04-02

In the native reaction center (RC) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides, the side chain of (M)L214 projects orthogonally toward the plane and into the center of the A branch bacteriopheophytin (BPhe) macrocycle. The possibility that this side chain is responsible for the dechelation of the central Mg(2+) of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) was investigated by replacement of (M)214 with residues possessing small, nonpolar side chains that can neither coordinate nor block access to the central metal ion. The (M)L214 side chain was also replaced with Cys, Gln, and Asn to evaluate further the requirements for assembly of the RC with BChl in the HA pocket. Photoheterotrophic growth studies showed no difference in growth rates of the (M)214 nonpolar mutants at a low light intensity, but the growth of the amide-containing mutants was impaired. The absorbance spectra of purified RCs indicated that although absorbance changes are associated with the nonpolar mutations, the nonpolar mutant RC pigment compositions are the same as in the wild-type protein. Crystal structures of the (M)L214G, (M)L214A, and (M)L214N mutants were determined (determined to 2.2-2.85 Å resolution), confirming the presence of BPhe in the HA pocket and revealing alternative conformations of the phytyl tail of the accessory BChl in the BA site of these nonpolar mutants. Our results demonstrate that (i) BChl is converted to BPhe in a manner independent of the aliphatic side chain length of nonpolar residues replacing (M)214, (ii) BChl replaces BPhe if residue (M)214 has an amide-bearing side chain, (iii) (M)214 side chains containing sulfur are not sufficient to bind BChl in the HA pocket, and (iv) the (M)214 side chain influences the conformation of the phytyl tail of the BA BChl.

Excretory/secretory products from two Fasciola hepatica isolates induce different transcriptional changes and IL-10 release in LPS-activated bovine "BOMA" macrophages.

PubMed

Bąska, Piotr; Norbury, Luke James; Zawistowska-Deniziak, Anna; Wiśniewski, Marcin; Januszkiewicz, Kamil

2017-10-01

Fasciola hepatica are trematodes that reside in the bile ducts of mammals. Infection causes US$3 billion in losses annually in animal production and is considered a zoonosis of growing importance. An under-represented area in F. hepatica research has been the examination of the different immunomodulatory abilities of various parasite isolates on the host immune system. In this paper, this issue was explored, with the bovine macrophage cell line "BOMA". The cells were matured by LPS treatment and stimulated with excretory/secretory antigens (ES) from two Fasciola hepatica isolates: a laboratory isolate "Weybridge" (Fh-WeyES) and a wild isolate (Fh-WildES). As expected, stimulation with antigen mixtures with highly similar compositions resulted in mild transcriptomic differences. However, there were significant differences in cytokine levels. Compared to Fh-WeyES, exposure to Fh-WildES upregulated 27 and downregulated 30 genes. Fh-ES from both isolates diminished the release of TNF-α, whereas only Fh-WildES decreased IL-10 secretion. Neither Fh-WeyES nor Fh-WildES had an impact on IL-12 release. Our results indicate that various isolates can have different immunomodulatory abilities and impacts on the bovine immune system.

Bella's Beetle: Approaching Bioscience Practice from Its Silent Kinaesthetic and Affective Side

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hay, David

2017-01-01

This article critically explores the epistemic "practices" of bioscience, using creative writing and analyses of science studies to implicate the non-linguistic side of science where a "feeling for the organism" matters more, perhaps, than theoretical precision. It offers new critique of curricula in science which are so…

Innate host selection in Anopheles vestitipennis from southern Mexico.

PubMed

Ullo, Armando; Arredondo-Jiménez, Juan I; Rodríguez, Mario H; Fernández-Salas, Ildefonso; González-Cerón, Lilia

2004-12-01

We assessed the degree of host specificity of the purported anthropophilic and zoophilic populations of Anopheles vestitipennis. A series of experiments were conducted in an experimental hut with 3 compartments lined with nylon netting. A central release compartment and 2 side compartments were each baited with equivalent surface area of human and animal baits. Wild An. vestitipennis collected on each host, as well as corresponding F1 mosquitoes, were released in the central compartment. Overall, 22% (166/748) of all mosquitoes collected on humans were recaptured in the human compartment, whereas 23% of mosquitoes originally collected on animals were recaptured in this compartment. Experiments with F1 females resulted in 59% human selection rates, a 2.6 times increase compared with wild anthropophilic females, while a 1.2 times decrease in human selection rates (from 24% to 20%) was observed in F1 of wild zoophilic females. Host selection experiments in the Lacandón Forest revealed the same trend. These findings suggested that the complex mode of inheritance that resulted in female mosquitoes showing a stronger tendency to return to their preferred host was obscured by the nature of the method of collection, i.e., wild parental females selecting a host either innately or opportunistically, the majority of which were likely innately attracted. This was revealed by F1 females, of which, when given the choice to select a host, a higher proportion opted for the preferred one. The results presented here are in accordance with other studies that identified a subpopulation of An. vestitipennis in southern Mexico with higher anthropophily.

First Record of Bourgelatia diducta (Nematoda: Chabertiidae) from Wild Boars in the Republic of Korea

PubMed Central

Ahn, Kyu-Sung; Oh, Dae-Sung; Ahn, Ah-Jin; Suh, Guk-Hyun

2013-01-01

This study describes the first record of Bourgelatia diducta (Nematoda: Chabertiidae) from wild boars in the Republic of Korea (=South Korea). Gastrointestinal tracts of 87 Korean wild boars (Sus scrofa coreanus) hunted in mountains in the south-western part of South Korea between 2009 and 2012 were examined for their visceral helminths. B. diducta, as identified by morphological characteristics of the head and tail, were recovered from the large intestine of 47 (54%) wild boars. The average length of adult female worms was 11.3±0.87 mm and the thickest part of the body measured 0.54±0.04 mm in maximum width, while those of males were 9.8±0.72 and 0.45±0.03 mm, respectively. The characteristic J-shaped type II ovejector was observed in females, and the type II dorsal ray with 2 rami on each side of the median fissure was uniquely seen in males. The buccal capsule was small, relatively thin-walled, cylindrical, very short, and ring-shaped. The externodorsal ray arose from a common stem with the dorsal ray. The cervical groove was absent. The anterior extremity was equipped with 20-22 external corona radiata, 4 cephalic papillae and 2 lateral amphids around the mouth. The eggs were 66.0×38.9 µm in average size. By the present study, B. diducta (Nematoda: Chabertiidae) is recorded for the first time in South Korea. Additionally, morphological characteristics and identification keys provided in the present study will be helpful in the faunistic or taxonomic studies for strongylid nematodes related. PMID:24039287

In vitro comparison of four treatments which discourage infestation by head lice.

PubMed

Greive, Kerryn A; Barnes, Tanya M

2012-05-01

Products which discourage the transmission of head lice are appealing; however, few studies have tested this concept. This study aims to test the efficacy of four commercial products which claim to discourage infestation by head lice; MOOV Head Lice Defence Spray (MOOV), Wild Child Quit Nits Head Lice Defence Spray (Wild Child), 100% Natural Head Lice Beater (Lice Beater) or Lysout Natural Anti-Lice Spray (Lysout). An in vitro challenge test was used. Briefly, one half of a filter paper lining the base of a petri dish was treated with the test product. Lice were then introduced to the centre of the dish, which was covered and placed in the dark at 20°C for 30 min. The number of lice on the treated and untreated sides of the filter paper was then counted after 2, 4 and 8 h post-application. MOOV was significantly more effective at discouraging the transmission of lice than the water control (p < 0.01), while Wild Child and Lysout were not at all time points. Lice Beater was significantly worse than the water control after 2 h (p < 0.01), while there was no difference after 4 and 8 h. MOOV was found to perform significantly better than Wild Child (p < 0.05) and Lice Beater (p < 0.05) at all time points. It also performed significantly better than Lysout at 2 (p < 0.05) and 8 h (p < 0.05), but not 4 h. MOOV offers the best efficacy and consistency of performance of the four products tested to discourage the transmission of head lice.

First record of Bourgelatia diducta (Nematoda: Chabertiidae) from wild boars in the Republic of Korea.

PubMed

Ahn, Kyu-Sung; Oh, Dae-Sung; Ahn, Ah-Jin; Suh, Guk-Hyun; Shin, Sung-Shik

2013-08-01

This study describes the first record of Bourgelatia diducta (Nematoda: Chabertiidae) from wild boars in the Republic of Korea (=South Korea). Gastrointestinal tracts of 87 Korean wild boars (Sus scrofa coreanus) hunted in mountains in the south-western part of South Korea between 2009 and 2012 were examined for their visceral helminths. B. diducta, as identified by morphological characteristics of the head and tail, were recovered from the large intestine of 47 (54%) wild boars. The average length of adult female worms was 11.3±0.87 mm and the thickest part of the body measured 0.54±0.04 mm in maximum width, while those of males were 9.8±0.72 and 0.45±0.03 mm, respectively. The characteristic J-shaped type II ovejector was observed in females, and the type II dorsal ray with 2 rami on each side of the median fissure was uniquely seen in males. The buccal capsule was small, relatively thin-walled, cylindrical, very short, and ring-shaped. The externodorsal ray arose from a common stem with the dorsal ray. The cervical groove was absent. The anterior extremity was equipped with 20-22 external corona radiata, 4 cephalic papillae and 2 lateral amphids around the mouth. The eggs were 66.0×38.9 µm in average size. By the present study, B. diducta (Nematoda: Chabertiidae) is recorded for the first time in South Korea. Additionally, morphological characteristics and identification keys provided in the present study will be helpful in the faunistic or taxonomic studies for strongylid nematodes related.

Crystal structures of apo wild-type M. jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) and an engineered TyrRS specific for O-methyl-L-tyrosine

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yan; Wang, Lei; Schultz, Peter G.; Wilson, Ian A.

2005-01-01

The Methanococcus jannaschii tRNATyr/TyrRS pair has been engineered to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins in E. coli. To reveal the structural basis for the altered specificity of mutant TyrRS for O-methyl-l-tyrosine (OMeTyr), the crystal structures for the apo wild-type and mutant M. jannaschii TyrRS were determined at 2.66 and 3.0 Å, respectively, for comparison with the published structure of TyrRS complexed with tRNATyr and substrate tyrosine. A large conformational change was found for the anticodon recognition loop 257–263 of wild-type TyrRS upon tRNA binding in order to facilitate recognition of G34 of the anticodon loop through π-stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions. Loop 133–143, which is close to the tRNA acceptor stem-binding site, also appears to be stabilized by interaction with the tRNATyr. Binding of the substrate tyrosine results in subtle and cooperative movements of the side chains within the tyrosine-binding pocket. In the OMeTyr-specific mutant synthetase structure, the signature motif KMSKS loop and acceptor stem-binding loop 133–143 were surprisingly ordered in the absence of bound ATP and tRNA. The active-site mutations result in altered hydrogen bonding and steric interactions which favor binding of OMeTyr over l-tyrosine. The structure of the mutant and wild-type TyrRS now provide a basis for generating new active-site libraries to evolve synthetases specific for other unnatural amino acids. PMID:15840835

Left Sided Amyand's Hernia, A Rare Occurance: A Case Report.

PubMed

Ravishankaran, Praveen; Mohan, G; Srinivasan, A; Ravindran, G; Ramalingam, A

2013-06-01

This is a case report about a 35 year old man admitted with complains of obstructed left sided inguinal hernia. On exploration of the left inguinal canal to our surprise a normal appendix was found in addition to a gangrenous omentum. Resection of the gangrenous omentum was done. Appendectomy was done. This case is reported for its rare occurance as only three such cases of left sided amyand's hernia has been reported so far in literature[4-6].

Exploring the Mechanism of Zanamivir Resistance in a Neuraminidase Mutant: A Molecular Dynamics Study

PubMed Central

Han, Nanyu; Liu, Xuewei; Mu, Yuguang

2012-01-01

It is critical to understand the molecular basis of the drug resistance of influenza viruses to efficiently treat this infectious disease. Recently, H1N1 strains of influenza A carrying a mutation of Q136K in neuraminidase were found. The new strain showed a strong Zanamivir neutralization effect. In this study, normal molecular dynamics simulations and metadynamics simulations were employed to explore the mechanism of Zanamivir resistance. The wild-type neuraminidase contained a 310 helix before the 150 loop, and there was interaction between the 150 and 430 loops. However, the helix and the interaction between the two loops were disturbed in the mutant protein due to interaction between K136 and nearby residues. Hydrogen-bond network analysis showed weakened interaction between the Zanamivir drug and E276/D151 on account of the electrostatic interaction between K136 and D151. Metadynamics simulations showed that the free energy landscape was different in the mutant than in the wild-type neuraminidase. Conformation with the global minimum of free energy for the mutant protein was different from the wild-type conformation. While the drug fit completely into the active site of the wild-type neuraminidase, it did not match the active site of the mutant variant. This study indicates that the altered hydrogen-bond network and the deformation of the 150 loop are the key factors in development of Zanamivir resistance. Furthermore, the Q136K mutation has a variable effect on conformation of different N1 variants, with conformation of the 1918 N1 variant being more profoundly affected than that of the other N1 variants studied in this paper. This observation warrants further experimental investigation. PMID:22970161

Exploring the mechanism of zanamivir resistance in a neuraminidase mutant: a molecular dynamics study.

PubMed

Han, Nanyu; Liu, Xuewei; Mu, Yuguang

2012-01-01

It is critical to understand the molecular basis of the drug resistance of influenza viruses to efficiently treat this infectious disease. Recently, H1N1 strains of influenza A carrying a mutation of Q136K in neuraminidase were found. The new strain showed a strong Zanamivir neutralization effect. In this study, normal molecular dynamics simulations and metadynamics simulations were employed to explore the mechanism of Zanamivir resistance. The wild-type neuraminidase contained a 3(10) helix before the 150 loop, and there was interaction between the 150 and 430 loops. However, the helix and the interaction between the two loops were disturbed in the mutant protein due to interaction between K136 and nearby residues. Hydrogen-bond network analysis showed weakened interaction between the Zanamivir drug and E276/D151 on account of the electrostatic interaction between K136 and D151. Metadynamics simulations showed that the free energy landscape was different in the mutant than in the wild-type neuraminidase. Conformation with the global minimum of free energy for the mutant protein was different from the wild-type conformation. While the drug fit completely into the active site of the wild-type neuraminidase, it did not match the active site of the mutant variant. This study indicates that the altered hydrogen-bond network and the deformation of the 150 loop are the key factors in development of Zanamivir resistance. Furthermore, the Q136K mutation has a variable effect on conformation of different N1 variants, with conformation of the 1918 N1 variant being more profoundly affected than that of the other N1 variants studied in this paper. This observation warrants further experimental investigation.

Estimation of the dynamics and rate of transmission of classical swine fever (hog cholera) in wild pigs.

PubMed Central

Hone, J.; Pech, R.; Yip, P.

1992-01-01

Infectious diseases establish in a population of wildlife hosts when the number of secondary infections is greater than or equal to one. To estimate whether establishment will occur requires extensive experience or a mathematical model of disease dynamics and estimates of the parameters of the disease model. The latter approach is explored here. Methods for estimating key model parameters, the transmission coefficient (beta) and the basic reproductive rate (RDRS), are described using classical swine fever (hog cholera) in wild pigs as an example. The tentative results indicate that an acute infection of classical swine fever will establish in a small population of wild pigs. Data required for estimation of disease transmission rates are reviewed and sources of bias and alternative methods discussed. A comprehensive evaluation of the biases and efficiencies of the methods is needed. PMID:1582476

Hematology and serum biochemistry comparison in wild and captive Central American river turtles (Dermatemys mawii) in Tabasco, Mexico.

PubMed

Rangel-Mendoza, Judith; Weber, Manuel; Zenteno-Ruiz, Claudia E; López-Luna, Marco A; Barba-Macías, Everardo

2009-10-01

Hematological and serum biochemistry analyses were determined on 51 Central American river turtles (Dermatemys mawii) during the dry and rainy seasons of 2006. Turtles came from two sites: Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve and a turtle breeding farm, both located in Tabasco State, Mexico. Physical examination and body measures of animals were performed. Incidence and prevalence of hemoparasites were explored. Captive organisms were in poor physical condition while wild turtles were apparently healthy. There were differences in several hematological parameters related with the condition and the season. During the dry season captive turtles exhibited higher levels of uric acid and urea, as well as lower levels of glucose. Haemogregarina sp. was detected in 100% of the wild individuals, but not in captive individuals. Its incidence was greater during the rainy season. This is the first health assessment and hematology study of this critically endangered species.

Contributions of a disulfide bond and a reduced cysteine side chain to the intrinsic activity of the HDL receptor SR-BI

PubMed Central

Yu, Miao; Lau, Thomas Y.; Carr, Steven A.; Krieger, Monty

2013-01-01

The high density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor, scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI), binds HDL and mediates selective cholesteryl ester uptake. SR-BI's structure and mechanism are poorly understood. We used mass spectrometry to assign the two disulfide bonds in SR-BI that connect cysteines within the conserved Cys321-Pro322-Cys323 (CPC) motif and connect Cys280 to Cys334. We used site-specific mutagenesis to evaluate the contributions of the CPC motif and the side chain of extracellular Cys384 to HDL binding and lipid uptake. The effects of CPC mutations on activity were context dependent. Full wild-type (WT) activity required Pro322 and Cys323 only when Cys321 was present. Reduced intrinsic activities were observed for CXC and CPX, but not XXC, XPX or XXX mutants (X≠WT residue). Apparently, a free thiol side chain at position 321 that cannot form an intra-CPC disulfide bond with Cys323 is deleterious, perhaps because of aberrant disulfide bond formation. Pro322 may stabilize an otherwise strained CPC disulfide bond, thus supporting WT activity, but this disulfide bond is not absolutely required for activity. C384X (X=S,T,L,Y,G,A) mutants exhibited altered activities that varied with the side chain's size: larger side chains phenocopied WT SR-BI treated with its thiosemicarbazone inhibitor BLT-1 (increased binding, decreased uptake); smaller side chains produced almost inverse effects (increased uptake:binding ratio). C384X mutants were BLT-1 resistant, supporting the proposal that Cys384's thiol interacts with BLT-1. We discuss the implications of our findings on the functions of the extracellular loop cysteines in SR-BI and compare our results to those presented by other laboratories. PMID:23205738

Methodological Guidelines for Accurate Detection of Viruses in Wild Plant Species

PubMed Central

Renner, Kurra; Cole, Ellen; Seabloom, Eric W.; Borer, Elizabeth T.; Malmstrom, Carolyn M.

2016-01-01

Ecological understanding of disease risk, emergence, and dynamics and of the efficacy of control strategies relies heavily on efficient tools for microorganism identification and characterization. Misdetection, such as the misclassification of infected hosts as healthy, can strongly bias estimates of disease prevalence and lead to inaccurate conclusions. In natural plant ecosystems, interest in assessing microbial dynamics is increasing exponentially, but guidelines for detection of microorganisms in wild plants remain limited, particularly so for plant viruses. To address this gap, we explored issues and solutions associated with virus detection by serological and molecular methods in noncrop plant species as applied to the globally important Barley yellow dwarf virus PAV (Luteoviridae), which infects wild native plants as well as crops. With enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), we demonstrate how virus detection in a perennial wild plant species may be much greater in stems than in leaves, although leaves are most commonly sampled, and may also vary among tillers within an individual, thereby highlighting the importance of designing effective sampling strategies. With reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), we demonstrate how inhibitors in tissues of perennial wild hosts can suppress virus detection but can be overcome with methods and products that improve isolation and amplification of nucleic acids. These examples demonstrate the paramount importance of testing and validating survey designs and virus detection methods for noncrop plant communities to ensure accurate ecological surveys and reliable assumptions about virus dynamics in wild hosts. PMID:26773088

Methodological Guidelines for Accurate Detection of Viruses in Wild Plant Species.

PubMed

Lacroix, Christelle; Renner, Kurra; Cole, Ellen; Seabloom, Eric W; Borer, Elizabeth T; Malmstrom, Carolyn M

2016-01-15

Ecological understanding of disease risk, emergence, and dynamics and of the efficacy of control strategies relies heavily on efficient tools for microorganism identification and characterization. Misdetection, such as the misclassification of infected hosts as healthy, can strongly bias estimates of disease prevalence and lead to inaccurate conclusions. In natural plant ecosystems, interest in assessing microbial dynamics is increasing exponentially, but guidelines for detection of microorganisms in wild plants remain limited, particularly so for plant viruses. To address this gap, we explored issues and solutions associated with virus detection by serological and molecular methods in noncrop plant species as applied to the globally important Barley yellow dwarf virus PAV (Luteoviridae), which infects wild native plants as well as crops. With enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), we demonstrate how virus detection in a perennial wild plant species may be much greater in stems than in leaves, although leaves are most commonly sampled, and may also vary among tillers within an individual, thereby highlighting the importance of designing effective sampling strategies. With reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), we demonstrate how inhibitors in tissues of perennial wild hosts can suppress virus detection but can be overcome with methods and products that improve isolation and amplification of nucleic acids. These examples demonstrate the paramount importance of testing and validating survey designs and virus detection methods for noncrop plant communities to ensure accurate ecological surveys and reliable assumptions about virus dynamics in wild hosts. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Monitoring potential geographical distribution of four wild bird species in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, S.; Feng, D.; Xu, B.

2015-12-01

The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) of the H5N1 subtype in wild birds and poultry have caught worldwide attention. To explore the association between wild bird migration and avian influenza virus transmission, we monitored potential geographical distribution of four wild bird species that might carry the avian influenza viruses in China. They are Bar-headed geese (Anser indicus), Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) and Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus). They served as major reservoir of the avian influenza viruses. We used bird watching records with the precise latitude/longitude coordinates from January 2002 to August 2014, and environmental variables with a pixel resolution of 5 km × 5 km from 2002 to 2014. The study utilized maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model based on ecological niche model approaches, and got the following results: 1) MaxEnt model have good discriminatory ability with the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating curve (ROC) of 0.86-0.97; 2) The four wild bird species were estimated to concentrate in the North China Plain, the middle and lower region of the Yangtze River, Qinghai Lake, Tianshan Mountain and Tarim Basin, part of Tibet Plateau, and Hengduan Mountains; 3) Radiation and the minimum temperature were found to provide the most significant information. Our findings will help to understand the spread of avian influenza viruses by wild bird migration in China, which benefits for effective monitoring strategies and prevention measures.

Side-specific effect of yolk testosterone elevation on second-to-fourth digit ratio in a wild passerine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagy, Gergely; Blázi, György; Hegyi, Gergely; Török, János

2016-02-01

Second-to-fourth digit ratio is a widely investigated sexually dimorphic morphological trait in human studies and could reliably indicate the prenatal steroid environment. Conducting manipulative experiments to test this hypothesis comes up against ethical limits in humans. However, oviparous tetrapods may be excellent models to experimentally investigate the effects of prenatal steroids on offspring second-to-fourth digit ratio. In this field study, we injected collared flycatcher ( Ficedula albicollis) eggs with physiological doses of testosterone. Fledglings from eggs with elevated yolk testosterone, regardless of their sex, had longer second digits on their left feet than controls, while the fourth digit did not differ between groups. Therefore, second-to-fourth digit ratio was higher in the testosterone-injected group, but only on the left foot. This is the first study which shows experimentally that early testosterone exposure can affect second-to-fourth digit ratio in a wild population of a passerine bird.

Enzyme specificity under dynamic control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ota, Nobuyuki; Agard, David A.

2002-03-01

The contributions of conformational dynamics to substrate specificity have been examined by the application of principal component analysis to molecular dynamics trajectories of alpha-lytic protease. The wild-type alpha-lytic protease is highly specific for substrates with small hydrophobic side chains at the specificity pocket, while the Met190Ala binding pocket mutant has a much broader specificity, actively hydrolyzing substrates ranging from Ala to Phe. We performed a principal component analysis using 1-nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations using solvent boundary condition. We found that the walls of the wild-type substrate binding pocket move in tandem with one another, causing the pocket size to remain fixed so that only small substrates are recognized. In contrast, the M190A mutant shows uncoupled movement of the binding pocket walls, allowing the pocket to sample both smaller and larger sizes, which appears to be the cause of the observed broad specificity. The results suggest that the protein dynamics of alpha-lytic protease may play a significant role in defining the patterns of substrate specificity.

Pattern of Self Prescribed Analgesic Use in a Rural Area of Delhi: Exploring the Potential Role of Internet.

PubMed

Kochhar, Anjali; Gupta, Tanya

2017-07-01

Analgesics are the most common self prescribed drugs. Although considered to be relatively safe, side effects are often seen when these drugs are used for prolonged period, in high doses or used where contraindicated. Majority of the consumers are not aware of the side effects. These days ample amount of information is available on web, it is important to explore its role in educating the population regarding the safe use of self prescribed analgesics. To explore pattern of analgesic use, to identify population at risk of developing side effects related to analgesic use, awareness of side effects and potential role of internet to bring awareness about safe use of self prescribed analgesic drugs in a rural area of Delhi. A cross-sectional survey based study was done on 500 adults in the age group of 18-65 years of Madanpur Khadar area of South Delhi, India. Data collection was done by conducting visits to pharmacy shops from the people who were buying drugs without prescription and taking face to face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive tests with Microsoft office excel 2007. Results of our study showed that among all the self prescribed analgesics paracetamol (57%) was used most frequently followed by aspirin and other NSAIDs. It was found that 9.6% of the consumers were having associated co-morbid illness, 11.4% were simultaneously taking other drugs and 15.2% were alcoholics. Majority (65.4%) of the buyers were not aware about any kind of side effects of the analgesics. Internet friendly consumers were found to be 44%. Ability to use internet and education level were found to be directly related (r=0.802). The pattern of analgesic consumption in the rural population of Delhi shows that a large number of consumers may be at risk of developing side effects of self prescribed analgesics. The awareness about the side effects is limited. A significant number of consumers are internet friendly. Hence, we recommend use of website/mobile apps as potential source of information in educating the population regarding the use of self prescribed analgesics.

Compressed Sensing mm-Wave SAR for Non-Destructive Testing Applications Using Multiple Weighted Side Information.

PubMed

Becquaert, Mathias; Cristofani, Edison; Van Luong, Huynh; Vandewal, Marijke; Stiens, Johan; Deligiannis, Nikos

2018-05-31

This work explores an innovative strategy for increasing the efficiency of compressed sensing applied on mm-wave SAR sensing using multiple weighted side information. The approach is tested on synthetic and on real non-destructive testing measurements performed on a 3D-printed object with defects while taking advantage of multiple previous SAR images of the object with different degrees of similarity. The tested algorithm attributes autonomously weights to the side information at two levels: (1) between the components inside the side information and (2) between the different side information. The reconstruction is thereby almost immune to poor quality side information while exploiting the relevant components hidden inside the added side information. The presented results prove that, in contrast to common compressed sensing, good SAR image reconstruction is achieved at subsampling rates far below the Nyquist rate. Moreover, the algorithm is shown to be much more robust for low quality side information compared to coherent background subtraction.

Mutant HNF-1{alpha} and mutant HNF-1{beta} identified in MODY3 and MODY5 downregulate DPP-IV gene expression in Caco-2 cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gu Ning; Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto; Adachi, Tetsuya

2006-08-04

Dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP-IV) is a well-documented drug target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF)-1{alpha} and HNF-1{beta}, known as the causal genes of MODY3 and MODY5, respectively, have been reported to be involved in regulation of DPP-IV gene expression. But, it is not completely clear (i) that they play roles in regulation of DPP-IV gene expression, and (ii) whether DPP-IV gene activity is changed by mutant HNF-1{alpha} and mutant HNF-1{beta} in MODY3 and MODY5. To explore these questions, we investigated transactivation effects of wild HNF-1{alpha} and 13 mutant HNF-1{alpha}, as well as wild HNF-1{beta} and 2more » mutant HNF-1{beta}, on DPP-IV promoter luciferase gene in Caco-2 cells by means of a transient experiment. Both wild HNF-1{alpha} and wild HNF-1{beta} significantly transactivated DPP-IV promoter, but mutant HNF-1{alpha} and mutant HNF-1{beta} exhibited low transactivation activity. Moreover, to study whether mutant HNF-1{alpha} and mutant HNF-1{beta} change endogenous DPP-IV enzyme activity, we produced four stable cell lines from Caco-2 cells, in which wild HNF-1{alpha} or wild HNF-1{beta}, or else respective dominant-negative mutant HNF-1{alpha}T539fsdelC or dominant-negative mutant HNF-1{beta}R177X, was stably expressed. We found that DPP-IV gene expression and enzyme activity were significantly increased in wild HNF-1{alpha} cells and wild HNF-1{beta} cells, whereas they decreased in HNF-1{alpha}T539fsdelC cells and HNF-1{beta}R177X cells, compared with DPP-IV gene expression and enzyme activity in Caco-2 cells. These results suggest that both wild HNF-1{alpha} and wild HNF-1{beta} have a stimulatory effect on DPP-IV gene expression, but that mutant HNF-1{alpha} and mutant HNF-1{beta} attenuate the stimulatory effect.« less

Freud's philosophical inheritance: Schopenhauer and Nietzsche in Beyond the Pleasure Principle.

PubMed

Grimwade, Robert

2012-06-01

This essay explores the possible significance of Freud's references to Schopenhauer and Nietzsche in Beyond the Pleasure Principle. It attempts to reveal two sides of Freud's philosophical inheritance and explores the structure of Freud's ambivalence toward his intellectual predecessors.

Feral Cats: Too Long a Threat to Hawaiian Wildlife

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hess, Steven C.; Banko, Paul C.

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND Domestic cats (Felis catus) were first brought to Hawai`i aboard sailing ships of European explorers and colonists. The job of these predators was to control mice and rats on the ships during the long voyages. As in other places, cats were taken in and adopted by the families of Hawai`i and soon became household pets known as popoki. But cats have always been very well equipped to live and hunt on their own. On tropical archipelagos like the Hawaiian Islands where no other predatory mammals of comparable size existed, abundant and naive prey were particularly easy game, and cats soon thrived in the wild. Although the details of when cats first came to live in the wild remain little known, adventurers, writers, and naturalists of the day recorded some important observations. Feral cats were observed in remote wilderness around K?ilauea volcano on Hawai`i Island as early as 1840 by explorer William Brackenridge. Mark Twain was so impressed by the great abundance of cats when he visited Honolulu in 1866 that he reported his observations in the Sacramento Union newspaper, which were later reprinted in his book Roughing It: I saw... tame cats, wild cats, singed cats, individual cats, groups of cats, platoons of cats, companies of cats, regiments of cats, armies of cats, multitudes of cats, millions of cats...

Structural distortions due to missense mutations in human formylglycine-generating enzyme leading to multiple sulfatase deficiency.

PubMed

Meshach Paul, D; Chadah, Tania; Senthilkumar, B; Sethumadhavan, Rao; Rajasekaran, R

2017-11-03

The major candidate for multiple sulfatase deficiency is a defective formylglycine-generating enzyme (FGE). Though adequately produced, mutations in FGE stall the activation of sulfatases and prevent their activity. Missense mutations, viz. E130D, S155P, A177P, W179S, C218Y, R224W, N259I, P266L, A279V, C336R, R345C, A348P, R349Q and R349W associated with multiple sulfatase deficiency are yet to be computationally studied. Aforementioned mutants were initially screened through ws-SNPs&GO 3D program. Mutant R345C acquired the highest score, and hence was studied in detail. Discrete molecular dynamics explored structural distortions due to amino acid substitution. Therein, comparative analyses of wild type and mutant were carried out. Changes in structural contours were observed between wild type and mutant. Mutant had low conformational fluctuation, high atomic mobility and more compactness than wild type. Moreover, free energy landscape showed mutant to vary in terms of its conformational space as compared to wild type. Subsequently, wild type and mutant were subjected to single-model analyses. Mutant had lesser intra molecular interactions than wild type suggesting variations pertaining to its secondary structure. Furthermore, simulated thermal denaturation showed dissimilar pattern of hydrogen bond dilution. Effects of these variations were observed as changes in elements of secondary structure. Docking studies of mutant revealed less favourable binding energy towards its substrate as compared to wild type. Therefore, theoretical explanations for structural distortions of mutant R345C leading to multiple sulfatase deficiency were revealed. The protocol of the study could be useful to examine the effectiveness of pharmacological chaperones prior to experimental studies.

Detrimental and Neutral Effects of a Wild Grass-Fungal Endophyte Symbiotum on Insect Preference and Performance

PubMed Central

Clement, Stephen L.; Hu, Jinguo; Stewart, Alan V.; Wang, Bingrui; Elberson, Leslie R.

2011-01-01

Seed-borne Epichloë/Neotyphodium Glenn, Bacon, Hanlin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) fungal endophytes in temperate grasses can provide protection against insect attack with the degree of host resistance related to the grass—endophyte symbiotum and the insect species involved in an interaction. Few experimental studies with wild grass—endophyte symbiota, compared to endophyte-infected agricultural grasses, have tested for anti-insect benefits, let alone for resistance against more than one insect species. This study quantified the preference and performance of the bird cherry oat-aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), two important pests of forage and cereal grasses, on Neotyphodium-infected (E+) and uninfected (E-) plants of the wild grass Alpine timothy, Phleum alpinum L. (Poales: Poaceae). The experiments tested for both constitutive and wound-induced resistance in E+ plants to characterize possible plasticity of defense responses by a wild E+ grass. The aphid, R. padi preferred E- over E+ test plants in choice experiments and E+ undamaged test plants constitutively expressed antibiosis resistance to this aphid by suppressing population growth. Prior damage of E+ test plants did not induce higher levels of resistance to R. padi. By contrast, the beetle, O. melanopus showed no preference for E+ or E- test plants and endophyte infection did not adversely affect the survival and development of larvae. These results extend the phenomenon of variable effects of E+ wild grasses on the preference and performance of phytophagous insects. The wild grass— Neotyphodium symbiotum in this study broadens the number of wild E+ grasses available for expanded explorations into the effects of endophyte metabolites on insect herbivory. PMID:21867443

Detrimental and neutral effects of a wild grass-fungal endophyte symbiotum on insect preference and performance.

PubMed

Clement, Stephen L; Hu, Jinguo; Stewart, Alan V; Wang, Bingrui; Elberson, Leslie R

2011-01-01

Seed-borne Epichloë/Neotyphodium Glenn, Bacon, Hanlin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) fungal endophytes in temperate grasses can provide protection against insect attack with the degree of host resistance related to the grass-endophyte symbiotum and the insect species involved in an interaction. Few experimental studies with wild grass-endophyte symbiota, compared to endophyte-infected agricultural grasses, have tested for anti-insect benefits, let alone for resistance against more than one insect species. This study quantified the preference and performance of the bird cherry oat-aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), two important pests of forage and cereal grasses, on Neotyphodium-infected (E+) and uninfected (E-) plants of the wild grass Alpine timothy, Phleum alpinum L. (Poales: Poaceae). The experiments tested for both constitutive and wound-induced resistance in E+ plants to characterize possible plasticity of defense responses by a wild E+ grass. The aphid, R. padi preferred E- over E+ test plants in choice experiments and E+ undamaged test plants constitutively expressed antibiosis resistance to this aphid by suppressing population growth. Prior damage of E+ test plants did not induce higher levels of resistance to R. padi. By contrast, the beetle, O. melanopus showed no preference for E+ or E- test plants and endophyte infection did not adversely affect the survival and development of larvae. These results extend the phenomenon of variable effects of E+ wild grasses on the preference and performance of phytophagous insects. The wild grass- Neotyphodium symbiotum in this study broadens the number of wild E+ grasses available for expanded explorations into the effects of endophyte metabolites on insect herbivory.

Statistical Exploration of Local Transmission Routes for African Swine Fever in Pigs in the Russian Federation, 2007-2014.

PubMed

Vergne, T; Gogin, A; Pfeiffer, D U

2017-04-01

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating viral disease of swine that is present in both pigs and wild boar in the western part of the Russian Federation and the eastern part of the European Union. It represents a significant threat for the European pig production industry as neither treatment nor vaccine is available. This study analysed the spatial and spatio-temporal distributions of ASF cases that were reported in domestic pigs and wild boar for assessing the likelihood of wild boar-to-domestic pig and farm-to-farm transmission routes in the epidemic that occurred from 2007 to 2014 in the Krasnodar and the Tver regions, two of the most affected areas of the Russian Federation. Results suggest that in both regions, the spatial proximity to an infectious farm was a strong risk factor for infection of a susceptible farm. In the Krasnodar region, the results of the statistical analysis suggest that the epidemics in wild boar and in domestic pigs were independent from each other. In contrast, there seemed to be a dependence between the two epidemics in the Tver region. But because outbreaks in domestic pigs were not statistically significantly clustered around wild boar cases, the joint spatial distribution of wild boar cases and of outbreaks in domestic pigs in the Tver region may be explained by regular spillovers from the domestic pig to the wild boar population. These findings confirm the need to maintain high biosecurity standards on pig farms and justify strict control measures targeted at domestic pig production such as culling of infected herds and local movement restrictions. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Structural characterization and mutational assessment of podocin - a novel drug target to nephrotic syndrome - an in silico approach.

PubMed

Tabassum, Asra; Rajeshwari, Tadigadapa; Soni, Nidhi; Raju, D S B; Yadav, Mukesh; Nayarisseri, Anuraj; Jahan, Parveen

2014-03-01

Non-synonymous single nucleotide changes (nSNC) are coding variants that introduce amino acid changes in their corresponding proteins. They can affect protein function; they are believed to have the largest impact on human health compared with SNCs in other regions of the genome. Such a sequence alteration directly affects their structural stability through conformational changes. Presence of these conformational changes near catalytic site or active site may alter protein function and as a consequence receptor-ligand complex interactions. The present investigation includes assessment of human podocin mutations (G92C, P118L, R138Q, and D160G) on its structure. Podocin is an important glomerular integral membrane protein thought to play a key role in steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome. Podocin has a hairpin like structure with 383 amino acids, it is an integral protein homologous to stomatin, and acts as a molecular link in a stretch-sensitive system. We modeled 3D structure of podocin by means of Modeller and validated via PROCHECK to get a Ramachandran plot (88.5% in most favored region), main chain, side chain, bad contacts, gauche and pooled standard deviation. Further, a protein engineering tool Triton was used to induce mutagenesis corresponding to four variants G92C, P118L, R138Q and D160G in the wild type. Perusal of energies of wild and mutated type of podocin structures confirmed that mutated structures were thermodynamically more stable than wild type and therefore biological events favored synthesis of mutated forms of podocin than wild type. As a conclusive part, two mutations G92C (-8179.272 kJ/mol) and P118L (-8136.685 kJ/mol) are more stable and probable to take place in podocin structure over wild podocin structure (-8105.622 kJ/mol). Though there is lesser difference in mutated and wild type (approximately, 74 and 35 kJ/mol), it may play a crucial role in deciding why mutations are favored and occur at the genetic level.

