The Faculty Notebook, October 2009

The Faculty Notebook is published periodically by the Office of the Provost at Gettysburg College to bring to the attention of the campus community accomplishments and activities of academic interest. Faculty are encouraged to submit materials for consideration for publication to the Associate Provost for Faculty Development. Copies of this publication are available at the Office of the Provost

Circadian ritmusos biológiai folyamatok mechanizmusának vizsgálata madár tobozmirigy modellen. = Mechanisms of circadian rhythmic biological processes - studies on avian pineal gland.

Kimutattuk, hogy a csirke tobozmirigyben a filogenetikailag ismertebb óragének többsége, a Clock, Bmal1, Bmal2, Per1, Per2, Per3, Cry1 és Cry2 expresszálódik. A Cry1, Cry2, Bmal2 és a Clock óragének mRNS-eit sikerült kimutatni 15 napos csirke embriók tobozmirigyeiből is, valamint a kikelt állatokban mért mRNS ritmushoz fázisban hasonló mintázatot mértünk 18 napos csirke embriókban is. Az óragének expressziós mintázatát mind az éjszaka alkalmazott megvilágítás, mind az in vitro alkalmazott PACAP kezelés megváltoztatta. Kimutattuk, hogy a MT és cAMP koncentrációjának napszakos ritmusa a 16-18. embrionális napokon jelenik meg in vitro körülmények között is. A ritmikus szekréció kialakulása azonban periodikus ingerek nélkül késik. Igazoltuk, hogy bár a tobozmirigy fény-receptorai már a 14. embrionális napon is működőképesek, a fényingernek még nincs direkt, in vitro a corpus pinealéra gyakorolt szinkronizáló hatása. Ugyanakkor a 18. embrionális naptól kezdve a csirke tobozmirigy már a rendkívül alacsony intenzitású (10 lux) megvilágítással is vezérelhető. Eredményeink szerint mind a PACAP, mind a VIP már a 13. embrionális napon fokozza a cAMP és a melatonin termelést, de a ritmus fejlődését, illetve annak fázisát nem változtatja meg. Kimutattuk, hogy a tobozmirigy in vitro MT szekrécióját a környezeti hőmérséklet periodikusan alkalmazott, mindössze három órás megváltoztatása is módosítja, a hőmérséklet változására adott válasz azonban az állat életkorának függvénye. | We have demonstrated that most of the known, philogenetically conserved clock genes (Clock, Bmal1, Bmal2, Per1, Per2, Per3, Cry1 and Cry2) are expressed in the chicken pineal gland. Expression of Cry1, Cry2, Bmal2 and Clock mRNA-s were shown also in the pineal glands of chicken embryos. Similar 24-h pattern of clock gene expression were detected in 18 day old chicken embryos and in post hatched chickens (6 weeks old). The expression patterns of clock genes were altered by light exposure at subjective night and also by in vitro PACAP administration. It was shown, that the circadian rhythm of both MT secretion and cAMP efflux appears on the 16-18th embryonic days, even in vitro. Without periodic environmental stimuli, the development of the MT rhythm was delayed. Although the light receptors of the pineal gland were found to be responsive to light from the 14th embryonic day, the illumination did not have a synchronizing effect on the in vitro MT secretion at this age. However, from the 18th day, the pineal MT secretion could be controlled by illumination with even the very low intensity (10 lux). Our results showed that both PACAP and VIP induced an increase in both cAMP and MT secretion already from the 13th day of embryonic life, but none of these drugs influenced the development or the phase of the MT rhythm. It was presented that the in vitro MT secretion could be modified age-dependently by only 3 hour-long daily alterations of environmental temperature

Alligator mississippiensis

Number of Pages: 14Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Published work on freshwater science from the FBA, IFE and CEH, 1929-2006

A new listing of published scientific contributions from the Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) and its later Research Council associates – the Institute of Freshwater Ecology (1989–2000) and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (2000+) is provided. The period 1929–2006 is covered. The compilation extends an earlier list assembled by in 1979

