Microvascular endothelial cells of the bovine corpus luteum: A comparative study of the estrous cycle and pregnancy

Endothelial cells derived from the corpus luteum (CLENDOs) exhibit a diverse array of characteristics that seemingly complement their wide-ranging properties in luteal function and fate. Reproductive status of the animal (i.e., non-pregnant vs. pregnant) may contribute to the phenotypic/physiologic diversity of microvascular endothelial cells, but information in this regard is limited. Here, structural and functional attributes of CLENDOs derived from the estrous cycle (Days 9-12) were compared with those of pregnancy (Day 60). Initially, lectin binding properties were examined in the cells. Using fluorescent-tagged lectins for Bandeiraea simplicifolia I or concanavalin A, flow cytometric analysis indicated that lectin-binding on CLENDOs of the estrous cycle did not differ from those of pregnancy (P \u3e 0.05). Next, the CLENDOs were exposed to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF; 50 ng/ml) and/or interferon gamma (IFNG; 30 ng/ml) to assess cytokine-induced intracellular signaling [inhibitor kappa B alpha (IkappaBalpha) degradation and induction of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1)], production of cytokines [TNF and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (CCL2)], and cell death. These results indicate that several attributes of CLENDOs from the estrous cycle are retained by those of early pregnancy, including lectin binding properties, activation of specific cytokine-initiated intracellular signals, and the instigation of cytokine-induced inflammatory events. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The Communication Patterns and Experiences of Children in Single Parent Families

This study gained the perspective of children from single parent families and explored their family communication patterns. An inductive, qualitative approach was used. Interviews were conducted with eleven participants gathered from undergraduate classes, who had lived with their single parent for a minimum of 3 years. Four major themes emerged from the data: communication, challenges and triumphs, structure, and how parents came to be single. The majority of participants appeared to exhibited pluralistic family communication patterns. Results also revealed the importance of open communication in single parent families and what they learned through their experiences living with their custodial parent. Limitations and directions for future research will also be discussed

Forest product harvesting in the Eastern Cape, South Africa : impacts on habitat structure

CITATION: Leaver, J. & Cherry, M. I. 2020. Forest product harvesting in the Eastern Cape, South Africa : impacts on habitat structure. South African Journal of Science, 116(9/10):7508, doi:10.17159/sajs.2020/7508.The original publication is available at https://sajs.co.zaThe Eastern Cape Province harbours 46% of South Africa’s remaining indigenous forest cover, and is one of the country’s poorest and least developed provinces. Forest resources thus represent a vital component of rural livelihoods in this region. Consequently, forest management policies aim to balance the needs of resource users with the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems. In a recent study, forest bird ranges were shown to have declined in the Eastern Cape over the past 20 years, despite increases in forest cover over the same time period, indicating that habitat degradation may be driving forest bird losses. Given that harvesting of forest products represents the primary human disturbance in forests in the Eastern Cape today, insight is needed regarding the link between resource use and habitat modification. We report on effects of harvesting of three key forest products – poles, timber and medicinal bark – on habitat structure at the ground, understorey and canopy layers in indigenous forests in the province. Harvest activities had considerable impacts on habitat structure, depending on the nature and extent of harvesting. Bark and timber harvesting resulted in canopy gaps, whereas pole harvesting reduced tree density, resulting in understorey gaps. Overall, harvest activities increased the frequency of canopy disturbance, and density of understorey layer foliage. Unsustainable bark harvesting practices increased the mortality rate of canopy trees, thereby increasing dead wood availability. By providing insight into human-mediated habitat modification in forests of the Eastern Cape, this study contributes to the development of ecologically informed sustainable resource management policies.https://sajs.co.za/article/view/7508Publisher's versio

Modeling Patterns of Wealth Disparity in Predynastic Upper Egypt

This study reports work in progress on an Agent-Based Model (ABM) that critically explores theories that have recently gained prominence in the study of Egyptian state formation. This study’s ABM focuses on wealth accumulation and loss in a simple agrarian society within an environment that simulates the Upper Egyptian landscape in ca. 4000 BC, when clear evidence of economic inequality amongst Upper Egyptian households can be observed in the archaeological record. The question this ABM explores is how entrenched inequality emerged in the Nile Valley given abundant natural resources were available to sustain the population. Understanding the establishment of permanent, entrenched inequality is crucial for exploring the development of social complexity and hierarchy

Blood Brain Barrier and Neuroinflammation Are Critical Targets of IGF-1-Mediated Neuroprotection in Stroke for Middle-Aged Female Rats

Ischemia-induced cerebral infarction is more severe in older animals as compared to younger animals, and is associated with reduced availability of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1. This study determined the effect of post-stroke IGF-1 treatment, and used microRNA profiling to identify mechanisms underlying IGF-1's neuroprotective actions. Post-stroke ICV administration of IGF-1 to middle-aged female rats reduced infarct volume by 39% when measured 24h later. MicroRNA analyses of ischemic tissue collected at the early post-stroke phase (4h) indicated that 8 out of 168 disease-related miRNA were significantly downregulated by IGF-1. KEGG pathway analysis implicated these miRNA in PI3K-Akt signaling, cell adhesion/ECM receptor pathways and T-and B-cell signaling. Specific components of these pathways were subsequently analyzed in vehicle and IGF-1 treated middle-aged females. Phospho-Akt was reduced by ischemia at 4h, but elevated by IGF-1 treatment at 24h. IGF-1 induced Akt activation was preceded by a reduction of blood brain barrier permeability at 4h post-stroke and global suppression of cytokines including IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α. A subset of these cytokines including IL-6 was also suppressed by IGF-1 at 24h post-stroke. These data are the first to show that the temporal and mechanistic components of post-stroke IGF-1 treatment in older animals, and that cellular components of the blood brain barrier may serve as critical targets of IGF-1 in the aging brain

Uncertainties in Arctic Precipitation

We acknowledge the generous support of the National Science Foundation under grant ARC-0909525,as well as the JAMSTEC- IARC cooperative agreement.It is crucial to measure precipitation accurately to predict future water budget with confidence. In our study, we aim to understand and compare precipitation datasets and discrepancies associated with them. We divide our datasets into three classes-raw data (data that have only been preprocessed to minimum quality control);corrected products (data that have been adjusted by their respective authors); finally, a reanalysis dataset (a combination of observed data and model output)

Two Years of High-Resolution Airborne Imagery and Value-Added Products for the Barrow Environmental Observatory

Optical and thermal infrared imagery were collected by UAF at the Arctic NGEE Intensive sites in 2012 and 2013

Ecosystem responses to climate change at a Low Arctic and a High Arctic long-term research site

© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Ambio 46, Supple. 1 (2017): 160-173, doi:10.1007/s13280-016-0870-x.Long-term measurements of ecological effects of warming are often not statistically significant because of annual variability or signal noise. These are reduced in indicators that filter or reduce the noise around the signal and allow effects of climate warming to emerge. In this way, certain indicators act as medium pass filters integrating the signal over years-to-decades. In the Alaskan Arctic, the 25-year record of warming of air temperature revealed no significant trend, yet environmental and ecological changes prove that warming is affecting the ecosystem. The useful indicators are deep permafrost temperatures, vegetation and shrub biomass, satellite measures of canopy reflectance (NDVI), and chemical measures of soil weathering. In contrast, the 18-year record in the Greenland Arctic revealed an extremely high summer air-warming of 1.3°C/decade; the cover of some plant species increased while the cover of others decreased. Useful indicators of change are NDVI and the active layer thickness.The Toolik research was supported in part by NSF Grants DEB 0207150, DEB 1026843, ARC 1107701, and ARC 1504006