"My Grandma Is My Gold." Learning from Young Writers in Belize

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dozier, Cheryl; Stephens, Joy

2016-01-01

This article explores the range of ways two teacher educators and preservice teachers engaged with and learned from writers and their families in town and village schools during a faculty-led study abroad experience in Belize, Central America. During this experience, the authors drew on three guiding principles: engaging in side-by-side writing…

Imprecise Frequency Descriptors and the Miscomprehension of Prescription Drug Advertising: Public Policy and Regulatory Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Joel J.

1999-01-01

Explores the communicative effectiveness of imprecise frequency descriptors within the context of consumer prescription drug advertising. Conducts two separate studies using a total sample of 147 adults. Finds that consumers are unable to accurately estimate the relative likelihood of side effect occurrence when a list of side effects are preceded…

Influenza vaccination in healthcare workers; comparison of side effects and preferred route of administration of intradermal versus intramuscular administration.

PubMed

Meijer, W J; Wensing, A M J; Bos, A A; Kuiphuis, J C F; Hagelen, E M M; Wilschut, J C; de Vries, M J T; Riezebos-Brilman, A

2017-03-13

To explore the nature and severity of side effects and future preference of intradermal versus intramuscular influenza vaccination in healthcare workers. Prospective cohort study. Two University Medical Centers in The Netherlands. Healthcare workers receiving an influenza vaccination. Healthcare workers that were vaccinated during the influenza vaccination season of 2012-2013 were approached for participation in a questionnaire study. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. The first part had to be answered directly after vaccination and the second part two weeks after vaccination. The motivation for vaccine uptake, whether or not the HCWs had direct contact with patients and the prevalence and severity of local and systemic side effects of influenza vaccination were explored. In addition, it was assessed how participants experienced the vaccination and which type of administration they preferred for future vaccination. Side effects of vaccination were more prevalent in the intradermal group versus the intramuscular group (56% versus 26%, p<0.001). Local side effects were perceived as more severe in healthcare workers receiving the intradermal vaccine. Directly after vaccination, healthcare workers preferred the intradermal vaccination. Two weeks after vaccination both types of vaccine were equally appreciated. This study shows that there are significant differences in the nature and severity of side effects upon intramuscular and intradermal influenza vaccination. This difference did not result in a preference among the vaccinated subjects for one type of vaccine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The economics of protecting tiger populations: Linking household behavior to poaching and prey depletion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Damania, R.; Stringer, R.; Karanth, K.U.; Stith, B.

2003-01-01

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is classified as endangered and populations continue to decline. This paper presents a formal economic analysis of the two most imminent threats to the survival of wild tigers: poaching tigers and hunting their prey. A model is developed to examine interactions between tigers and farm households living in and around tiger habitats. The analysis extends the existing literature on tiger demography, incorporating predator-prey interactions and exploring the sensitivity of tiger populations to key economic parameters. The analysis aims to contribute to policy debates on how best to protect one of the world's most endangered wild cats.

Exploring the role of drug-metabolising enzymes in antidepressant side effects.

PubMed

Hodgson, Karen; Tansey, Katherine E; Uher, Rudolf; Dernovšek, Mojca Zvezdana; Mors, Ole; Hauser, Joanna; Souery, Daniel; Maier, Wolfgang; Henigsberg, Neven; Rietschel, Marcella; Placentino, Anna; Craig, Ian W; Aitchison, Katherine J; Farmer, Anne E; Dobson, Richard J B; McGuffin, Peter

2015-07-01

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are important in the metabolism of antidepressants. The highly polymorphic nature of these enzymes has been linked to variability in antidepressant metabolism rates, leading to hope regarding the use of P450 genotyping to guide treatment. However, evidence that P450 genotypic differences underlie the variation in treatment outcomes is inconclusive. We explored the links between both P450 genotype and serum concentrations of antidepressant with antidepressant side effects, using data from the Genome-Based Therapeutic Drugs for Depression Project (GENDEP), which is a large (n = 868), pharmacogenetic study of depressed individuals treated with escitalopram or nortriptyline. Patients were genotyped for the enzymes CYP2C19 and CYP2D6, and serum concentrations of both antidepressant and primary metabolite were measured after 8 weeks of treatment. Side effects were assessed weekly. We investigated associations between P450 genotypes, serum concentrations of antidepressants and side effects, as well as the relationship between P450 genotype and study discontinuation. P450 genotype did not predict total side effect burden (nortriptyline: n = 251, p = 0.5638, β = -0.133, standard error (SE) = 0.229; escitalopram: n = 340, p = 0.9627, β = -0.004, SE = 0.085), study discontinuation (nortriptyline n = 284, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.300, p = 0.174; escitalopram n = 376, HR = 0.870, p = 0.118) or specific side effects. Serum concentrations of antidepressant were only related to a minority of the specific side effects measured: dry mouth, dizziness and diarrhoea. In this sample where antidepressant dosage is titrated using clinical judgement, P450 genotypes do not explain differences between patients in side effects with antidepressants. Serum drug concentrations appear to only explain variability in the occurrence of a minority of specific side effects.

Roles of Residues Arg-61 and Gln-38 of Human DNA Polymerase η in Bypass of Deoxyguanosine and 7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine.

PubMed

Su, Yan; Patra, Amritraj; Harp, Joel M; Egli, Martin; Guengerich, F Peter

2015-06-26

Like the other Y-family DNA polymerases, human DNA polymerase η (hpol η) has relatively low fidelity and is able to tolerate damage during DNA synthesis, including 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG), one of the most abundant DNA lesions in the genome. Crystal structures show that Arg-61 and Gln-38 are located near the active site and may play important roles in the fidelity and efficiency of hpol η. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace these side chains either alone or together, and the wild type or mutant proteins were purified and tested by replicating DNA past deoxyguanosine (G) or 8-oxoG. The catalytic activity of hpol η was dramatically disrupted by the R61M and Q38A/R61A mutations, as opposed to the R61A and Q38A single mutants. Crystal structures of hpol η mutant ternary complexes reveal that polarized water molecules can mimic and partially compensate for the missing side chains of Arg-61 and Gln-38 in the Q38A/R61A mutant. The combined data indicate that the positioning and positive charge of Arg-61 synergistically contribute to the nucleotidyl transfer reaction, with additional influence exerted by Gln-38. In addition, gel filtration chromatography separated multimeric and monomeric forms of wild type and mutant hpol η, indicating the possibility that hpol η forms multimers in vivo. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Roles of Residues Arg-61 and Gln-38 of Human DNA Polymerase η in Bypass of Deoxyguanosine and 7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine*

PubMed Central

Su, Yan; Patra, Amritraj; Harp, Joel M.; Egli, Martin; Guengerich, F. Peter

2015-01-01

Like the other Y-family DNA polymerases, human DNA polymerase η (hpol η) has relatively low fidelity and is able to tolerate damage during DNA synthesis, including 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG), one of the most abundant DNA lesions in the genome. Crystal structures show that Arg-61 and Gln-38 are located near the active site and may play important roles in the fidelity and efficiency of hpol η. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace these side chains either alone or together, and the wild type or mutant proteins were purified and tested by replicating DNA past deoxyguanosine (G) or 8-oxoG. The catalytic activity of hpol η was dramatically disrupted by the R61M and Q38A/R61A mutations, as opposed to the R61A and Q38A single mutants. Crystal structures of hpol η mutant ternary complexes reveal that polarized water molecules can mimic and partially compensate for the missing side chains of Arg-61 and Gln-38 in the Q38A/R61A mutant. The combined data indicate that the positioning and positive charge of Arg-61 synergistically contribute to the nucleotidyl transfer reaction, with additional influence exerted by Gln-38. In addition, gel filtration chromatography separated multimeric and monomeric forms of wild type and mutant hpol η, indicating the possibility that hpol η forms multimers in vivo. PMID:25947374

Water-mediated protein-fluorophore interactions modulate the affinity of an ABC-ATPase/TNP-ADP complex.

PubMed

Oswald, Christine; Jenewein, Stefan; Smits, Sander H J; Holland, I Barry; Schmitt, Lutz

2008-04-01

TNP-modified nucleotides have been used extensively to study protein-nucleotide interactions. In the case of ABC-ATPases, application of these powerful tools has been greatly restricted due to the significantly higher affinity of the TNP-nucleotide for the corresponding ABC-ATPase in comparison to the non-modified nucleotides. To understand the molecular changes occurring upon binding of the TNP-nucleotide to an ABC-ATPase, we have determined the crystal structure of the TNP-ADP/HlyB-NBD complex at 1.6A resolution. Despite the higher affinity of TNP-ADP, no direct fluorophore-protein interactions were observed. Unexpectedly, only water-mediated interactions were detected between the TNP moiety and Tyr(477), that is engaged in pi-pi stacking with the adenine ring, as well as with two serine residues (Ser(504) and Ser(509)) of the Walker A motif. Interestingly, the side chains of these two serine residues adopt novel conformations that are not observed in the corresponding ADP structure. However, in the crystal structure of the S504A mutant, which binds TNP-ADP with similar affinity to the wild type enzyme, a novel TNP-water interaction compensates for the missing serine side chain. Since this water molecule is not present in the wild type enzyme, these results suggest that only water-mediated interactions provide a structural explanation for the increased affinity of TNP-nucleotides towards ABC-ATPases. However, our results also imply that in silico approaches such as docking or modeling cannot directly be applied to generate 'affinity-adopted' ADP- or ATP-analogs for ABC-ATPases.

Behavioral and neurogenomic transcriptome changes in wild-derived zebrafish with fluoxetine treatment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Stress and anxiety-related behaviors are seen in many organisms. Studies have shown that in humans and other animals, treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. fluoxetine) can reduce anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors. The efficacies and side effects, however, can vary between individuals. Fluoxetine can modulate anxiety in a stereospecific manner or with equal efficacy regardless of stereoisomer depending on the mechanism of action (e.g. serotonergic or GABAergic effects). Zebrafish are an emerging and valuable translational model for understanding human health related issues such as anxiety. In this study we present data showing the behavioral and whole brain transcriptome changes with fluoxetine treatment in wild-derived zebrafish and suggest additional molecular mechanisms of this widely-prescribed drug. Results We used automated behavioral analyses to assess the effects of racemic and stereoisomeric fluoxetine on male wild-derived zebrafish. Both racemic and the individual isomers of fluoxetine reduced anxiety-related behaviors relative to controls and we did not observe stereospecific fluoxetine effects. Using RNA-sequencing of the whole brain, we identified 411 genes showing differential expression with racemic fluoxetine treatment. Several neuropeptides (neuropeptide Y, isotocin, urocortin 3, prolactin) showed consistent expression patterns with the alleviation of stress and anxiety when anxiety-related behavior was reduced with fluoxetine treatment. With gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses, we identified lipid and amino acid metabolic processes, and steroid biosynthesis among other terms to be over-enriched. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that fluoxetine reduces anxiety-related behaviors in wild-derived zebrafish and alters their neurogenomic state. We identify two biological processes, lipid and amino acid metabolic synthesis that characterize differences in the fluoxetine treated fish. Fluoxetine may be acting on several different molecular pathways to reduce anxiety-related behaviors in wild-derived zebrafish. This study provides data that could help identify common molecular mechanisms of fluoxetine action across animal taxa. PMID:23706039

Cathepsin B-dependent motor neuron death after nerve injury in the adult mouse

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Li; Wu, Zhou; Baba, Masashi

Research highlights: {yields} Cathepsin B (CB), a lysosomal cysteine protease, is expressed in neuron and glia. {yields} CB increased in hypogrossal nucleus neurons after nerve injury in adult mice. {yields} CB-deficiency significantly increased the mean survival ratio of injured neurons. {yields} Thus, CB plays a critical role in axotomy-induced neuronal death in adult mice. -- Abstract: There are significant differences in the rate of neuronal death after peripheral nerve injury between species. The rate of neuronal death of motor neurons after nerve injury in the adult rats is very low, whereas that in adult mice is relatively high. However, themore » understanding of the mechanism underlying axotomy-induced motor neuron death in adult mice is limited. Cathepsin B (CB), a typical cysteine lysosomal protease, has been implicated in three major morphologically distinct pathways of cell death; apoptosis, necrosis and autophagic cell death. The possible involvement of CB in the neuronal death of hypogrossal nucleus (HGN) neurons after nerve injury in adult mice was thus examined. Quantitative analyses showed the mean survival ratio of HGN neurons in CB-deficient (CB-/-) adult mice after nerve injury was significantly greater than that in the wild-type mice. At the same time, proliferation of microglia in the injured side of the HGN of CB-/- adult mice was markedly reduced compared with that in the wild-type mice. On the injured side of the HGN in the wild-type adult mice, both pro- and mature forms of CB markedly increased in accordance with the increase in the membrane-bound form of LC3 (LC3-II), a marker protein of autophagy. Furthermore, the increase in CB preceded an increase in the expression of Noxa, a major executor for axotomy-induced motor neuron death in the adult mouse. Conversely, expression of neither Noxa or LC3-II was observed in the HGN of adult CB-/- mice after nerve injury. These observations strongly suggest that CB plays a critical role in axotomy-induced mortor neuron death in adult mice.« less

Capturing Positive Transgressive Variation From Wild And Exotic Germplasm Resources

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Only a small fraction of the naturally occurring genetic diversity available in rice germplasm repositories around the world has been explored to date. This is beginning to change with the advent of affordable, high throughput genotyping approaches coupled with robust statistical analysis methods th...

Spatiotemporal regulation of a Legionella pneumophila T4SS substrate by the metaeffector SidJ.

PubMed

Jeong, Kwang Cheol; Sexton, Jessica A; Vogel, Joseph P

2015-03-01

Modulation of host cell function is vital for intracellular pathogens to survive and replicate within host cells. Most commonly, these pathogens utilize specialized secretion systems to inject substrates (also called effector proteins) that function as toxins within host cells. Since it would be detrimental for an intracellular pathogen to immediately kill its host cell, it is essential that secreted toxins be inactivated or degraded after they have served their purpose. The pathogen Legionella pneumophila represents an ideal system to study interactions between toxins as it survives within host cells for approximately a day and its Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system (T4SS) injects a vast number of toxins. Previously we reported that the Dot/Icm substrates SidE, SdeA, SdeB, and SdeC (known as the SidE family of effectors) are secreted into host cells, where they localize to the cytoplasmic face of the Legionella containing vacuole (LCV) in the early stages of infection. SidJ, another effector that is unrelated to the SidE family, is also encoded in the sdeC-sdeA locus. Interestingly, while over-expression of SidE family proteins in a wild type Legionella strain has no effect, we found that their over-expression in a ∆sidJ mutant completely inhibits intracellular growth of the strain. In addition, we found expression of SidE proteins is toxic in both yeast and mammalian HEK293 cells, but this toxicity can be suppressed by co-expression of SidJ, suggesting that SidJ may modulate the function of SidE family proteins. Finally, we were able to demonstrate both in vivo and in vitro that SidJ acts on SidE proteins to mediate their disappearance from the LCV, thereby preventing lethal intoxication of host cells. Based on these findings, we propose that SidJ acts as a metaeffector to control the activity of other Legionella effectors.

The social and ecological integration of captive-raised adolescent male African elephants (Loxodonta africana) into a wild population.

PubMed

Evans, Kate; Moore, Randall; Harris, Stephen

2013-01-01

A rapid rise in the number of captive African elephants (Loxodonta africana) used in the tourism industry in southern Africa and orphaned elephants in human care has led to concerns about their long-term management, particularly males. One solution is to release them into the wild at adolescence, when young males naturally leave their herd. However, this raises significant welfare concerns: little is known about how well released elephants integrate into wild populations and whether they pose a greater threat to humans than wild elephants. We document the release of three captive-raised adolescent male African elephants in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Despite having been part of a herd of working elephants for at least eight years, the three males progressively integrated into the complex fission-fusion society of wild bull elephants. In the three years following release, they showed no tendency to be closer to human habitation, and there were no significant differences between wild and captive-raised adolescent males in the total number of social interactions, size of ranges and habitat use. However, the captive-raised elephants sparred less and vocalised more, and spent more time alone and in smaller social groups. Thereafter the released elephants continued to expand their ranges and interact with both mixed-sex herds and males. One male was shot by farmers 94 months after release, along with ten wild elephants, on a ranch outside the protected area. We show that captive-raised adolescent male elephants can integrate into a wild population. Long-term studies are required to determine the longevity, breeding success, and eventual fate of released male elephants, but we identified no significant short-term welfare problems for the released elephants or recipient population. Release of captive-raised mammals with complex social systems is a husbandry option that should be explored further.

The Social and Ecological Integration of Captive-Raised Adolescent Male African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) into a Wild Population

PubMed Central

Evans, Kate; Moore, Randall; Harris, Stephen

2013-01-01

Background A rapid rise in the number of captive African elephants (Loxodonta africana) used in the tourism industry in southern Africa and orphaned elephants in human care has led to concerns about their long-term management, particularly males. One solution is to release them into the wild at adolescence, when young males naturally leave their herd. However, this raises significant welfare concerns: little is known about how well released elephants integrate into wild populations and whether they pose a greater threat to humans than wild elephants. We document the release of three captive-raised adolescent male African elephants in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Methodology/Principal Findings Despite having been part of a herd of working elephants for at least eight years, the three males progressively integrated into the complex fission-fusion society of wild bull elephants. In the three years following release, they showed no tendency to be closer to human habitation, and there were no significant differences between wild and captive-raised adolescent males in the total number of social interactions, size of ranges and habitat use. However, the captive-raised elephants sparred less and vocalised more, and spent more time alone and in smaller social groups. Thereafter the released elephants continued to expand their ranges and interact with both mixed-sex herds and males. One male was shot by farmers 94 months after release, along with ten wild elephants, on a ranch outside the protected area. Conclusions/Significance We show that captive-raised adolescent male elephants can integrate into a wild population. Long-term studies are required to determine the longevity, breeding success, and eventual fate of released male elephants, but we identified no significant short-term welfare problems for the released elephants or recipient population. Release of captive-raised mammals with complex social systems is a husbandry option that should be explored further. PMID:23437076

Effects of laboratory housing on exploratory behaviour, novelty discrimination and spatial reference memory in a subterranean, solitary rodent, the Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis).

PubMed

Oosthuizen, Maria Kathleen; Scheibler, Anne-Gita; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Amrein, Irmgard

2013-01-01

A large number of laboratory and field based studies are being carried out on mole-rats, both in our research group and others. Several studies have highlighted the development of adverse behaviours in laboratory animals and have emphasised the importance of enrichment for captive animals. Hence we were interested in evaluating how laboratory housing would affect behavioural performance in mole-rats. We investigated exploratory behaviour, the ability to discriminate between novel and familiar environments and reference memory in the solitary Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis). Our data showed that both wild and captive animals readily explore open spaces and tunnels. Wild animals were however more active than their captive counterparts. In the Y maze two trial discrimination task, wild animals failed to discriminate between novel and familiar environments, while laboratory housed mole-rats showed preferential spatial discrimination in terms of the length of time spent in the novel arm. The performance of the laboratory and wild animals were similar when tested for reference memory in the Y maze, both groups showed a significant improvement compared to the first day, from the 3rd day onwards. Wild animals made more mistakes whereas laboratory animals were slower in completing the task. The difference in performance between wild and laboratory animals in the Y-maze may be as a result of the lower activity of the laboratory animals. Laboratory maintained Cape mole-rats show classic behaviours resulting from a lack of stimulation such as reduced activity and increased aggression. However, they do display an improved novelty discrimination compared to the wild animals. Slower locomotion rate of the laboratory animals may increase the integration time of stimuli, hence result in a more thorough inspection of the surroundings. Unlike the captive animals, wild animals show flexibility in their responses to unpredictable events, which is an important requirement under natural living conditions.

Effects of Laboratory Housing on Exploratory Behaviour, Novelty Discrimination and Spatial Reference Memory in a Subterranean, Solitary Rodent, the Cape Mole-Rat (Georychus capensis)

PubMed Central

Oosthuizen, Maria Kathleen; Scheibler, Anne-Gita; Charles Bennett, Nigel; Amrein, Irmgard

2013-01-01

A large number of laboratory and field based studies are being carried out on mole-rats, both in our research group and others. Several studies have highlighted the development of adverse behaviours in laboratory animals and have emphasised the importance of enrichment for captive animals. Hence we were interested in evaluating how laboratory housing would affect behavioural performance in mole-rats. We investigated exploratory behaviour, the ability to discriminate between novel and familiar environments and reference memory in the solitary Cape mole-rat ( Georychus capensis ). Our data showed that both wild and captive animals readily explore open spaces and tunnels. Wild animals were however more active than their captive counterparts. In the Y maze two trial discrimination task, wild animals failed to discriminate between novel and familiar environments, while laboratory housed mole-rats showed preferential spatial discrimination in terms of the length of time spent in the novel arm. The performance of the laboratory and wild animals were similar when tested for reference memory in the Y maze, both groups showed a significant improvement compared to the first day, from the 3rd day onwards. Wild animals made more mistakes whereas laboratory animals were slower in completing the task. The difference in performance between wild and laboratory animals in the Y-maze may be as a result of the lower activity of the laboratory animals. Laboratory maintained Cape mole-rats show classic behaviours resulting from a lack of stimulation such as reduced activity and increased aggression. However, they do display an improved novelty discrimination compared to the wild animals. Slower locomotion rate of the laboratory animals may increase the integration time of stimuli, hence result in a more thorough inspection of the surroundings. Unlike the captive animals, wild animals show flexibility in their responses to unpredictable events, which is an important requirement under natural living conditions. PMID:24040422

[Study of the immunological mechanism of anti-tumor effects of 5-FU by establishing EL4 tumor-bearing mouse models].

PubMed

Li, Mo-Lin; Li, Chuan-Gang; Shu, Xiao-Hong; Li, Ming-Xia; Jia, Yu-Jie; Qin, Zhi-Hai

2007-11-01

To investigate the immunological mechanism of anti-tumor effect of 5-FU by establishing lymphoma EL4 tumor-bearing mouse models in wild type C57BL/6 mice and nude C57BL/6 mice, respectively. The mouse lymphoma EL4 cells were inoculated subcutaneously into wild type C57BL/6 mice (immune-competent mice). Twelve days later, 5-FU of different doses was administered intraperitoneally to treat these wild type C57BL/6 tumor-bearing mice. The size of tumors in the wild type C57BL/6 mice was observed and recorded to explore the minimal dose of 5-FU that could cure the tumor-bearing mice. Then the same amount of EL4 tumor cells was inoculated subcutaneously into wild type C57BL/6 mice and nude C57BL/6 mice (T cell-deficient mice) simultaneously, which had the same genetic background of C57BL/6. Twelve days later, 5-FU of the minimal dose was given intraperitoneally to treat both the wild type and nude C57BL/6 tumor-bearing mice. The size of tumors in the two different types of mice was observed and recorded. A single dose of 5-FU (75 mg/kg) cured both the EL4 tumor-bearing wild type C57BL/6 mice and the EL4 tumor-bearing nude C57BL/6 mice in the first week. Two weeks after 5-FU treatment, all of the nude mice died of tumor relapse while most of the wild type C57BL/6 mice were fully recovered. A single dose of 5-FU has marked anti-tumor effects on lymphoma EL4 tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice with or without T lymphocytes. The relapse of tumors after 5-FU treatment might be related to the function of T lymphocytes.

Genetic Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi DTUs in Wild Triatoma infestans from Bolivia: Predominance of TcI

PubMed Central

Brenière, Simone Frédérique; Aliaga, Claudia; Waleckx, Etienne; Buitrago, Rosio; Salas, Renata; Barnabé, Christian; Tibayrenc, Michel; Noireau, François

2012-01-01

Background The current persistence of Triatoma infestans (one of the main vectors of Chagas disease) in some domestic areas could be related to re-colonization by wild populations which are increasingly reported. However, the infection rate and the genetic characterization of the Trypanosoma cruzi strains infecting these populations are very limited. Methodology/Principal Findings Of 333 wild Triatoma infestans specimens collected from north to south of a Chagas disease endemic area in Bolivia, we characterized 234 stocks of Trypanosoma cruzi using mini-exon multiplex PCR (MMPCR) and sequencing the glucose phosphate isomerase (Gpi) gene. Of the six genetic lineages (“discrete typing units”; DTU) (TcI-VI) presently recognized in T. cruzi, TcI (99.1%) was overdominant on TcIII (0.9%) in wild Andean T. infestans, which presented a 71.7% infection rate as evaluated by microscopy. In the lowlands (Bolivian Chaco), 17 “dark morph” T. infestans were analyzed. None of them were positive for parasites after microscopic examination, although one TcI stock and one TcII stock were identified using MMPCR and sequencing. Conclusions/Significance By exploring large-scale DTUs that infect the wild populations of T. infestans, this study opens the discussion on the origin of TcI and TcV DTUs that are predominant in domestic Bolivian cycles. PMID:22685616

Regulation of Small Mitochondrial DNA Replicative Advantage by Ribonucleotide Reductase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PubMed Central

Bradshaw, Elliot; Yoshida, Minoru; Ling, Feng

2017-01-01

Small mitochondrial genomes can behave as selfish elements by displacing wild-type genomes regardless of their detriment to the host organism. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, small hypersuppressive mtDNA transiently coexist with wild-type in a state of heteroplasmy, wherein the replicative advantage of the small mtDNA outcompetes wild-type and produces offspring without respiratory capacity in >95% of colonies. The cytosolic enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in dNTP synthesis and its inhibition has been correlated with increased petite colony formation, reflecting loss of respiratory function. Here, we used heteroplasmic diploids containing wild-type (rho+) and suppressive (rho−) or hypersuppressive (HS rho−) mitochondrial genomes to explore the effects of RNR activity on mtDNA heteroplasmy in offspring. We found that the proportion of rho+ offspring was significantly increased by RNR overexpression or deletion of its inhibitor, SML1, while reducing RNR activity via SML1 overexpression produced the opposite effects. In addition, using Ex Taq and KOD Dash polymerases, we observed a replicative advantage for small over large template DNA in vitro, but only at low dNTP concentrations. These results suggest that dNTP insufficiency contributes to the replicative advantage of small mtDNA over wild-type and cytosolic dNTP synthesis by RNR is an important regulator of heteroplasmy involving small mtDNA molecules in yeast. PMID:28717049

Comparing Wild 2 Particles to Chondrites and IDPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Nakamura-Messenger, Keiko; Rietmeijer, Frans; Leroux, Hugues; Mikouchi, Takashi; Ohsumi, Kazumasa; Simon, Steven; Grossman, Lawrence; Stephan, Thomas; Weisberg, Michael;

Dacomitinib versus erlotinib in patients with advanced-stage, previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer (ARCHER 1009): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial.

PubMed

Ramalingam, Suresh S; Jänne, Pasi A; Mok, Tony; O'Byrne, Kenneth; Boyer, Michael J; Von Pawel, Joachim; Pluzanski, Adam; Shtivelband, Mikhail; Docampo, Lara Iglesias; Bennouna, Jaafar; Zhang, Hui; Liang, Jane Q; Doherty, Jim P; Taylor, Ian; Mather, Cecile B; Goldberg, Zelanna; O'Connell, Joseph; Paz-Ares, Luis

2014-11-01

Dacomitinib is an irreversible pan-EGFR family tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Findings from a phase 2 study in non-small cell lung cancer showed favourable efficacy for dacomitinib compared with erlotinib. We aimed to compare dacomitinib with erlotinib in a phase 3 study. In a randomised, multicentre, double-blind phase 3 trial in 134 centres in 23 countries, we enrolled patients who had locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, progression after one or two previous regimens of chemotherapy, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-2, and presence of measurable disease. We randomly assigned patients in a 1:1 ratio to dacomitinib (45 mg/day) or erlotinib (150 mg/day) with matching placebo. Treatment allocation was masked to the investigator, patient, and study funder. Randomisation was stratified by histology (adenocarcinoma vs non-adenocarcinoma), ethnic origin (Asian vs non-Asian and Indian sub-continent), performance status (0-1 vs 2), and smoking status (never-smoker vs ever-smoker). The coprimary endpoints were progression-free survival per independent review for all randomly assigned patients, and for all randomly assigned patients with KRAS wild-type tumours. The study has completed accrual and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01360554. Between June 22, 2011, and March 12, 2013, we enrolled 878 patients and randomly assigned 439 to dacomitinib (256 KRAS wild type) and 439 (263 KRAS wild type) to erlotinib. Median progression-free survival was 2·6 months (95% CI 1·9-2·8) in both the dacomitinib group and the erlotinib group (stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0·941, 95% CI 0·802-1·104, one-sided log-rank p=0·229). For patients with wild-type KRAS, median progression-free survival was 2·6 months for dacomitinib (95% CI 1·9-2·9) and erlotinib (95% CI 1·9-3·0; stratified HR 1·022, 95% CI 0·834-1·253, one-sided p=0·587). In patients who received at least one dose of study drug, the most frequent grade 3-4 adverse events were diarrhoea (47 [11%] patients in the dacomitinib group vs ten [2%] patients in the erlotinib group), rash (29 [7%] vs 12 [3%]), and stomatitis (15 [3%] vs two [<1%]). Serious adverse events were reported in 52 (12%) patients receiving dacomitinib and 40 (9%) patients receiving erlotinib. Irreversible EGFR inhibition with dacomitinib was not superior to erlotinib in an unselected patient population with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer or in patients with KRAS wild-type tumours. Further study of irreversible EGFR inhibitors should be restricted to patients with activating EGFR mutations. Pfizer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Praxis-Related Research: Serving Two Masters?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattsson, Matts; Kemmis, Stephen

2007-01-01

This article elucidates criteria which might be helpful in evaluating praxis-related research. The authors explore both sides of the research and development (R & D) project. They examine different ways of understanding contributions to knowledge through research but more especially exploring ideas about contributions to changing praxis. Changing…

Phenotypic disparity of the elbow joint in domestic dogs and wild carnivores.

PubMed

Figueirido, Borja

2018-05-16

In this article, I use geometric morphometrics in 2D from a sample of 366 elbow joints to quantify phenotypic disparity in domestic dog breeds, in wild canids, and across the order Carnivora. The elbow joint is a well-established morphological indicator of forearm motion and, by extension, of functional adaptations towards locomotor or predatory behavior in living carnivores. The study of the elbow joint in domestic dogs allows the exploration of potential convergences between (i) pursuit predators and fast-running dogs, and (ii) ambush predators and fighting breeds. The results indicate that elbow shape disparity among domestic dogs exceeds that in wolves; it is comparable to the disparity of wild Caninae, but is significantly lower than the one observed throughout Canidae and Carnivora. Moreover, fast-running and fighting breeds are not convergent in elbow joint shape with extreme pursuit and ambush wild carnivores, respectively. The role of artificial selection and developmental constraints in shaping limb phenotypic disparity through the extremely fast evolution of the domestic dog is discussed in the light of this new evidence. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

First GIS Analysis of Modern Stone Tools Used by Wild Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Bossou, Guinea, West Africa

PubMed Central

Arroyo, Adrian; Matsuzawa, Tetsuro; de la Torre, Ignacio

2015-01-01

Stone tool use by wild chimpanzees of West Africa offers a unique opportunity to explore the evolutionary roots of technology during human evolution. However, detailed analyses of chimpanzee stone artifacts are still lacking, thus precluding a comparison with the earliest archaeological record. This paper presents the first systematic study of stone tools used by wild chimpanzees to crack open nuts in Bossou (Guinea-Conakry), and applies pioneering analytical techniques to such artifacts. Automatic morphometric GIS classification enabled to create maps of use wear over the stone tools (anvils, hammers, and hammers/ anvils), which were blind tested with GIS spatial analysis of damage patterns identified visually. Our analysis shows that chimpanzee stone tool use wear can be systematized and specific damage patterns discerned, allowing to discriminate between active and passive pounders in lithic assemblages. In summary, our results demonstrate the heuristic potential of combined suites of GIS techniques for the analysis of battered artifacts, and have enabled creating a referential framework of analysis in which wild chimpanzee battered tools can for the first time be directly compared to the early archaeological record. PMID:25793642

Maize pollen coat xylanase facilitates pollen tube penetration into silk during sexual reproduction.

PubMed

Suen, Der Fen; Huang, Anthony H C

2007-01-05

Cell wall hydrolases are well documented to be present on pollen, but their roles on the stigma during sexual reproduction have not been previously demonstrated. We explored the function of the tapetum-synthesized xylanase, ZmXYN1, on maize (Zea mays L.) pollen. Transgenic lines (xyl-less) containing little or no xylanase in the pollen coat were generated with use of an antisense construct of the xylanase gene-coding region driven by the XYN1 gene promoter. Xyl-less and wild-type plants had similar vegetative growth. Electron microscopy revealed no appreciable morphological difference in anther cells and pollen between xyl-less lines and the wild type, whereas immunofluorescence microscopy and biochemical analyses indicated an absence of xylanase on xyl-less pollen. Xyl-less pollen germinated as efficiently as wild-type pollen in vitro in a liquid medium but less so on gel media of increasing solidity or on silk, which is indicative of partial impaired water uptake. Once germinated in vitro or on silk, the xyl-less and wild-type pollen tubes elongated at comparable rates. Tubes of germinated xyl-less pollen on silk did not penetrate into the silk as efficiently as tubes of wild-type pollen, and this lower efficiency could be overcome by the addition of xylanase to the silk. For wild-type pollen, coat xylanase activity on oat spelled xylan in vitro and tube penetration into silk were inhibited by xylose but not glucose. The overall findings indicate that maize pollen coat xylanase facilitates pollen tube penetration into silk via enzymatic xylan hydrolysis.

Genome-wide genotyping-by-sequencing data provide a high-resolution view of wild Helianthus diversity, genetic structure, and interspecies gene flow.

PubMed

Baute, Gregory J; Owens, Gregory L; Bock, Dan G; Rieseberg, Loren H

2016-12-01

Wild sunflowers harbor considerable genetic diversity and are a major resource for improvement of the cultivated sunflower, Helianthus annuus. The Helianthus genus is also well known for its propensity for gene flow between taxa. We surveyed genomic diversity of 292 samples of wild Helianthus from 22 taxa that are cross-compatible with the cultivar using genotyping by sequencing. With these data, we derived a high-resolution phylogeny of the taxa, interrogated genome-wide levels of diversity, explored H. annuus population structure, and identified localized gene flow between H. annuus and its close relatives. Our phylogenomic analyses confirmed a number of previously established interspecific relationships and indicated for the first time that a newly described annual sunflower, H. winteri, is nested within H. annuus. Principal component analyses showed that H. annuus has geographic population structure with most notable subpopulations occurring in California and Texas. While gene flow was identified between H. annuus and H. bolanderi in California and between H. annuus and H. argophyllus in Texas, this genetic exchange does not appear to drive observed patterns of H. annuus population structure. Wild H. annuus remains an excellent resource for cultivated sunflower breeding effort because of its diversity and the ease with which it can be crossed with cultivated H. annuus. Cases of interspecific gene flow such as those documented here also indicate wild H. annuus can act as a bridge to capture alleles from other wild taxa; continued breeding efforts with it may therefore reap the largest rewards. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

The effect of IDH1 mutation on the structural connectome in malignant astrocytoma.

PubMed

Kesler, Shelli R; Noll, Kyle; Cahill, Daniel P; Rao, Ganesh; Wefel, Jeffrey S

2017-02-01

Mutation of the IDH1 gene is associated with differences in malignant astrocytoma growth characteristics that impact phenotypic severity, including cognitive impairment. We previously demonstrated greater cognitive impairment in patients with IDH1 wild type tumor compared to those with IDH1 mutant, and therefore we hypothesized that brain network organization would be lower in patients with wild type tumors. Volumetric, T1-weighted MRI scans were obtained retrospectively from 35 patients with IDH1 mutant and 32 patients with wild type malignant astrocytoma (mean age = 45 ± 14 years) and used to extract individual level, gray matter connectomes. Graph theoretical analysis was then applied to measure efficiency and other connectome properties for each patient. Cognitive performance was categorized as impaired or not and random forest classification was used to explore factors associated with cognitive impairment. Patients with wild type tumor demonstrated significantly lower network efficiency in several medial frontal, posterior parietal and subcortical regions (p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). Patients with wild type tumor also demonstrated significantly higher incidence of cognitive impairment (p = 0.03). Random forest analysis indicated that network efficiency was inversely, though nonlinearly associated with cognitive impairment in both groups (p < 0.0001). Cognitive reserve appeared to mediate this relationship in patients with mutant tumor suggesting greater neuroplasticity and/or benefit from neuroprotective factors. Tumor volume was the greatest contributor to cognitive impairment in patients with wild type tumor, supporting our hypothesis that greater lesion momentum between grades may cause more disconnection of core neurocircuitry and consequently lower efficiency of information processing.

