Mitochondrial DNA Variation and the Origins of the Aleuts

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol75/iss6/2/.The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in 179 Aleuts from five different islands (Atka, Unalaska, Umnak, St. Paul, and St. George) and Anchorage was analyzed to better understand the origins of Aleuts and their role in the peopling of the Americas. Mitochondrial DNA samples were characterized using polymerase chain reaction amplification, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and direct sequencing of the first hypervariable segment (HVS-I) of the control region. This study showed that Aleut mtDNAs belonged to two of the four haplogroups (A and D) common among Native Americans. Haplogroup D occurred at a very high frequency in Aleuts, and this, along with their unique HVS-I sequences, distinguished them from Eskimos, Athapaskan Indians, and other northern Amerindian populations. While sharing several control region sequences (CIR11, CHU14, CIR60, and CIR61) with other circumarctic populations, Aleuts lacked haplogroup A mtDNAs having the 16265G mutation that are specific to Eskimo populations. R-matrix and median network analyses indicated that Aleuts were closest genetically to Chukotkan (Chukchi and Siberian Eskimos) rather than to Native American or Kamchatkan populations (Koryaks and Itel’men). Dating of the Beringian branch of haplogroup A (16192T) suggested that populations ancestral to the Aleuts, Eskimos, and Athapaskan Indians emerged approximately 13,120 years ago, while Aleut-specific A and D sublineages were dated at 6539 ± 3511 and 6035 ± 2885 years, respectively. Our findings support the archaeologically based hypothesis that ancestral Aleuts crossed the Bering Land Bridge or Beringian platform and entered the Aleutian Islands from the east, rather than island hopping from Kamchatka into the western Aleutians. Furthermore, the Aleut migration most likely represents a separate event from those responsible for peopling the remainder of the Americas, meaning that the New World was colonized through multiple migrations

CO and C_2 Absorption Toward W40 IRS 1a

The H II region W40 harbors a small group of young, hot stars behind roughly 9 magnitudes of visual extinction. We have detected gaseous carbon monoxide (CO) and diatomic carbon (C_2) in absorption toward the star W40 IRS 1a. The 2-0 R0, R1, and R2 lines of 12CO at 2.3 micron were measured using the CSHELL on the NASA IR Telescope Facility (with upper limits placed on R3, R4, and R5) yielding an N_CO of (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10^18 cm^-2. Excitation analysis indicates T_kin > 7 K. The Phillips system of C_2 transitions near 8775 Ang. was measured using the Kitt Peak 4-m telescope and echelle spectrometer. Radiative pumping models indicate a total C_2 column density of (7.0 +/- 0.4) x 10^14 cm^-2, two excitation temperatures (39 and 126 K), and a total gas density of n ~ 250 cm^-3. The CO ice band at 4.7 micron was not detected, placing an upper limit on the CO depletion of delta < 1 %. We postulate that the sightline has multiple translucent components and is associated with the W40 molecular cloud. Our data for W40 IRS 1a, coupled with other sightlines, shows that the ratio of CO/C_2 increases from diffuse through translucent environs. Finally, we show that the hydrogen to dust ratio seems to remain constant from diffuse to dense environments, while the CO to dust ratio apparently does not.Comment: To appear in The Astrophysical Journal 17 pages total, 5 figures Also available at http://casa.colorado.edu/~shuping/research/w40/w40.htm

Ultraviolet Imaging Observations of the cD Galaxy in Abell 1795: Further Evidence for Massive Star Formation in a Cooling Flow

We present images from the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope of the Abell 1795 cluster of galaxies. We compare the cD galaxy morphology and photometry of these data with those from existing archival and published data. The addition of a far--UV color helps us to construct and test star formation model scenarios for the sources of UV emission. Models of star formation with rates in the range \sim5-20M_{\sun}yr$^{-1}$ indicate that the best fitting models are those with continuous star formation or a recent ($\sim4$ Myr old) burst superimposed on an old population. The presence of dust in the galaxy, dramatically revealed by HST images complicates the interpretation of UV data. However, we find that the broad--band UV/optical colors of this cD galaxy can be reasonably matched by models using a Galactic form for the extinction law with $E_{B-V}=0.14$. We also briefly discuss other objects in the large UIT field of view.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal. 14 AAS preprint style pages plus 7 figure

Laser Radar Through the Window (LRTW) Coordinate Correction Method

A method for corrections of measurements of points of interests measured by beams of radiation propagating through stratified media including performance of ray-tracing of at least one ray lunched from a metrology instrument in a direction of an apparent point of interest, calculation a path length of the ray through stratified medium, and determination of coordinates of true position of the point interest using the at least one path length and the direction of propagation of the ray

Advances in Pediatric Neurovirology

Viral infections of the pediatric central nervous system (CNS) encompass a broad spectrum of both perinatally and postnatally acquired diseases with potentially devastating effects on the developing brain. In children, viral infections have been associated with chronic encephalopathy, encephalitis, demyelinating disease, tumors, and epilepsy. Older diagnostic techniques of biopsy, viral culture, electron microscopy, gel-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and viral titer quantification are being replaced with more rapid, sensitive, and specific real-time and microarray-based PCR technologies. Advances in neuroimaging technologies have provided for earlier recognition of CNS injury without elucidation of specific viral etiology. Although the mainstay therapy of many pediatric neurovirologic diseases, aside from HIV, includes intravenous acyclovir, much work is being done to develop novel antiviral immunotherapies aimed at both treating and preventing pediatric CNS viral disease

Effect of remission status and induction chemotherapy regimen on outcome of autologous stem cell transplantation for mantle cell lymphoma.

We analysed the outcomes of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) following high-dose therapy with respect to remission status at the time of transplantation and induction regimen used in 56 consecutive patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Twenty-one patients received induction chemotherapy with HyperCVAD with or without rituximab (+/-R) followed by ASCT in first complete or partial remission (CR1/PR1), 15 received CHOP (+/-R) followed by ASCT in CR1/PR1 and 20 received ASCT following disease progression. Estimates of overall and progression-free survival (PFS) at 3 years among patients transplanted in CR1/PR1 were 93% and 63% compared with 46% and 36% for patients transplanted with relapsed/refractory disease, respectively. The hazard of mortality among patients transplanted with relapsed/refractory disease was 6.09 times that of patients transplanted in CR1/PR1 (P = 0.006). Patients in the CHOP (+/-R) group had a higher risk of failure for PFS compared with patients in the HyperCVAD (+/-R) group, though the difference did not reach statistical significance (hazard ratio 3.67, P = 0.11). These results suggest that ASCT in CR1/PR1 leads to improved survival outcomes for patients with MCL compared to ASCT with relapsed/refractory disease, and a HyperCVAD (+/-R) induction regimen may be associated with an improved PFS among patients transplanted in CR1/PR1

Influenza A Virus (H3N8) in Dogs with Respiratory Disease, Florida

Genetic and antigenic characterization established the uniqueness of this virus circulating in dogs