Maternal Expression Relaxes Constraint on Innovation of the Anterior Determinant, bicoid

The origin of evolutionary novelty is believed to involve both positive selection and relaxed developmental constraint. In flies, the redesign of anterior patterning during embryogenesis is a major developmental innovation and the rapidly evolving Hox gene, bicoid (bcd), plays a critical role. We report evidence for relaxation of selective constraint acting on bicoid as a result of its maternal pattern of gene expression. Evolutionary theory predicts 2-fold greater sequence diversity for maternal effect genes than for zygotically expressed genes, because natural selection is only half as effective acting on autosomal genes expressed in one sex as it is on genes expressed in both sexes. We sample an individual from ten populations of Drosophila melanogaster and nine populations of D. simulans for polymorphism in the tandem gene duplicates bcd, which is maternally expressed, and zerknüllt (zen), which is zygotically expressed. In both species, we find the ratio of bcd to zen nucleotide diversity to be two or more in the coding regions but one in the noncoding regions, providing the first quantitative support for the theoretical prediction of relaxed selective constraint on maternal-effect genes resulting from sex-limited expression. Our results suggest that the accelerated rate of evolution observed for bcd is owing, at least partly, to variation generated by relaxed selective constraint

UMC and UND collaborate on grant from National Science Foundation

DeMuth, David. (2005). UMC and UND collaborate on grant from National Science Foundation. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/220549

Tobacco use increases susceptibility to bacterial infection

Active smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of bacterial infection. Tobacco smoke exposure increases susceptibility to respiratory tract infections, including tuberculosis, pneumonia and Legionnaires disease; bacterial vaginosis and sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea; Helicobacter pylori infection; periodontitis; meningitis; otitis media; and post-surgical and nosocomial infections. Tobacco smoke compromises the anti-bacterial function of leukocytes, including neutrophils, monocytes, T cells and B cells, providing a mechanistic explanation for increased infection risk. Further epidemiological, clinical and mechanistic research into this important area is warranted

UMC and UND Collaborate to Study Space Telescopes Located Miles Apart Communicate with Each Other about Deep Space

DeMuth, David; Tollefson, Elizabeth. (2006). UMC and UND Collaborate to Study Space Telescopes Located Miles Apart Communicate with Each Other about Deep Space. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/220848

Connection Between Generation NeXt and Need for Rural Broadband Outlined by U of M Crookston Faculty, Students, Alumni at Local Technology Conference

DeMuth, David; Lemos, Krista. (2006). Connection Between Generation NeXt and Need for Rural Broadband Outlined by U of M Crookston Faculty, Students, Alumni at Local Technology Conference. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/220900

Cohort profile: role of lipoproteins in cardiovascular disease-the LipidCardio study

PURPOSE: The LipidCardio Study was established for in-depth analyses of cardiovascular risk factors, providing well-defined cardiovascular and metabolic phenotypes. In particular, the role of lipoproteins in the pathobiological process and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) will be a main focus. PARTICIPANTS: 1005 individuals aged 21 years and older undergoing cardiac catheterisation during 17 months at a tertiary academic cardiology centre were enrolled (troponin-positive acute coronary syndrome was exclusion criterion). The baseline data not only contain detailed phenotyping, broad biochemical parameters, genetic data, but also standardised personal and family history, a screening test for cognitive impairment, pulse wave analysis and measurements of hand grip strength, among others. Blood samples were stored in a biobank for future analyses. FINDINGS TO DATE: The mean age of the participants at enrolment was 70.9±11.1 years (70% male). Coronary angiography provided evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in 69.9% of participants. Those with evidence of CAD were significantly more likely to be male, inactive, diabetic and with a family history of CVD than participants without CAD.About 20% of patients had lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) concentrations above 106.9 nmol/L (fifth quintile). These patients had significantly increased odds of obstructive CAD compared with participants in quintiles 1-4 (crude OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.48, p=0.005). There was reasonable evidence that with increasing severity of CAD the odds of having elevated Lp(a) increased. We were able to replicate the established strong association between specified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the LPA gene (rs10455872, rs3798220 and rs186696265) and the APOE gene (rs7412), and the concentration of Lp(a), validating our phenotype database and biobank. FUTURE PLANS: Mortality information will be obtained in 2 year intervals. Follow-up phone interviews will be conducted at 3 and 6 years after enrolment. We seek to cooperate with other researchers, for example, by sharing data and biobank samples