Black Truffle Harvesting in Spanish Forests: Trends, Current Policies and Practices, and Implications on its Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Barreda, Sergi; Forcadell, Ricardo; Sánchez, Sergio; Martín-Santafé, María; Marco, Pedro; Camarero, J. Julio; Reyna, Santiago

2018-04-01

The European black truffle is a mycorrhizal fungus native to Spanish Mediterranean forests. In most Spanish regions it was originally commercially harvested in the second half of the 20th century. Experts agree that wild truffle yields suffered a sharp decline during the 1970s and 1980s. However, official statistics for Spanish harvest are scarce and seemingly conflicting, and little attention has been paid to the regime for the exploitation of truffle-producing forests and its implications on the sustainability of this resource. Trends in harvest from 1969 to 2013 and current harvesting practices were analyzed as a case study, taking into account that Spain is a major truffle producer worldwide, but at the same time truffles have only recently been exploited. The available statistical sources, which include an increasing proportion of cultivated truffles since the mid-1990s, were explored, with estimates from Truffle Harvesters Federation showing higher consistency. Statistical sources were then compared with proxies for wild harvest (rents from truffle leases in public forests) to corroborate time trends in wild harvesting. Results suggest that black truffle production is recovering in recent years thanks to plantations, whereas wild harvest is still declining. The implications of Spanish legal and institutional framework on sustainability of wild truffle use are reviewed. In the current scenario, the decline of wild harvest is likely to continue and eventually make commercial harvesting economically unattractive, thus aggravating sustainability issues. Strengthening of property rights, rationalization of harvesting pressure, forest planning and involvement of public stakeholders are proposed as corrective measures.

Social-ecological interactions, management panaceas, and the future of wild fish populations

PubMed Central

van Poorten, Brett T.; Arlinghaus, Robert; Daedlow, Katrin; Haertel-Borer, Susanne S.

2011-01-01

We explored the social and ecological outcomes associated with emergence of a management panacea designed to govern a stochastic renewable natural resource. To that end, we constructed a model of a coupled social-ecological system of recreational fisheries in which a manager supports naturally fluctuating stocks by stocking fish in response to harvest-driven satisfaction of resource users. The realistic assumption of users remembering past harvest experiences when exploiting a stochastically fluctuating fish population facilitates the emergence of a stocking-based management panacea over time. The social benefits of panacea formation involve dampening natural population fluctuations and generating stability of user satisfaction. It also maintains the resource but promotes the eventual replacement of wild fish by hatchery-descended fish. Our analyses show this outcome is particularly likely when hatchery-descended fish are reasonably fit (e.g., characterized by similar survival relative to wild fish) and/or when natural recruitment of the wild population is low (e.g., attributable to habitat deterioration), which leaves the wild population with little buffer against competition by stocked fish. The potential for release-based panacea formation is particularly likely under user-based management regimes and should be common in a range of social-ecological systems (e.g., fisheries, forestry), whenever user groups are entitled to engage in release or replanting strategies. The net result will be the preservation of a renewable resource through user-based incentives, but the once natural populations are likely to be altered and to host nonnative genotypes. This risks other ecosystem services and the future of wild populations. PMID:21742983

Abscisic acid negatively regulates elicitor-induced synthesis of capsidiol in wild tobacco.

PubMed

Mialoundama, Alexis Samba; Heintz, Dimitri; Debayle, Delphine; Rahier, Alain; Camara, Bilal; Bouvier, Florence

2009-07-01

In the Solanaceae, biotic and abiotic elicitors induce de novo synthesis of sesquiterpenoid stress metabolites known as phytoalexins. Because plant hormones play critical roles in the induction of defense-responsive genes, we have explored the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) on the synthesis of capsidiol, the major wild tobacco (Nicotiana plumbaginifolia) sesquiterpenoid phytoalexin, using wild-type plants versus nonallelic mutants Npaba2 and Npaba1 that are deficient in ABA synthesis. Npaba2 and Npaba1 mutants exhibited a 2-fold higher synthesis of capsidiol than wild-type plants when elicited with either cellulase or arachidonic acid or when infected by Botrytis cinerea. The same trend was observed for the expression of the capsidiol biosynthetic genes 5-epi-aristolochene synthase and 5-epi-aristolochene hydroxylase. Treatment of wild-type plants with fluridone, an inhibitor of the upstream ABA pathway, recapitulated the behavior of Npaba2 and Npaba1 mutants, while the application of exogenous ABA reversed the enhanced synthesis of capsidiol in Npaba2 and Npaba1 mutants. Concomitant with the production of capsidiol, we observed the induction of ABA 8'-hydroxylase in elicited plants. In wild-type plants, the induction of ABA 8'-hydroxylase coincided with a decrease in ABA content and with the accumulation of ABA catabolic products such as phaseic acid and dihydrophaseic acid, suggesting a negative regulation exerted by ABA on capsidiol synthesis. Collectively, our data indicate that ABA is not required per se for the induction of capsidiol synthesis but is essentially implicated in a stress-response checkpoint to fine-tune the amplification of capsidiol synthesis in challenged plants.

Exploring Middle School Girls' Science Identities: Examining Attitudes and Perceptions of Scientists when Working "Side-by-Side" with Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farland-Smith, Donna

2009-01-01

This article is the culmination of an extensive inquiry-focused interactive experience involving female middle school students and five university scientists, which demonstrated that middle school girls' perception of science and scientists can be successfully improved. The study exposed students to adult professional scientists over a period of a…

Sex Differences in Occupational Choice, Pay, and Worth: A Supply-Side Approach to Understanding the Male-Female Wage Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollenbeck, John R.; And Others

1987-01-01

Explored utility of adopting supply-side approach to understanding the nature of wage differentials between men and women using job applicants (N=272) as subjects. Results suggested much of the wage gap can be explained by evaluations of outcomes other than pay, and gender-related differences in expectancies, instrumentalities, and valences with…

Side Effects of Minocycline Treatment in Patients with Fragile X Syndrome and Exploration of Outcome Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utari, Agustini; Chonchaiya, Weerasak; Rivera, Susan M.; Schneider, Andrea; Hagerman, Randi J.; Faradz, Sultana M. H.; Ethell, Iryna M.; Nguyen, Danh V.

2010-01-01

Minocycline can rescue the dendritic spine and synaptic structural abnormalities in the fragile X knock-out mouse. This is a review and preliminary survey to document side effects and potential outcome measures for minocycline use in the treatment of individuals with fragile X syndrome. We surveyed 50 patients with fragile X syndrome who received…

Substrate Shuttling Between Active Sites of Uroporphyrinogen Decarboxylase in Not Required to Generate Coproporphyrinogen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phillips, J.; Warby, C; Whitby, F

2009-01-01

Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (URO-D; EC 4.1.1.37), the fifth enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway, is required for the production of heme, vitamin B12, siroheme, and chlorophyll precursors. URO-D catalyzes the sequential decarboxylation of four acetate side chains in the pyrrole groups of uroporphyrinogen to produce coproporphyrinogen. URO-D is a stable homodimer, with the active-site clefts of the two subunits adjacent to each other. It has been hypothesized that the two catalytic centers interact functionally, perhaps by shuttling of reaction intermediates between subunits. We tested this hypothesis by construction of a single-chain protein (single-chain URO-D) in which the two subunits were connectedmore » by a flexible linker. The crystal structure of this protein was shown to be superimposable with wild-type activity and to have comparable catalytic activity. Mutations that impaired one or the other of the two active sites of single-chain URO-D resulted in approximately half of wild-type activity. The distributions of reaction intermediates were the same for mutant and wild-type sequences and were unaltered in a competition experiment using I and III isomer substrates. These observations indicate that communication between active sites is not required for enzyme function and suggest that the dimeric structure of URO-D is required to achieve conformational stability and to create a large active-site cleft.« less

Two sides of a coin: ecological and chronobiological perspectives of timing in the wild.

PubMed

Helm, Barbara; Visser, Marcel E; Schwartz, William; Kronfeld-Schor, Noga; Gerkema, Menno; Piersma, Theunis; Bloch, Guy

2017-11-19

Most processes within organisms, and most interactions between organisms and their environment, have distinct time profiles. The temporal coordination of such processes is crucial across levels of biological organization, but disciplines differ widely in their approaches to study timing. Such differences are accentuated between ecologists, who are centrally concerned with a holistic view of an organism in relation to its external environment, and chronobiologists, who emphasize internal timekeeping within an organism and the mechanisms of its adjustment to the environment. We argue that ecological and chronobiological perspectives are complementary, and that studies at the intersection will enable both fields to jointly overcome obstacles that currently hinder progress. However, to achieve this integration, we first have to cross some conceptual barriers, clarifying prohibitively inaccessible terminologies. We critically assess main assumptions and concepts in either field, as well as their common interests. Both approaches intersect in their need to understand the extent and regulation of temporal plasticity, and in the concept of 'chronotype', i.e. the characteristic temporal properties of individuals which are the targets of natural and sexual selection. We then highlight promising developments, point out open questions, acknowledge difficulties and propose directions for further integration of ecological and chronobiological perspectives through Wild Clock research.This article is part of the themed issue 'Wild Clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals'. © 2017 The Author(s).

A probable case of poliomyelitis imported to Malaysia.

PubMed

Tay, Chee Geap; Ong, Lai Choo; Goh, Khean Jin; Rahmat, Kartini; Fong, Choong Yi

2015-12-01

We report a previously well 10-month-old Somalian girl who acquired asymmetric lower limb weakness in July 2013 in Mogadishu, Banadir, before arriving in Malaysia at 12 months of age. In May 2013, there was a wild poliomyelitis outbreak in that area, as reported by the World Health Organization. Laboratory investigation, including cerebrospinal fluid, was unremarkable, and electrophysiological studies showed active axonal denervation in the left lower limb. The whole spine T2-weighted MRI revealed non-enhancing hyperintensities of the bilateral anterior horn cells, predominantly on the left side at T11-12. The viral isolations from two stool specimens at her presentation to our centre, 2 months after the onset of illness and 2 weeks apart, were negative. Despite lacking the acute virological evidence of poliomyelitis, in view of the girl's clinical, electrophysiological and classical spinal neuroradiological features, together with her temporal relationship with a World Health Organization reported wild poliomyelitis outbreak, we believe these findings are consistent with a diagnosis of imported poliomyelitis. A review at 30 months of age showed persistent left lower limb monoplegia with little recovery. Our patient reiterates the importance of maintaining awareness of wild polio importation, and keeping abreast of the latest news of global poliomyelitis outbreaks when treating patients with flaccid paralysis, even if they arrive from non-endemic poliomyelitis areas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pu-erh Tea Inhibits Tumor Cell Growth by Down-Regulating Mutant p53

PubMed Central

Zhao, Lanjun; Jia, Shuting; Tang, Wenru; Sheng, Jun; Luo, Ying

2011-01-01

Pu-erh tea is a kind of fermented tea with the incorporation of microorganisms’ metabolites. Unlike green tea, the chemical characteristics and bioactivities of Pu-erh tea are still not well understood. Using water extracts of Pu-erh tea, we analyzed the tumor cell growth inhibition activities on several genetically engineered mouse tumor cell lines. We found that at the concentration that did not affect wild type mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) growth, Pu-erh tea extracts could inhibit tumor cell growth by down-regulated S phase and cause G1 or G2 arrest. Further study showed that Pu-erh tea extracts down-regulated the expression of mutant p53 in tumor cells at the protein level as well as mRNA level. The same concentration of Pu-erh tea solution did not cause p53 stabilization or activation of its downstream pathways in wild type cells. We also found that Pu-erh tea treatment could slightly down-regulate both HSP70 and HSP90 protein levels in tumor cells. These data revealed the action of Pu-erh tea on tumor cells and provided the possible mechanism for Pu-erh tea action, which explained its selectivity in inhibiting tumor cells without affecting wild type cells. Our data sheds light on the application of Pu-erh tea as an anti-tumor agent with low side effects. PMID:22174618

Codon Optimization of the Human Papillomavirus E7 Oncogene Induces a CD8+ T Cell Response to a Cryptic Epitope Not Harbored by Wild-Type E7

PubMed Central

Lorenz, Felix K. M.; Wilde, Susanne; Voigt, Katrin; Kieback, Elisa; Mosetter, Barbara; Schendel, Dolores J.; Uckert, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

Codon optimization of nucleotide sequences is a widely used method to achieve high levels of transgene expression for basic and clinical research. Until now, immunological side effects have not been described. To trigger T cell responses against human papillomavirus, we incubated T cells with dendritic cells that were pulsed with RNA encoding the codon-optimized E7 oncogene. All T cell receptors isolated from responding T cell clones recognized target cells expressing the codon-optimized E7 gene but not the wild type E7 sequence. Epitope mapping revealed recognition of a cryptic epitope from the +3 alternative reading frame of codon-optimized E7, which is not encoded by the wild type E7 sequence. The introduction of a stop codon into the +3 alternative reading frame protected the transgene product from recognition by T cell receptor gene-modified T cells. This is the first experimental study demonstrating that codon optimization can render a transgene artificially immunogenic through generation of a dominant cryptic epitope. This finding may be of great importance for the clinical field of gene therapy to avoid rejection of gene-corrected cells and for the design of DNA- and RNA-based vaccines, where codon optimization may artificially add a strong immunogenic component to the vaccine. PMID:25799237

Joy in Mudville. A Little League[R] Memoir.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Greg

This book chronicles the author's experiences managing his son's wildly unpredictable Little League baseball team, exploring the pleasures and pitfalls of adult involvement in Little League, a game played by, and meant for, children. The book examines timely issues surrounding youth baseball today. Through interviews with parents, opposing…

Genomic Analyses Yield Markers for Identifying Agronomically Important Genes in Potato

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study explores the genetic architecture underling the potato evolution through a comprehensive assessment of wild and cultivated potato species based on the re-sequencing of 201 accessions of Solanum section Petota with >12 × genome coverage. We identified 450 domesticated genes, which showed e...

Oryza rufipogon introgressions improve yield in the U.S. cultivar Jefferson

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An advanced backcross (BC2) population was developed to explore the breeding value of the wild ancestral species O. rufipogon (IRGC 105491) in a cross with the tropical japonica US variety, cv Jefferson. Early generation selection eliminated lines which possessed undesirable traits such as dormancy,...

Saving Squawk? Animal and Human Entanglement at the Edge of the Lagoon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gannon, Susanne

2017-01-01

Emerging posthuman paradigms are beginning to influence approaches to educational research and pedagogy, including the "common worlds" investigations of relations among children and wild animals in early childhood settings. This paper turns to child-animal encounters in a secondary school wetlands project to explore some of the…

Control of acute, chronic, and constitutive hyperammonemia by wild-type and genetically engineered Lactobacillus plantarum in rodents.

PubMed

Nicaise, Charles; Prozzi, Deborah; Viaene, Eric; Moreno, Christophe; Gustot, Thierry; Quertinmont, Eric; Demetter, Pieter; Suain, Valérie; Goffin, Philippe; Devière, Jacques; Hols, Pascal

2008-10-01

Hyperammonemia is a common complication of acute and chronic liver diseases. Often accompanied with side effects, therapeutic interventions such as antibiotics or lactulose are generally targeted to decrease the intestinal production and absorption of ammonia. In this study, we aimed to modulate hyperammonemia in three rodent models by administration of wild-type Lactobacillus plantarum, a genetically engineered ammonia hyperconsuming strain, and a strain deficient for the ammonia transporter. Wild-type and metabolically engineered L. plantarum strains were administered in ornithine transcarbamoylase-deficient Sparse-fur mice, a model of constitutive hyperammonemia, in a carbon tetrachloride rat model of chronic liver insufficiency and in a thioacetamide-induced acute liver failure mice model. Constitutive hyperammonemia in Sparse-fur mice and hyperammonemia in a rat model of chronic hepatic insufficiency were efficiently decreased by Lactobacillus administration. In a murine thioacetamide-induced model of acute liver failure, administration of probiotics significantly increased survival and decreased blood and fecal ammonia. The ammonia hyperconsuming strain exhibited a beneficial effect at a lower dose than its wild-type counterpart. Improved survival in the acute liver failure mice model was associated with lower blood ammonia levels but also with a decrease of astrocyte swelling in the brain cortex. Modulation of ammonia was abolished after administration of the strain deficient in the ammonium transporter. Intestinal pH was clearly lowered for all strains and no changes in gut flora were observed. Hyperammonemia in constitutive model or after acute or chronic induced liver failure can be controlled by the administration of L. plantarum with a significant effect on survival. The mechanism involved in this ammonia decrease implicates direct ammonia consumption in the gut.

The Structural Role of Elastic Fibers in the Cornea Investigated Using a Mouse Model for Marfan Syndrome

PubMed Central

White, Tomas L.; Lewis, Philip; Hayes, Sally; Fergusson, James; Bell, James; Farinha, Luis; White, Nick S.; Pereira, Lygia V.; Meek, Keith M.

2017-01-01

Purpose The presence of fibrillin-rich elastic fibers in the cornea has been overlooked in recent years. The aim of the current study was to elucidate their functional role using a mouse model for Marfan syndrome, defective in fibrillin-1, the major structural component of the microfibril bundles that constitute most of the elastic fibers. Methods Mouse corneas were obtained from animals with a heterozygous fibrillin-1 mutation (Fbn1+/−) and compared to wild type controls. Corneal thickness and radius of curvature were calculated using optical coherence tomography microscopy. Elastic microfibril bundles were quantified and visualized in three-dimensions using serial block face scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze stromal ultrastructure and proteoglycan distribution. Center-to-center average interfibrillar spacing was determined using x-ray scattering. Results Fbn1+/− corneas were significantly thinner than wild types and displayed a higher radius of curvature. In the Fbn1+/− corneas, elastic microfibril bundles were significantly reduced in density and disorganized compared to wild-type controls, in addition to containing a higher average center-to-center collagen interfibrillar spacing in the center of the cornea. No other differences were detected in stromal ultrastructure or proteoglycan distribution between the two groups. Proteoglycan side chains appeared to colocalize with the microfibril bundles. Conclusions Elastic fibers have an important, multifunctional role in the cornea as highlighted by the differences observed between Fbn1+/− and wild type animals. We contend that the presence of normal quantities of structurally organized elastic fibers are required to maintain the correct geometry of the cornea, which is disrupted in Marfan syndrome. PMID:28395026

Engineering of Helicobacter pylori L-asparaginase: characterization of two functionally distinct groups of mutants.

PubMed

Maggi, Maristella; Chiarelli, Laurent R; Valentini, Giovanna; Scotti, Claudia

2015-01-01

Bacterial L-asparaginases have been used as anti-cancer drugs for over 4 decades though presenting, along with their therapeutic efficacy, several side effects due to their bacterial origin and, seemingly, to their secondary glutaminase activity. Helicobacter pylori type II L-asparaginase possesses interesting features, among which a reduced catalytic efficiency for L-GLN, compared to the drugs presently used in therapy. In the present study, we describe some enzyme variants with catalytic and in vitro cytotoxic activities different from the wild type enzyme. Particularly, replacements on catalytic threonines (T16D and T95E) deplete the enzyme of both its catalytic activities, once more underlining the essential role of such residues. One serendipitous mutant, M121C/T169M, had a preserved efficiency vs L-asparagine but was completely unable to carry out L-glutamine hydrolysis. Interestingly, this variant did not exert any cytotoxic effect on HL-60 cells. The M121C and T169M single mutants had reduced catalytic activities (nearly 2.5- to 4-fold vs wild type enzyme, respectively). Mutant Q63E, endowed with a similar catalytic efficiency versus asparagine and halved glutaminase efficiency with respect to the wild type enzyme, was able to exert a cytotoxic effect comparable to, or higher than, the one of the wild type enzyme when similar asparaginase units were used. These findings may be relevant to determine the role of glutaminase activity of L-asparaginase in the anti-proliferative effect of the drug and to shed light on how to engineer the best asparaginase/glutaminase combination for an ever improved, patients-tailored therapy.

Engineering of Helicobacter pylori L-Asparaginase: Characterization of Two Functionally Distinct Groups of Mutants

PubMed Central

Maggi, Maristella; Chiarelli, Laurent R.; Valentini, Giovanna; Scotti, Claudia

2015-01-01

Bacterial L-asparaginases have been used as anti-cancer drugs for over 4 decades though presenting, along with their therapeutic efficacy, several side effects due to their bacterial origin and, seemingly, to their secondary glutaminase activity. Helicobacter pylori type II L-asparaginase possesses interesting features, among which a reduced catalytic efficiency for L-GLN, compared to the drugs presently used in therapy. In the present study, we describe some enzyme variants with catalytic and in vitro cytotoxic activities different from the wild type enzyme. Particularly, replacements on catalytic threonines (T16D and T95E) deplete the enzyme of both its catalytic activities, once more underlining the essential role of such residues. One serendipitous mutant, M121C/T169M, had a preserved efficiency vs L-asparagine but was completely unable to carry out L-glutamine hydrolysis. Interestingly, this variant did not exert any cytotoxic effect on HL-60 cells. The M121C and T169M single mutants had reduced catalytic activities (nearly 2.5- to 4-fold vs wild type enzyme, respectively). Mutant Q63E, endowed with a similar catalytic efficiency versus asparagine and halved glutaminase efficiency with respect to the wild type enzyme, was able to exert a cytotoxic effect comparable to, or higher than, the one of the wild type enzyme when similar asparaginase units were used. These findings may be relevant to determine the role of glutaminase activity of L-asparaginase in the anti-proliferative effect of the drug and to shed light on how to engineer the best asparaginase/glutaminase combination for an ever improved, patients-tailored therapy. PMID:25664771

Effect of wild mint (Mentha longifolia) infusion on the over all performance of broiler chicks.

PubMed

Durrani, F R; Sultan, A; Marri, Muhammad Latif; Chand, N; Durrani, Z

2007-04-01

An attempt was made to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of wild mint (Mentha Ingifolia) on the overall performance of broiler chicks at NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar in July 2005. Three levels of fresh wild mint infusion at the rate of 50, 40 and 30 mL L(-1) of fresh drinking water were provided to chicks in groups A, B and C, respectively and group D was kept as control, each group was replicated four times with 10 chicks per replicate, reared for 35 days, in an open sided house in cages of the same size. No vaccination was practiced. Data were recorded daily for feed intake, water intake and for weight gain on weekly basis. Feed conversion efficiency, dressing percentage, percent mortality, weight of different body organs (breast, thigh and leg), giblets (liver, heart and gizzard), intestine and economics for each group was calculated at the end of experimental period. It was found that group B receiving 40 mL L(-1) of wild mint infusion in drinking water had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on mean body weight gain, feed intake, water intake, feed conversion efficiency, dressing percentage and weight of different body organs (breast, thigh and leg). Significant (p < 0.05) differences were also found in mortality, highest mortality was observed in group D (10%) as compared with groups A, B and C, however there was no significant effect on giblets (liver, heart, gizzard), intestine and weight of abdominal fat. Mean feed cost and gross return was significantly (p < 0.05) effected for group B. Feed cost was lower and gross return was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for group B than other treated groups and control.

Mast cells limit extracellular levels of IL-13 via a serglycin proteoglycan-serine protease axis.

PubMed

Waern, Ida; Karlsson, Iulia; Thorpe, Michael; Schlenner, Susan M; Feyerabend, Thorsten B; Rodewald, Hans-Reimer; Åbrink, Magnus; Hellman, Lars; Pejler, Gunnar; Wernersson, Sara

2012-12-01

Mast cell (MC) granules contain large amounts of proteases of the chymase, tryptase and carboxypeptidase A (MC-CPA) type that are stored in complex with serglycin,a proteoglycan with heparin side chains. Hence, serglycinprotease complexes are released upon MC degranulation and may influence local inflammation. Here we explored the possibility that a serglycin-protease axis may regulate levels of IL-13, a cytokine involved in allergic asthma. Indeed, we found that wild-type MCs efficiently degraded exogenous or endogenously produced IL-13 upon degranulation,whereas serglycin −/− MCs completely lacked this ability.Moreover, MC-mediated IL-13 degradation was blocked both by a serine protease inhibitor and by a heparin antagonist,which suggests that IL-13 degradation is catalyzed by serglycin-dependent serine proteases and that optimal IL-13 degradation is dependent on both the serglycin and the protease component of the serglycin-protease complex.Moreover, IL-13 degradation was abrogated in MC-CPA −/−MC cultures, but was normal in cultures of MCs with an inactivating mutation of MC-CPA, which suggests that the IL-13-degrading serine proteases rely on MC-CPA protein.Together, our data implicate a serglycin-serine protease axis in the regulation of extracellular levels of IL-13. Reduction of IL-13 levels through this mechanism possibly can provide a protective function in the context of allergic inflammation.

Irradiated esophageal cells are protected from radiation-induced recombination by MnSOD gene therapy.

PubMed

Niu, Yunyun; Wang, Hong; Wiktor-Brown, Dominika; Rugo, Rebecca; Shen, Hongmei; Huq, M Saiful; Engelward, Bevin; Epperly, Michael; Greenberger, Joel S

2010-04-01

Radiation-induced DNA damage is a precursor to mutagenesis and cytotoxicity. During radiotherapy, exposure of healthy tissues can lead to severe side effects. We explored the potential of mitochondrial SOD (MnSOD) gene therapy to protect esophageal, pancreatic and bone marrow cells from radiation-induced genomic instability. Specifically, we measured the frequency of homologous recombination (HR) at an integrated transgene in the Fluorescent Yellow Direct Repeat (FYDR) mice, in which an HR event can give rise to a fluorescent signal. Mitochondrial SOD plasmid/liposome complex (MnSOD-PL) was administered to esophageal cells 24 h prior to 29 Gy upper-body irradiation. Single cell suspensions from FYDR, positive control FYDR-REC, and negative control C57BL/6NHsd (wild-type) mouse esophagus, pancreas and bone marrow were evaluated by flow cytometry. Radiation induced a statistically significant increase in HR 7 days after irradiation compared to unirradiated FYDR mice. MnSOD-PL significantly reduced the induction of HR by radiation at day 7 and also reduced the level of HR in the pancreas. Irradiation of the femur and tibial marrow with 8 Gy also induced a significant increase in HR at 7 days. Radioprotection by intraesophageal administration of MnSOD-PL was correlated with a reduced level of radiation-induced HR in esophageal cells. These results demonstrate the efficacy of MnSOD-PL for suppressing radiation-induced HR in vivo.

Shy birds play it safe: personality in captivity predicts risk responsiveness during reproduction in the wild

PubMed Central

Cole, Ella F.; Quinn, John L.

2014-01-01

Despite a growing body of evidence linking personality to life-history variation and fitness, the behavioural mechanisms underlying these relationships remain poorly understood. One mechanism thought to play a key role is how individuals respond to risk. Relatively reactive and proactive (or shy and bold) personality types are expected to differ in how they manage the inherent trade-off between productivity and survival, with bold individuals being more risk-prone with lower survival probability, and shy individuals adopting a more risk-averse strategy. In the great tit (Parus major), the shy–bold personality axis has been well characterized in captivity and linked to fitness. Here, we tested whether ‘exploration behaviour’, a captive assay of the shy–bold axis, can predict risk responsiveness during reproduction in wild great tits. Relatively slow-exploring (shy) females took longer than fast-exploring (bold) birds to resume incubation after a novel object, representing an unknown threat, was attached to their nest-box, with some shy individuals not returning within the 40 min trial period. Risk responsiveness was consistent within individuals over days. These findings provide rare, field-based experimental evidence that shy individuals prioritize survival over reproductive investment, supporting the hypothesis that personality reflects life-history variation through links with risk responsiveness. PMID:24829251

Reciprocal Hosts' Responses to Powdery Mildew Isolates Originating from Domesticated Wheats and Their Wild Progenitor.

PubMed

Ben-David, Roi; Dinoor, Amos; Peleg, Zvi; Fahima, Tzion

2018-01-01

The biotroph wheat powdery mildew, Blumeria graminis (DC.) E.O. Speer, f. sp. tritici Em. Marchal ( Bgt ), has undergone long and dynamic co-evolution with its hosts. In the last 10,000 years, processes involved in plant evolution under domestication, altered host-population structure. Recently both virulence and genomic profiling separated Bgt into two groups based on their origin from domestic host and from wild emmer wheat. While most studies focused on the Bgt pathogen, there is significant knowledge gaps in the role of wheat host diversity in this specification. This study aimed to fill this gap by exploring qualitatively and also quantitatively the disease response of diverse host panel to powdery mildew [105 domesticated wheat genotypes ( Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum, T. turgidum ssp. durum , and T. aestivum ) and 241 accessions of its direct progenitor, wild emmer wheat ( T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides )]. A set of eight Bgt isolates, originally collected from domesticated and wild wheat was used for screening this wheat collection. The isolates from domesticated wheat elicited susceptible to moderate plant responses on domesticated wheat lines and high resistance on wild genotypes (51.7% of the tested lines were resistant). Isolates from wild emmer elicited reciprocal disease responses: high resistance of domesticated germplasm and high susceptibility of the wild material (their original host). Analysis of variance of the quantitative phenotypic responses showed a significant Isolates × Host species interaction [ P (F) < 0.0001] and further supported these findings. Furthermore, analysis of the range of disease severity values showed that when the group of host genotypes was inoculated with Bgt isolate from the reciprocal host, coefficient of variation was significantly higher than when inoculated with its own isolates. This trend was attributed to the role of major resistance genes in the latter scenario (high proportion of complete resistance). By testing the association between disease severity and geographical distance from the source of inoculum, we have found higher susceptibility in wild emmer close to the source. Both qualitative and quantitative assays showed a reciprocal resistance pattern in the wheat host and are well aligned with the recent findings of significant differentiation into wild-emmer and domesticated-wheat populations in the pathogen.

Transport of cryptotanshinone, a major active triterpenoid in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge widely used in the treatment of stroke and Alzheimer's disease, across the blood-brain barrier.

PubMed

Yu, Xi-Yong; Lin, Shu-Guang; Chen, Xiao; Zhou, Zhi-Wei; Liang, Jun; Duan, Wei; Chowbay, Balram; Wen, Jing-Yuan; Chan, Eli; Cao, Jie; Li, Chun-Guang; Zhou, Shu-Feng

2007-05-01

Cryptotanshinone (CTS), a major constituent from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), is widely used in the treatment of coronary heart disease, stroke and less commonly Alzheimer's disease. Our recent study indicates that CTS is a substrate for P-glycoprotein (PgP/MDR1/ABCB1). This study has investigated the nature of the brain distribution of CTS across the brain-blood barrier (BBB) using several in vitro and in vivo rodent models. A polarized transport of CTS was found in rat primary microvascular endothelial cell (RBMVEC) monolayers, with facilitated efflux from the abluminal side to luminal side. Addition of a PgP (e.g. verapamil and quinidine) or multi-drug resistance protein 1/2 (MRP1/2) inhibitor (e.g. probenecid and MK-571) in both luminal and abluminal sides attenuated the polarized transport. In a bilateral in situ brain perfusion model, the uptake of CTS into the cerebrum increased from 0.52 +/- 0.1% at 1 min to 11.13 +/- 2.36 ml/100 g tissue at 30 min and was significantly greater than that of sucrose. Co-perfusion of a PgP/MDR1 (e.g. verapamil) or MRP1/2 inhibitor (e.g. probenecid) significantly increased the brain distribution of CTS by 35.1-163.6%. The brain levels of CTS were only about 21% of those in plasma, and were significantly increased when coadministered with verapamil or probenecid in rats. The brain levels of CTS in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and rats treated with quinolinic acid (a neurotoxin) were about 2- to 2.5-fold higher than the control rats. Moreover, the brain levels in mdr1a(-/-) and mrp1(-/-) mice were 10.9- and 1.5-fold higher than those in the wild-type mice, respectively. Taken collectively, these findings indicate that PgP and Mrp1 limit the brain penetration of CTS in rodents, suggesting a possible role of PgP and MRP1 in limiting the brain penetration of CTS in patients and causing drug resistance to Danshen therapy and interactions with conventional drugs that are substrates of PgP and MRP1. Further studies are needed to explore the role of other drug transporters in restricting the brain penetration of CTS and the clinical relevance.

[Mother-infant spatial relations in wild beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) during postnatal development under natural conditions].

PubMed

Krasnova, V V; Bel'kovich, V M; Chernetskiĭ, A D

2006-01-01

Elements of behavior under natural conditions, their duration, and frequency are described in three age groups of belugas calves: newborn, one-month-old, and two-month-old. The quantitative and qualitative indices of the recognized behavioral elements allowed us to evaluate the mother-infant contacts and to analyze their dynamics during calf growth. The most common calf positions relative to the mother during this period were "at the cow's tail" and "at the cow's side." The importance of behavioral responses of calf for the development of social behavior in adult animals is emphasized.

Education, Conflict and Social (In)Justice: Insights from Colombia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novelli, Mario

2010-01-01

This paper explores the dynamics of repression and resistance within the Colombian education system through exploring human rights violations against educators. Drawing on the findings of several fieldwork visits carried out since 2005 across Colombia, the paper focuses on the darker side of the education/conflict relationship, demonstrating…

The Other "Real World": Gentrification and the Social Construction of Place in Chicago.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez, Gina M.

2002-01-01

Explores competing constructions and understandings of the gentrifying neighborhoods on Chicago's near northwest side, noting how Puerto Rican youth are implicated in these changes. Explores contradictory images of neighborhoods, residents' responses to these changes, and various linguistic attempts to refashion new ethno-racial designations in…

Structure–activity correlations of variant forms of the B pentamer of Escherichia coli type II heat-labile enterotoxin LT-IIb with Toll-like receptor 2 binding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cody, Vivian, E-mail: cody@hwi.buffalo.edu; University at Buffalo, 700 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203; Pace, Jim

2012-12-01

Structural data for the S74D variant of the pentameric B subunit of type II heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli reveal a smaller pore opening that may explain its reduced Toll-like receptor binding affinity compared to that of the wild type enterotoxin. The explanation for the enhanced Toll-like receptor binding affinity of the S74A variant is more complex than simply being attributed to the pore opening. The pentameric B subunit of the type II heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli (LT-IIb-B{sub 5}) is a potent signaling molecule capable of modulating innate immune responses. It has previously been shown that LT-IIb-B{sub 5}, butmore » not the LT-IIb-B{sub 5} Ser74Asp variant [LT-IIb-B{sub 5}(S74D)], activates Toll-like receptor (TLR2) signaling in macrophages. Consistent with this, the LT-IIb-B{sub 5}(S74D) variant failed to bind TLR2, in contrast to LT-IIb-B{sub 5} and the LT-IIb-B{sub 5} Thr13Ile [LT-IIb-B{sub 5}(T13I)] and LT-IIb-B{sub 5} Ser74Ala [LT-IIb-B{sub 5}(S74A)] variants, which displayed the highest binding activity to TLR2. Crystal structures of the Ser74Asp, Ser74Ala and Thr13Ile variants of LT-IIb-B{sub 5} have been determined to 1.90, 1.40 and 1.90 Å resolution, respectively. The structural data for the Ser74Asp variant reveal that the carboxylate side chain points into the pore, thereby reducing the pore size compared with that of the wild-type or the Ser74Ala variant B pentamer. On the basis of these crystallographic data, the reduced TLR2-binding affinity of the LT-IIb-B{sub 5}(S74D) variant may be the result of the pore of the pentamer being closed. On the other hand, the explanation for the enhanced TLR2-binding activity of the LT-IIb-B{sub 5}(S74A) variant is more complex as its activity is greater than that of the wild-type B pentamer, which also has an open pore as the Ser74 side chain points away from the pore opening. Data for the LT-IIb-B{sub 5}(T13I) variant show that four of the five variant side chains point to the outside surface of the pentamer and one residue points inside. These data are consistent with the lack of binding of the LT-IIb-B{sub 5}(T13I) variant to GD1a ganglioside.« less

Quinone reduction via secondary B-branch electron transfer in mutant bacterial reaction centers.

PubMed

Laible, Philip D; Kirmaier, Christine; Udawatte, Chandani S M; Hofman, Samuel J; Holten, Dewey; Hanson, Deborah K

2003-02-18

Symmetry-related branches of electron-transfer cofactors-initiating with a primary electron donor (P) and terminating in quinone acceptors (Q)-are common features of photosynthetic reaction centers (RC). Experimental observations show activity of only one of them-the A branch-in wild-type bacterial RCs. In a mutant RC, we now demonstrate that electron transfer can occur along the entire, normally inactive B-branch pathway to reduce the terminal acceptor Q(B) on the time scale of nanoseconds. The transmembrane charge-separated state P(+)Q(B)(-) is created in this manner in a Rhodobacter capsulatus RC containing the F(L181)Y-Y(M208)F-L(M212)H-W(M250)V mutations (YFHV). The W(M250)V mutation quantitatively blocks binding of Q(A), thereby eliminating Q(B) reduction via the normal A-branch pathway. Full occupancy of the Q(B) site by the native UQ(10) is ensured (without the necessity of reconstitution by exogenous quinone) by purification of RCs with the mild detergent, Deriphat 160-C. The lifetime of P(+)Q(B)(-) in the YFHV mutant RC is >6 s (at pH 8.0, 298 K). This charge-separated state is not formed upon addition of competitive inhibitors of Q(B) binding (terbutryn or stigmatellin). Furthermore, this lifetime is much longer than the value of approximately 1-1.5 s found when P(+)Q(B)(-) is produced in the wild-type RC by A-side activity alone. Collectively, these results demonstrate that P(+)Q(B)(-) is formed solely by activity of the B-branch carriers in the YFHV RC. In comparison, P(+)Q(B)(-) can form by either the A or B branches in the YFH RC, as indicated by the biexponential lifetimes of approximately 1 and approximately 6-10 s. These findings suggest that P(+)Q(B)(-) states formed via the two branches are distinct and that P(+)Q(B)(-) formed by the B side does not decay via the normal (indirect) pathway that utilizes the A-side cofactors when present. These differences may report on structural and energetic factors that further distinguish the functional asymmetry of the two cofactor branches.

Geodetic exploration of strain along the El Pilar Fault in northeastern Venezuela

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinoza, C.; Jouanne, F.; Audemard, F. A.; Schmitz, M.; Beck, C.