Prenatal Corticosteroids for Reducing Morbidity and mortality after Preterm Birth

Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 15 June 2004. Introduction by Barbara Stocking, Oxfam. First published by the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL, 2005.©The Trustee of the Wellcome Trust, London, 2005.All volumes are freely available online at: www.history.qmul.ac.uk/research/modbiomed/wellcome_witnesses/Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 15 June 2004. Introduction by Barbara Stocking, Oxfam.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 15 June 2004. Introduction by Barbara Stocking, Oxfam.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 15 June 2004. Introduction by Barbara Stocking, Oxfam.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 15 June 2004. Introduction by Barbara Stocking, Oxfam.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 15 June 2004. Introduction by Barbara Stocking, Oxfam.Annotated and edited transcript of a Witness Seminar held on 15 June 2004. Introduction by Barbara Stocking, Oxfam.In 1959 the New Zealand obstetrician Graham (Mont) Liggins began investigating mechanisms that triggered premature labour. Supported by the Wellcome Trust, he examined the effects of hormones on labour in sheep, and demonstrated coincidentally that in utero corticosteroids accelerated fetal lung maturation. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) of prenatal corticosteroids in humans by Liggins and pediatrician Ross Howie, showed a reduction of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm babies. This Witness Seminar, chaired by the late Dr Edmund Hey, discussed the influence of Liggins' and Howie's 1972 paper announcing these results, and subsequent work by Avery and Kotas on induction of pulmonary surfactant in lambs. Other subjects included Crowley's 1981 systematic review of four RCTs; the low uptake of corticosteroids in practice until the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists issued usage guidelines in 1992; trials to determine optimum drug, dose and number of courses; potential adverse effects; and cost-benefit analysis. Participants included the late Dr Mel Avery, Sir Iain Chalmers, Dr Patricia Crowley, the late Professor Harold Gamsu, Professor Jane Harding, Professor Richard Lilford, Professor Miranda Mugford, Professor Ann Oakley, Professor Dafydd Walters and Mr John Williams. Appendices from Liggins and Howie; Liggins' Wellcome Trust grant; and the protocol of the 1975 UK trial of betamethasone, complete the volume. Reynolds L A, Tansey E M. (eds) (2005) Prenatal corticosteroids for reducing morbidity and mortality after preterm birth, Wellcome Witnesses to Twentieth Century Medicine, volume 25. London: The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL.The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL is funded by the Wellcome Trust, which is a registered charity, no. 210183

Publications of the NASA space biology program for 1980 - 1984

A listing of 562 publications supported by the NASA Space Biology Program for the years 1980 to 1984 is presented. References are arranged under the headings which are plant gravitational research, animal gravitational research, and general. Keyword title indexes and a principal investigator listing are also included

Functional similarities between pigeon \u27milk\u27 and mammalian milk : induction of immune gene expression and modification of the microbiota

Pigeon ‘milk’ and mammalian milk have functional similarities in terms of nutritional benefit and delivery of immunoglobulins to the young. Mammalian milk has been clearly shown to aid in the development of the immune system and microbiota of the young, but similar effects have not yet been attributed to pigeon ‘milk’. Therefore, using a chicken model, we investigated the effect of pigeon ‘milk’ on immune gene expression in the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) and on the composition of the caecal microbiota. Chickens fed pigeon ‘milk’ had a faster rate of growth and a better feed conversion ratio than control chickens. There was significantly enhanced expression of immune-related gene pathways and interferon-stimulated genes in the GALT of pigeon ‘milk’-fed chickens. These pathways include the innate immune response, regulation of cytokine production and regulation of B cell activation and proliferation. The caecal microbiota of pigeon ‘milk’-fed chickens was significantly more diverse than control chickens, and appears to be affected by prebiotics in pigeon ‘milk’, as well as being directly seeded by bacteria present in pigeon ‘milk’. Our results demonstrate that pigeon ‘milk’ has further modes of action which make it functionally similar to mammalian milk. We hypothesise that pigeon ‘lactation’ and mammalian lactation evolved independently but resulted in similarly functional products