They're in the dark - and they love it: Twin Telescopes at Crookston and UND Opening New Window on the Universe

DeMuth, David; Tollefson, Elizabeth. (2006). They're in the dark - and they love it: Twin Telescopes at Crookston and UND Opening New Window on the Universe. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/220928

The Earliest Step in B Lineage Differentiation from Common Lymphoid Progenitors Is Critically Dependent upon Interleukin 7

Little is known about the signals that promote early B lineage differentiation from common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs). Using a stromal-free culture system, we show that interleukin (IL)-7 is sufficient to promote the in vitro differentiation of CLPs into B220+ CD19+ B lineage progenitors. Consistent with current models of early B cell development, surface expression of B220 was initiated before CD19 and was accompanied by the loss of T lineage potential. To address whether IL-7 receptor (R) activity is essential for early B lineage development in vivo, we examined the frequencies of CLPs and downstream pre–pro- and pro-B cells in adult mice lacking either the α chain or the common gamma chain (γc) of the IL-7R. The data indicate that although γc−/− mice have normal frequencies of CLPs, both γc−/− and IL-7Rα−/− mice lack detectable numbers of all downstream early B lineage precursors, including pre–pro-B cells. These findings challenge previous notions regarding the point in B cell development affected by the loss of IL-7R signaling and suggest that IL-7 plays a key and requisite role during the earliest phases of B cell development

DUNE Computing Tutorials

Providing computing training to the next generation of physicists is the principal driver for a biannual multi-day training workshop hosted by the DUNE Computing Consortium. Materials are cast in a Software Carpentry’s template, and topics have included storage space, data management, LArSoft, grid job submission and monitoring. Moreover, experts provide extended breakout sessions to demonstrate the fundamentals of the unique software used in HEP analysis. Each session uses live documents for real time correspondence, and are captured on Zoom; afterwards, videos are embedded on the corresponding web-pages for review. As a GitHub repository, shared editing of the learning modules is straightforward, and provides a trusted framework to extend to other training topics in the future. An overview of the tutorials as well as the machinery used, along with survey statistics and lessons learned is presented

Ice Cores from the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon, Canada: Their Significance for Climate, Atmospheric Composition and Volcanism in the North Pacific Region

A major achievement in research supported by the Kluane Lake Research Station was the recovery, in 2001 –02, of a suite of cores from the icefields of the central St. Elias Mountains, Yukon, by teams of researchers from Canada, the United States, and Japan. This project led to the development of parallel, long (103 – 104 year) ice-core records of climate and atmospheric change over an altitudinal range of more than 2 km, from the Eclipse Icefield (3017 m) to the ice-covered plateau of Mt. Logan (5340 m). These efforts built on earlier work recovering single ice cores in this region. Comparison of these records has allowed for variations in climate and atmospheric composition to be linked with changes in the vertical structure and dynamics of the North Pacific atmosphere, providing a unique perspective on these changes over the Holocene. Owing to their privileged location, cores from the St. Elias Icefields also contain a remarkably detailed record of aerosols from various sources around or across the North Pacific. In this paper we review major scientific findings from the study of St. Elias Mountain ice cores, focusing on five main themes: (1) The record of stable water isotopes (δ18O, δD), which has unique characteristics that differ from those of Greenland, other Arctic ice cores, and even among sites in the St. Elias; (2) the snow accumulation history; (3) the record of pollen, biomass burning aerosol, and desert dust deposition; (4) the record of long-range air pollutant deposition (sulphate and lead); and (5) the record of paleo-volcanism. Our discussion draws on studies published since 2000, but based on older ice cores from the St. Elias Mountains obtained in 1980 and 1996