2015-03-01

We use Global Navigation Satellite Systems observations in northeastern Venezuela to constrain the El Pilar Fault (EPF) kinematics and to explore the effects of the variable elastic properties of the surrounding medium and of the fault geometry on inferred slip rates and locking depth. The velocity field exhibits an asymmetric velocity gradient on either side of the EPF. We use five different approaches to explore possible models to explain this asymmetry. First, we infer a 1.6 km locking depth using a classic elastic half-space dislocation model. Second, we infer a 1.5 km locking depth and a 0.33 asymmetry coefficient using a heterogeneous asymmetric model, including contrasting material properties on either side of a vertical fault, suggesting that the igneous-metamorphic terranes on the northern side are ~2 times more rigid than the sedimentary southern side. Third, we use a three-dimensional elastostatic model to evaluate the presence of a compliant zone, suggesting a 30% reduction of rigidity in the upper 3 km at the depth of a 1 to 5 km wide fault zone. Fourth, we evaluate the distribution of fault slip, revealing a widespread partial creep pattern in the eastern upper segment, while the upper western segment exhibits a partially locked area, which coincides with the rupture surface of the 1797 and 1929 earthquakes. To supplement these models, we upgrade the previously published displacement simulation method using nonvertical dislocations with data acquired between 2003 and 2013. The localized aseismic displacement pattern associated with creeping or partially creeping fault segments could explain the low level of historic seismicity.

Combined use of anti-ErbB monoclonal antibodies and erlotinib enhances antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of wild-type erlotinib-sensitive NSCLC cell lines

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an established target for anti-cancer treatment in different tumour types. Two different strategies have been explored to inhibit this pivotal molecule in epithelial cancer development: small molecules TKIs and monoclonal antibodies. ErbB/HER-targeting by monoclonal antibodies such as cetuximab and trastuzumab or tyrosine-kinase inhibitors as gefitinib or erlotinib has been proven effective in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. Results In this study we explored the potential of combining either erlotinib with cetuximab or trastuzumab to improve the efficacy of EGFR targeted therapy in EGFR wild-type NSCLC cell lines. Erlotinib treatment was observed to increase EGFR and/or HER2 expression at the plasma membrane level only in NSCLC cell lines sensitive to the drug inducing protein stabilization. The combined treatment had marginal effect on cell proliferation but markedly increased antibody-dependent, NK mediated, cytotoxicity in vitro. Moreover, in the Calu-3 xenograft model, the combination significantly inhibited tumour growth when compared with erlotinib and cetuximab alone. Conclusion Our results indicate that erlotinib increases surface expression of EGFR and/or HER2 only in EGFR-TKI sensitive NSCLC cell lines and, in turns, leads to increased susceptibility to ADCC both in vitro and in a xenograft models. The combination of erlotinib with monoclonal antibodies represents a potential strategy to improve the treatment of wild-type EGFR NSCLC patients sensitive to erlotinib. PMID:23234355

Characterisation and In Silico Analysis of Interleukin-4 cDNA of Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and Indian Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

PubMed Central

Saini, M.; Palai, T. K.; Das, D. K.; Hatle, K. M.; Gupta, P. K.

2013-01-01

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) produced from Th2 cells modulates both innate and adaptive immune responses. It is a common belief that wild animals possess better immunity against diseases than domestic and laboratory animals; however, the immune system of wild animals is not fully explored yet. Therefore, a comparative study was designed to explore the wildlife immunity through characterisation of IL-4 cDNA of nilgai, a wild ruminant, and Indian buffalo, a domestic ruminant. Total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of nilgai and Indian buffalo and reverse transcribed into cDNA. Respective cDNA was further cloned and sequenced. Sequences were analysed in silico and compared with their homologues available at GenBank. The deduced 135 amino acid protein of nilgai IL-4 is 95.6% similar to that of Indian buffalo. N-linked glycosylation sequence, leader sequence, Cysteine residues in the signal peptide region, and 3′ UTR of IL-4 were found to be conserved across species. Six nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions were found in Indian buffalo compared to nilgai amino acid sequence. Tertiary structure of this protein in both species was modeled, and it was found that this protein falls under 4-helical cytokines superfamily and short chain cytokine family. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a single cluster of ruminants including both nilgai and Indian buffalo that was placed distinct from other nonruminant mammals. PMID:24348167

Chlorogenic acid, rutin and hyperoside content in Fragaria vesca, F. viridis and F. moschata in Lithuania.

PubMed

Bagdonaite, Edita; Jakstas, Valdas; Raudonis, Raimondas; Janulis, Valdimaras

2013-01-01

In Lithuania, two species of the genus Fragaria L. (Rosaceae), F. vesca L. and F. viridis Weston, occur naturally in the wild and two others, F. moschata Weston and F. × ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier are found escaped from cultivation. The main objective of this study was to establish the variation pattern in the content of chlorogenic acid, rutin and hyperoside in leaves and fruits of the native Lithuanian species. In this work, the chemical polymorphisms of different Fragaria species were studied by growing plants side by side under the same cultivated field conditions. F. vesca fruits had the highest rutin (1.38 ± 0.19 mg g(-1) DM), hyperoside (0.69 ± 0.10 mg g(-1) DM) and chlorogenic acid (2.25 ± 0.34 mg g(-1) DM) content, followed by F. viridis and F. moschata. Our results showed that the leaves should be taken into account as important rutin and hyperoside contributors for strawberries.

Great hammerhead sharks swim on their side to reduce transport costs

PubMed Central

Payne, Nicholas L.; Iosilevskii, Gil; Barnett, Adam; Fischer, Chris; Graham, Rachel T.; Gleiss, Adrian C.; Watanabe, Yuuki Y.

2016-01-01

Animals exhibit various physiological and behavioural strategies for minimizing travel costs. Fins of aquatic animals play key roles in efficient travel and, for sharks, the functions of dorsal and pectoral fins are considered well divided: the former assists propulsion and generates lateral hydrodynamic forces during turns and the latter generates vertical forces that offset sharks' negative buoyancy. Here we show that great hammerhead sharks drastically reconfigure the function of these structures, using an exaggerated dorsal fin to generate lift by swimming rolled on their side. Tagged wild sharks spend up to 90% of time swimming at roll angles between 50° and 75°, and hydrodynamic modelling shows that doing so reduces drag—and in turn, the cost of transport—by around 10% compared with traditional upright swimming. Employment of such a strongly selected feature for such a unique purpose raises interesting questions about evolutionary pathways to hydrodynamic adaptations, and our perception of form and function. PMID:27457414

Control of the proportion of inner cells by asymmetric divisions and the ensuing resilience of cloned rabbit embryos

PubMed Central

Duranthon, Véronique

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Mammalian embryo cloning by nuclear transfer has a low success rate. This is hypothesized to correlate with a high variability of early developmental steps that segregate outer cells, which are fated to extra-embryonic tissues, from inner cells, which give rise to the embryo proper. Exploring the cell lineage of wild-type embryos and clones, imaged in toto until hatching, highlights the respective contributions of cell proliferation, death and asymmetric divisions to phenotypic variability. Preferential cell death of inner cells in clones, probably pertaining to the epigenetic plasticity of the transferred nucleus, is identified as a major difference with effects on the proportion of inner cell. In wild type and clones, similar patterns of outer cell asymmetric divisions are shown to be essential to the robust proportion of inner cells observed in wild type. Asymmetric inner cell division, which is not described in mice, is identified as a regulator of the proportion of inner cells and likely gives rise to resilient clones. PMID:29567671

Concerning RNA-guided gene drives for the alteration of wild populations.

PubMed

Esvelt, Kevin M; Smidler, Andrea L; Catteruccia, Flaminia; Church, George M

2014-07-17

Gene drives may be capable of addressing ecological problems by altering entire populations of wild organisms, but their use has remained largely theoretical due to technical constraints. Here we consider the potential for RNA-guided gene drives based on the CRISPR nuclease Cas9 to serve as a general method for spreading altered traits through wild populations over many generations. We detail likely capabilities, discuss limitations, and provide novel precautionary strategies to control the spread of gene drives and reverse genomic changes. The ability to edit populations of sexual species would offer substantial benefits to humanity and the environment. For example, RNA-guided gene drives could potentially prevent the spread of disease, support agriculture by reversing pesticide and herbicide resistance in insects and weeds, and control damaging invasive species. However, the possibility of unwanted ecological effects and near-certainty of spread across political borders demand careful assessment of each potential application. We call for thoughtful, inclusive, and well-informed public discussions to explore the responsible use of this currently theoretical technology.

Experimentally testing and assessing the predictive power of species assembly rules for tropical canopy ants

PubMed Central

Fayle, Tom M; Eggleton, Paul; Manica, Andrea; Yusah, Kalsum M; Foster, William A

2015-01-01

Understanding how species assemble into communities is a key goal in ecology. However, assembly rules are rarely tested experimentally, and their ability to shape real communities is poorly known. We surveyed a diverse community of epiphyte-dwelling ants and found that similar-sized species co-occurred less often than expected. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that invasion was discouraged by the presence of similarly sized resident species. The size difference for which invasion was less likely was the same as that for which wild species exhibited reduced co-occurrence. Finally we explored whether our experimentally derived assembly rules could simulate realistic communities. Communities simulated using size-based species assembly exhibited diversities closer to wild communities than those simulated using size-independent assembly, with results being sensitive to the combination of rules employed. Hence, species segregation in the wild can be driven by competitive species assembly, and this process is sufficient to generate observed species abundance distributions for tropical epiphyte-dwelling ants. PMID:25622647

Whose Side Are We on and for Whom Do We Write? Notes on Issues and Challenges Facing Those Researching and Evaluating Public Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Jon; Garthwaite, Kayleigh

2015-01-01

Becker (1967) poses the question "Whose side are we on?," a question which has become an enduring part of discussions within social scientific methodology. This paper explores the key issues in Becker's argument and considers its relevance to researchers today, locating this within a consideration of evaluation-based research and policy.…

Quantitative Profiling of Feruloylated Arabinoxylan Side-Chains from Graminaceous Cell Walls

PubMed Central

Schendel, Rachel R.; Meyer, Marleen R.; Bunzel, Mirko

2016-01-01

Graminaceous arabinoxylans are distinguished by decoration with feruloylated monosaccharidic and oligosaccharidic side-chains. Although it is hypothesized that structural complexity and abundance of these feruloylated arabinoxylan side-chains may contribute, among other factors, to resistance of plant cell walls to enzymatic degradation, quantitative profiling approaches for these structural units in plant cell wall materials have not been described yet. Here we report the development and application of a rapid and robust method enabling the quantitative comparison of feruloylated side-chain profiles in cell wall materials following mildly acidic hydrolysis, C18-solid phase extraction (SPE), reduction under aprotic conditions, and liquid chromatography with diode-array detection/mass spectrometry (LC-DAD/MS) separation and detection. The method was applied to the insoluble fiber/cell wall materials isolated from 12 whole grains: wild rice (Zizania aquatica L.), long-grain brown rice (Oryza sativa L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), kamut (Triticum turanicum Jakubz.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), spelt (Triticum spelta L.), intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), maize (Zea mays L.), popcorn (Zea mays L. var. everta), oat (Avena sativa L.) (dehulled), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (dehulled), and proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.). Between 51 and 96% of the total esterified monomeric ferulates were represented in the quantified compounds captured in the feruloylated side-chain profiles, which confirms the significance of these structures to the global arabinoxylan structure in terms of quantity. The method provided new structural insights into cereal grain arabinoxylans, in particular, that the structural moiety α-l-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-5-O-trans-feruloyl-l-arabinofuranose (FAXG), which had previously only been described in maize, is ubiquitous to cereal grains. PMID:26834763

A comparison of food habits and prey preferences of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica Temminck, 1844) at the southwest Primorskii Krai in Russia and Hunchun in China.

PubMed

Gu, Jiayin; Yu, Lan; Hua, Yan; Ning, Yao; Heng, Bao; Qi, Jinzhe; Long, Zexv; Yao, Mingyuan; Huang, Chong; Li, Zhilin; Lang, Jianming; Jiang, Guangshun; Ma, Jianzhang

2018-05-03

A small, isolated Amur tiger population is living at the southwest Primorskii Krai in Russia and Hunchun in China region. Many of them with "dual nationality" cross the border frequently. Formulating effective conservation strategies requires a clear understanding of tiger food requirements in both Russia and China sides, while Russia side already have clear results of it. We used scat analysis combined with data on the abundance of four prey species to estimate Amur tiger diet and prey preferences in Hunchun. We examined 53 tiger samples from 2011-2016 and found that tigers preyed on 12 species (11 species in winter), four of which were domestic animals with 33.58% biomass contribution, and got the first record that Amur tiger eat lynx in this area. Tigers showed a strong preference for wild boar (Jacobs index: +0.849), which were also the most frequently consumed prey, and a strong avoidance to roe deer (Jacobs index: -0.693). On the Russian side, domestic animals (just dog) were rarely found in tiger scat, and tiger did not show strong avoidance to roe deer, but to sika deer. We also found red deer footprints during winter surveys and that tigers ate red deer on the Chinese side, while there was no record of red deer on the Russian side. Reducing or eliminating human disturbance, such as grazing, is essential to recovering tiger prey and habitat in this area and the Sino-Russia joint ungulate annual survey is indispensable for prey estimates of this small, isolated Amur tiger population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Consumers' preferences for the communication of risk information in drug advertising.

PubMed

Davis, Joel J

2007-01-01

Research was conducted to identify consumers' preferences regarding the form, content, and placement of drug side-effect information in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. Specific questions explored preferences for the presence or absence of numeric information, the use of placebo and discontinuation groups as a context for understanding drug risk, the sequence in which side effects are presented, and the placement of side-effect statements on DTC Web sites. Consumers prefer detailed, readily accessible risk information--preferences that are a major departure from current advertiser practices and from what current and proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations require.

'RAT' Leaves a Fine Mess

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This graph shows the light signatures, or spectra, of two sides of the rock dubbed 'Bounce,' located at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The spectra were taken by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The left side of this rock is covered by fine dust created when the rover drilled into the rock with its rock abrasion tool. These 'fines' produce a layer of pyroxene dust that can be detected here in the top spectrum. The right side of the rock has fewer fines and was used to investigate the composition of this basaltic rock.

Historical essay: electroconvulsive therapy, memory, and self in America.

PubMed

Hirshbein, Laura

2012-01-01

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) practitioners and anti-ECT activists have divergent interpretations of both the treatment and its history. Despite claims by ECT opponents that practitioners do not acknowledge memory side effects, the published literature on the procedure demonstrates psychiatrists' awareness of this issue. And though current ECT practitioners claim that memory side effects were mostly the result of outmoded methods, investigators continue to publish studies that indicate ongoing memory problems. This article explores the conflict between pro- and anti-ECT groups around the issue of memory side effects in the broader context of changes in American psychiatry and society.

Occult diaphragmatic injuries caused by stab wounds.

PubMed

Leppäniemi, Ari; Haapiainen, Reijo

2003-10-01

Missed diaphragmatic perforation caused by penetrating trauma can lead to subsequent strangulation of a hollow viscus, which has prompted the use of invasive diagnostic procedures to exclude occult diaphragmatic injuries in asymptomatic, high-risk patients. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of occult diaphragmatic injuries caused by stab wounds of the lower chest and upper abdomen, and to examine the natural history and consequences of missed diaphragmatic injuries. On the basis of patient data from two previous randomized studies from our institution, a retrospective analysis was performed on 97 patients treated for anterior stab wounds located between the nipple line, the umbilical level, and the posterior axillary lines not having indications for immediate surgical exploration. The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of their initial randomized management (open or laparoscopic exploration vs. expectant observation). In the exploration group (n = 47), four diaphragmatic injuries (9%) were detected (three left-sided and one right-sided). Excluding patients with associated injuries requiring surgical repair, the incidence of occult diaphragmatic injuries was 3 of 43 (7%). In the observation group (n = 50), there were two patients (4%) with delayed presentation of missed left-sided diaphragmatic injury 2 and 23 months later, respectively. Both injuries resulted from stab wounds of the left flank and presented with herniation of the stomach or small bowel and colon. The overall incidence of occult diaphragmatic injuries in left-sided thoracoabdominal stab wounds was 4 of 24 (17%), and was much lower after stab wounds of left epigastrium (0%), right lower chest (0%), and right epigastrium (4%). In asymptomatic patients with anterior or flank stab wounds of the lower chest or upper abdominal area, the risk of an occult diaphragmatic injury is approximately 7% which, if undetected, is associated with a high risk of subsequent hollow viscus herniation. Exclusion of an occult diaphragmatic injury with invasive diagnostic methods, such as laparoscopy or thoracoscopy, should be considered at least in left-sided stab wounds of the lower chest.

Greatly reduced phylogenetic structure in the cultivated potato clade of potatoes, Solanum section Petota

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The species boundaries of wild and cultivated potatoes, Solanum section Petota, are controversial with most of the taxonomic problems in a clade containing cultivated potatoes. We here provide the first in-depth phylogenetic study of the cultivated potato clade to explore possible causes of these pr...

Deliberate Language Planning in Environmental Education: A CRT/LatCrit Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arreguin-Anderson, Maria G.; Kennedy, Kimberley D.

2013-01-01

In this study, the authors narrate a deliberate language planning experience within the dynamics of the first Project WILD environmental workshop conducted in Spanish. Using critical race theory and critical Latino theory the authors explore ways in which an environmental program can be infused with Latino culture and Spanish language to address…

Exploring sheath blight quantitative trait loci in a Lemont/O. meridionalis advanced backcross population

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Oryza meridionalis is the wild Oryza species endemic to Australia. There are eight AA genome Oryza species, one of which is cultivated rice, O. sativa and O. meridionalis is the most diverged of the eight species. An O. eridionalis (IRGC105608) accession was identified as being moderately resistant...

Bilingual Pairs in Teacher Education: Exploring Wild Strategies in an Environmental Education Workshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arreguín-Anderson, María Guadalupe; Garza, Esther V.

2014-01-01

In this study, the authors narrate the results of a linguistically accommodated environmental education workshop in which monolingual and bilingual preservice teachers were exposed to instruction in English and Spanish. The authors contend that environmental initiatives, such as Project Wildlife in Learning Design, can promote an understanding of…

Will the Real Eco-Educator Please Stand Up?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Janet

This paper examines the long-term impact on public lands of human-powered adventure activities. These activities take individuals into federal- or state-owned wild areas to enjoy backpacking, hiking, camping, and a wide variety of sports. Trends in supply and demand for outdoor opportunities are explored. Factors influencing demand include growing…

"Growing Up WILD": Teaching Environmental Education in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fortino, Carol; Gerretson, Helen; Button, Linda; Masters, Vivian

2014-01-01

A growing body of research, both nationally and internationally, indicates that children in the early childhood years (birth to age 8) learn primarily through their senses and from direct experience. They develop an understanding about the world through play, exploration, and creative activities as well as by watching and imitating adults and…

A Cross-Cultural Exploration of 'Wild' in Wilderness Therapy: Canada, Norway and Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Nevin J.; Gabrielsen, Leiv E.; Carpenter, Cathryn

2018-01-01

This paper addresses pluralistic understandings of wilderness in the context of wilderness therapy (WT). The term wilderness perpetuates a modern worldview of place that beyond 'civilisation' exists an environment defined by risk, fear and an unpredictable nature. WT utilises outdoor travel and living practices during therapeutic intervention and…

Writing in the Wild: Writers' Motivation in Fan-Based Affinity Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curwood, Jen Scott; Magnifico, Alecia Marie; Lammers, Jayne C.

2013-01-01

In order to understand the culture of the physical, virtual, and blended spheres that adolescents inhabit, we build on Gee's concept of affinity spaces. Drawing on our ethnographic research of adolescent literacies related to The Hunger Games novels, the Neopets online game, and The Sims videogames, this article explores the nature of…

KSC-02pd0874

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A wild pig is spotted near the KSC Press Site on its daily foraging rounds. Not a native in the environment, the pigs around KSC are believed to be descendants from those brought to Florida by the early Spanish explorers. Without many predators other than human, the pigs have flourished in the surrounding environs

Towards the Ethical or the Unethical Side?: An Explorative Research of Greek Business Students' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karassavidou, Eleonora; Glaveli, Niki

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the ethical orientations of undergraduate business students in Greece by exploring the relations among students' internalized code of ethics, anomia and students' judgment related to ethical problem situations within classroom as well as business context. Design/methodology/approach: A…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arlt, T.; Penzkofer H.; Zinth, W.

The energetics of the primary electron donor (the special pair P) in reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas viridis were modified by site-directed mutagenesis of histidine L168 to phenylalanine. This leads to the loss of a hydrogen bond between the amino acid side chain and the ring I acetyl carbonyl oxygen of the bacteriochlorophyll molecule BChl{sub LP}. As a result of the mutation, a 35 nm blue shift of the Q{sub y} band of the special pair and a decrease of 80 mV in the P/P{sup +} oxidation-reduction potential occur. Femtosecond spectroscopy revealed an acceleration of the first electron transfer step frommore » 3.5 ps in wild type to 1.1 ps in mutant. Analysis of change in the bacteriochlorophyll monomer (B) band of the mutant reaction centers showed strong bleaching. This is direct evidence that bacteriochlorophyll b is real intermediate in electron transfer. The changes in redox potential and time constants allow one to estimate the energetics in the wild-type and mutated reaction centers according to the Marcus electron transfer theory. 32 refs., 6 figs.« less

Phi-value analysis of apo-azurin folding: comparison between experiment and theory.

PubMed

Zong, Chenghang; Wilson, Corey J; Shen, Tongye; Wolynes, Peter G; Wittung-Stafshede, Pernilla

2006-05-23

Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin is a 128-residue beta-sandwich metalloprotein; in vitro kinetic experiments have shown that it folds in a two-state reaction. Here, we used a variational free energy functional to calculate the characteristics of the transition state ensemble (TSE) for folding of the apo-form of P. aeruginosa azurin and investigate how it responds to thermal and mutational changes. The variational method directly yields predicted chevron plots for wild-type and mutant apo-forms of azurin. In parallel, we performed in vitro kinetic-folding experiments on the same set of azurin variants using chemical perturbation. Like the wild-type protein, all apo-variants fold in apparent two-state reactions both in calculations and in stopped-flow mixing experiments. Comparisons of phi (phi) values determined from the experimental and theoretical chevron parameters reveal an excellent agreement for most positions, indicating a polarized, highly structured TSE for folding of P. aeruginosa apo-azurin. We also demonstrate that careful analysis of side-chain interactions is necessary for appropriate theoretical description of core mutants.

The timeliness of patients reporting the side effects of chemotherapy.

PubMed

Olver, Ian; Carey, Mariko; Boyes, Allison; Hall, Alix; Noble, Natasha; Bryant, Jamie; Walsh, Justin; Sanson-Fisher, Rob

2018-05-03

To explore the actions cancer patients reported they would take in response to a range of common side effects of chemotherapy and whether these were considered appropriate based on current guidelines and evidence; and to explore the sociodemographic and cancer-related variables associated with patients selecting the appropriate action (immediate medical attention or reporting) for two potentially life-threatening side effects: fever, and unusual bleeding and bruising. Four hundred thirty-six medical oncology and haematology patients receiving chemotherapy completed two surveys to provide demographic, disease and treatment characteristics, and details on how they would respond if they experienced a range of specified side effects of chemotherapy (for example, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and skin rash or nail changes). The proportion of patients reporting the appropriate action for each side effect was calculated. Multiple logistic regressions examined the patient demographic and cancer characteristics associated with selecting the appropriate action (seeking immediate medical attention) for two potentially life-threatening side effects of chemotherapy: high fever of 38 °C or more, and unusual bleeding or bruising. Two thirds of patients indicated that they would seek immediate medical attention for high fever (67%), but only 41% would seek immediate attention for bleeding or bruising. Cancer type and time since diagnosis were significantly associated with patients indicating that they would seek immediate medical attention for high fever; while time since diagnosis was the only variable significantly associated with patients reporting that they would seek immediate medical attention for unusual bleeding or bruising. For chronic side effects, like skin rash or nail changes, and tingling or numbness, which usually do not require urgent reporting, only between 12 and 16% would report them immediately. A significant proportion of patients reported that they would "do nothing" about fatigue or tiredness (24%). By comparison, less than 10% patients reported that they would do nothing for the other side effects investigated. Tools need to be created so that patients better understand the side effects after being treated with chemotherapy and what action they should take.

E2 Ubiquitin-conjugating Enzyme, UBE2C Gene, Is Reciprocally Regulated by Wild-type and Gain-of-Function Mutant p53.

PubMed

Bajaj, Swati; Alam, Sk Kayum; Roy, Kumar Singha; Datta, Arindam; Nath, Somsubhra; Roychoudhury, Susanta

2016-07-01

Spindle assembly checkpoint governs proper chromosomal segregation during mitosis to ensure genomic stability. At the cellular level, this event is tightly regulated by UBE2C, an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that donates ubiquitin to the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome. This, in turn, facilitates anaphase-onset by ubiquitin-mediated degradation of mitotic substrates. UBE2C is an important marker of chromosomal instability and has been associated with malignant growth. However, the mechanism of its regulation is largely unexplored. In this study, we report that UBE2C is transcriptionally activated by the gain-of-function (GOF) mutant p53, although it is transcriptionally repressed by wild-type p53. We showed that wild-type p53-mediated inhibition of UBE2C is p21-E2F4-dependent and GOF mutant p53-mediated transactivation of UBE2C is NF-Y-dependent. We further explored that DNA damage-induced wild-type p53 leads to spindle assembly checkpoint arrest by repressing UBE2C, whereas mutant p53 causes premature anaphase exit by increasing UBE2C expression in the presence of 5-fluorouracil. Identification of UBE2C as a target of wild-type and GOF mutant p53 further highlights the contribution of p53 in regulation of spindle assembly checkpoint. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Responses Require Actions of the Melanocortin-2 Receptor Accessory Protein on the Extracellular Surface of the Plasma Membrane.

PubMed

Malik, Sundeep; Dolan, Terrance M; Maben, Zachary J; Hinkle, Patricia M

2015-11-13

The melanocortin-2 (MC2) receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor that mediates responses to ACTH. The MC2 receptor acts in concert with the MC2 receptor accessory protein (MRAP) that is absolutely required for ACTH binding and signaling. MRAP has a single transmembrane domain and forms a highly unusual antiparallel homodimer that is stably associated with MC2 receptors at the plasma membrane. Despite the physiological importance of the interaction between the MC2 receptor and MRAP, there is little understanding of how the accessory protein works. The dual topology of MRAP has made it impossible to determine whether highly conserved and necessary regions of MRAP are required on the intracellular or extracellular face of the plasma membrane. The strategy used here was to fix the orientation of two antiparallel MRAP molecules and then introduce inactivating mutations on one side of the membrane or the other. This was achieved by engineering proteins containing tandem copies of MRAP fused to the amino terminus of the MC2 receptor. The data firmly establish that only the extracellular amino terminus (Nout) copy of MRAP, oriented with critical segments on the extracellular side of the membrane, is essential. The transmembrane domain of MRAP is also required in only the Nout orientation. Finally, activity of MRAP-MRAP-MC2-receptor fusion proteins with inactivating mutations in either MRAP or the receptor was rescued by co-expression of free wild-type MRAP or free wild-type receptor. These results show that the basic MRAP-MRAP-receptor signaling unit forms higher order complexes and that these multimers signal. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Orally active Epac inhibitor reverses mechanical allodynia and loss of intraepidermal nerve fibers in a mouse model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

Singhmar, Pooja; Huo, XiaoJiao; Li, Yan; Dougherty, Patrick M; Mei, Fang; Cheng, Xiaodong; Heijnen, Cobi J; Kavelaars, Annemieke

2018-05-01

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major side effect of cancer treatment that significantly compromises quality of life of cancer patients and survivors. Identification of targets for pharmacological intervention to prevent or reverse CIPN is needed. We investigated exchange protein regulated by cAMP (Epac) as a potential target. Epacs are cAMP-binding proteins known to play a pivotal role in mechanical allodynia induced by nerve injury and inflammation. We demonstrate that global Epac1-knockout (Epac1-/-) male and female mice are protected against paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia. In addition, spinal cord astrocyte activation and intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) loss are significantly reduced in Epac1-/- mice as compared to wild-type mice. Moreover, Epac1-/- mice do not develop the paclitaxel-induced deficits in mitochondrial bioenergetics in the sciatic nerve that are a hallmark of CIPN. Notably, mice with cell-specific deletion of Epac1 in Nav1.8-positive neurons (N-Epac1-/-) also show reduced paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia, astrocyte activation, and IENF loss, indicating that CIPN develops downstream of Epac1 activation in nociceptors. The Epac-inhibitor ESI-09 reversed established paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia in wild-type mice even when dosing started 10 days after completion of paclitaxel treatment. In addition, oral administration of ESI-09 suppressed spinal cord astrocyte activation in the spinal cord and protected against IENF loss. Ex vivo, ESI-09 blocked paclitaxel-induced abnormal spontaneous discharges in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Collectively, these findings implicate Epac1 in nociceptors as a novel target for treatment of CIPN. This is clinically relevant because ESI-09 has the potential to reverse a debilitating and long-lasting side effect of cancer treatment.

World Witnesses a Tumultuous Year while India Reports an Eventful Decade in the Long Story of Polio Eradication.

PubMed

Chaturvedi, Sanjay

2014-04-01

With recent outbreaks in Syria and Horn of Africa, silent circulation of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Israel, West Bank, and Gaza, and fresh spate of violence against vaccinators and their security personnel in Pakistan, the world is facing a turbulent final ascent to the summit of polio eradication. On the positive side, we may also be witnessing the end of wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) and defused programmatic crisis caused by funding gaps, while India registers third consecutive polio-free year. Having a cogent endgame plan 2013-2018, informed by some cardinal lessons learned from an eventful decade in India, is also a very significant development. Now, there is a parallel pursuit against WPV and vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV). Endgame would also involve integration of at least one dose of affordable inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) to up-scaled routine immunization (RI), switch from trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) to bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) in 144 countries before 2018, stockpiling of mOPV, and simultaneous global cessation of bOPV before 2020. Role of antivirals in post-eradication era is still unclear. Some specific threats emerging at this stage are as follows: Global buildup of new birth cohorts in non-endemic countries with weak RI and downscaled supplementary immunization activities (SIAs), tremendous pressure on peripheral health workers, and fatigued systems. Cultural resistance to transnational programs is taking a violent shape in some areas. Differential interpretations of 'right to say no', on both sides of the divide, are damaging a global cause. Amidst all these concerns, let us not forget to underline the sacrifice made by frontline vaccinators working in some of the most challenging circumstances.

Transducin β-Subunit Can Interact with Multiple G-Protein γ-Subunits to Enable Light Detection by Rod Photoreceptors.

PubMed

Dexter, Paige M; Lobanova, Ekaterina S; Finkelstein, Stella; Spencer, William J; Skiba, Nikolai P; Arshavsky, Vadim Y

2018-01-01

The heterotrimeric G-protein transducin mediates visual signaling in vertebrate photoreceptor cells. Many aspects of the function of transducin were learned from knock-out mice lacking its individual subunits. Of particular interest is the knockout of its rod-specific γ-subunit (Gγ 1 ). Two studies using independently generated mice documented that this knockout results in a considerable >60-fold reduction in the light sensitivity of affected rods, but provided different interpretations of how the remaining α-subunit (Gα t ) mediates phototransduction without its cognate Gβ 1 γ 1 -subunit partner. One study found that the light sensitivity reduction matched a corresponding reduction in Gα t content in the light-sensing rod outer segments and proposed that Gα t activation is supported by remaining Gβ 1 associating with other Gγ subunits naturally expressed in photoreceptors. In contrast, the second study reported the same light sensitivity loss but a much lower, only approximately sixfold, reduction of Gα t and proposed that the light responses of these rods do not require Gβγ at all. To resolve this controversy and elucidate the mechanism driving visual signaling in Gγ 1 knock-out rods, we analyzed both mouse lines side by side. We first determined that the outer segments of both mice have identical Gα t content, which is reduced ∼65-fold from the wild-type (WT) level. We further demonstrated that the remaining Gβ 1 is present in a complex with endogenous Gγ 2 and Gγ 3 subunits and that these complexes exist in wild-type rods as well. Together, these results argue against the idea that Gα t alone supports light responses of Gγ 1 knock-out rods and suggest that Gβ 1 γ 1 is not unique in its ability to mediate vertebrate phototransduction.

Substituting leucine for alanine-86 in the tether region of the iron-sulfur protein of the cytochrome bc1 complex affects the mobility of the [2Fe2S] domain.

PubMed

Ghosh, M; Wang, Y; Ebert, C E; Vadlamuri, S; Beattie, D S

2001-01-16

Mutating three conserved alanine residues in the tether region of the iron-sulfur protein of the yeast cytochrome bc(1) complex resulted in 22-56% decreases in enzymatic activity [Obungu et al. (2000) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1457, 36-44]. The activity of the cytochrome bc(1) complex isolated from A86L was decreased 60% compared to the wild-type without loss of heme or protein and without changes in the 2Fe2S cluster or proton-pumping ability. The activity of the bc(1) complex from mutant A92R was identical to the wild-type, while loss of both heme and activity was observed in the bc(1) complex isolated from mutant A90I. Computer simulations indicated that neither mutation A86L nor mutation A92R affects the alpha-helical backbone in the tether region; however, the side chain of the leucine substituted for Ala-86 interacts with the side chain of Leu-89. The Arrhenius plot for mutant A86L was apparently biphasic with a transition observed at 17-19 degrees C and an activation energy of 279.9 kJ/mol below 17 degrees C and 125.1 kJ/mol above 17 degrees C. The initial rate of cytochrome c(1) reduction was lowered 33% in mutant A86L; however, the initial rate of cytochrome b reduction was unaffected, suggesting that movement of the tether region of the iron-sulfur protein is necessary for maximum rates of enzymatic activity. Substituting a leucine for Ala-86 impedes the unwinding of the alpha-helix and hence movement of the tether.

Wild Western Lowland Gorillas Signal Selectively Using Odor

PubMed Central

Klailova, Michelle; Lee, Phyllis C.

2014-01-01

Mammals communicate socially through visual, auditory and chemical signals. The chemical sense is the oldest sense and is shared by all organisms including bacteria. Despite mounting evidence for social chemo-signaling in humans, the extent to which it modulates behavior is debated and can benefit from comparative models of closely related hominoids. The use of odor cues in wild ape social communication has been only rarely explored. Apart from one study on wild chimpanzee sniffing, our understanding is limited to anecdotes. We present the first study of wild gorilla chemo-communication and the first analysis of olfactory signaling in relation to arousal levels and odor strength in wild apes. If gorilla scent is used as a signaling mechanism instead of only a sign of arousal or stress, odor emission should be context specific and capable of variation as a function of the relationships between the emitter and perceiver(s). Measured through a human pungency scale, we determined the factors that predicted extreme levels of silverback odor for one wild western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) group silverback. Extreme silverback odor was predicted by the presence and intensity of inter-unit interactions, silverback anger, distress and long-calling auditory rates, and the absence of close proximity between the silverback and mother of the youngest infant. Odor strength also varied according to the focal silverback's strategic responses during high intensity inter-unit interactions. Silverbacks appear to use odor as a modifiable form of communication; where odor acts as a highly flexible, context dependent signaling mechanism to group members and extra-group units. The importance of olfaction to ape social communication may be especially pertinent in Central African forests where limited visibility may necessitate increased reliance on other senses. PMID:25006973

Reproductive traits and evolutionary divergence between Mediterranean crops and their wild relatives.

PubMed

Iriondo, J M; Milla, R; Volis, S; Rubio de Casas, R

2018-01-01

Changes in reproductive traits associated with domestication critically determine the evolutionary divergence between crops and their wild relatives, as well as the potential of crop plants to become feral. In this review, we examine the genetic mechanisms of plant domestication and the different types of selection involved, and describe the particularities of domestication of Mediterranean field crops with regard to their reproductive traits, showing illustrative examples. We also explore gene flow patterns between Mediterranean field crops and their wild relatives, along with their ecological, evolutionary and economic implications. Domestication entails multiple selective processes, including direct selection, environmental adaptation and developmental constraints. In contrast to clonal propagation in perennials, sexual reproduction and seed propagation in annuals and biennials have led to a distinct pathway of evolution of reproductive traits. Thus, the initial domestication and further breeding of Mediterranean field crops has brought about changes in reproductive traits, such as higher mean values and variance of seed and fruit sizes, reduced fruit and seed toxicity, non-shattering seeds and loss of seed dormancy. Evolution under domestication is not a linear process, and bi-directional gene flow between wild and crop taxa is a frequent phenomenon. Thus, hybridisation and introgression have played a very important role in determining the genetics of current cultivars. In turn, gene flow from crops to wild relatives can lead to introgression of crop genes into wild populations and potentially alter the characteristics of natural communities. In conclusion, plant evolution under domestication has not only changed the reproductive biology of cultivated taxa, its effects are multifaceted and have implications beyond agriculture. © 2017 German Society for Plant Sciences and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Genetic Diversity of the Two Commercial Tetraploid Cotton Species in the Gossypium Diversity Reference Set.

