When Reintroductions are Augmentations: The Genetic Legacy of Fishers (Martes Pennanti) in Montana

Fishers (Martes pennanti) were purportedly extirpated from Montana by 1930 and extant populations are assumed to be descended from translocated fishers. To determine the lineage of fisher populations, we sequenced 2 regions of the mitochondrial DNA genome from 207 tissue samples from British Columbia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Montana. In northwestern Montana, fishers share haplotypes with samples from the upper Midwest and British Columbia; in west-central Montana, we detected haplotypes found in British Columbia samples, but also detected a control region and cytochrome-b haplotype not found in source populations. Based on the unique haplotypes found in west-central Montana, we propose that individuals with these haplotypes are descended from a relic population. Fishers in northwestern Montana are likely descended from fishers from the Midwest and British Columbia

Synthesis of a fullerene-based one-dimensional nanopolymer through topochemical transformation of the parent nanowire

Large-scale practical applications of fullerene (C60) in nanodevices could be significantly facilitated if the commercially-available micrometer-scale raw C60 powder were further processed into a one-dimensional (1D) nanowire-related polymer displaying covalent bonding as molecular interlinks and resembling traditional important conjugated polymers. However, there has been little study thus far in this area despite the abundant literature on fullerene. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of such a C60-based nanowire polymer, (-C60TMB-)n, where TMB=1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, which displays a well-defined crystalline structure, exceptionally large length-to-width ratio and excellent thermal stability. The material is prepared by first growing the corresponding nanowire through a solution phase of C60 followed by a topochemical polymerization reaction in the solid state. Gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance evidence is provided for the nature of the covalent bonding mode adopted by the polymeric chains. Theoretical analysis based on detailed calculations of the reaction energetics and structural analysis provides an in-depth understanding of the polymerization pathway. The nanopolymer promises important applications in biological fields and in the development of optical, electrical, and magnetic nanodevices.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, 2 table

Diagnosing and managing sleep apnea in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease: a randomized trial of a home-based strategy

Background Obstructive sleep apnea is common and associated with poor outcomes after stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). We sought to determine whether the intervention strategy improved sleep apnea detection, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment, and hypertension control among patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease and hypertension. Methods In this randomized controlled strategy trial intervention, patients received unattended polysomnography at baseline, and patients with OSA (apnea-hypopnea index ≥5 events/h) received auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for up to 1 year. Control patients received usual care and unattended polysomnography at the end of the study, to identify undiagnosed OSA. Both groups received 24-h blood pressure assessments at baseline and end of the study. “Excellent” CPAP adherence was defined as cumulative use of ≥4 h/night for ≥70% of the nights. Results Among 225 randomized patients (115 control; 110 intervention), 61.9% (120/194) had sleep apnea. The strategy successfully diagnosed sleep apnea with 97.1% (102/105) valid studies; 90.6% (48/53, 95% CI 82.7–98.4%) of sleep apnea was undiagnosed among control patients. The intervention improved long-term excellent CPAP use: 38.6% (22/57) intervention versus 0% (0/2) control (p < 0.0001). The intervention did not improve hypertension control in this population with well-controlled baseline blood pressure: intervention, 132.7 mmHg (±standard deviation, 14.1) versus control, 133.8 mmHg (±14.0) (adjusted difference, −1.1 mmHg, 95% CI (−4.2, 2.0)), p = 0.48). Conclusions Patients with cerebrovascular disease and hypertension have a high prevalence of OSA. The use of portable polysomnography, and auto-titrating CPAP in the patients’ homes, improved both the diagnosis and the treatment for sleep apnea compared with usual care but did not lower blood pressure

Synthesis, molecular structure, spectroscopic and theoretical studies on E-2-ethoxy-4-[(4-ethoxyphenylimino)methyl]phenol

Unver, Huseyin/0000-0003-3968-4385; Ozcelik, Nefise/0000-0002-6972-1071;WOS: 000351969900003Synthesis, crystallographic characterization, spectroscopic (FT-IR) and density functional modelling studies of a new Schiff base E-2-ethoxy-4-[(4-ethoxyphenylimino)methyllphenol C17H19NO3 have been reported. The molecular structure obtained from X-ray single-crystal analysis of the investigated compound in the ground state has been compared using Hartree Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT), B3LYP and B1B95 functional with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. In addition to the optimized geometrical structures, atomic charges, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), natural bond orbital (HBO), nonlinear optical (NLO) effects and thermodynamic properties of the compound have been investigated by using DFT calculations. The electronic properties of the title compound in solvent media were also examined using the DFT calculations. The potential energy surface (PES) scans about important torsion angles are performed by using B3LYP/6-311++G (d,p) level of theoretical approximation for the compound. The experimental (FT-IR) and calculated vibrational frequencies (using DFf calculations) of the title compound have been compared. The predicted NLO properties of the compound which calculated by the B3LYP method with 6-31G(d), 6-31+G(d,p), 6-31++G(d,p), 6-311+G(d) and 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets are greater than ones urea. The standard thermodynamic functions were obtained for the title compound with the temperature ranging from 200 to 450 K. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Ankara University Grants CommissionAnkara University [2014H0430005]The authors are grateful to the Ankara University Grants Commission for a research grant (Project No.: 2014H0430005)