PubMed

Hinze, Lori L; Gazave, Elodie; Gore, Michael A; Fang, David D; Scheffler, Brian E; Yu, John Z; Jones, Don C; Frelichowski, James; Percy, Richard G

2016-05-01

A diversity reference set has been constructed for the Gossypium accessions in the US National Cotton Germplasm Collection to facilitate more extensive evaluation and utilization of accessions held in the Collection. A set of 105 mapped simple sequence repeat markers was used to study the allelic diversity of 1933 tetraploid Gossypium accessions representative of the range of diversity of the improved and wild accessions of G. hirsutum and G. barbadense. The reference set contained 410 G. barbadense accessions and 1523 G. hirsutum accessions. Observed numbers of polymorphic and private bands indicated a greater diversity in G. hirsutum as compared to G. barbadense as well as in wild-type accessions as compared to improved accessions in both species. The markers clearly differentiated the 2 species. Patterns of diversity within species were observed but not clearly delineated, with much overlap occurring between races and regions of origin for wild accessions and between historical and geographic breeding pools for cultivated accessions. Although the percentage of accessions showing introgression was higher among wild accessions than cultivars in both species, the average level of introgression within individual accessions, as indicated by species-specific bands, was much higher in wild accessions of G. hirsutum than in wild accessions of G. barbadense. The average level of introgression within individual accessions was higher in improved G. barbadense cultivars than in G. hirsutum cultivars. This molecular characterization reveals the levels and distributions of genetic diversity that will allow for better exploration and utilization of cotton genetic resources. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Genetic Association 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Phylogenetic Evidence of Long Distance Dispersal and Transmission of Piscine Reovirus (PRV) between Farmed and Wild Atlantic Salmon

PubMed Central

Garseth, Åse Helen; Ekrem, Torbjørn; Biering, Eirik

2013-01-01

The extent and effect of disease interaction and pathogen exchange between wild and farmed fish populations is an ongoing debate and an area of research that is difficult to explore. The objective of this study was to investigate pathogen transmission between farmed and wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) populations in Norway by means of molecular epidemiology. Piscine reovirus (PRV) was selected as the model organism as it is widely distributed in both farmed and wild Atlantic salmon in Norway, and because infection not necessarily will lead to mortality through development of disease. A matrix comprised of PRV protein coding sequences S1, S2 and S4 from wild, hatchery-reared and farmed Atlantic salmon in addition to one sea-trout (Salmo trutta L.) was examined. Phylogenetic analyses based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference indicate long distance transport of PRV and exchange of virus between populations. The results are discussed in the context of Atlantic salmon ecology and the structure of the Norwegian salmon industry. We conclude that the lack of a geographical pattern in the phylogenetic trees is caused by extensive exchange of PRV. In addition, the detailed topography of the trees indicates long distance transportation of PRV. Through its size, structure and infection status, the Atlantic salmon farming industry has the capacity to play a central role in both long distance transportation and transmission of pathogens. Despite extensive migration, wild salmon probably play a minor role as they are fewer in numbers, appear at lower densities and are less likely to be infected. An open question is the relationship between the PRV sequences found in marine fish and those originating from salmon. PMID:24349221

Abscisic Acid Negatively Regulates Elicitor-Induced Synthesis of Capsidiol in Wild Tobacco1[W

PubMed Central

Mialoundama, Alexis Samba; Heintz, Dimitri; Debayle, Delphine; Rahier, Alain; Camara, Bilal; Bouvier, Florence

2009-01-01

In the Solanaceae, biotic and abiotic elicitors induce de novo synthesis of sesquiterpenoid stress metabolites known as phytoalexins. Because plant hormones play critical roles in the induction of defense-responsive genes, we have explored the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) on the synthesis of capsidiol, the major wild tobacco (Nicotiana plumbaginifolia) sesquiterpenoid phytoalexin, using wild-type plants versus nonallelic mutants Npaba2 and Npaba1 that are deficient in ABA synthesis. Npaba2 and Npaba1 mutants exhibited a 2-fold higher synthesis of capsidiol than wild-type plants when elicited with either cellulase or arachidonic acid or when infected by Botrytis cinerea. The same trend was observed for the expression of the capsidiol biosynthetic genes 5-epi-aristolochene synthase and 5-epi-aristolochene hydroxylase. Treatment of wild-type plants with fluridone, an inhibitor of the upstream ABA pathway, recapitulated the behavior of Npaba2 and Npaba1 mutants, while the application of exogenous ABA reversed the enhanced synthesis of capsidiol in Npaba2 and Npaba1 mutants. Concomitant with the production of capsidiol, we observed the induction of ABA 8′-hydroxylase in elicited plants. In wild-type plants, the induction of ABA 8′-hydroxylase coincided with a decrease in ABA content and with the accumulation of ABA catabolic products such as phaseic acid and dihydrophaseic acid, suggesting a negative regulation exerted by ABA on capsidiol synthesis. Collectively, our data indicate that ABA is not required per se for the induction of capsidiol synthesis but is essentially implicated in a stress-response checkpoint to fine-tune the amplification of capsidiol synthesis in challenged plants. PMID:19420326

2015 Summer Series - Jason Crusan - Pioneering Space - Not Your Great-Great-Grandparent's Manifest Destiny

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-07-14

Exploration is an innate characteristic of the human species. By launching into the unknown, NASA drives our expeditions beyond Earth and embarks in the long-term efforts of 'pioneering space' for this and future generations. NASA will develop the ability for humans to go farther and stay longer in space with an ever-decreasing need to be reliant on Earth. Jason Crusan, Director of Advanced Exploration Systems Division at NASA Headquarters, describes what the future of pioneering space will look like in the galactic Wild West.

Sperm cryopreservation in endangered felids: developing linkage of in situ-ex situ populations.

PubMed

Swanson, W F; Magarey, G M; Herrick, J R

2007-01-01

Many of the world's cat species face growing threats to their continued survival in nature. For some species, managed captive populations may provide a reservoir for future reintroduction or genetic augmentation. Because most zoo populations are derived from small founder sizes and are subject to loss of genetic variation over time, periodic infusion of founder alleles is necessary to avoid the dire consequences of inbreeding. Collection and freezing of semen from free-living nondomestic felids offers a viable option for introducing founder genes into captive populations without removal of animals from the wild. The effective application of this strategy requires established protocols for safely capturing and anaesthetising wild cats coupled with suitable methods of semen recovery, processing and cryopreservation under field conditions. In small-sized non-domestic felids, the general feasibility of this approach is being explored in two studies of black-footed cats and Pallas' cats. Two factors - relatively low sperm numbers per ejaculate and compromised status of frozen-thawed cat spermatozoa - suggest that in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer present the most efficient use of this limiting resource in small-sized cats. Our studies with captive felids have explored alternative methods of sperm cryopreservation that are adaptable to field situations and shown that frozen-thawed spermatozoa from Pallas' cats, ocelots, and fishing cats exhibit adequate function to fertilise heterologous and/or homologous oocytes in vitro. Most recently, we investigated the fertilising capacity of frozen-thawed spermatozoa obtained from wild Pallas' cats in Mongolia. Combined with improved methods for embryo culture and transfer in small cat species, sperm banking in situ will facilitate introduction of new founders into captive populations without causing further depletion of their wild counterparts. As one component of holistic conservation programs, including ongoing support of field ecology studies in range countries, this reproductive strategy serves to further strengthen linkages among imperiled ex situ and in situ cat populations.

Observation of bow shock protons at the lunar orbit. M.S. Thesis; [particle trajectory analysis of solar protons in the lunar atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, J. L.

1974-01-01

Protons with energies ranging from about 500 eV to 3,500 eV were observed by the Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment (SIDE) on both the dusk and dawn sides of the magnetosphere. On each lunation these particles appeared as a rather continuous phenomenon for 3 to 5 days after crossing from the dawn-side magnetosheath into the solar wind and for about 2 days prior to entering the dusk-side magnetosheath. Data from the SIDE and from the Explorer 35 lunar orbiting magnetometer were analyzed and these data indicated that the transverse ion flows observed by the SIDE in the pre and post bow shock crossing regions of the lunar orbit are due to these deviated solar wind particles. A computer model based on drift trajectories for particles leaving the shock was developed and synthetic particle data produced by this model are in good agreement with the observed data.

Influence of Side Effects on ART Adherence Among PLWH in China: The Moderator Role of ART-Related Knowledge.

PubMed

Zhou, Guangyu; Li, Xiaoming; Qiao, Shan; Shen, Zhiyong; Zhou, Yuejiao

2018-03-01

Despite the medical advancements in HIV treatment, realities of side effects are faced by people living with HIV (PLWH) who receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Mixed findings have been reported on the association between side effects and ART adherence. However, few studies have explored the combined side effects and behavior-related information on medication adherence. The aim of the current study is to examine moderator role of ART-related knowledge between side effects and ART adherence. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2987 PLWH from October 2012 to August 2013 in China. Of the total sample, 2095 patients had received ART and provided ART adherence. Side effects, ART-related knowledge, and ART adherence, as well as potential covariates were assessed. The results revealed that there was a negative relationship of side effects and ART adherence existed among low and medium levels of ART-related knowledge, but not among high level of knowledge. Future interventions to promote HIV medication adherence should focus on providing behavior-related information education among PLWH.

Active Learning and Engagement with the Wireless Indoor Location Device (WILD) Learning System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, M.; Samson, P. J.; Ojeda, L.; Miller, T.; Yu, J.

2016-12-01

The Wireless Indoor Location Device (WILD) Learning System being developed at the University of Michigan and the Education Technology company A2 Motus LLC provides a unique platform for social learning by allowing students to become active participants in live simulations of complex systems, like hurricane formation. The WILD Learning System enables teachers to engage students in kinesthetic activities that explore complex models from a wide variety of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) disciplines. The system provides students' location, orientation and motion within the classroom and assigns each student different parameters depending on the activity. For example, students learning about hurricanes could be assigned atmospheric pressure levels and asked to arrange themselves around the room to simulate a hurricane. The Wild Learning System software then takes the students' pressure readings and locations and projects their locations overlaid onto a real-time generated simulated pressure weather map enabling the observation of how their arrangement influences the pressure structure. The teacher then could have the students orient themselves in the direction they think the resulting wind field will be based on the pressure contours as the system can show an arrow originating from each of the students position in the direction that they are facing. The system also could incorporate a student response-type system for the instructor to then directly question students about other concepts and record their response to both the kinesthetic activity and other formative assessment questions. The WILD Learning System consists of a sensor package for each student in the class, beacons to enable precise localization of the students, software to calculate student location information, and educational software for a variety of activities. In addition, a software development kit (SDK) is under development that would allow others to create additional learning activities using the WILD Learning System. (WILD Learning System development has been partially supported by NASA's CYGNSS Mission EPO, the NSF and the University of Michigan).

Side Effect Perceptions and Their Impact on Treatment Decisions in Women.

PubMed

Waters, Erika A; Pachur, Thorsten; Colditz, Graham A

2017-04-01

Side effects prompt some patients to forego otherwise-beneficial therapies. This study explored which characteristics make side effects particularly aversive. We used a psychometric approach, originating from research on risk perception, to identify the factors (or components) underlying side effect perceptions. Women ( N = 149) aged 40 to 74 years were recruited from a patient registry to complete an online experiment. Participants were presented with hypothetical scenarios in which an effective and necessary medication conferred a small risk of a single side effect (e.g., nausea, dizziness). They rated a broad range of side effects on several characteristics (e.g., embarrassing, treatable). In addition, we collected 4 measures of aversiveness for each side effect: choosing to take the medication, willingness to pay to avoid the side effect (WTP), negative affective attitude associated with the side effect, and how each side effect ranks among others in terms of undesirability. A principal components analysis (PCA) was used to identify the components underlying side effect perceptions. Then, for each aversiveness measure separately, regression analyses were used to determine which components predicted differences in aversiveness among the side effects. The PCA revealed 4 components underlying side effect perceptions: affective challenge (e.g., frightening), social challenge (e.g., disfiguring), physical challenge (e.g., painful), and familiarity (e.g., common). Side effects perceived as affectively and physically challenging elicited the highest levels of aversiveness across all 4 measures. Understanding what side effect characteristics are most aversive may inform interventions to improve medical decisions and facilitate the translation of novel biomedical therapies into clinical practice.

Side Effect Perceptions and their Impact on Treatment Decisions in Women

PubMed Central

Waters, Erika A.; Pachur, Thorsten; Colditz, Graham A.

2016-01-01

Background Side effects prompt some patients to forego otherwise-beneficial therapies. This study explored which characteristics make side effects particularly aversive. Methods We used a psychometric approach, originating from research on risk perception, to identify the factors (or components) underlying side effect perceptions. Women (N=149) aged 40–74 were recruited from a patient registry to complete an online experiment. Participants were presented with hypothetical scenarios in which an effective and necessary medication conferred a small risk of a single side effect (e.g., nausea, dizziness). They rated a broad range of side effects on several characteristics (e.g., embarrassing, treatable). In addition, we collected four measures of aversiveness for each side effect: choosing to take the medication, willingness to pay to avoid the side effect (WTP), negative affective attitude associated with the side effect, and how each side effect ranks among others in terms of undesirability. A principle-components analysis (PCA) was used to identify the components underlying side effect perceptions. Then, for each aversiveness measure separately, regression analyses were used to determine which components predicted differences in aversiveness among the side effects. Results The PCA revealed four components underlying side effect perceptions: affective challenge (e.g., frightening), social challenge (e.g., disfiguring), physical challenge (e.g., painful), and familiarity (e.g., common). Side effects perceived as affectively and physically challenging elicited the highest levels of aversiveness across all four measures. Conclusions Understanding what side effect characteristics are most aversive may inform interventions to improve medical decisions and facilitate the translation of novel biomedical therapies into clinical practice. PMID:27216581

Universities Response to Oil and Gas Industry Demands in South Texas (USA) and Tamaulipas (Mexico)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, Marco Aurelio

2016-01-01

Given the importance of hydrocarbons for this area, the purpose of this paper is to explore the response of universities to cope with new demands in the south of Texas and Tamaulipas, especially in relation to gas plays of Eagle Ford (Texas side) and Burgos Basin (Mexican side). To accomplish this task, in the first section of the paper a broad…

Contributions of a disulfide bond and a reduced cysteine side chain to the intrinsic activity of the high-density lipoprotein receptor SR-BI.

PubMed

Yu, Miao; Lau, Thomas Y; Carr, Steven A; Krieger, Monty

2012-12-18

The high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI), binds HDL and mediates selective cholesteryl ester uptake. SR-BI's structure and mechanism are poorly understood. We used mass spectrometry to assign the two disulfide bonds in SR-BI that connect cysteines within the conserved Cys(321)-Pro(322)-Cys(323) (CPC) motif and connect Cys(280) to Cys(334). We used site-specific mutagenesis to evaluate the contributions of the CPC motif and the side chain of extracellular Cys(384) to HDL binding and lipid uptake. The effects of CPC mutations on activity were context-dependent. Full wild-type (WT) activity required Pro(322) and Cys(323) only when Cys(321) was present. Reduced intrinsic activities were observed for CXC and CPX, but not XXC, XPX, or XXX mutants (X ≠ WT residue). Apparently, a free thiol side chain at position 321 that cannot form an intra-CPC disulfide bond with Cys(323) is deleterious, perhaps because of aberrant disulfide bond formation. Pro(322) may stabilize an otherwise strained CPC disulfide bond, thus supporting WT activity, but this disulfide bond is not absolutely required for normal activity. C(384)X (X = S, T, L, Y, G, or A) mutants exhibited altered activities that varied with the side chain's size: larger side chains phenocopied WT SR-BI treated with its thiosemicarbazone inhibitor BLT-1 (enhanced binding, weakened uptake); smaller side chains produced almost inverse effects (increased uptake:binding ratio). C(384)X mutants were BLT-1-resistant, supporting the proposal that Cys(384)'s thiol interacts with BLT-1. We discuss the implications of our findings on the functions of the extracellular loop cysteines in SR-BI and compare our results to those presented by other laboratories.

Relation between therapeutic response and side effects induced by methylphenidate as observed by parents and teachers of children with ADHD.

PubMed

Lee, James; Grizenko, Natalie; Bhat, Venkataramana; Sengupta, Sarojini; Polotskaia, Anna; Joober, Ridha

2011-04-21

The desired (therapeutic) and undesired (side) effects of methylphenidate might have underlying correlations. The aim of this study was to explore the strength and the possible sources of these correlations. One hundred and fifty-seven children with ADHD (6-12 years) were administered placebo and methylphenidate (0.5 mg/kg in a divided b.i.d. dose), each for a one-week period, in a double-blind, crossover trial. Therapeutic response was assessed using the Conners' Global Index for parents (CGI-Parents) and teachers (CGI-Teachers), while side effects were assessed using the Barkley Side Effects Rating Scale (SERS). The side effect profile as assessed by the SERS was similar to that of previous studies with insomnia, decreased appetite, and headaches showing significant treatment effects (p < 0.005). These "somatic/physical" side effects did not correlate with CGI-Parents or CGI-Teachers. However, the side effects of "irritability", "proneness to crying", and "anxiousness" showed significant relationships with CGI-Parents. These "mood/anxiety" side effects showed no significant correlations with the CGI-Teachers. The greater "mood/anxiety" side effects on methylphenidate and placebo, the less the parents observe improvement of their children while treated with methylphenidate. This suggests that the correlations between "mood/anxiety" side effects and poor response to treatment may be driven by observer effects rather than biological commonalities between therapeutic and side effects of methylphenidate.

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants from Gujranwala district, Pakistan.

PubMed

Mahmood, Adeel; Mahmood, Aqeel; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Shinwari, Zabta Khan

2013-07-09

This study was focused with the aim to investigate and document the indigenous medicinal knowledge and commonly used medicinal plants from Gujranwala district, Pakistan and to establish a baseline data in continuing studies aimed at more comprehensive investigations on bio-active compounds of indigenous medicinal plants. Rapid appraisal approach (RAA) was used along with the interviews, group meetings with people having knowledge about indigenous uses of medicinal plants and individual meetings with herbalists were conducted, to collect the ethnomedicinal data. About 71 species of medicinal plants belonging to 38 families have been documented through 203 informants. Most favored plant part used for indigenous medicine was leaves (38%) followed by the seed (13%), whole plant (11%), flower (9%), fruit (8%), root and bark (6%) and the main source of these medicines was wild herbs (54%) followed by the wild shrubs, wild trees (13%), cultivated herbs (10%), cultivated trees (5%), cultivated shrubs (3%) and wild grasses (2%). The herbal preparations were mainly administrated orally and topically. Gujranwala district has great diversity of medicinal plants and people are aware about their medicinal values. Few plants are playing vital role in the basic health care needs of study areas; such plants should be screened for detailed pharmacological studied to explore new biological compounds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of care of domestic carnivores on their predation on vertebrates.

PubMed

Silva-Rodríguez, Eduardo A; Sieving, Kathryn E

2011-08-01

Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus) are the most abundant mammalian carnivores worldwide. Given that domestic carnivores rely on human-provided food, their densities are usually independent of prey densities. Nevertheless, underfed pets may need to hunt to meet their energetic and nutritional requirements. We explored the effects of different levels of care (provision of food) of dogs and cats on their predation rates on wild vertebrates in 2 areas of southern Chile. We interviewed cat and dog owners and analyzed prey remains in scats of pets to examine how domestic dogs and cats were managed and to gather information on the wild vertebrates killed and harassed by pets. We used logistic regression to examine the association between pet care and the frequency of wild vertebrate remains in scats. The probability of a dog preying on vertebrates was higher for poorly fed than for adequately fed dogs (odds ratio = 3.7) and for poorly fed than for adequately fed cats (odds ratio = 4.7). Domestic dogs and cats preyed on most endemic and threatened mammals present in the study sites. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that the less care domestic animals receive from owners the higher the probability those animals will prey on wild vertebrates. © 2011 Society for Conservation Biology.

Health hazards to wild birds and risk factors associated with anthropogenic food provisioning

PubMed Central

Robinson, Robert A.; Risely, Kate; MacDonald, Susan

2018-01-01

Provision of supplementary food for wild birds at garden feeding stations is a common, large-scale and year-round practice in multiple countries including Great Britain (GB). While these additional dietary resources can benefit wildlife, there is a concomitant risk of disease transmission, particularly when birds repeatedly congregate in the same place at high densities and through interactions of species that would not normally associate in close proximity. Citizen science schemes recording garden birds are popular and can integrate disease surveillance with population monitoring, offering a unique opportunity to explore inter-relationships between supplementary feeding, disease epidemiology and population dynamics. Here, we present findings from a national surveillance programme in GB and note the dynamism of endemic and emerging diseases over a 25-year period, focusing on protozoal (finch trichomonosis), viral (Paridae pox) and bacterial (passerine salmonellosis) diseases with contrasting modes of transmission. We also examine the occurrence of mycotoxin contamination of food residues in bird feeders, which present both a direct and indirect (though immunosuppression) risk to wild bird health. Our results inform evidence-based mitigation strategies to minimize anthropogenically mediated health hazards, while maintaining the benefits of providing supplementary food for wild birds. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host–parasite dynamics in wildlife’. PMID:29531146

Genomic diversity and macroecology of the crop wild relatives of domesticated pea.

PubMed

Smýkal, Petr; Hradilová, Iveta; Trněný, Oldřich; Brus, Jan; Rathore, Abhishek; Bariotakis, Michael; Das, Roma Rani; Bhattacharyya, Debjyoti; Richards, Christopher; Coyne, Clarice J; Pirintsos, Stergios

2017-12-12

There is growing interest in the conservation and utilization of crop wild relatives (CWR) in international food security policy and research. Legumes play an important role in human health, sustainable food production, global food security, and the resilience of current agricultural systems. Pea belongs to the ancient set of cultivated plants of the Near East domestication center and remains an important crop today. Based on genome-wide analysis, P. fulvum was identified as a well-supported species, while the diversity of wild P. sativum subsp. elatius was structured into 5 partly geographically positioned clusters. We explored the spatial and environmental patterns of two progenitor species of domesticated pea in the Mediterranean Basin and in the Fertile Crescent in relation to the past and current climate. This study revealed that isolation by distance does not explain the genetic structure of P. sativum subsp. elatius in its westward expansion from its center of origin. The genetic diversity of wild pea may be driven by Miocene-Pliocene events, while the phylogenetic diversity centers may reflect Pleisto-Holocene climatic changes. These findings help set research and discussion priorities and provide geographical and ecological information for germplasm-collecting missions, as well as for the preservation of extant diversity in ex-situ collections.

A unified frame of predicting side effects of drugs by using linear neighborhood similarity.

PubMed

Zhang, Wen; Yue, Xiang; Liu, Feng; Chen, Yanlin; Tu, Shikui; Zhang, Xining

2017-12-14

Drug side effects are one of main concerns in the drug discovery, which gains wide attentions. Investigating drug side effects is of great importance, and the computational prediction can help to guide wet experiments. As far as we known, a great number of computational methods have been proposed for the side effect predictions. The assumption that similar drugs may induce same side effects is usually employed for modeling, and how to calculate the drug-drug similarity is critical in the side effect predictions. In this paper, we present a novel measure of drug-drug similarity named "linear neighborhood similarity", which is calculated in a drug feature space by exploring linear neighborhood relationship. Then, we transfer the similarity from the feature space into the side effect space, and predict drug side effects by propagating known side effect information through a similarity-based graph. Under a unified frame based on the linear neighborhood similarity, we propose method "LNSM" and its extension "LNSM-SMI" to predict side effects of new drugs, and propose the method "LNSM-MSE" to predict unobserved side effect of approved drugs. We evaluate the performances of LNSM and LNSM-SMI in predicting side effects of new drugs, and evaluate the performances of LNSM-MSE in predicting missing side effects of approved drugs. The results demonstrate that the linear neighborhood similarity can improve the performances of side effect prediction, and the linear neighborhood similarity-based methods can outperform existing side effect prediction methods. More importantly, the proposed methods can predict side effects of new drugs as well as unobserved side effects of approved drugs under a unified frame.

D-Side: A Facility and Workforce Planning Group Multi-criteria Decision Support System for Johnson Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tavana, Madjid

2005-01-01

"To understand and protect our home planet, to explore the universe and search for life, and to inspire the next generation of explorers" is NASA's mission. The Systems Management Office at Johnson Space Center (JSC) is searching for methods to effectively manage the Center's resources to meet NASA's mission. D-Side is a group multi-criteria decision support system (GMDSS) developed to support facility decisions at JSC. D-Side uses a series of sequential and structured processes to plot facilities in a three-dimensional (3-D) graph on the basis of each facility alignment with NASA's mission and goals, the extent to which other facilities are dependent on the facility, and the dollar value of capital investments that have been postponed at the facility relative to the facility replacement value. A similarity factor rank orders facilities based on their Euclidean distance from Ideal and Nadir points. These similarity factors are then used to allocate capital improvement resources across facilities. We also present a parallel model that can be used to support decisions concerning allocation of human resources investments across workforce units. Finally, we present results from a pilot study where 12 experienced facility managers from NASA used D-Side and the organization's current approach to rank order and allocate funds for capital improvement across 20 facilities. Users evaluated D-Side favorably in terms of ease of use, the quality of the decision-making process, decision quality, and overall value-added. Their evaluations of D-Side were significantly more favorable than their evaluations of the current approach. Keywords: NASA, Multi-Criteria Decision Making, Decision Support System, AHP, Euclidean Distance, 3-D Modeling, Facility Planning, Workforce Planning.

Ecological genomics of natural plant populations: the Israeli perspective.

PubMed

Nevo, Eviatar

2009-01-01

The genomic era revolutionized evolutionary population biology. The ecological genomics of the wild progenitors of wheat and barley reviewed here was central in the research program of the Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, since 1975 ( http://evolution.haifa.ac.il ). We explored the following questions: (1) How much of the genomic and phenomic diversity of wild progenitors of cultivars (wild emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, the progenitor of most wheat, plus wild relatives of the Aegilops species; wild barley, Hordeum spontaneum, the progenitor of cultivated barley; wild oat, Avena sterilis, the progenitor of cultivated oats; and wild lettuce species, Lactuca, the progenitor and relatives of cultivated lettuce) are adaptive and processed by natural selection at both coding and noncoding genomic regions? (2) What is the origin and evolution of genomic adaptation and speciation processes and their regulation by mutation, recombination, and transposons under spatiotemporal variables and stressful macrogeographic and microgeographic environments? (3) How much genetic resources are harbored in the wild progenitors for crop improvement? We advanced ecological genetics into ecological genomics and analyzed (regionally across Israel and the entire Near East Fertile Crescent and locally at microsites, focusing on the "Evolution Canyon" model) hundreds of populations and thousands of genotypes for protein (allozyme) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (coding and noncoding) diversity, partly combined with phenotypic diversity. The environmental stresses analyzed included abiotic (climatic and microclimatic, edaphic) and biotic (pathogens, demographic) stresses. Recently, we introduced genetic maps, cloning, and transformation of candidate genes. Our results indicate abundant genotypic and phenotypic diversity in natural plant populations. The organization and evolution of molecular and organismal diversity in plant populations, at all genomic regions and geographical scales, are nonrandom and are positively correlated with, and partly predictable by, abiotic and biotic environmental heterogeneity and stress. Biodiversity evolution, even in small isolated populations, is primarily driven by natural selection including diversifying, balancing, cyclical, and purifying selection regimes interacting with, but, ultimately, overriding the effects of mutation, migration, and stochasticity. The progenitors of cultivated plants harbor rich genetic resources and are the best hope for crop improvement by both classical and modern biotechnological methods. Future studies should focus on the interplay between structural and functional genome organization focusing on gene regulation.

Animation Sequence of Comet Wild2 Once More Demonstrates Shape Peculiarities of Small Celestial Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochemasov, G. G.

The outstanding success of the Stardust mission having acquired in January 2004 images of Comet Wild2 allows us to compare them with images of some other small objects: satellites, asteroids, comets and confirm the earlier conclusion about prevailing shaping forces [1, 2]. The excellent images of the Comet Wild2 core (the best up to date among comets, Internet) show that it is not ``a ball of dirty ice and rock'' but rather a convexo-concave object resembling other small bodies. They all, independently of their nature, sizes, compositions, demonstrate oblong ``banana''-type style. This is a result of pressing in one side and bulging out another antipodean one (the fundamental wave action). Comet Wild2 (5.4 km long core) in this sense can be perfectly compared with asteroid Mathilde (60 km) and satellite Thebe (˜ 116 km). All three have deeply concave hemisphere opposed by clearly convex one. Bulging out friable material often induces deep fracturing of convex hemispheres. This is well visible in comet Borrelli (8 km long core) and especially pronounced in asteroids Eros (33 km) and Annefrank (`˜ 6 km). Deep ``saddle'' at the convex side of both makes their images rather similar. Another characteristic of small oblong bodies is a principal shape difference of two elongated ends: one is blunt, another sharp. Principally, it is the same process which makes the ``banana''-shape (wave1) but of a smaller scale (wave2). The blunt end is made by pressing in, the sharp end by bulging out. Obviously, an impact sculpturing cannot give similar complex forms in so different bodies. The main principal shaping is done by standing inertia-gravity waves arising in celestial bodies in response to their movement in elliptical orbits with periodically changing accelerations. The fundamental wave1 makes convexo-concave shape, the first overtone wave2 sharp-blunt ends. Larger celestial bodies: satellites, planets, stars react to these waves by universal tectonic dichotomy and sectoring [3]. The arctic-antarctic symptom (after Earth) is typical manifestation of sectoring with two antepodean sectors: one pressed in, another bulged out. References: [1] Kochemasov G.G. (1999) On convexo-concave shape of small celestial bodies // ``Asteroids, Comets, Meteors'' conference, Cornell Univ., U.S.A., July 1999, Abstract # 24. 22; [2] Kochemasov G.G. (2002) ``Dirty snowball'' -- now is too primitive for a scientific description of comets // 34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly at the World Space Congress 2002, 10-19 Oct. 2002, Houston, Texas, USA, (CD-ROM); [3] Kochemasov G.G. (1999) Theorems of wave planetary tectonics // Geophys. Res. Abstr., Vol. 1, # 3, 700.

Enzyme architecture: the effect of replacement and deletion mutations of loop 6 on catalysis by triosephosphate isomerase.

PubMed

Zhai, Xiang; Go, Maybelle K; O'Donoghue, AnnMarie C; Amyes, Tina L; Pegan, Scott D; Wang, Yan; Loria, J Patrick; Mesecar, Andrew D; Richard, John P

2014-06-03

Two mutations of the phosphodianion gripper loop in chicken muscle triosephosphate isomerase (cTIM) were examined: (1) the loop deletion mutant (LDM) formed by removal of residues 170-173 [Pompliano, D. L., et al. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 3186-3194] and (2) the loop 6 replacement mutant (L6RM), in which the N-terminal hinge sequence of TIM from eukaryotes, 166-PXW-168 (X = L or V), is replaced by the sequence from archaea, 166-PPE-168. The X-ray crystal structure of the L6RM shows a large displacement of the side chain of E168 from that for W168 in wild-type cTIM. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance data show that the L6RM results in significant chemical shift changes in loop 6 and surrounding regions, and that the binding of glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P) results in chemical shift changes for nuclei at the active site of the L6RM that are smaller than those of wild-type cTIM. Interactions with loop 6 of the L6RM stabilize the enediolate intermediate toward the elimination reaction catalyzed by the LDM. The LDM and L6RM result in 800000- and 23000-fold decreases, respectively, in kcat/Km for isomerization of GAP. Saturation of the LDM, but not the L6RM, by substrate and inhibitor phosphoglycolate is detected by steady-state kinetic analyses. We propose, on the basis of a comparison of X-ray crystal structures for wild-type TIM and the L6RM, that ligands bind weakly to the L6RM because a large fraction of the ligand binding energy is utilized to overcome destabilizing electrostatic interactions between the side chains of E168 and E129 that are predicted to develop in the loop-closed enzyme. Similar normalized yields of DHAP, d-DHAP, and d-GAP are formed in LDM- and L6RM-catalyzed reactions of GAP in D2O. The smaller normalized 12-13% yield of DHAP and d-DHAP observed for the mutant cTIM-catalyzed reactions compared with the 79% yield of these products for wild-type cTIM suggests that these mutations impair the transfer of a proton from O-2 to O-1 at the initial enediolate phosphate intermediate. No products are detected for the LDM-catalyzed isomerization reactions in D2O of [1-(13)C]GA and HPi, but the L6RM-catalyzed reaction in the presence of 0.020 M dianion gives a 2% yield of the isomerization product [2-(13)C,2-(2)H]GA.

Fragmentation of the Habitat of Wild Ungulates by Anthropogenic Barriers in Mongolia

PubMed Central

Ito, Takehiko Y.; Lhagvasuren, Badamjav; Tsunekawa, Atsushi; Shinoda, Masato; Takatsuki, Seiki; Buuveibaatar, Bayarbaatar; Chimeddorj, Buyanaa

2013-01-01

Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation caused by anthropogenic activities are the main factors that constrain long-distance movement of ungulates. Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) and Asiatic wild asses (Equus hemionus) in Mongolia are facing habitat fragmentation and loss. To better understand how their movements respond to potential anthropogenic and natural barriers, we tracked 24 Mongolian gazelles and 12 wild asses near the Ulaanbaatar–Beijing Railroad and the fenced international border between Mongolia and China between 2002 and 2012. None of the tracked gazelles crossed the railroad, even though gazelles were captured on both sides of the tracks at the start of the study. Similarly, we did not observe cross-border movements between Mongolia and China for either species, even though some animals used areas adjacent to the border. The both species used close areas to the anthropogenic barriers more frequently during winter than summer. These results suggest strong impacts by the artificial barriers. The construction of new railroads and roads to permit mining and other resource development therefore creates the threat of further habitat fragmentation, because the planned routes will divide the remaining non-fragmented habitats of the ungulates into smaller pieces. To conserve long-distance movement of the ungulates in this area, it will be necessary to remove or mitigate the barrier effects of the existing and planned roads and railroads and to adopt a landscape-level approach to allow access by ungulates to wide ranges throughout their distribution. PMID:23437291

Induction of contraception in some African wild carnivores by downregulation of LH and FSH secretion using the GnRH analogue deslorelin.

PubMed

Bertschinger, H J; Trigg, T E; Jöchle, W; Human, A

2002-01-01

The GnRH analogue deslorelin, in long-acting biocompatible implants, was used as a contraceptive in 31 cheetahs (13 females and 18 males), 21 African wild dogs (15 females and 6 males), 10 lionesses and four leopards (three females and one male). A dose of 12 or 15 mg deslorelin was administered to lions, whereas 6 mg deslorelin was administered to the other species. Monitoring consisted of observations, measurement of plasma progesterone and testosterone concentrations, vaginal cytology and evaluation of semen and sex organs. Deslorelin induced contraception in lionesses for 12-18 months, and in female cheetahs and leopards for a minimum of 12 months after treatment. Two male cheetahs had no viable spermatozoa or detectable plasma testosterone 21 months after treatment with deslorelin. Female wild dogs responded less consistently and one bitch conceived 4 weeks after implantation. However, in nine bitches, mating could be postponed until the next breeding season. Male dogs responded consistently and the contraception was effective for approximately 12 months. Although lionesses and cheetahs may become attractive to males for a few days after treatment, mating was not observed. No side-effects or behavioural changes were noted, indicating that deslorelin is a safe drug to use for the contraception of the species described. Males remain fertile for the first 6 weeks after the insertion of implants and should be separated from cyclic females during this period.

Potentiation of latent inhibition by haloperidol and clozapine is attenuated in Dopamine D2 receptor (Drd-2)-deficient mice: Do antipsychotics influence learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli via both Drd-2 and non-Drd-2 mechanisms?

PubMed Central

O’Callaghan, Matthew J; Bay-Richter, Cecilie; O’Tuathaigh, Colm MP; Heery, David M; Waddington, John L; Moran, Paula M

2014-01-01

Whether the dopamine Drd-2 receptor is necessary for the behavioural action of antipsychotic drugs is an important question, as Drd-2 antagonism is responsible for their debilitating motor side effects. Using Drd-2 null mice (Drd2 -/-) it has previously been shown that Drd-2 is not necessary for antipsychotic drugs to reverse D-amphetamine disruption of latent inhibition (LI), a behavioural measure of learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli. Weiner’s ‘two-headed’ model indicates that antipsychotics not only reverse LI disruption, ‘disrupted LI’, but also potentiate LI when low/absent in controls, ‘persistent’ LI. We investigated whether antipsychotic drugs haloperidol or clozapine potentiated LI in wild-type controls or Drd2 -/-. Both drugs potentiated LI in wild-type but not in Drd2-/- mice, suggesting moderation of this effect of antipsychotics in the absence of Drd-2. Haloperidol potentiated LI similarly in both Drd1-/- and wild-type mice, indicating no such moderation in Drd1-/-. These data suggest that antipsychotic drugs can have either Drd-2 or non-Drd-2 effects on learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli, depending on how the abnormality is produced. Identification of the non-Drd-2 mechanism may help to identify novel non-Drd2 based therapeutic strategies for psychosis. PMID:25122042

Methylotrophic metabolism is advantageous for Methylobacterium extorquens during colonization of Medicago truncatula under competitive conditions.

PubMed

Sy, Abdoulaye; Timmers, Antonius C J; Knief, Claudia; Vorholt, Julia A

2005-11-01

Facultative methylotrophic bacteria of the genus Methylobacterium are commonly found in association with plants. Inoculation experiments were performed to study the importance of methylotrophic metabolism for colonization of the model legume Medicago truncatula. Competition experiments with Methylobacterium extorquens wild-type strain AM1 and methylotrophy mutants revealed that the ability to use methanol as a carbon and energy source provides a selective advantage during colonization of M. truncatula. Differences in the fitness of mutants defective in different stages of methylotrophic metabolism were found; whereas approximately 25% of the mutant incapable of oxidizing methanol to formaldehyde (deficient in methanol dehydrogenase) was recovered, 10% or less of the mutants incapable of oxidizing formaldehyde to CO2 (defective in biosynthesis of the cofactor tetrahydromethanopterin) was recovered. Interestingly, impaired fitness of the mutant strains compared with the wild type was found on leaves and roots. Single-inoculation experiments showed, however, that mutants with defects in methylotrophy were capable of plant colonization at the wild-type level, indicating that methanol is not the only carbon source that is accessible to Methylobacterium while it is associated with plants. Fluorescence microscopy with a green fluorescent protein-labeled derivative of M. extorquens AM1 revealed that the majority of the bacterial cells on leaves were on the surface and that the cells were most abundant on the lower, abaxial side. However, bacterial cells were also found in the intercellular spaces inside the leaves, especially in the epidermal cell layer and immediately underneath this layer.

Chicken IgY Fc expressed by Eimeria mitis enhances the immunogenicity of E. mitis.

PubMed

Qin, Mei; Tang, Xinming; Yin, Guangwen; Liu, Xianyong; Suo, Jingxia; Tao, Geru; Ei-Ashram, Saeed; Li, Yuan; Suo, Xun

2016-03-21

Eimeria species are obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasites, causing great economic losses in the poultry industry. Currently wild-and attenuated- type anticoccidial vaccines are used to control coccidiosis. However, their use in fast growing broilers is limited by vaccination side effects caused by medium and/or low immunogenic Eimeria spp. There is, therefore, a need for a vaccine with high immunogenicity for broilers. The avian yolk sac IgY Fc is the avian counterpart of the mammalian IgG Fc, which enhances immunogenicity of Fc-fusion proteins. Here, we developed a stable transgenic Eimeria mitis expressing IgY Fc (Emi.chFc) and investigated whether the avian IgY Fc fragment enhances the immunogenicity of E. mitis. Two-week-old broilers were immunized with either Emi.chFc or wild type Eimeria and challenged with wild type E. mitis to analyze the protective properties of transgenic Emi.chFc. Chickens immunized with Emi.chFc had significantly lower oocyst output, in comparison with PBS, mock control (transgenic E. mitis expressing HA1 from H9N2 avian influenza virus) and wildtype E. mitis immunized groups after challenge, indicating that IgY Fc enhanced the immunogenicity of E. mitis. Our findings suggest that IgY Fc-expressing Eimeria may be a better coccidiosis vaccine, and transgenic Eimeria expressing Fc-fused exogenous antigens may be used as a novel vaccine-delivery vehicle against a wide variety of pathogens.

Distribution of branches in whole starches from maize mutants deficient in starch synthase III.

PubMed

Zhu, Fan; Bertoft, Eric; Seetharaman, Koushik

2014-05-21

An earlier study explored the possibility of analyzing the distribution of branches directly in native, whole starch without isolating the amylopectin component. The aim of this study was to explore if this approach can be extended to include starch mutants. Whole starches from du1 maize mutants deficient in starch synthase III (SSIII) with amylose content of ∼30-40% were characterized and compared with the wild type of the common genetic background W64A. Clusters were produced from whole starch by hydrolysis with α-amylase of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Their compositions of building blocks and chains were analyzed further by complete α-amylolysis and by debranching, respectively, whereafter the products were subjected to gel permeation and anion exchange chromatography. The size and structure of the clusters were compared with those of their isolated amylopectin component. Whereas the whole starch of the wild type sample had a branched structure similar to that of its amylopectin component, the results showed that the du1 mutation resulted in more singly branched building blocks in the whole starch compared to the isolated amylopectin. This suggested that amylose and/or intermediate materials in whole du1 starches likely contributed to the composition of branches. This study explored an alternative procedure to characterize the composition of branches in the whole starch without fractionating the components.

Exploring the Supply Side: Factors Related to Charter School Openings in NYC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saultz, Andrew; Fitzpatrick, Dan; Jacobsen, Rebecca

2015-01-01

School choice policies have led to a proliferation of new schools opening. While economic theory suggests that new charters would open in high demand locations, limited work examines whether this is, indeed, occurring. Framing our study in geography, we explore both space factors and place factors as contrasting explanations for where new charters…

Charting the Land of Flowers: Exploration and Mapmaking in Spanish Florida

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kite-Powell, Rodney

2013-01-01

Produced by cartographers of many nations over the course of six centuries, maps detailing Florida and the North American continent tell tales of exploration, conflict, and change. Before 1492, Europeans were unaware of what existed on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. That reality is illustrated quite well on two maps that show the…

Personality and innate immune defenses in a wild bird: Evidence for the pace-of-life hypothesis.

PubMed

Jacques-Hamilton, Rowan; Hall, Michelle L; Buttemer, William A; Matson, Kevin D; Gonҫalves da Silva, Anders; Mulder, Raoul A; Peters, Anne

2017-02-01

We tested the two main evolutionary hypotheses for an association between immunity and personality. The risk-of-parasitism hypothesis predicts that more proactive (bold, exploratory, risk-taking) individuals have more vigorous immune defenses because of increased risk of parasite exposure. In contrast, the pace-of-life hypothesis argues that proactive behavioral styles are associated with shorter lifespans and reduced investment in immune function. Mechanistically, associations between immunity and personality can arise because personality differences are often associated with differences in condition and stress responsiveness, both of which are intricately linked with immunity. Here we investigate the association between personality (measured as proactive exploration of a novel environment) and three indices of innate immune function (the non-specific first line of defense against parasites) in wild superb fairy-wrens Malurus cyaneus. We also quantified body condition, hemoparasites (none detected), chronic stress (heterophil:lymphocyte ratio) and circulating corticosterone levels at the end of the behavioral test (CORT, in a subset of birds). We found that fast explorers had lower titers of natural antibodies. This result is consistent with the pace-of-life hypothesis, and with the previously documented higher mortality of fast explorers in this species. There was no interactive effect of exploration score and duration in captivity on immune indices. This suggests that personality-related differences in stress responsiveness did not underlie differences in immunity, even though behavioral style did modulate the effect of captivity on CORT. Taken together these results suggest reduced constitutive investment in innate immune function in more proactive individuals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From economic survival to recreation: contemporary uses of wild food and medicine in rural Sweden, Ukraine and NW Russia.

PubMed

Stryamets, Nataliya; Elbakidze, Marine; Ceuterick, Melissa; Angelstam, Per; Axelsson, Robert

2015-06-16

There are many ethnobotanical studies on the use of wild plants and mushrooms for food and medicinal treatment in Europe. However, there is a lack of comparative ethnobotanical research on the role of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) as wild food and medicine in local livelihoods in countries with different socio-economic conditions. The aim of this study was to compare the present use of wild food and medicine in three places representing different stages of socio-economic development in Europe. Specifically we explore which plant and fungi species people use for food and medicine in three selected rural regions of Sweden, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. We studied the current use of NWFPs for food and medicine in three rural areas that represent a gradient in economic development (as indicated by the World Bank), i.e., Småland high plain (south Sweden), Roztochya (western Ukraine), and Kortkeros (Komi Republic in North West Russia). All areas were characterised by (a) predominating rural residency, (b) high forest coverage, and (c) free access to NWFPs. A total of 205 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with local residents in the three study areas. The collected NWFPs data included (1) the species that are used; (2) the amount harvested, (3) uses and practices (4) changes over time, (5) sources of knowledge regarding the use of NWFPs as wild food and medicine and (6) traditional recipes. In Sweden 11 species of wild plant and fungi species were used as food, and no plant species were used for medicinal purposes. In Ukraine the present use of NWFPs included 26 wild foods and 60 medicinal species, while in Russia 36 food and 44 medicinal species were reported. In the economically less developed rural areas of Ukraine and Russia, the use of NWFPs continues to be an important part of livelihoods, both as a source of income and for domestic use as food and medicine. In Sweden the collection of wild food has become mainly a recreational activity and the use of medicinal plants is no longer prevalent among our respondents. This leads us to suggest that the consumption of wild food and medicine is influenced by the socio-economic situation in a country.

Reciprocal Hosts' Responses to Powdery Mildew Isolates Originating from Domesticated Wheats and Their Wild Progenitor

PubMed Central

Ben-David, Roi; Dinoor, Amos; Peleg, Zvi; Fahima, Tzion

2018-01-01

The biotroph wheat powdery mildew, Blumeria graminis (DC.) E.O. Speer, f. sp. tritici Em. Marchal (Bgt), has undergone long and dynamic co-evolution with its hosts. In the last 10,000 years, processes involved in plant evolution under domestication, altered host-population structure. Recently both virulence and genomic profiling separated Bgt into two groups based on their origin from domestic host and from wild emmer wheat. While most studies focused on the Bgt pathogen, there is significant knowledge gaps in the role of wheat host diversity in this specification. This study aimed to fill this gap by exploring qualitatively and also quantitatively the disease response of diverse host panel to powdery mildew [105 domesticated wheat genotypes (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum, T. turgidum ssp. durum, and T. aestivum) and 241 accessions of its direct progenitor, wild emmer wheat (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides)]. A set of eight Bgt isolates, originally collected from domesticated and wild wheat was used for screening this wheat collection. The isolates from domesticated wheat elicited susceptible to moderate plant responses on domesticated wheat lines and high resistance on wild genotypes (51.7% of the tested lines were resistant). Isolates from wild emmer elicited reciprocal disease responses: high resistance of domesticated germplasm and high susceptibility of the wild material (their original host). Analysis of variance of the quantitative phenotypic responses showed a significant Isolates × Host species interaction [P(F) < 0.0001] and further supported these findings. Furthermore, analysis of the range of disease severity values showed that when the group of host genotypes was inoculated with Bgt isolate from the reciprocal host, coefficient of variation was significantly higher than when inoculated with its own isolates. This trend was attributed to the role of major resistance genes in the latter scenario (high proportion of complete resistance). By testing the association between disease severity and geographical distance from the source of inoculum, we have found higher susceptibility in wild emmer close to the source. Both qualitative and quantitative assays showed a reciprocal resistance pattern in the wheat host and are well aligned with the recent findings of significant differentiation into wild-emmer and domesticated-wheat populations in the pathogen. PMID:29527213

Pituitary-adrenal responses to oxotremorine and acute stress in male and female M1 muscarinic receptor knockout mice: comparisons to M2 muscarinic receptor knockout mice.

PubMed

Rhodes, M E; Rubin, R T; McKlveen, J M; Karwoski, T E; Fulton, B A; Czambel, R K

2008-05-01

Both within the brain and in the periphery, M(1) muscarinic receptors function primarily as postsynaptic receptors and M(2) muscarinic receptors function primarily as presynaptic autoreceptors. In addition to classical parasympathetic effectors, cholinergic stimulation of central muscarinic receptors influences the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone. We previously reported that oxotremorine administration to male and female M(2) receptor knockout and wild-type mice increased ACTH to a significantly greater degree in knockout males compared to all other groups, and that M(2) knockout mice of both sexes were significantly more responsive to the mild stress of saline injection than were wild-type mice. These results accord with the primary function of M(2) receptors as presynaptic autoreceptors. In the present study, we explored the role of the M(1) receptor in pituitary-adrenal responses to oxotremorine and saline in male and female M(1) knockout and wild-type mice. Because these mice responded differently to the mild stress of saline injection than did the M(2) knockout and wild-type mice, we also determined hormone responses to restraint stress in both M(1) and M(2) knockout and wild-type mice. Male and female M(1) knockout and wild-type mice were equally unresponsive to the stress of saline injection. Oxotremorine increased both ACTH and corticosterone in M(1) wild-type mice to a significantly greater degree than in knockout mice. In both M(1) knockout and wild-type animals, ACTH responses were greater in males compared to females, and corticosterone responses were greater in females compared to males. Hormone responses to restraint stress were increased in M(2) knockout mice and decreased in M(1) knockout mice compared to their wild-type counterparts. These findings suggest that M(1) and M(2) muscarinic receptor subtypes differentially influence male and female pituitary-adrenal responses to cholinergic stimulation and stress. The decreased pituitary-adrenal sensitivity to oxotremorine and restraint stress noted in M(1) knockout mice is consistent with M(1) being primarily a postsynaptic receptor. Conversely, the increased pituitary-adrenal sensitivity to these challenges noted in M(2) knockout mice is consistent with M(2) being primarily a presynaptic autoreceptor.

Evolution of I-SceI Homing Endonucleases with Increased DNA Recognition Site Specificity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joshi, Rakesh; Ho, Kwok Ki; Tenney, Kristen

2013-09-18

Elucidating how homing endonucleases undergo changes in recognition site specificity will facilitate efforts to engineer proteins for gene therapy applications. I-SceI is a monomeric homing endonuclease that recognizes and cleaves within an 18-bp target. It tolerates limited degeneracy in its target sequence, including substitution of a C:G{sub +4} base pair for the wild-type A:T{sub +4} base pair. Libraries encoding randomized amino acids at I-SceI residue positions that contact or are proximal to A:T{sub +4} were used in conjunction with a bacterial one-hybrid system to select I-SceI derivatives that bind to recognition sites containing either the A:T{sub +4} or the C:G{submore » +4} base pairs. As expected, isolates encoding wild-type residues at the randomized positions were selected using either target sequence. All I-SceI proteins isolated using the C:G{sub +4} recognition site included small side-chain substitutions at G100 and either contained (K86R/G100T, K86R/G100S and K86R/G100C) or lacked (G100A, G100T) a K86R substitution. Interestingly, the binding affinities of the selected variants for the wild-type A:T{sub +4} target are 4- to 11-fold lower than that of wild-type I-SceI, whereas those for the C:G{sub +4} target are similar. The increased specificity of the mutant proteins is also evident in binding experiments in vivo. These differences in binding affinities account for the observed -36-fold difference in target preference between the K86R/G100T and wild-type proteins in DNA cleavage assays. An X-ray crystal structure of the K86R/G100T mutant protein bound to a DNA duplex containing the C:G{sub +4} substitution suggests how sequence specificity of a homing enzyme can increase. This biochemical and structural analysis defines one pathway by which site specificity is augmented for a homing endonuclease.« less

Staurosporine scaffold-based rational discovery of the wild-type sparing reversible inhibitors of EGFR T790M gatekeeper mutant in lung cancer with analog-sensitive kinase technology.

PubMed

Song, Xiaoyun; Liu, Xingcai; Ding, Xi

2017-04-01

The human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been established as an attractive target for lung cancer therapy. However, an acquired EGFR T790M gatekeeper mutation is frequently observed in patients treated with first-line anticancer agents such as gefitinib and erlotinib to cause drug resistance, largely limiting the application of small-molecule kinase inhibitors in EGFR-targeted chemotherapy. Previously, the reversible pan-kinase inhibitor staurosporine and its several analogs such as Gö6976 and K252a have been reported to selectively inhibit the EGFR T790M mutant (EGFR T790M ) over wild-type kinase (EGFR WT ), suggesting that the staurosporine scaffold is potentially to develop the wild-type sparing reversible inhibitors of EGFR T790M . Here, we systematically evaluated the inhibitor response of 28 staurosporine scaffold-based compounds to EGFR T790M mutation at structural, energetic, and molecular levels by using an integrated in silico-in vitro analog-sensitive (AS) kinase technology. With the strategy, we were able to identify 4 novel wild-type sparing inhibitors UCN-01, UCN-02, AFN941, and SB-218078 with high or moderate selectivity of 30-, 45-, 5-, and 8-fold for EGFR T790M over EGFR WT , respectively, which are comparable with or even better than that of the parent compound staurosporine (24-fold). Molecular modeling and structural analysis revealed that van der Waals contacts and hydrophobic forces can form between the side chain of mutated residue Met790 and the pyrrolidinone moiety of inhibitor ligand UCN-02, which may simultaneously improve the favorable interaction energy between the kinase and inhibitor, and reduce the unfavorable desolvation penalty upon the kinase-inhibitor binding. A hydroxyl group of UCN-02 additional to staurosporine locates at the pyrrolidinone moiety, which can largely alter the electronic distribution of pyrrolidinone moiety and thus promote the intermolecular interaction with Met790 residue. This can well explain the measured higher selectivity of UCN-02 than staurosporine for mutant over wild-type kinase. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Classrooms in the Wild: Learning Language and Life Skills in the KUIS Outdoor Sports Circle.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wurr, Adrian

The role of outdoor education activities in the Kanda University English language institute is described. The outdoor program was developed to unite faculty and students interested in recreational activities and provide an opportunity to explore common interests in nature, sports, and language learning. The activities develop self-esteem,…

Exploring folate diversity in wild and primitive potatoes for modern crop improvement

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Malnutrition is one of the world’s largest health concerns. Folate (a.k.a. vitamin B9) is essential in the human diet and without adequate folate intake several serious health concerns such as congenital birth defects and an increased risk of stroke and heart disease can occur. Most people’s folate ...

Where the wild things are: A research agenda for studying the wildlife-wilderness relationship

Treesearch

Michael K. Schwartz; Beth A. Hahn; Blake R. Hossack

2016-01-01

We explore the connection between US designated wilderness areas and wildlife with the goal of establishing a research agenda for better understanding this complex relationship. Our research agenda has two components. The first, "wildlife for wilderness," considers the impact of wildlife on wilderness character. Whereas studies show that wildlife is...

Why the Wild Things Are: Animals in the Lives of Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melson, Gail F.

This book examines children's many connections to animals and their developmental significance, exploring the growth of the human animal connection, and showing how children's innate interest in animals is shaped by their families and their social worlds, and may in turn shape the kind of people they will become. Chapter 1 documents how theory and…

Finding a New "Heimat" in the Wild West: Karl May and the German Western of the 1960s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Tassilo

1995-01-01

Discusses Joe Hembus's "Western-Lexikon," a German encyclopedia of the western, and one particular entry: "Der Schatz im Silbersee," or "Treasure of Silver Lake," a uniquely German western adapted from a story by Karl May. Explores the impact that this film had on the European--and eventually, American--filmmaking…

Wildfire in the valley of the wild roses

Treesearch

Linda Moon Stumpff

2015-01-01

Santa Clara Indian Pueblo lands are adjacent to the Jemez National Forest, Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve. This paper explores Pueblo vulnerability and resilience after repeated and devastating fires in this century as a result of drought and climate change. Santa Clara Pueblo holds a rich store of traditional knowledge about the fire-...

The Primacy of Movement in Art Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrill, Rebecca

2010-01-01

The author is naturally a kinesthetic learner. As a child she was steeped in the wilds of seashore, fields, and woods in which she was free to roam, explore, and imagine in a deeply sensual, movement-oriented world. Because of these first experiences of freedom of movement and spontaneity in the highly intense natural world, she found the…

Varestrongylus eleguneniensis sp. n. (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae): a widespread, multi-host lungworm of wild North American ungulates, with an emended diagnosis for the genus and explorations of biogeography

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Varestrongylus eleguneniensis sp. n. is established for a recently discovered protostrongylid nematode found in caribou (Rangifer tarandus), muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and moose (Alces americanus), hosts that collectively occupy an extensive geographic range across northern North America. Descripti...

KSC-02pd0873

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Wild pigs stop near the KSC Press Site in the Launch Complex 39 Area on their daily foraging rounds. Not a native in the environment, the pigs are believed to be descendants from those brought to Florida by the early Spanish explorers. Without many predators other than human, the pigs have flourished in the surrounding environs

The Meteoroid Fluence at Mars Due to Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorhead, A.; Wiegert, P.; Blaauw, R.; McCarty, C.; Kingery, A.; Cooke, W.

2014-01-01

Long-period comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) will experience a close encounter with Mars on 2014 Oct 19. A collision between the comet and the planet has been ruled out, but the comet's coma may envelop Mars and its man-made satellites. By the time of the close encounter, five operational spacecraft will be present near Mars. Characterizing the coma is crucial for assessing the risk posed to these satellites by meteoroid impacts. We present an analytic model of cometary comae that describes the spatial and size distributions of cometary dust and meteoroids. This model correctly reproduces, to within an order of magnitude, the number of impacts recorded by Giotto near 1P/Halley [1] and by Stardust near comet 81P/Wild 2 [2]. Applied to Siding Spring, our model predicts a total particle fluence near Mars of 0.02 particles per square meter. In order to determine the degree to which Siding Spring's coma deviates from a sphere, we perform numerical simulations which take into account both gravitational effects and radiative forces. We take the entire dust component of the coma and tail continuum into account by simulating the ejection and evolution of dust particles from comet Siding Spring. The total number of particles simulated is essentially a free parameter and does not provide a check on the total fluence. Instead, these simulations illustrate the degree to which the coma of Siding Spring deviates from the perfect sphere described by our analytic model (see Figure). We conclude that our analytic model sacrifices less than an order of magnitude in accuracy by neglecting particle dynamics and radiation pressure and is thus adequate for order-of-magnitude fluence estimates. Comet properties may change unpredictably and therefore an analytic coma model that enables quick recalculation of the meteoroid fluence is highly desirable. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office is monitoring comet Siding Spring and taking measurements of cometary brightness and dust production. We will discuss our coma model and nominal fluence taking the latest observations into account.

MDO can help resolve the designer's dilemma. [multidisciplinary design optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sobieszczanski-Sobieski, Jaroslaw; Tulinius, Jan R.

1991-01-01

Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is presented as a rapidly growing body of methods, algorithms, and techniques that will provide a quantum jump in the effectiveness and efficiency of the quantitative side of design, and will turn that side into an environment in which the qualitative side can thrive. MDO borrows from CAD/CAM for graphic visualization of geometrical and numerical data, data base technology, and in computer software and hardware. Expected benefits from this methodology are a rational, mathematically consistent approach to hypersonic aircraft designs, designs pushed closer to the optimum, and a design process either shortened or leaving time available for different concepts to be explored.

Space-time cluster analysis of sea lice infestation (Caligus clemensi and Lepeophtheirus salmonis) on wild juvenile Pacific salmon in the Broughton Archipelago of Canada.

PubMed

Patanasatienkul, Thitiwan; Sanchez, Javier; Rees, Erin E; Pfeiffer, Dirk; Revie, Crawford W

2015-06-15

Sea lice infestation levels on wild chum and pink salmon in the Broughton Archipelago region are known to vary spatially and temporally; however, the locations of areas associated with a high infestation level had not been investigated yet. In the present study, the multivariate spatial scan statistic based on a Poisson model was used to assess spatial clustering of elevated sea lice (Caligus clemensi and Lepeophtheirus salmonis) infestation levels on wild chum and pink salmon sampled between March and July of 2004 to 2012 in the Broughton Archipelago and Knight Inlet regions of British Columbia, Canada. Three covariates, seine type (beach and purse seining), fish size, and year effect, were used to provide adjustment within the analyses. The analyses were carried out across the five months/datasets and between two fish species to assess the consistency of the identified clusters. Sea lice stages were explored separately for the early life stages (non-motile) and the late life stages of sea lice (motile). Spatial patterns in fish migration were also explored using monthly plots showing the average number of each fish species captured per sampling site. The results revealed three clusters for non-motile C. clemensi, two clusters for non-motile L. salmonis, and one cluster for the motile stage in each of the sea lice species. In general, the location and timing of clusters detected for both fish species were similar. Early in the season, the clusters of elevated sea lice infestation levels on wild fish are detected in areas closer to the rivers, with decreasing relative risks as the season progresses. Clusters were detected further from the estuaries later in the season, accompanied by increasing relative risks. In addition, the plots for fish migration exhibit similar patterns for both fish species in that, as expected, the juveniles move from the rivers toward the open ocean as the season progresses The identification of space-time clustering of infestation on wild fish from this study can help in targeting investigations of factors associated with these infestations and thereby support the development of more effective sea lice control measures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The social context of wild leafy vegetables uses in Shiri, Daghestan.

PubMed

Kaliszewska, Iwona; Kołodziejska-Degórska, Iwona

2015-08-11

Shiri is a small mountainous village in the Republic of Daghestan, in the North Caucasus. Daghestan is Russia's southernmost and most ethnically and linguistically diverse republic, a considerable part of which belongs to the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot. Various species of wild leafy vegetables are collected in Shiri and there are still many social and cultural practices connected with plant collection in the village. Yet due to migration processes, local knowledge about wild greens and their uses is being slowly forgotten or not passed on. The Shiri language is highly endangered and so are the local plant terminologies and classifications. The unstable political situation hinders local and international research, therefore we find it highly important to explore both what wild leafy vegetables are collected in this mountainous part of Daghestan and how the relation between plants and people is shaped in this linguistically and culturally diverse context. We answer the following questions: what wild leafy vegetables are collected in Shiri? Why are they important to the local people? What is the social aspect of wild leafy vegetable uses? The methods applied were as follows: forest walks and semi-structured interviews with adult inhabitants of Shiri village, participant and non-participant observation. During the walks herbarium specimens were collected, and visual recording of plant collecting process was conducted. This article is based on fieldwork done in Shiri, Daghestan, between 2012 and 2014, over the course of 3 field trips that took place in 3 seasons. We collected and identified twenty-two local (24 botanical) species of wild leafy vegetables. Fourteen local species were used as snacks, eight for cooked dishes and three of them were also dried in order to be transported to kin living in the lowlands. It is significant that 70 % of taxa collected in Shiri are used as snacks. While snacks were collected by both sexes, greens for cooking and drying were part of the women's knowledge. The analysis of people-plant relations showed that care practices constitute an important part of these relations. Through the giving of wild greens, Shiri people express care for co-villagers and migrants and show their respect for elders. In the narratives about wild greens, their nutritional and taste value as well as perceived exceptionality were emphasized. 1) Wild leafy vegetables are a significant element of everyday social life in Shiri in regard to mutual care, respect for elders and local identity. 2) Gender has a greater influence on practical skills than on declarative plant knowledge. 3) Names of plants are publicly discussed with elders and are not always fixed. 4) The moral value ascribed to giving in the local culture is expressed through wild leafy vegetables. 5) Care expressed through sending wild leafy vegetables helps to sustain social ties between migrants and Shiri inhabitants. 6) Identity, health and naturalness discourses are adding value to the local knowledge about wild leafy vegetables.

Steric interactions determine side-chain conformations in protein cores.

PubMed

Caballero, D; Virrueta, A; O'Hern, C S; Regan, L

2016-09-01

We investigate the role of steric interactions in defining side-chain conformations in protein cores. Previously, we explored the strengths and limitations of hard-sphere dipeptide models in defining sterically allowed side-chain conformations and recapitulating key features of the side-chain dihedral angle distributions observed in high-resolution protein structures. Here, we show that modeling residues in the context of a particular protein environment, with both intra- and inter-residue steric interactions, is sufficient to specify which of the allowed side-chain conformations is adopted. This model predicts 97% of the side-chain conformations of Leu, Ile, Val, Phe, Tyr, Trp and Thr core residues to within 20°. Although the hard-sphere dipeptide model predicts the observed side-chain dihedral angle distributions for both Thr and Ser, the model including the protein environment predicts side-chain conformations to within 20° for only 60% of core Ser residues. Thus, this approach can identify the amino acids for which hard-sphere interactions alone are sufficient and those for which additional interactions are necessary to accurately predict side-chain conformations in protein cores. We also show that our approach can predict alternate side-chain conformations of core residues, which are supported by the observed electron density. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Exploratory behavior is linked to stress physiology and social network centrality in free-living house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus).

PubMed

Moyers, Sahnzi C; Adelman, James S; Farine, Damien R; Moore, Ignacio T; Hawley, Dana M

2018-06-01

Animal personality has been linked to individual variation in both stress physiology and social behaviors, but few studies have simultaneously examined covariation between personality traits, stress hormone levels, and behaviors in free-living animals. We investigated relationships between exploratory behavior (one aspect of animal personality), stress physiology, and social and foraging behaviors in wild house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). We conducted novel environment assays after collecting samples of baseline and stress-induced plasma corticosterone concentrations from a subset of house finches. We then fitted individuals with Passive Integrated Transponder tags and monitored feeder use and social interactions at radio-frequency identification equipped bird feeders. First, we found that individuals with higher baseline corticosterone concentrations exhibit more exploratory behaviors in a novel environment. Second, more exploratory individuals interacted with more unique conspecifics in the wild, though this result was stronger for female than for male house finches. Third, individuals that were quick to begin exploring interacted more frequently with conspecifics than slow-exploring individuals. Finally, exploratory behaviors were unrelated to foraging behaviors, including the amount of time spent on bird feeders, a behavior previously shown to be predictive of acquiring a bacterial disease that causes annual epidemics in house finches. Overall, our results indicate that individual differences in exploratory behavior are linked to variation in both stress physiology and social network traits in free-living house finches. Such covariation has important implications for house finch ecology, as both traits can contribute to fitness in the wild. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring Motivations, Awareness of Side Effects, and Attitudes among Potential Egg Donors

PubMed Central

Gezinski, Lindsay B.; Karandikar, Sharvari; Carter, James; White, Melinda

2016-01-01

This research study surveyed prospective egg donors at orientation to (a) understand women’s motivations to donate eggs, (b) assess awareness and knowledge of egg donation prior to entry into the egg donation program, and (c) explore attitudes toward egg donation. Ninety-two women completed the questionnaire at one fertility clinic located in the Midwest between August 2011 and August 2012. Descriptive and inferential statistics as well as textual analysis were used to analyze the data. Three themes emerged regarding participant motivations: (1) altruistic, (2) financial, and (3) desire to pass on genetic material. The majority of participants were unconcerned with potential physical and psychological side effects; however, differences emerged based on motherhood status and educational level. Although potential donors felt recipients should receive some information about the donor, they tended to value privacy regarding information giving to resultant offspring. This research study has implications for social work practice, policy, and future research. It is crucial that women receive adequate procedural and side effect information prior to engaging in egg donation. PMID:27263197

[Cross-sectional survey of characteristics of reaction point Jingtong in balance acupuncture].

PubMed

Wu, Dong; Hou, Zhong-Wei; Wang, Chen-Fei; Li, Shuai-Shuai; Liu, Yi-Rong; Liu, Qing-Guo

2014-04-01

To explore the performance patterns of reaction point Jingtong in balance acupuncture through multi-center and big-sample clinical investigation. Methods The Jingtong points of balance acupuncture on healthy side and affected side were observed among 230 cases of cervical spondylosis and scores of self-discomfort in reaction point, color of skin, changes of skin, morphology of subcutaneous tissue and abnormal pressing pain were recorded. The software SPSS 15.0 was applied to statistically analyze the recorded scores. Among 230 cases, the reaction point appeared in 226 cases, accounting for 98. 3%. Among the 226 cases who had reaction point, the total score of symptom and sign was (1.08+/-1.09) on the healthy side and (0. 84+/-1. 36) on the affected side, which had statistical significance (P<0. 01); score of self-discomfort in reaction point was (0. 76 +/-0. 83) on the healthy side and (0. 40+/-0.80) on the affected side, which had statistical significance (P<0.01); the score of skin color was (0.10+/-0.36) on the healthy side and (0. 03+/- 0. 19) on the affected side, which had statistical significance (P<0. 05); the score of abnormal pressing pain was (2. 47+/-2. 46) on the healthy side and (1. 39+/-2. 37) on the affected side, which had statistical significance (P<0. 01). The total score of symptom and sign of reaction point Jingtong on the healthy side is higher than that on the affected side, indicating positive reaction of Jingtong on the healthy side has specificity for cervical spondylosis. When patient has cervical spondylosis on either side of neck, the other side will have anomaly in Jingtong.

Comparison of the effects of artificial and natural barriers on large African carnivores: implications for interspecific relationships and connectivity.

PubMed

Cozzi, Gabriele; Broekhuis, Femke; McNutt, J Weldon; Schmid, Bernhard

2013-05-01

1. Physical barriers contribute to habitat fragmentation, influence species distribution and ranging behaviour, and impact long-term population viability. Barrier permeability varies among species and can potentially impact the competitive balance within animal communities by differentially affecting co-occurring species. The influence of barriers on the spatial distribution of species within whole communities has nonetheless received little attention. 2. During a 4-year period, we studied the influence of a fence and rivers, two landscape features that potentially act as barriers on space use and ranging behaviour of lions Panthera leo, spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta, African wild dogs Lycaon pictus and cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in Northern Botswana. We compared the tendencies of these species to cross the barriers using data generated from GPS-radio collars fitted to a total of 35 individuals. Barrier permeability was inferred by calculating the number of times animals crossed a barrier vs. the number of times they did not cross. Finally, based on our results, we produced a map of connectivity for the broader landscape system. 3. Permeability varied significantly between fence and rivers and among species. The fence represented an obstacle for lions (permeability = 7.2%), while it was considerably more permeable for hyenas (35.6%) and wild dogs and cheetahs (≥ 50%). In contrast, the rivers and associated floodplains were relatively permeable to lions (14.4%) while they represented a nearly impassable obstacle for the other species (<2%). 4. The aversion of lions to cross the fence resulted in a relatively lion-free habitat patch on one side of the fence, which might provide a potential refuge for other species. For instance, the competitively inferior wild dogs used this refuge significantly more intensively than the side of the fence with a high presence of lions. 5. We showed that the influence of a barrier on the distribution of animals could potentially result in a broad-scale modification of community structure and ecology within a guild of co-occurring species. As habitat fragmentation increases, understanding the impact of barriers on species distributions is thus essential for the implementation of landscape-scale management strategies, the development and maintenance of corridors and the enhancement of connectivity. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

Functional Characterization of CaVα2δ Mutations Associated with Sudden Cardiac Death*

PubMed Central

Bourdin, Benoîte; Shakeri, Behzad; Tétreault, Marie-Philippe; Sauvé, Rémy; Lesage, Sylvie; Parent, Lucie

2015-01-01

L-type Ca2+ channels play a critical role in cardiac rhythmicity. These ion channels are oligomeric complexes formed by the pore-forming CaVα1 with the auxiliary CaVβ and CaVα2δ subunits. CaVα2δ increases the peak current density and improves the voltage-dependent activation gating of CaV1.2 channels without increasing the surface expression of the CaVα1 subunit. The functional impact of genetic variants of CACNA2D1 (the gene encoding for CaVα2δ), associated with shorter repolarization QT intervals (the time interval between the Q and the T waves on the cardiac electrocardiogram), was investigated after recombinant expression of the full complement of L-type CaV1.2 subunits in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. By performing side-by-side high resolution flow cytometry assays and whole-cell patch clamp recordings, we revealed that the surface density of the CaVα2δ wild-type protein correlates with the peak current density. Furthermore, the cell surface density of CaVα2δ mutants S755T, Q917H, and S956T was not significantly different from the cell surface density of the CaVα2δ wild-type protein expressed under the same conditions. In contrast, the cell surface expression of CaVα2δ D550Y, CaVα2δ S709N, and the double mutant D550Y/Q917H was reduced, respectively, by ≈30–33% for the single mutants and by 60% for the latter. The cell surface density of D550Y/Q917H was more significantly impaired than protein stability, suggesting that surface trafficking of CaVα2δ was disrupted by the double mutation. Co-expression with D550Y/Q917H significantly decreased CaV1.2 currents as compared with results obtained with CaVα2δ wild type. It is concluded that D550Y/Q917H reduced inward Ca2+ currents through a defect in the cell surface trafficking of CaVα2δ. Altogether, our results provide novel insight in the molecular mechanism underlying the modulation of CaV1.2 currents by CaVα2δ. PMID:25527503

Identification of Conformationally Sensitive Amino Acids in the Na+/Dicarboxylate Symporter (SdcS)†

PubMed Central

Joshi, Aditya D.; Pajor, Ana M.

2009-01-01

The Na+/dicarboxylate symporter (SdcS) from Staphylococcus aureus is a homolog of the mammalian Na+/dicarboxylate cotransporters (NaDC1) from solute carrier family 13 (SLC 13). The present study examined succinate transport by SdcS heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, using right-side-out (RSO) and inside-out (ISO) membrane vesicles. The Km values for succinate in RSO and ISO vesicles were similar, about 30 μM. The single cysteine of SdcS was replaced to produce the cysteineless transporter, C457S, which demonstrated similar functional characteristics as the wild-type. Single cysteine mutants were made in SdcS-C457S at positions that are functionally important in the mammalian NaDC1. Mutant N108C of SdcS was sensitive to chemical labeling by MTSET ([2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl]-methanethiosulfonate) from both the cytoplasmic and extracellular side, depending on the conformational state of the transporter, suggesting that Asn-108 may be found in the translocation pore of the protein. Mutant D329C was sensitive to MTSET in the presence of Na+ but only from the extracellular side. Finally, mutant L436C was insensitive to MTSET although changes in its kinetic properties indicate that this residue may be important in substrate binding. In conclusion, this work identifies Asn-108 as a key residue in the translocation pathway of the protein, accessible in different states from both sides of the membrane. Functional characterization of SdcS should provide useful structural as well as functional details about mammalian transporters from the SLC 13 family. PMID:19260674

Salmon Life Cycle Models Illuminate Population Consequences of Disparate Survival and Behavior Between Hatchery- and Wild-Origin Fish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beakes, M.; Satterthwaite, W.; Petrik, C.; Hendrix, N.; Danner, E.; Lindley, S. T.

2016-02-01

In past decades there has been a heavy reliance on the production of hatchery-reared fish to supplement declining population numbers of Pacific salmon. In some cases, the benefits of hatchery supplementation have been negligible despite concerted long-term stocking efforts. The management and conservation of depressed salmon populations, via hatchery practices or otherwise, can be improved by expanding our understanding of the dissimilarities between hatchery and wild salmon and how each interacts with the environment. In this study we use a stage-structured salmon life-cycle model to explore the population consequences of disparate survival and behavior between hatchery and wild-origin fall-run Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the California Central Valley. We couple empirically-based statistical functions with deterministic theoretical models to identify how environmental conditions (e.g., water temperature, flow) and habitat drive the survival and abundance of both hatchery and wild salmon as they integrate across riverscapes and cross marine and freshwater ecosystem boundaries during their life cycle. Results from this study suggest that hatchery practices can lead to dissimilar interactions between hatchery and wild salmon and the environmental conditions they experience. As such, the population dynamics of fall-run Chinook Salmon in the California Central Valley are partly dependent on the composition of individuals that make up their populations. In total, this study improves out ability to conserve imperiled salmonids by identifying mechanistic linkages between the natal origin of salmon, survival and behavior, and the environment at spatiotemporal scales relevant to salmon populations and fisheries management.

Value of digital exploration for diagnosing injuries to the left side of the diaphragm caused by stab wounds.

PubMed

Morales, C H; Villegas, M I; Angel, W; Vásquez, J J

2001-10-01

The digital exploration of stab wounds in the left thoracoabdominal region allows the early diagnosis of diaphragmatic lesions. Diagnostic test study. The digital exploration of the diaphragm was compared with laparotomy (the gold standard) and thoracoscopy. The study setting was the Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl (Medellín, Colombia). This is a referral trauma center for the general community. The study included 82 consecutive patients who were admitted to our institution during a 12-month period with injuries caused by stab wounds to the left thoracoabdominal region and who did not have indications for immediate surgery. Digital exploration of the wound was performed by the attending surgeon in the emergency department. If a lesion of the diaphragm was identified, a laparotomy was performed; if no diaphragmatic lesion was found, a diagnostic left thoracoscopy and/or laparotomy was performed. Results of the laparotomy (n = 63) or thoracoscopy (n = 19) were used as the standard of reference for the determination of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of digital exploration. The integrity of the diaphragm was determined by digital exploration through the stab wound. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratio were calculated. For the detection of diaphragmatic lesions, digital exploration demonstrated a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 83.3%, a positive predictive value of 91%, and a negative predictive value of 93.7%. Digital exploration is a reliable method for the detection of injuries to the left side of the diaphragm caused by stab wounds.

Characterization and bioactivity of novel calcium antagonists - N-methoxy-benzyl haloperidol quaternary ammonium salt

PubMed Central

Chen, Yi-Cun; Zhu, Wei; Zhong, Shu-Ping; Zheng, Fu-Chun; Gao, Fen-Fei; Zhang, Yan-Mei; Xu, Han; Zheng, Yan-Shan; Shi, Gang-Gang

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Calcium antagonists play an important role in clinical practice. However, most of them have serious side effects. We have synthesized a series of novel calcium antagonists, quaternary ammonium salt derivatives of haloperidol with N-p-methoxybenzyl (X1), N-m-methoxybenzyl (X2) and N-o-methoxybenzyl (X3) groups. The objective of this study was to investigate the bioactivity of these novel calcium antagonists, especially the vasodilation activity and cardiac side-effects. The possible working mechanisms of these haloperidol derivatives were also explored. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Novel calcium antagonists were synthesized by amination. Compounds were screened for their activity of vasodilation on isolated thoracic aortic ring of rats. Their cardiac side effects were explored. The patch-clamp, confocal laser microscopy and the computer-fitting molecular docking experiments were employed to investigate the possible working mechanisms of these calcium antagonists. RESULTS The novel calcium antagonists, X1, X2 and X3 showed stronger vasodilation effect and less cardiac side effect than that of classical calcium antagonists. They blocked L-type calcium channels with an potent effect order of X1 > X2 > X3. Consistently, X1, X2 and X3 interacted with different regions of Ca2+-CaM-CaV1.2 with an affinity order of X1 > X2 > X3. CONCLUSIONS The new halopedidol derivatives X1, X2 and X3 are novel calcium antagonists with stronger vasodilation effect and less cardiac side effect. They could have wide clinical application. PMID:26544729

Concerning RNA-guided gene drives for the alteration of wild populations

PubMed Central

Esvelt, Kevin M; Smidler, Andrea L; Catteruccia, Flaminia; Church, George M

2014-01-01

Gene drives may be capable of addressing ecological problems by altering entire populations of wild organisms, but their use has remained largely theoretical due to technical constraints. Here we consider the potential for RNA-guided gene drives based on the CRISPR nuclease Cas9 to serve as a general method for spreading altered traits through wild populations over many generations. We detail likely capabilities, discuss limitations, and provide novel precautionary strategies to control the spread of gene drives and reverse genomic changes. The ability to edit populations of sexual species would offer substantial benefits to humanity and the environment. For example, RNA-guided gene drives could potentially prevent the spread of disease, support agriculture by reversing pesticide and herbicide resistance in insects and weeds, and control damaging invasive species. However, the possibility of unwanted ecological effects and near-certainty of spread across political borders demand careful assessment of each potential application. We call for thoughtful, inclusive, and well-informed public discussions to explore the responsible use of this currently theoretical technology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03401.001 PMID:25035423

Analysis of Geographical Distribution Patterns in Plants Using Fractals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bari, A.; Ayad, G.; Padulosi, S.; Hodgkin, T.; Martin, A.; Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L.; Brown, A. H. D.

Geographical distribution patterns in plants have been observed since primeval times and have been used by plant explorers to trace the origin of plants species. These patterns embody the effects of fundamental law-like processes. Diversity in plants has also been found to be proportionate with the area, and this scaling behavior is also known as fractal behavior. In the present study, we use fractal geometry to analyze the distribution patterns of wild taxa of cowpea with the objective to locate where their diversity would be the highest to aid in the planning of targeted explorations and conservation measures.

Consumer confusion between prescription drug precautions and side effects.

PubMed

Amoozegar, Jacqueline B; Rupert, Douglas J; Sullivan, Helen W; O'Donoghue, Amie C

2017-06-01

Multiple studies have identified consumers' difficulty correctly interpreting risk information provided about prescription drugs, whether in printed format or online. This study's purpose was to explore whether consumers can distinguish between prescription drug precautions and side effects presented on brand-name drug websites. Participants (n=873) viewed fictitious drug websites that presented both precautions and side effects for one of four drugs, and they completed a survey assessing recall and comprehension. We coded open-ended recall data to identify whether drug precautions were mentioned and, if so, how they were interpreted. Approximately 15% of participants mentioned at least one drug precaution. The majority (59.7%) misinterpreted precautions as potential side effects. Participants who misinterpreted precautions rated the drugs as significantly more likely to cause side effects than participants who accurately interpreted the precautions. Age, education, literacy, and other factors did not appear to predict precaution interpretation. At least some consumers are likely to interpret precautions on drug websites as potential side effects, which might affect consumer preferences, treatment decisions, and medication safety. Healthcare providers should be aware of this potential confusion, assess patients' understanding of precautions and potential side effects, and address any misunderstandings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exposing the Dark Side, an Exploration of the Influence Social Capital Has upon Parental Sports Volunteers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittaker, Colin Grant; Holland-Smith, David

2016-01-01

This study explored the influence social capital had over parental sports volunteers who are considered to be of paramount importance in the delivery of UK sports initiatives. A review of the relevant literature identifies and discusses the complexities within the debate to define social capital while human and cultural capital emerge as an…

Explore the Human-Based Teaching for the Professional Course of Materials Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Yiping; Chen, Li; Zhang, Yufeng

2008-01-01

As viewed from two sides such as teacher and student, in this article, we explore the human-based teaching reform for the college professional course of materials Science and Engineering, point out the qualities and conditions that professional teacher should possess in the process of human-based teaching reform of professional course and the…

VISTILES: Coordinating and Combining Co-located Mobile Devices for Visual Data Exploration.

PubMed

Langner, Ricardo; Horak, Tom; Dachselt, Raimund

2017-08-29

We present VISTILES, a conceptual framework that uses a set of mobile devices to distribute and coordinate visualization views for the exploration of multivariate data. In contrast to desktop-based interfaces for information visualization, mobile devices offer the potential to provide a dynamic and user-defined interface supporting co-located collaborative data exploration with different individual workflows. As part of our framework, we contribute concepts that enable users to interact with coordinated & multiple views (CMV) that are distributed across several mobile devices. The major components of the framework are: (i) dynamic and flexible layouts for CMV focusing on the distribution of views and (ii) an interaction concept for smart adaptations and combinations of visualizations utilizing explicit side-by-side arrangements of devices. As a result, users can benefit from the possibility to combine devices and organize them in meaningful spatial layouts. Furthermore, we present a web-based prototype implementation as a specific instance of our concepts. This implementation provides a practical application case enabling users to explore a multivariate data collection. We also illustrate the design process including feedback from a preliminary user study, which informed the design of both the concepts and the final prototype.

Strategy to enhance efficacy of doxorubicin in solid tumor cells by methyl-β-cyclodextrin: Involvement of p53 and Fas receptor ligand complex

PubMed Central

Mohammad, Naoshad; Vikram Singh, Shivendra; Malvi, Parmanand; Chaube, Balkrishna; Athavale, Dipti; Vanuopadath, Muralidharan; Nair, Sudarslal Sadasivan; Nair, Bipin; Bhat, Manoj Kumar

2015-01-01

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the preferred drugs for treating breast and liver cancers. However, its clinical application is limited due to severe side effects and the accompanying drug resistance. In this context, we investigated the effect on therapeutic efficacy of DOX by cholesterol depleting agent methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD), and explored the involvement of p53. MCD sensitizes MCF-7 and Hepa1–6 cells to DOX, Combination of MCD and marginal dose of DOX reduces the cell viability, and promoted apoptosis through induction of pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, activation of caspase-8 and caspase-7, down regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and finally promoting PARP cleavage. Mechanistically, sensitization to DOX by MCD was due to the induction of FasR/FasL pathway through p53 activation. Furthermore, inhibition of p53 by pharmacological inhibitor pifithrin-α (PFT-α) or its specific siRNA attenuated p53 function and down-regulated FasR/FasL, thereby preventing cell death. Animal experiments were performed using C57BL/6J mouse isografted with Hepa1–6 cells. Tumor growth was retarded and survival increased in mice administered MCD together with DOX to as compared to either agent alone. Collectively, these results suggest that MCD enhances the sensitivity to DOX for which wild type p53 is an important determinant. PMID:26149967

All-trans retinol, vitamin D and other hydrophobic compounds bind in the axial pore of the five-stranded coiled-coil domain of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein.

PubMed Central

Guo, Y; Bozic, D; Malashkevich, V N; Kammerer, R A; Schulthess, T; Engel, J

1998-01-01

The potential storage and delivery function of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) for cell signaling molecules was explored by binding hydrophobic compounds to the recombinant five-stranded coiled-coil domain of COMP. Complex formation with benzene, cyclohexane, vitamin D3 and elaidic acid was demonstrated through increases in denaturation temperatures of 2-10 degreesC. For all-trans retinol and all-trans retinoic acid, an equilibrium dissociation constant KD = 0.6 microM was evaluated by fluorescence titration. Binding of benzene and all-trans retinol into the hydrophobic axial pore of the COMP coiled-coil domain was proven by the X-ray crystal structures of the corresponding complexes at 0.25 and 0.27 nm resolution, respectively. Benzene binds with its plane perpendicular to the pore axis. The binding site is between the two internal rings formed by Leu37 and Thr40 pointing into the pore of the COMP coiled-coil domain. The retinol beta-ionone ring is positioned in a hydrophobic environment near Thr40, and the 1.1 nm long isoprene tail follows a completely hydrophobic region of the pore. Its terminal hydroxyl group complexes with a ring of the five side chains of Gln54. A mutant in which Gln54 is replaced by Ile binds all-trans retinol with affinity similar to the wild-type, demonstrating that hydrophobic interactions are predominant. PMID:9736606

Efficiency of a flapping propulsion system based on two side-by-side pitching foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huera-Huarte, Francisco

2017-11-01

We explore the propulsive performance of two foils flapping side-by-side in a wide variety of configurations, for different foil separations, pitching amplitudes and frequencies and phase differences. Direct force and torque measurements will be shown in each situation, after a thorough parametric study, that led to the identification of highly efficient modes of propulsion. The especially designed experimental rig allowed the computation of efficiencies globally and at each shaft in the system. Planar and volumetric Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) allowed a detailed description of the wake generated by the system, for each different kinematics investigated. The investigation is part of an ambitious project with the aim of producing a high efficient and highly manoeuvrable flapping propulsion system for underwater vehicles. Funding from Spanish Ministry MINECO through Grant DPI2015-71645-P is gratefully acknowledged.

Neurotoxicity of cancer chemotherapy☆

PubMed Central

Yang, Miyoung; Moon, Changjong

2013-01-01

There is accumulating clinical evidence that chemotherapeutic agents induce neurological side effects, including memory deficits and mood disorders, in cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapeutic treatments. This review focuses on chemotherapy-induced neurodegeneration and hippocampal dysfunctions and related mechanisms as measured by in vivo and in vitro approaches. These investigations are helpful in determining how best to further explore the causal mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced neurological side effects and in providing direction for the future development of novel optimized chemotherapeutic agents. PMID:25206457

Adsorption of H2O, H2, O2, CO, NO, and CO2 on graphene/g-C3N4 nanocomposite investigated by density functional theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Hong-Zhang; Bandaru, Sateesh; Liu, Jin; Li, Li-Li; Wang, Zhenling

2018-02-01

Motivated by the photocatalytic reactions of small molecules on g-C3N4 by these insights, we sought to explore the adsorption of H2O and CO2 molecules on the graphene side and H2O, H2, O2, CO, NO, and CO2 molecules on the g-C3N4 side of hybrid g-C3N4/graphene nanocomposite using first-principles calculations. The atomic structure and electronic properties of hybrid g-C3N4/graphene nanocomposite is explored. The adsorption of small molecules on graphene/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is thoroughly investigated. The computational studies revels that all small molecules on graphene/g-C3N4 nanocomposite are the physisorption. The adsorption characteristics of H2O and CO2 molecules on the graphene side are similar to that on graphene. The adsorption of H2O, H2, O2, CO, NO, and CO2 molecules on the g-C3N4 side always leads to a buckle structure of graphene/g-C3N4 nanocomposite. Graphene as a substrate can significantly relax the buckle degree of g-C3N4 in g-C3N4/graphene nanocomposite.

Sampling in the Wild: How Attention to Variation Supports Middle School Students' Sampling Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forsythe, Michelle E.

2018-01-01

Sampling is a fundamental practice of many scientific disciplines. However, K-12 students are rarely asked to think critically about sampling decisions. Because of this, open questions remain about how best to support students in this practice. This study explores the emergent sampling practice of two classes of sixth-grade students as they…

Maintenance of phenotypic variation: repeatibility, heritability, and size-dependent processes in a wild brook trout population

Treesearch

Benjamin H. Letcher; Jason A Coombs; Keith H. Nislow

2011-01-01

Phenotypic variation in body size can result from within-cohort variation in birth dates, among-individual growth variation and size-selective processes. We explore the relative effects of these processes on the maintenance of wide observed body size variation in stream-dwelling brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Based on the analyses of multiple...

Wilderness in the Circumpolar North: searching for compatibility in ecological, traditional, and ecotourism values; 2001 May 15-16; Anchorage, AK

Treesearch

Alan E. Watson; Lilian Alessa; Janet Sproull

2002-01-01

There are growing pressures on undeveloped (wild) places in the Circumpolar North. Among them are pressures for economic development, oil and gas exploration and extraction, development of geothermal energy resources, development of heavy industry close to energy sources, and lack of appreciation for "other" orientations toward wilderness resources by...

From dominance to detente in the face of climate change: Agreements beyond boundaries with indigenous nations

Treesearch

Linda Moon Stumpff

2011-01-01

This paper explores frameworks for expanding agreements between indigenous peoples, governments, and partner organizations to conserve and restore wild and protected areas impacted by climate change. From the Indigenous Peoples Treaty Project to the expansion of Federal nation to nation consultation with Tribes in the United States, new initiatives create models for...

Management dilemmas that will shape wilderness in the 21st century

Treesearch

David N. Cole

2001-01-01

How we resolve two management dilemmas will determine the future nature and value of wilderness. The first dilemma is providing for use and enjoyment while protecting wilderness conditions. The second is whether wilderness ecosystems should be left wild and “untrammeled” or, paradoxically, be manipulated toward a more natural state. Alternative solutions are explored....

Growing pressures on Circumpolar North wilderness: A case for coordinated research and education

Treesearch

Lilian Alessa; Alan Watson

2002-01-01

Pressures are growing on undeveloped (wild) places in the Circumpolar North. Among them are economic development, oil and gas exploration and extraction, development of geothermal energy resources, development of heavy industry close to energy sources, and lack of appreciation for “other” orientations toward wilderness resources. An international seminar in Anchorage,...

Mitochondrial introgression suggests extensive ancestral hybridization events among Saccharomyces species.

PubMed

Peris, David; Arias, Armando; Orlić, Sandi; Belloch, Carmela; Pérez-Través, Laura; Querol, Amparo; Barrio, Eladio

2017-03-01

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in eukaryotic plastids and mitochondrial genomes is common, and plays an important role in organism evolution. In yeasts, recent mitochondrial HGT has been suggested between S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus. However, few strains have been explored given the lack of accurate mitochondrial genome annotations. Mitochondrial genome sequences are important to understand how frequent these introgressions occur, and their role in cytonuclear incompatibilities and fitness. Indeed, most of the Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller genetic incompatibilities described in yeasts are driven by cytonuclear incompatibilities. We herein explored the mitochondrial inheritance of several worldwide distributed wild Saccharomyces species and their hybrids isolated from different sources and geographic origins. We demonstrated the existence of several recombination points in mitochondrial region COX2-ORF1, likely mediated by either the activity of the protein encoded by the ORF1 (F-SceIII) gene, a free-standing homing endonuclease, or mostly facilitated by A+T tandem repeats and regions of integration of GC clusters. These introgressions were shown to occur among strains of the same species and among strains of different species, which suggests a complex model of Saccharomyces evolution that involves several ancestral hybridization events in wild environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can you teach an old parrot new tricks? Cognitive development in wild kaka (Nestor meridionalis)

PubMed Central

Shaw, Rachael C.; Burns, Kevin C.

2016-01-01

Despite recent efforts to characterize innovative individuals within a species, we still know very little about the ontogeny of innovation ability. A number of studies have found that innovation rates are correlated with personality traits, such as neophilia and exploration. Juvenile birds are frequently more neophilic and explorative, yet few studies have found evidence of age-related differences in innovative problem-solving success. Here, we show consistently higher innovation efficiency in juveniles of a wild, omnivorous parrot species across a variety of tasks and contexts. We tested 104 kaka (Nestor meridionalis), ranging in age from four months to 13 years. Twenty-four individuals participated in all three of our problem-solving tasks, two of which involved a familiar feeder and one an entirely novel apparatus. Juveniles were the most efficient problem-solvers in all three tasks. By contrast, the adults’ success was context dependent and limited to the novel apparatus, which did not require modification of a pre-learned behavioural response. This suggests greater behavioural flexibility in the juvenile birds, who also showed higher persistence and exploratory diversity than adults. These traits may enable young kaka to discover efficient foraging techniques, which are then maintained throughout adulthood. PMID:27252018

Cannabis Withdrawal Among Detained Adolescents: Exploring the Impact of Nicotine and Race.

PubMed

Soenksen, Shayna; Stein, L A R; Brown, Joanna D; Stengel, JoAnn R; Rossi, Joseph S; Lebeau, Rebecca

2015-04-01

Rates of marijuana use among detained youths are exceptionally high. Research suggests a cannabis withdrawal syndrome is valid and clinically significant; however, these studies have mostly been conducted in highly controlled laboratory settings with treatment-seeking, White adults. The present study analyzed archival data to explore the magnitude of cannabis withdrawal symptoms within a diverse sample of detained adolescents while controlling for tobacco use and investigating the impact of race on symptom reports. Adolescents recruited from a juvenile correctional facility (N=93) completed a background questionnaire and the Marijuana Withdrawal Checklist. Analyses revealed a significant main effect for level of tobacco use on severity of irritability, and for level of marijuana use on severity of craving to smoke marijuana and strange/wild dreams. Furthermore, a significant main effect for race was found with Black adolescents reporting lower withdrawal discomfort scores and experiencing less severe depressed mood, difficulty sleeping, nervousness/anxiety, and strange/wild dreams. Although exploratory, these findings may have significant clinical implications for providers in juvenile detention facilities, allowing the execution of proper medical and/or behavioral interventions to assist adolescents presenting with problematic cannabis and/or tobacco withdrawal.

Long-range dynamic effects of point mutations propagate through side chains in the serine protease inhibitor eglin c.

PubMed

Clarkson, Michael W; Lee, Andrew L

2004-10-05

Long-range interactions are fundamental to protein behaviors such as cooperativity and allostery. In an attempt to understand the role protein flexibility plays in such interactions, the distribution of local fluctuations in a globular protein was monitored in response to localized, nonelectrostatic perturbations. Two valine-to-alanine mutations were introduced into the small serine protease inhibitor eglin c, and the (15)N and (2)H NMR spin relaxation properties of these variants were analyzed in terms of the Lipari-Szabo dynamics formalism and compared to those of the wild type. Significant changes in picosecond to nanosecond dynamics were observed in side chains located as much as 13 A from the point of mutation. Additionally, those residues experiencing altered dynamics appear to form contiguous surfaces within the protein. In the case of V54A, the large-to-small mutation results in a rigidification of connected residues, even though this mutation decreases the global stability. These findings suggest that dynamic perturbations arising from single mutations may propagate away from the perturbed site through networks of interacting side chains. That this is observed in eglin c, a classically nonallosteric protein, suggests that such behavior will be observed in many, if not all, globular proteins. Differences in behavior between the two mutants suggest that dynamic responses will be context-dependent.

Increased helix and protein stability through the introduction of a new tertiary hydrogen bond.

PubMed

Peterson, R W; Nicholson, E M; Thapar, R; Klevit, R E; Scholtz, J M

1999-03-12

In an effort to quantify the importance of hydrogen bonding and alpha-helix formation to protein stability, a capping box motif was introduced into the small phosphocarrier protein HPr. Previous studies had confirmed that Ser46, at the N-cap position of the short helix-B in HPr, serves as an N-cap in solution. Thus, only a single-site mutation was required to produce a canonical S-X-X-E capping box: Lys49 at the N3 position was substituted with a glutamic acid residue. Thermal and chemical denaturation studies on the resulting K49E HPr show that the designed variant is approximately 2 kcal mol-1 more stable than the wild-type protein. However, NMR studies indicate that the side-chain of Glu49 does not participate in the expected capping H-bond interaction, but instead forms a new tertiary H-bond that links helix-B to the four-stranded beta-sheet of HPr. Here, we demonstrate that a strategy in which new non-native H-bonds are introduced can generate proteins with increased stability. We discuss why the original capping box design failed, and compare the energetic consequences of the new tertiary side-chain to main-chain H-bond with a local (helix-capping) side-chain to main-chain H-bond on the protein's global stability. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Caution is required in interpretation of mutations in the voltage sensing domain of voltage gated channels as evidence for gating mechanisms.

PubMed

Kariev, Alisher M; Green, Michael E

2015-01-12

The gating mechanism of voltage sensitive ion channels is generally considered to be the motion of the S4 transmembrane segment of the voltage sensing domains (VSD). The primary supporting evidence came from R → C mutations on the S4 transmembrane segment of the VSD, followed by reaction with a methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagent. The cys side chain is -SH (reactive form -S-); the arginine side chain is much larger, leaving space big enough to accommodate the MTS sulfonate head group. The cavity created by the mutation has space for up to seven more water molecules than were present in wild type, which could be displaced irreversibly by the MTS reagent. Our quantum calculations show there is major reorientation of three aromatic residues that face into the cavity in response to proton displacement within the VSD. Two phenylalanines reorient sufficiently to shield/unshield the cysteine from the intracellular and extracellular ends, depending on the proton positions, and a tyrosine forms a hydrogen bond to the cysteine sulfur with its side chain -OH. These could produce the results of the experiments that have been interpreted as evidence for physical motion of the S4 segment, without physical motion of the S4 backbone. The computations strongly suggest that the interpretation of cysteine substitution reaction experiments be re-examined in the light of these considerations.

Development of a duplex lateral flow assay for simultaneous detection of antibodies against African and Classical swine fever viruses.

PubMed

Sastre, Patricia; Pérez, Teresa; Costa, Sofia; Yang, Xiaoping; Räber, Alex; Blome, Sandra; Goller, Katja V; Gallardo, Carmina; Tapia, Istar; García, Julia; Sanz, Antonio; Rueda, Paloma

2016-09-01

Classical swine fever (CSF) and African swine fever (ASF) are both highly contagious diseases of domestic pigs and wild boar and are clinically indistinguishable. For both diseases, antibody detection is an integral and crucial part of prevention and control measures. The purpose of our study was to develop and initially validate a duplex pen-side test for simultaneous detection and differentiation of specific antibodies against CSF virus (CSFV) and ASF virus (ASFV). The test was based on the major capsid protein VP72 of ASFV and the structural protein E2 of CSFV, both considered the most immunogenic proteins of these viruses. The performance of the pen-side test was evaluated using a panel of porcine samples consisting of experimental, reference, and field sera, with the latter collected from European farms free of both diseases. The new lateral flow assay was able to detect specific antibodies to ASFV or CSFV, showing good levels of sensitivity and specificity. These preliminary data indicate the potential of the newly developed pen-side test for rapid differential detection of antibodies found in the 2 diseases, which is of particular importance in the field and in front-line laboratories where equipment and skilled personnel are limited and control of ASF and CSF is crucial. © 2016 The Author(s).

Ancestral QTL Alleles from Wild Emmer Wheat Improve Drought Resistance and Productivity in Modern Wheat Cultivars

PubMed Central

Merchuk-Ovnat, Lianne; Barak, Vered; Fahima, Tzion; Ordon, Frank; Lidzbarsky, Gabriel A.; Krugman, Tamar; Saranga, Yehoshua

2016-01-01

Wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) is considered a promising source for improving stress resistances in domesticated wheat. Here we explored the potential of selected quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from wild emmer wheat, introgressed via marker-assisted selection, to enhance drought resistance in elite durum (T. turgidum ssp. durum) and bread (T. aestivum) wheat cultivars. The resultant near-isogenic lines (BC3F3 and BC3F4) were genotyped using SNP array to confirm the introgressed genomic regions and evaluated in two consecutive years under well-watered (690–710 mm) and water-limited (290–320 mm) conditions. Three of the introgressed QTLs were successfully validated, two in the background of durum wheat cv. Uzan (on chromosomes 1BL and 2BS), and one in the background of bread wheat cvs. Bar Nir and Zahir (chromosome 7AS). In most cases, the QTL x environment interaction was validated in terms of improved grain yield and biomass—specifically under drought (7AS QTL in cv. Bar Nir background), under both treatments (2BS QTL), and a greater stability across treatments (1BL QTL). The results provide a first demonstration that introgression of wild emmer QTL alleles can enhance productivity and yield stability across environments in domesticated wheat, thereby enriching the modern gene pool with essential diversity for the improvement of drought resistance. PMID:27148287

Gramicidin A Mutants with Antibiotic Activity against Both Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria.

PubMed

Zerfas, Breanna L; Joo, Yechaan; Gao, Jianmin

2016-03-17

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have shown potential as alternatives to traditional antibiotics for fighting infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One promising example of this is gramicidin A (gA). In its wild-type sequence, gA is active by permeating the plasma membrane of Gram-positive bacteria. However, gA is toxic to human red blood cells at similar concentrations to those required for it to exert its antimicrobial effects. Installing cationic side chains into gA has been shown to lower its hemolytic activity while maintaining the antimicrobial potency. In this study, we present the synthesis and the antibiotic activity of a new series of gA mutants that display cationic side chains. Specifically, by synthesizing alkylated lysine derivatives through reductive amination, we were able to create a broad selection of structures with varied activities towards Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Importantly, some of the new mutants were observed to have an unprecedented activity towards important Gram-negative pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Psuedomonas aeruginosa. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mysterious Roving Rocks of Racetrack Playa

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

This group photo of the LPSA interns and trip leaders was taken at Tea Kettle Junction in Death Valley, Calif. (Standing on left side, left to right): Kristopher Schwebler, Valerie Fox, Emily Kopp, Kyle Yawn, Dan Burger, Ian Schoch, Devon Miller; (left to right, sitting) Justin Wilde, Jessica Marbourg, Maggie McAdam (a trip leader), Leva McIntire, Ann Parsons (a trip leader), Mindy Krzykowski, Emma McKinney, Cynthia Cheung (LPSA principal investigator and a trip leader), George Fercana; (standing on right side): Kynan Rilee, Gregory Romine, Clint Naquin, Gunther Kletetschka (a trip leader), Andrew Ryan, and in the very back, Brian Jackson (a trip leader). Photo credit: NASA/GSFC/ Leva McIntire/LPSA intern To read a feature story on the Racetrack Playa go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/roving-rocks.html NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

Scientific crowdsourcing in wildlife research and conservation: Tigers (Panthera tigris) as a case study.

PubMed

Can, Özgün Emre; D'Cruze, Neil; Balaskas, Margaret; Macdonald, David W

2017-03-01

With around 3,200 tigers (Panthera tigris) left in the wild, the governments of 13 tiger range countries recently declared that there is a need for innovation to aid tiger research and conservation. In response to this call, we created the "Think for Tigers" study to explore whether crowdsourcing has the potential to innovate the way researchers and practitioners monitor tigers in the wild. The study demonstrated that the benefits of crowdsourcing are not restricted only to harnessing the time, labor, and funds from the public but can also be used as a tool to harness creative thinking that can contribute to development of new research tools and approaches. Based on our experience, we make practical recommendations for designing a crowdsourcing initiative as a tool for generating ideas.

Discovery and introgression of the wild sunflower-derived novel downy mildew resistance gene Pl 19 in confection sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

PubMed

Zhang, Z W; Ma, G J; Zhao, J; Markell, S G; Qi, L L

2017-01-01

A new downy mildew resistance gene, Pl 19 , was identified from wild Helianthus annuus accession PI 435414, introduced to confection sunflower, and genetically mapped to linkage group 4 of the sunflower genome. Wild Helianthus annuus accession PI 435414 exhibited resistance to downy mildew, which is one of the most destructive diseases to sunflower production globally. Evaluation of the 140 BC 1 F 2:3 families derived from the cross of CMS CONFSCLB1 and PI 435414 against Plasmopara halstedii race 734 revealed that a single dominant gene controls downy mildew resistance in the population. Bulked segregant analysis conducted in the BC 1 F 2 population with 860 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers indicated that the resistance derived from wild H. annuus was associated with SSR markers located on linkage group (LG) 4 of the sunflower genome. To map and tag this resistance locus, designated Pl 19 , 140 BC 1 F 2 individuals were used to construct a linkage map of the gene region. Two SSR markers, ORS963 and HT298, were linked to Pl 19 within a distance of 4.7 cM. After screening 27 additional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers previously mapped to this region, two flanking SNP markers, NSA_003564 and NSA_006089, were identified as surrounding the Pl 19 gene at a distance of 0.6 cM from each side. Genetic analysis indicated that Pl 19 is different from Pl 17 , which had previously been mapped to LG4, but is closely linked to Pl 17 . This new gene is highly effective against the most predominant and virulent races of P. halstedii currently identified in North America and is the first downy mildew resistance gene that has been transferred to confection sunflower. The selected resistant germplasm derived from homozygous BC 2 F 3 progeny provides a novel gene for use in confection sunflower breeding programs.

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 4 is essential for cholinergic stimulation of duodenal bicarbonate secretion in mice - relationship to D cell/somatostatin.

PubMed

Takeuchi, K; Kita, K; Takahashi, K; Aihara, E; Hayashi, S

2015-06-01

We investigated the roles of muscarinic (M) acetylcholine receptor subtype in the cholinergic stimulation of duodenal HCO3(-) secretion using knockout (KO) mice. Wild-type and M1-M5 KO C57BL/6J mice were used. The duodenal mucosa was mounted on an Ussing chamber, and HCO3(-) secretion was measured at pH 7.0 using a pH-stat method in vitro. Carbachol (CCh) or other agents were added to the serosal side. CCh dose-dependently stimulated HCO3(-) secretion in wild-type mice, and this effect was completely inhibited in the presence of atropine. The HCO3(-) response to CCh in wild-type mice was also inhibited by pirenzepine (M1 antagonist), 4DAMP (M3 antagonist), and tropicamide (M4 antagonist), but not by methoctramine (M2 antagonist). CCh stimulated HCO3(-) secretion in M2 and M5 KO animals as effectively as in WT mice; however, this stimulatory effect was significantly attenuated in M1, M3, and M4 KO mice. The decrease observed in the CCh-stimulated HCO3(-) response in M4 KO mice was reversed by the co-application of CYN154806, a somatostatin receptor type 2 (SST2) antagonist. Octreotide (a somatostatin analogue) decreased the basal and CCh-stimulated secretion of HCO3(-) in wild-type mice. The co-localized expression of somatostatin and M4 receptors was confirmed immunohistologically in the duodenum. We concluded that the duodenal HCO3(-) response to CCh was directly mediated by M1/M3 receptors and indirectly modified by M4 receptors. The activation of M4 receptors was assumed to inhibit the release of somatostatin from D cells and potentiate the HCO3(-) response by removing the negative influence of somatostatin via the activation of SST2 receptors.

Structural and biochemical characterization of glycoside hydrolase family 79 β-glucuronidase from Acidobacterium capsulatum.

PubMed

Michikawa, Mari; Ichinose, Hitomi; Momma, Mitsuru; Biely, Peter; Jongkees, Seino; Yoshida, Makoto; Kotake, Toshihisa; Tsumuraya, Yoichi; Withers, Stephen G; Fujimoto, Zui; Kaneko, Satoshi

2012-04-20

We present the first structure of a glycoside hydrolase family 79 β-glucuronidase from Acidobacterium capsulatum, both as a product complex with β-D-glucuronic acid (GlcA) and as its trapped covalent 2-fluoroglucuronyl intermediate. This enzyme consists of a catalytic (β/α)(8)-barrel domain and a β-domain with irregular Greek key motifs that is of unknown function. The enzyme showed β-glucuronidase activity and trace levels of β-glucosidase and β-xylosidase activities. In conjunction with mutagenesis studies, these structures identify the catalytic residues as Glu(173) (acid base) and Glu(287) (nucleophile), consistent with the retaining mechanism demonstrated by (1)H NMR analysis. Glu(45), Tyr(243), Tyr(292)-Gly(294), and Tyr(334) form the catalytic pocket and provide substrate discrimination. Consistent with this, the Y292A mutation, which affects the interaction between the main chains of Gln(293) and Gly(294) and the GlcA carboxyl group, resulted in significant loss of β-glucuronidase activity while retaining the side activities at wild-type levels. Likewise, although the β-glucuronidase activity of the Y334F mutant is ~200-fold lower (k(cat)/K(m)) than that of the wild-type enzyme, the β-glucosidase activity is actually 3 times higher and the β-xylosidase activity is only 2.5-fold lower than the equivalent parameters for wild type, consistent with a role for Tyr(334) in recognition of the C6 position of GlcA. The involvement of Glu(45) in discriminating against binding of the O-methyl group at the C4 position of GlcA is revealed in the fact that the E45D mutant hydrolyzes PNP-β-GlcA approximately 300-fold slower (k(cat)/K(m)) than does the wild-type enzyme, whereas 4-O-methyl-GlcA-containing oligosaccharides are hydrolyzed only 7-fold slower.

The oxidation of alkylaryl sulfides and benzo[b]thiophenes by Escherichia coli cells expressing wild-type and engineered styrene monooxygenase from Pseudomonas putida CA-3.

PubMed

Nikodinovic-Runic, Jasmina; Coulombel, Lydie; Francuski, Djordje; Sharma, Narain D; Boyd, Derek R; Ferrall, Rory Moore O; O'Connor, Kevin E

2013-06-01

Nine different sulfur-containing compounds were biotransformed to the corresponding sulfoxides by Escherichia coli Bl21(DE3) cells expressing styrene monooxygenase (SMO) from Pseudomonas putida CA-3. Thioanisole was consumed at 83.3 μmoles min(-1) g cell dry weight(-1) resulting mainly in the formation of R-thioanisole sulfoxide with an enantiomeric excess (ee) value of 45 %. The rate of 2-methyl-, 2-chloro- and 2-bromo-thioanisole consumption was 2-fold lower than that of thioanisole. Surprisingly, the 2-methylthioanisole sulfoxide product had the opposite (S) configuration to that of the other 2-substituted thioanisole derivatives and had a higher ee value (84 %). The rate of oxidation of 4-substituted thioanisoles was higher than the corresponding 2-substituted substrates but the ee values of the products were consistently lower (10-23 %). The rate of benzo[b]thiophene and 2-methylbenzo[b]thiophene sulfoxidation was approximately 10-fold lower than that of thioanisole. The ee value of the benzo[b]thiophene sulfoxide could not be determined as the product racemized rapidly. E. coli cells expressing an engineered SMO (SMOeng R3-11) oxidised 2-substituted thioanisoles between 1.8- and 2.8-fold faster compared to cells expressing the wild-type enzyme. SMOeng R3-11 oxidised benzo[b]thiophene and 2-methylbenzo[b]thiophene 10.1 and 5.6 times faster that the wild-type enzyme. The stereospecificity of the reaction catalysed by SMOeng was unchanged from that of the wild type. Using the X-ray crystal structure of the P. putida S12 SMO, it was evident that the entrance of substrates into the SMO active site is limited by the binding pocket bottleneck formed by the side chains of Val-211 and Asn-46 carboxyamide group.

Structural and Biochemical Characterization of Glycoside Hydrolase Family 79 β-Glucuronidase from Acidobacterium capsulatum

PubMed Central

Michikawa, Mari; Ichinose, Hitomi; Momma, Mitsuru; Biely, Peter; Jongkees, Seino; Yoshida, Makoto; Kotake, Toshihisa; Tsumuraya, Yoichi; Withers, Stephen G.; Fujimoto, Zui; Kaneko, Satoshi

2012-01-01

We present the first structure of a glycoside hydrolase family 79 β-glucuronidase from Acidobacterium capsulatum, both as a product complex with β-d-glucuronic acid (GlcA) and as its trapped covalent 2-fluoroglucuronyl intermediate. This enzyme consists of a catalytic (β/α)8-barrel domain and a β-domain with irregular Greek key motifs that is of unknown function. The enzyme showed β-glucuronidase activity and trace levels of β-glucosidase and β-xylosidase activities. In conjunction with mutagenesis studies, these structures identify the catalytic residues as Glu173 (acid base) and Glu287 (nucleophile), consistent with the retaining mechanism demonstrated by 1H NMR analysis. Glu45, Tyr243, Tyr292–Gly294, and Tyr334 form the catalytic pocket and provide substrate discrimination. Consistent with this, the Y292A mutation, which affects the interaction between the main chains of Gln293 and Gly294 and the GlcA carboxyl group, resulted in significant loss of β-glucuronidase activity while retaining the side activities at wild-type levels. Likewise, although the β-glucuronidase activity of the Y334F mutant is ∼200-fold lower (kcat/Km) than that of the wild-type enzyme, the β-glucosidase activity is actually 3 times higher and the β-xylosidase activity is only 2.5-fold lower than the equivalent parameters for wild type, consistent with a role for Tyr334 in recognition of the C6 position of GlcA. The involvement of Glu45 in discriminating against binding of the O-methyl group at the C4 position of GlcA is revealed in the fact that the E45D mutant hydrolyzes PNP-β-GlcA approximately 300-fold slower (kcat/Km) than does the wild-type enzyme, whereas 4-O-methyl-GlcA-containing oligosaccharides are hydrolyzed only 7-fold slower. PMID:22367201

The human dark side: evolutionary psychology and original sin.

PubMed

Lee, Joseph; Theol, M

2014-04-01

Human nature has a dark side, something important to religions. Evolutionary psychology has been used to illuminate the human shadow side, although as a discipline it has attracted criticism. This article seeks to examine the evolutionary psychology's understanding of human nature and to propose an unexpected dialog with an enduring account of human evil known as original sin. Two cases are briefly considered: murder and rape. To further the exchange, numerous theoretical and methodological criticisms and replies of evolutionary psychology are explored jointly with original sin. Evolutionary psychology can partner with original sin since they share some theoretical likenesses and together they offer insights into the nature of what it means to be human.

Fault block kinematics at a releasing stepover of the Eastern California shear zone: Partitioning of rotation style in and around the Coso geothermal area and nascent metamorphic core complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pluhar, Christopher J.; Coe, Robert S.; Lewis, Jonathan C.; Monastero, Francis C.; Glen, Jonathan M. G.

2006-10-01

Pliocene lavas and sediments of Wild Horse Mesa in the Coso Range, CA exhibit clockwise vertical-axis rotation of fault-bounded blocks. This indicates localization of one strand of the Eastern California shear zone/Walker Lane Belt within a large-scale, transtensional, dextral, releasing stepover. We measured rotations paleomagnetically relative to two different reference frames. At two localities we averaged secular variation through sedimentary sections to reveal rotation or its absence relative to paleogeographic north. Where sediments are lacking we used areally-extensive lava flows from individual cooling units or short eruptive episodes to measure the relative rotation of localities by comparing their paleomagnetic remanence directions to one another. At the western edge of Wild Horse Mesa the fanglomerate member of the Coso Formation (c.a. 3 Ma) exhibits between 8.4° ± 7.8° and 26.2° ± 9.0° (two endmember models of a continuum) absolute clockwise rotation. Within Wild Horse Mesa, 3-3.5 Ma lavas at 5 different localities exhibit about 12.0° ± 4.6° (weighted mean) clockwise rotation relative to the margins of the area, a result statistically indistinguishable from the absolute rotation. Hence the segment of the Eastern California shear zone passing through Wild Horse Mesa has caused vertical axis rotation of fault-bounded blocks as part of the overall dextral shear strain. The magnitude of block rotation at Wild Horse Mesa suggests that rotation has accommodated: 1) 1.5 km of dextral shear along an azimuth of about north 30° west since ca. 3 Ma between the area's bounding faults and 2) 2 km of extension perpendicular to the Coso Wash normal fault during this same period. This corresponds to 13-25% extension across the mesa. In contrast to Wild Horse Mesa, the opposite (western) side of the trace of the Coso Wash normal fault hosts the Coso geothermal area and what Monastero et al. [F.C. Monastero, A.M. Katzenstein, J.S. Miller, J.R. Unruh, M.C. Adams, K. Richards-Dinger, The Coso geothermal field: a nascent metamorphic core complex, Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 117 (2005) 1534-1553.] characterize as a nascent metamorphic core complex. Consistent with upper plate disruption above a detachment, surface rocks (i.e. the upper plate of the detachment system) at the Coso geothermal area are tilted westward. However they appear to exhibit no detectable rotation. Thus, the style of block rotation may be partitioned: with clockwise vertical-axis rotation dominating in the Wild Horse Mesa and horizontal axis rotation (tilting) in the geothermal area.

A histone H3K9M mutation traps histone methyltransferase Clr4 to prevent heterochromatin spreading

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shan, Chun-Min; Wang, Jiyong; Xu, Ke

2016-09-20

Histone lysine-to-methionine (K-to-M) mutations are associated with multiple cancers, and they function in a dominant fashion to block the methylation of corresponding lysines on wild type histones. However, their mechanisms of function are controversial. Here we show that in fission yeast, introducing the K9M mutation into one of the three histone H3 genes dominantly blocks H3K9 methylation on wild type H3 across the genome. In addition, H3K9M enhances the interaction of histone H3 tail with the H3K9 methyltransferase Clr4 in a SAM (S-adenosyl-methionine)-dependent manner, and Clr4 is trapped at nucleation sites to prevent its spreading and the formation of largemore » heterochromatin domains. We further determined the crystal structure of an H3K9M peptide in complex with human H3K9 methyltransferase G9a and SAM, which reveales that the methionine side chain had enhanced van der Waals interactions with G9a. Therefore, our results provide a detailed mechanism by which H3K9M regulates H3K9 methylation.« less

Extracellular adenosine production by ecto-5′-nucleotidase (CD73) enhances radiation-induced lung fibrosis

PubMed Central

Wirsdörfer, Florian; de Leve, Simone; Cappuccini, Federica; Eldh, Therese; Meyer, Alina V.; Gau, Eva; Thompson, Linda F.; Chen, Ning-Yuan; Karmouty-Quintana, Harry; Fischer, Ute; Kasper, Michael; Klein, Diana; Ritchey, Jerry W.; Blackburn, Michael R.; Westendorf, Astrid M.; Stuschke, Martin; Jendrossek, Verena

2016-01-01

Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis is a severe side effect of thoracic irradiation, but its pathogenesis remains poorly understood and no effective treatment is available. In this study, we investigated the role of the extracellular adenosine as generated by the ecto-5'-nucleotidase CD73 in fibrosis development after thoracic irradiation. Exposure of wild-type C57BL/6 mice to a single dose (15 Gray) of whole thorax irradiation triggered a progressive increase in CD73 activity in the lung between 3 and 30 weeks post-irradiation. In parallel, adenosine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were increased by approximately three-fold. Histological evidence of lung fibrosis was observed by 25 weeks after irradiation. Conversely, CD73-deficient mice failed to accumulate adenosine in BALF and exhibited significantly less radiation-induced lung fibrosis (P<0.010). Furthermore, treatment of wild-type mice with pegylated adenosine deaminase (PEG-ADA) or CD73 antibodies also significantly reduced radiation-induced lung fibrosis. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that CD73 potentiates radiation-induced lung fibrosis, suggesting that existing pharmacological strategies for modulating adenosine may be effective in limiting lung toxicities associated with the treatment of thoracic malignancies. PMID:26921334

Molecular evolution of Theta-class glutathione transferase for enhanced activity with the anticancer drug 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea and other alkylating agents.

PubMed

Larsson, Anna-Karin; Shokeer, Abeer; Mannervik, Bengt

2010-05-01

Glutathione transferase (GST) displaying enhanced activity with the cytostatic drug 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) and structurally related alkylating agents was obtained by molecular evolution. Mutant libraries created by recursive recombination of cDNA coding for human and rodent Theta-class GSTs were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and screened with the surrogate substrate 4-nitrophenethyl bromide (NPB) for enhanced alkyltransferase activity. A mutant with a 70-fold increased catalytic efficiency with NPB, compared to human GST T1-1, was isolated. The efficiency in degrading BCNU had improved 170-fold, significantly more than with the model substrate NPB. The enhanced catalytic activity of the mutant GST was also 2-fold higher with BCNU than wild-type mouse GST T1-1, which is 80-fold more efficient than wild-type human GST T1-1. We propose that GSTs catalyzing inactivation of anticancer drugs may find clinical use in protecting sensitive normal tissues to toxic side-effects in treated patients, and as selectable markers in gene therapy. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing the transcriptomes of embryos from domesticated and wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) stocks and examining factors that influence heritability of gene expression.

PubMed

Bicskei, Beatrix; Taggart, John B; Glover, Kevin A; Bron, James E

2016-03-17

Due to selective breeding, domesticated and wild Atlantic salmon are genetically diverged, which raises concerns about farmed escapees having the potential to alter the genetic composition of wild populations and thereby disrupting local adaptation. Documenting transcriptional differences between wild and domesticated stocks under controlled conditions is one way to explore the consequences of domestication and selection. We compared the transcriptomes of wild and domesticated Atlantic salmon embryos, by using a custom 44k oligonucleotide microarray to identify perturbed gene pathways between the two stocks, and to document the inheritance patterns of differentially-expressed genes by examining gene expression in their reciprocal hybrids. Data from 24 array interrogations were analysed: four reciprocal cross types (W♀ × W♂, D♀ × W♂; W♀ × D♂, D♀ × D♂) × six biological replicates. A common set of 31,491 features on the microarrays passed quality control, of which about 62 % were assigned a KEGG Orthology number. A total of 6037 distinct genes were identified for gene-set enrichment/pathway analysis. The most highly enriched functional groups that were perturbed between the two stocks were cellular signalling and immune system, ribosome and RNA transport, and focal adhesion and gap junction pathways, relating to cell communication and cell adhesion molecules. Most transcripts that were differentially expressed between the stocks were governed by additive gene interaction (33 to 42 %). Maternal dominance and over-dominance were also prevalent modes of inheritance, with no convincing evidence for a stock effect. Our data indicate that even at this relatively early developmental stage, transcriptional differences exist between the two stocks and affect pathways that are relevant to wild versus domesticated environments. Many of the identified differentially perturbed pathways are involved in organogenesis, which is expected to be an active process at the eyed egg stage. The dominant effects are more largely due to the maternal line than to the origin of the stock. This finding is particularly relevant in the context of potential introgression between farmed and wild fish, since female escapees tend to have a higher spawning success rate compared to males.

Avian influenza surveillance in wild birds in the European Union in 2006.

PubMed

Hesterberg, Uta; Harris, Kate; Stroud, David; Guberti, Vittorio; Busani, Luca; Pittman, Maria; Piazza, Valentina; Cook, Alasdair; Brown, Ian

2009-01-01

Infections of wild birds with highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) subtype H5N1 virus were reported for the first time in the European Union in 2006. To capture epidemiological information on H5N1 HPAI in wild bird populations through large-scale surveillance and extensive data collection. Records were analysed at bird level to explore the epidemiology of AI with regard to species of wild birds involved, timing and location of infections as well as the applicability of different surveillance types for the detection of infections. In total, 120,706 records of birds were sent to the Community Reference Laboratory for analysis. Incidents of H5N1 HPAI in wild birds were detected in 14 EU Member States during 2006. All of these incidents occurred between February and May, with the exception of two single cases during the summer months in Germany and Spain. For the detection of H5N1 HPAI virus, passive surveillance of dead or diseased birds appeared the most effective approach, whilst active surveillance offered better detection of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses. No carrier species for H5N1 HPAI virus could be identified and almost all birds infected with H5N1 HPAI virus were either dead or showed clinical signs. A very large number of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were tested in 2006 and while a high proportion of LPAI infections were found in this species, H5N1 HPAI virus was rarely identified in these birds. Orders of species that appeared to be very clinically susceptible to H5N1 HPAI virus were swans, diving ducks, mergansers and grebes, supporting experimental evidence. Surveillance results indicate that H5N1 HPAI virus did not establish itself successfully in the EU wild bird population in 2006.

Genetic diversity and domestication origin of tea plant Camellia taliensis (Theaceae) as revealed by microsatellite markers

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Many species in the Thea section of the Camellia genus can be processed for drinking and have been domesticated. However, few investigations have focused on the genetic consequence of domestication and geographic origin of landraces on tea plants using credible wild and planted populations of a single species. Here, C. taliensis provides us with a unique opportunity to explore these issues. Results Fourteen nuclear microsatellite loci were employed to determine the genetic diversity and domestication origin of C. taliensis, which were represented by 587 individuals from 25 wild, planted and recently domesticated populations. C. taliensis showed a moderate high level of overall genetic diversity. The greater reduction of genetic diversity and stronger genetic drift were detected in the wild group than in the recently domesticated group, indicating the loss of genetic diversity of wild populations due to overexploitation and habitat fragmentation. Instead of the endangered wild trees, recently domesticated individuals were used to compare with the planted trees for detecting the genetic consequence of domestication. A little and non-significant reduction in genetic diversity was found during domestication. The long life cycle, selection for leaf traits and gene flow between populations will delay the emergence of bottleneck in planted trees. Both phylogenetic and assignment analyses suggested that planted trees may have been domesticated from the adjacent central forest of western Yunnan and dispersed artificially to distant places. Conclusions This study contributes to the knowledge about levels and distribution of genetic diversity of C. taliensis and provides new insights into genetic consequence of domestication and geographic origin of planted trees of this species. As an endemic tea source plant, wild, planted and recently domesticated C. taliensis trees should all be protected for their unique genetic characteristics, which are valuable for tea breeding. PMID:24405939

Genetic diversity and domestication origin of tea plant Camellia taliensis (Theaceae) as revealed by microsatellite markers.

PubMed

Zhao, Dong-Wei; Yang, Jun-Bo; Yang, Shi-Xiong; Kato, Kenji; Luo, Jian-Ping

2014-01-09

Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Many species in the Thea section of the Camellia genus can be processed for drinking and have been domesticated. However, few investigations have focused on the genetic consequence of domestication and geographic origin of landraces on tea plants using credible wild and planted populations of a single species. Here, C. taliensis provides us with a unique opportunity to explore these issues. Fourteen nuclear microsatellite loci were employed to determine the genetic diversity and domestication origin of C. taliensis, which were represented by 587 individuals from 25 wild, planted and recently domesticated populations. C. taliensis showed a moderate high level of overall genetic diversity. The greater reduction of genetic diversity and stronger genetic drift were detected in the wild group than in the recently domesticated group, indicating the loss of genetic diversity of wild populations due to overexploitation and habitat fragmentation. Instead of the endangered wild trees, recently domesticated individuals were used to compare with the planted trees for detecting the genetic consequence of domestication. A little and non-significant reduction in genetic diversity was found during domestication. The long life cycle, selection for leaf traits and gene flow between populations will delay the emergence of bottleneck in planted trees. Both phylogenetic and assignment analyses suggested that planted trees may have been domesticated from the adjacent central forest of western Yunnan and dispersed artificially to distant places. This study contributes to the knowledge about levels and distribution of genetic diversity of C. taliensis and provides new insights into genetic consequence of domestication and geographic origin of planted trees of this species. As an endemic tea source plant, wild, planted and recently domesticated C. taliensis trees should all be protected for their unique genetic characteristics, which are valuable for tea breeding.

Discovery of DNA viruses in wild-caught mosquitoes using small RNA high throughput sequencing.

PubMed

Ma, Maijuan; Huang, Yong; Gong, Zhengda; Zhuang, Lu; Li, Cun; Yang, Hong; Tong, Yigang; Liu, Wei; Cao, Wuchun

2011-01-01

Mosquito-borne infectious diseases pose a severe threat to public health in many areas of the world. Current methods for pathogen detection and surveillance are usually dependent on prior knowledge of the etiologic agents involved. Hence, efficient approaches are required for screening wild mosquito populations to detect known and unknown pathogens. In this study, we explored the use of Next Generation Sequencing to identify viral agents in wild-caught mosquitoes. We extracted total RNA from different mosquito species from South China. Small 18-30 bp length RNA molecules were purified, reverse-transcribed into cDNA and sequenced using Illumina GAIIx instrumentation. Bioinformatic analyses to identify putative viral agents were conducted and the results confirmed by PCR. We identified a non-enveloped single-stranded DNA densovirus in the wild-caught Culex pipiens molestus mosquitoes. The majority of the viral transcripts (.>80% of the region) were covered by the small viral RNAs, with a few peaks of very high coverage obtained. The +/- strand sequence ratio of the small RNAs was approximately 7∶1, indicating that the molecules were mainly derived from the viral RNA transcripts. The small viral RNAs overlapped, enabling contig assembly of the viral genome sequence. We identified some small RNAs in the reverse repeat regions of the viral 5'- and 3' -untranslated regions where no transcripts were expected. Our results demonstrate for the first time that high throughput sequencing of small RNA is feasible for identifying viral agents in wild-caught mosquitoes. Our results show that it is possible to detect DNA viruses by sequencing the small RNAs obtained from insects, although the underlying mechanism of small viral RNA biogenesis is unclear. Our data and those of other researchers show that high throughput small RNA sequencing can be used for pathogen surveillance in wild mosquito vectors.

'Paramedical' Healing in Hospitals: The Expansion of Spiritual Care in Seoul.

PubMed

Park, Irene Yung

2016-03-01

Emotional and spiritual healing stand at the center of the activity of Catholic pastoral caregivers attending to the sick in non-Catholic hospitals in Seoul. In this paper I explore how these agents understand their practice as part of a holistic human healing, positioning their work side by side with medical healing. I also examine how their role is both confirmed and challenged against the backdrop of the growing commercialization of the health care industry under the neoliberal paradigm. © The Author(s) 2016.

Diamagnetic Solar-Wind Cavity Discovered behind Moon.

PubMed

Colburn, D S; Currie, R G; Mihalov, J D; Sonett, C P

1967-11-24

Preliminary Ames-magnetometer data from Explorer 35, the lunar orbiter, show no evidence of a lunar bow shock. However, an increase of the magnetic field by about 1.5 gamma (over the interplanetary value) is evident on Moon's dark side, as well as dips in field strength at the limbs. Interpretation of these spatial variations in the field as deriving from plasma diamagnetism is consistent with a plasma void on the dark side, and steady-state (B = 0) magnetic transparency of Moon.

Evolving S Boxes with Reduced Differential Power Analysis Susceptibiltiy

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-02

coefficient [PEB+14,PPE+14]. Note that in the 4-bit case they could simultaneously maximize both cryptanalytic and side channel prop- erties [ PEP +14]. When its... PEP +14, PMMB15]; which makes sense for criteria of similar types, or when carefully weighting an understood trade-off. Work that combined...cryptanalytic and side channel properties failed to explore the trade- off [PEB+14,PPE+14, PEP +14,PMMB15], other than to provide loose bounds [MMS13]. Instead, it

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Satterlee, J.D.; Erman, J.E.; Mauro, J.M.

Proton NMR spectra of cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) isolated from yeast (wild type) and two Escherichia coli expressed proteins, the parent expressed protein (CcP(MI)) and the site-directed mutant CcP(MI,D235N) (Asp-235 {yields} Asn-235), have been examined. At neutral pH and in the presence of only potassium phosphate buffer and potassium nitrate, wild-type Ccp and CcP(MI) demonstrate nearly identical spectra corresponding to normal (i.e., unaged) high-spin ferric peroxidase. In contrast, the mutant protein displays a spectrum characteristic of a low-spin form, probably a result of hydroxide ligation. Asp-235 is hydrogen-bonded to the proximal heme ligand, His-175. Changing Asp-235 to Asn results inmore » alteration of the pK for formation of the basic form of CcP. Thus, changes in proximal side structure mediate the chemistry of the distal ligand binding site. All three proteins bind F{sup {minus}}, N{sub 3}{sup {minus}}, and CN{sup {minus}} ions, although the affinity of the mutant protein (D235N) for fluoride ion appears to be much higher than that of the other two proteins. Analysis of proton NMR spectra of the cyanide ligated forms leads to the conclusion that the mutant protein (D235N) possesses a more neutral proximal histidine imidazole ring than does either wild-type CcP or CcP(MI). It confirms that an important feature of the cytochrome c peroxidase structure is at least partial, and probably full, imidazolate character for the proximal histidine (His-175).« less

Monomeric Nucleoprotein of Influenza A Virus

PubMed Central

Chenavas, Sylvie; Estrozi, Leandro F.; Slama-Schwok, Anny; Delmas, Bernard; Di Primo, Carmelo; Baudin, Florence; Li, Xinping; Crépin, Thibaut; Ruigrok, Rob W. H.

2013-01-01

Isolated influenza A virus nucleoprotein exists in an equilibrium between monomers and trimers. Samples containing only monomers or only trimers can be stabilized by respectively low and high salt. The trimers bind RNA with high affinity but remain trimmers, whereas the monomers polymerise onto RNA forming nucleoprotein-RNA complexes. When wild type (wt) nucleoprotein is crystallized, it forms trimers, whether one starts with monomers or trimers. We therefore crystallized the obligate monomeric R416A mutant nucleoprotein and observed how the domain exchange loop that leads over to a neighbouring protomer in the trimer structure interacts with equivalent sites on the mutant monomer surface, avoiding polymerisation. The C-terminus of the monomer is bound to the side of the RNA binding surface, lowering its positive charge. Biophysical characterization of the mutant and wild type monomeric proteins gives the same results, suggesting that the exchange domain is folded in the same way for the wild type protein. In a search for how monomeric wt nucleoprotein may be stabilized in the infected cell we determined the phosphorylation sites on nucleoprotein isolated from virus particles. We found that serine 165 was phosphorylated and conserved in all influenza A and B viruses. The S165D mutant that mimics phosphorylation is monomeric and displays a lowered affinity for RNA compared with wt monomeric NP. This suggests that phosphorylation may regulate the polymerisation state and RNA binding of nucleoprotein in the infected cell. The monomer structure could be used for finding new anti influenza drugs because compounds that stabilize the monomer may slow down viral infection. PMID:23555270

Representation and disconnection in imaginal neglect.

PubMed

Rode, G; Cotton, F; Revol, P; Jacquin-Courtois, S; Rossetti, Y; Bartolomeo, P

2010-08-01

Patients with neglect failure to detect, orient, or respond to stimuli from a spatially confined region, usually on their left side. Often, the presence of perceptual input increases left omissions, while sensory deprivation decreases them, possibly by removing attention-catching right-sided stimuli (Bartolomeo, 2007). However, such an influence of visual deprivation on representational neglect was not observed in patients while they were imagining a map of France (Rode et al., 2007). Therefore, these patients with imaginal neglect either failed to generate the left side of mental images (Bisiach & Luzzatti, 1978), or suffered from a co-occurrence of deficits in automatic (bottom-up) and voluntary (top-down) orienting of attention. However, in Rode et al.'s experiment visual input was not directly relevant to the task; moreover, distraction from visual input might primarily manifest itself when representation guides somatomotor actions, beyond those involved in the generation and mental exploration of an internal map (Thomas, 1999). To explore these possibilities, we asked a patient with right hemisphere damage, R.D., to explore visual and imagined versions of a map of France in three conditions: (1) 'imagine the map in your mind' (imaginal); (2) 'describe a real map' (visual); and (3) 'list the names of French towns' (propositional). For the imaginal and visual conditions, verbal and manual pointing responses were collected; the task was also given before and after mental rotation of the map by 180 degrees . R.D. mentioned more towns on the right side of the map in the imaginal and visual conditions, but showed no representational deficit in the propositional condition. The rightward inner exploration bias in the imaginal and visual conditions was similar in magnitude and was not influenced by mental rotation or response type (verbal responses or manual pointing to locations on a map), thus suggesting that the representational deficit was robust and independent of perceptual input in R.D. Structural and diffusion MRI demonstrated damage to several white matter tracts in the right hemisphere and to the splenium of corpus callosum. A second right-brain damaged patient (P.P.), who showed signs of visual but not imaginal neglect, had damage to the same intra-hemispheric tracts, but the callosal connections were spared. Imaginal neglect in R.D. may result from fronto-parietal dysfunction impairing orientation towards left-sided items and posterior callosal disconnection preventing the symmetrical processing of spatial information from long-term memory. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Bulk Lunar Electrical Conductivity. Ph.D. Thesis. Final Report; [from Explorer 35 satellite and the Apollo 12 flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leavy, Donald Lucien

1975-01-01

The electrical conductivity structure was studied of a spherically layered moon consistent with the very low frequency magnetic data collected on the lunar surface and by Explorer 35. In order to obtain good agreement with the lunar surface magnetometer observations, the inclusion of a void cavity behind the moon requires a conductivity at shallow depths higher than that of models having the solar wind impinging on all sides. By varying only the source parameters, a conductivity model can be found that yields a good fit to both the tangential response upstream and the radial response downstream. This model also satisfies the dark side tangential response in the frequency range above 0.006 Hz, but the few data points presently available below this range do not seem to agree with the theory.

Origin of crystalline silicates from Comet 81P/Wild 2: Combined study on their oxygen isotopes and mineral chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defouilloy, Céline; Nakashima, Daisuke; Joswiak, David J.; Brownlee, Donald E.; Tenner, Travis J.; Kita, Noriko T.

2017-05-01

In order to explore the link between comet 81P/Wild 2 and materials in primitive meteorites, seven particles 5 to 15 μm in diameter from comet 81P/Wild 2 have been analyzed for their oxygen isotope ratios using a secondary ion mass spectrometer. Most particles are single minerals consisting of olivine or pyroxene with Mg# higher than 85, which are relatively minor in 81P/Wild 2 particles (∼1/3 of the 16O-poor cluster). Four particles extracted from Track 149 are 16O-poor and show Δ17O (= δ17O - 0.52 × δ18O) values from -2‰ to +1‰, similar to previous studies, while one enstatite (En99) particle shows lower Δ17O value of - 7 ± 4 ‰ (2 σ). This compositional range has not been reported among 16O-poor particles in 81P/Wild 2, but is commonly observed among chondrules in carbonaceous chondrites and in particular in CR chondrites. The distribution in Δ17O indicates that 16O-poor 81P/Wild 2 particles are most similar to chondrules (and their fragments) in the CR chondrites and Tagish Lake-like WIS91600 chondrite chondrule silicate grains, which indicates that they likely come from a reservoir with similar dust/ice ratios as CR chondrites and WIS91600. However, differences in the Mg# distribution imply that the 81P/Wild 2 reservoir was comparatively more oxidized, with a higher dust enrichment. Two nearly pure enstatite grains from track 172 are significantly enriched in 16O, with δ18O values of - 51.2 ± 1.5 ‰ (2 σ) and - 43.0 ± 1.3 ‰ (2 σ), respectively, and Δ17O values of - 22.3 ± 1.9 ‰ (2 σ) and - 21.3 ± 2.3 ‰ (2 σ), respectively. They are the first 16O-rich pyroxenes found among 81P/Wild 2 particles, with similar Δ17O values to those of 16O-rich low-iron, manganese-enriched (LIME) olivine and CAI (calcium and aluminum-rich inclusions) - like particles from 81P/Wild 2. The major element and oxygen isotopic compositions of the pyroxenes are similar to those of enstatite in amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) in primitive chondrites, in which 16O-rich pyroxenes have previously been found, and thus suggest a condensation origin.

An animal location-based habitat suitability model for bighorn sheep and wild horses in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, Montana, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wockner, Gary; Singer, Francis J.; Schoenecker, Kathryn A.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this habitat suitability model is to provide a tool that will help managers and researchers better manage bighorn sheep and wild horses in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (BICA) and Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range (PMWHR). A concern in the management of the Pryor Mountain wild horse population is whether or not the wild horses compete with bighorn sheep for available forage or available space. Two studies have been conducted that have shown no obvious, convincing competition between the two species. A study of diets and habitat-use of both species revealed substantial diet overlap only during some seasons, but there were considerable spatial and habitat separations between wild horses and bighorns during all seasons (Kissell and others, 1996). This empirical data was then used in a modeling exercise that predicted that neither the current (about 160 horses at the time of the analysis) nor larger numbers of wild horses on the area (e.g., about 200 horses) would result in reduced numbers or condition of bighorn sheep (Coughenour 1999). But competition is a very complex biological process to document. Bighorns might have already been spatially avoiding wild horses when these studies were conducted. A second concern for managers is that earlier studies suggest both species are not using many areas of the range that appear to be suitable (Gudorf and others, 1996; Kissell and others, 1996). A primary goal for the management of both species is to increase their numbers for purposes of genetic conservation and viability. The bighorn sheep population declined during the mid-1990’s from a peak of about 211 animals to ~ 100 animals at present. Absolute minimum goals for genetic viability in the bighorn sheep herd (genetic effective population size of N >50) suggest at least 150 animals should be present, while studies of persistence suggest populations of 250+ are e more likely to recover rapidly and persist should the population experience an epizootic die-off (Singer and others, 2001). Since all bighorn sheep populations are potentially vulnerable to disease epizootics, managing for larger populations of 200–300 animals appears to increase the potential for long-term persistence (Berger, 1990; Singer and others, 2001). Wild horses are not prone to rapid disease die-offs. However, minimum goals for genetic viability in the Pryor Mountain wild horses ( Ne > 50) require that at least 160 animals be present on the range (Singer and others, 2000). Since the Ne > 50 goal is set for the breeding of domestic animals, and since the vagaries of drought, severe winters, predation, and other stochastic events cause stress in wild animals, larger goals for Ne (e.g. Ne > 100) for wild horses are even more desirable (USDI, BLM, 1999; Gross, 2000). Expanding the area of the wild horse range is one option, but the prospects for expanding the range do not appear to be great (L. Coates-Markle, BLM, oral comm.). A second option would be to increase the amount of useable habitat for horses on the existing range. One goal of this modeling effort was to use GIS-based habitat analyses to determine the reason wild horses are not using some areas of the range, and to explore the potential for making some of these areas useable. The National Park Service (NPS) has shown considerable interest in management actions within BICA that will increase the range, useable habitat, and population size of bighorn sheep. There has also been interest expressed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and wild horse advocates to improve the useable habitat for wild horses and to possibly increase the size of the horse range.

How much gene flow is needed to avoid inbreeding depression in wild tiger populations?

PubMed Central

Kenney, John; Allendorf, Fred W.; McDougal, Charles; Smith, James L. D.

2014-01-01

The number and size of tiger populations continue to decline owing to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and poaching of tigers and their prey. As a result, tiger populations have become small and highly structured. Current populations have been isolated since the early 1970s or for approximately seven generations. The objective of this study is to explore how inbreeding may be affecting the persistence of remaining tiger populations and how dispersal, either natural or artificial, may reduce the potentially detrimental effect of inbreeding depression. We developed a tiger simulation model and used published levels of genetic load in mammals to simulate inbreeding depression. Following a 50 year period of population isolation, we introduced one to four dispersing male tigers per generation to explore how gene flow from nearby populations may reduce the negative impact of inbreeding depression. For the smallest populations, even four dispersing male tigers per generation did not increase population viability, and the likelihood of extinction is more than 90% within 30 years. Unless habitat connectivity is restored or animals are artificially introduced in the next 70 years, medium size wild populations are also likely to go extinct, with only four to five of the largest wild tiger populations likely to remain extant in this same period without intervention. To reduce the risk of local extinction, habitat connectivity must be pursued concurrently with efforts to increase population size (e.g. enhance habitat quality, increase habitat availability). It is critical that infrastructure development, dam construction and other similar projects are planned appropriately so that they do not erode the extent or quality of habitat for these populations so that they can truly serve as future source populations. PMID:24990671

How much gene flow is needed to avoid inbreeding depression in wild tiger populations?

PubMed

Kenney, John; Allendorf, Fred W; McDougal, Charles; Smith, James L D

2014-08-22

The number and size of tiger populations continue to decline owing to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and poaching of tigers and their prey. As a result, tiger populations have become small and highly structured. Current populations have been isolated since the early 1970s or for approximately seven generations. The objective of this study is to explore how inbreeding may be affecting the persistence of remaining tiger populations and how dispersal, either natural or artificial, may reduce the potentially detrimental effect of inbreeding depression. We developed a tiger simulation model and used published levels of genetic load in mammals to simulate inbreeding depression. Following a 50 year period of population isolation, we introduced one to four dispersing male tigers per generation to explore how gene flow from nearby populations may reduce the negative impact of inbreeding depression. For the smallest populations, even four dispersing male tigers per generation did not increase population viability, and the likelihood of extinction is more than 90% within 30 years. Unless habitat connectivity is restored or animals are artificially introduced in the next 70 years, medium size wild populations are also likely to go extinct, with only four to five of the largest wild tiger populations likely to remain extant in this same period without intervention. To reduce the risk of local extinction, habitat connectivity must be pursued concurrently with efforts to increase population size (e.g. enhance habitat quality, increase habitat availability). It is critical that infrastructure development, dam construction and other similar projects are planned appropriately so that they do not erode the extent or quality of habitat for these populations so that they can truly serve as future source populations. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Aspartic acid 405 contributes to the substrate specificity of aminopeptidase B.

PubMed

Fukasawa, Kayoko M; Hirose, Junzo; Hata, Toshiyuki; Ono, Yukio

2006-09-26

Aminopeptidase B (EC 3.4.11.6, ApB) specifically cleaves in vitro the N-terminal Arg or Lys residue from peptides and synthetic derivatives. Ap B was shown to have a consensus sequence found in the metallopeptidase family. We determined the putative zinc binding residues (His324, His328, and Glu347) and the essential Glu325 residue for the enzyme using site-directed mutagenesis (Fukasawa, K. M., et al. (1999) Biochem. J. 339, 497-502). To identify the residues binding to the amino-terminal basic amino acid of the substrate, rat cDNA encoding ApB was cloned into pGEX-4T-3 so that recombinant protein was expressed as a GST fusion protein. Twelve acidic amino acid residues (Glu or Asp) in ApB were replaced with a Gln or Asn using site-directed mutagenesis. These mutants were isolated to characterize the kinetic parameters of enzyme activity toward Arg-NA and compare them to those of the wild-type ApB. The catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of the mutant D405N was 1.7 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1), markedly decreased compared with that of the wild-type ApB (6.2 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1)). The replacement of Asp405 with an Asn residue resulted in the change of substrate specificity such that the specific activity of the mutant D405N toward Lys-NA was twice that toward Arg-NA (in the case of wild-type ApB; 0.4). Moreover, when Asp405 was replaced with an Ala residue, the kcat/Km ratio was 1000-fold lower than that of the wild-type ApB for hydrolysis of Arg-NA; in contrast, in the hydrolysis of Tyr-NA, the kcat/Km ratios of the wild-type (1.1 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)) and the mutated (8.2 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1)) enzymes were similar. Furthermore, the replacement of Asp-405 with a Glu residue led to the reduction of the kcat/Km ratio for the hydrolysis of Arg-NA by a factor of 6 and an increase of that for the hydrolysis of Lys-NA. Then the kcat/Km ratio of the D405E mutant for the hydrolysis of Lys-NA was higher than that for the hydrolysis of Arg-NA as opposed to that of wild-type ApB. These data strongly suggest that the Asp 405 residue is involved in substrate binding via an interaction with the P1 amino group of the substrate's side chain.

Therapeutic impact of low amplitude high frequency whole body vibrations on the osteogenesis imperfecta mouse bone☆

PubMed Central

Vanleene, Maximilien; Shefelbine, Sandra J.

2013-01-01

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is characterized by extremely brittle bone. Currently, bisphosphonate drugs allow a decrease of fracture by inhibiting bone resorption and increasing bone mass but with possible long term side effects. Whole body mechanical vibrations (WBV) treatment may offer a promising route to stimulate bone formation in OI patients as it has exhibited health benefits on both muscle and bone mass in human and animal models. The present study has investigated the effects of WBV (45 Hz, 0.3 g, 15 minutes/days, 5 days/week) in young OI (oim) and wild type female mice from 3 to 8 weeks of age. Vibration therapy resulted in a significant increase in the cortical bone area and cortical thickness in the femur and tibia diaphysis of both vibrated oim and wild type mice compared to sham controls. Trabecular bone was not affected by vibration in the wild type mice; vibrated oim mice, however, exhibited significantly higher trabecular bone volume fraction in the proximal tibia. Femoral stiffness and yield load in three point bending were greater in the vibrated wild type mice than in sham controls, most likely attributed to the increase in femur cortical cross sectional area observed in the μCT morphology analyses. The vibrated oim mice showed a trend toward improved mechanical properties, but bending data had large standard deviations and there was no significant difference between vibrated and non-vibrated oim mice. No significant difference of the bone apposition was observed in the tibial metaphyseal trabecular bone for both the oim and wild type vibrated mice by histomorphometry analyses of calcein labels. At the mid diaphysis, the cortical bone apposition was not significantly influenced by the WBV treatment in both the endosteum and periosteum of the oim vibrated mice while a significant change is observed in the endosteum of the vibrated wild type mice. As only a weak impact in bone apposition between the vibrated and sham groups is observed in the histological sections, it is possible that WBV reduced bone resorption, resulting in a relative increase in cortical thickness. Whole body vibration appears as a potential effective and innocuous means for increasing bone formation and strength, which is particularly attractive for treating the growing skeleton of children suffering from brittle bone disease or low bone density pathologies without the long term disadvantages of current pharmacological therapies. PMID:23352925

Modeling the nucleus and jets of comet 81P/Wild 2 based on the Stardust encounter data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sekanina, Zdenek; Brownlee, Donald E.; Economou, Thanasis E.; Tuzzolino, Anthony J.; Green, Simon F.

2004-01-01

We interpret the nucleus properties and jet activity from the Stardust spacecraft imaging and the onboard dust monitoring system data. Triangulation of 20 jets shows that 2 emanate from the nucleus dark side and 16 emanate from sources that are on slopes where the Sun's elevation is greater than predicted from the fitted triaxial ellipsoid. Seven sources, including five in the Mayo depression, coincide with relatively bright surface spots. Fitting the imaged jets, the spikelike temporal distribution of dust impacts indicates that the spacecraft crossed thin, densely populated sheets of particulate ejecta extending from small sources on the rotating nucleus, consistent with an emission cone model.

Technical feasibility and revision efficacy of the sequential deployment of endoscopic bilateral side-by-side metal stents for malignant hilar biliary strictures: a multicenter prospective study.

PubMed

Lee, Tae Hoon; Park, Do Hyun; Lee, Sang Soo; Choi, Hyun Jong; Lee, Jun Kyu; Kim, Tae Hyeon; Kim, Jong Hyeok; Jeong, Seok; Park, Sang-Heum; Moon, Jong Ho

2013-02-01

Theoretically, the side-by-side bilateral placement of metal stents may be technically easier than stent-in-stent bilateral placement in stent revision. However, side-by-side placement can be technically challenging, as the deployment of the first stent can preclude the passage of the second stent. We explored the technical feasibility and revision efficacy of endoscopic bilateral side-by-side stent placement for malignant hilar biliary strictures. Forty-four patients with Bismuth type II or higher malignant hilar biliary strictures were enrolled in seven academic tertiary referral centers. Endoscopic placement of side-by-side bilateral metal stents with 7F thin delivery shaft was performed. The outcome measurements were the technical and functional success, adverse events, endoscopic revision success rate, and stent patency. Overall, the technical and functional success rates were 91 % (40/44), and 98 % (39/40), respectively. Two of the failed patients were converted successfully with subsequent contralateral stent-in-stent placement, and the other patients underwent percutaneous intervention. Early stent-related adverse events occurred in 10 %. The endoscopic revision rate due to stent malfunction during follow-up (median: 180 days) was 45 % (18/40; tumor ingrowth in 4 and in-stent sludge impaction/stone formation in 14 patients). The endoscopic revision success rate was 92 % (12/13). Five patients with comorbidity underwent initial percutaneous intervention. The median survival and stent patency periods were 180 and 157 days, respectively. The sequential placement of a metal stent with a 7F thin delivery shaft in bilateral side-by-side procedures may be feasible and effective for malignant hilar biliary strictures and for endoscopic stent revision.