Colonel H.D.G. Crerar’s Visit to Nazi Germany, 1937

Following the Imperial Conference in London in May 1937, Mackenzie King, the Canadian Prime Minister, accepted Ribbentrop’s invitation and visited Germany. He arrived in Berlin on 7 June. Colonel H.D.G. Crerar, the Canadian Army’s Director of Military Operations and Intelligence, also took part in the Conference. He visited Germany at his own expense from 16 to 21 June to familiarize himself with the nature of the Nazi regime. This document is the report that he wrote following his visit to Germany. It is interesting to note his personal impressions and observe the validity of his comments

Investigation of Photoplethysmographic Signals in Human Visceral Organs

There is a need for reliable continuous monitoring of visceral organ oxygen saturation (SpO2). Splanchnic ischaemia may ultimately lead to cellular hypoxia and necrosis and may well contribute to the development of multiple organ failures and increased mortality. A new reflectance photoplethysmographic (PPG) probe and signal processing system were developed. PPG signals from abdominal organs (bowel, liver, and kidney) and the finger were obtained from 12 anaesthetised patients. The amplitudes of the abdominal organ PPGs were, on average, approximately the same as those obtained simultaneously from the finger. These observations suggest that pulse oximetry may be a valid monitoring technique for abdominal organs such as the bowel liver and kidney

A new system for estimating human splanchnic oxygen saturation

Adequate splanchnic oxygen saturation (SpO2) is essential for maintaining organ viability during and after surgery. There is a need for reliable continuous monitoring of organ oxygen saturation. A new photoplethysmographic (PPG) probe and signal processing system were developed. PPG signals from abdominal organs (bowel, liver, kidney) and the finger were obtained from 12 anaesthetised patients. The amplitudes of the abdominal organ PPGs were, on average, approximately the same as those obtained simultaneously from the finger. Preliminary SpO2 values from abdominal organs showed good agreement with those obtained simultaneously from a commercial finger pulse oximeter

Measurement of photoplethysmographic signals in human abdominal organs

There is a need for reliable continuous monitoring of abdominal organ oxygen saturation (SpO2). Splanchnic ischaemia may ultimately lead to cellular hypoxia and necrosis and contribute to the development of multiple organ failure and increased mortality. A reflectance electro-optical photoplethysmographic (PPG) probe and signal processing system were developed. Satisfactory PPG signals from abdominal organs (bowel, liver and kidney) and the finger were obtained from 12 anaesthetised patients. There were no statistically significant differences between the average PPG amplitudes recorded from the abdominal organs and those obtained simultaneously from the finger. These observations suggest that pulse oximetry can be a valid monitoring technique for abdominal organs such as the bowel, liver and kidney

Electro-optical techniques for the investigation of photoplethysmographic signals in human abdominal organs

There is a need for reliable continuous monitoring of abdominal organ oxygen saturation (SpO2). Splanchnic ischaemia may ultimately lead to cellular hypoxia and necrosis and may well contribute to the development of multiple organ failures and increased mortality. A new reflectance electro-optical photoplethysmographic (PPG) probe and signal processing system were developed. PPG signals from abdominal organs (bowel, liver, and kidney) and the finger were obtained from 12 anaesthetised patients. The amplitudes of the abdominal organ PPGs were, on average, approximately the same as those obtained simultaneously from the finger. These observations suggest that pulse oximetry may be a valid monitoring technique for abdominal organs such as the bowel liver and kidney

The axonal transcript Tp53inp2 mediates the development of the sympathetic nervous system

Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin essential for the survival of sympathetic and sensory neurons. Localisation of mRNA in axons of NGF- dependent neurons supports growth and maintains axon integrity, however how localised transcripts regulates most axonal functions remains unknown. To characterise the 3’UTR of transcripts localised in sympathetic neuron axons, we performed a 3’end RNA-Seq on mRNA isolated from either axons or cell bodies of neurons cultured in compartmentalised chambers. We identified Tp53inp2 as the most abundant transcripts in axons, accounting for almost one third of the reads. Interestingly, despite the abundance of its RNA, the protein for Tp53inp2 is not detectable within axons of sympathetic neurons. We observe that Tp53inp2 is not actively translated, held in a strictly repressed state mediated by its UTRs. Deletion of Tp53inp2 in sympathetic neurons in vivo and in vitro affects both cell survival and axon growth, suggesting a critical role for Tp53inp2 in neuronal development, despite the lack of translation. That this phenotype can be rescued by transfecting a non- translatable form of the transcript, suggests that instead Tp53inp2 acts as an atypical non-coding RNA, whose function is mediated through interaction with the NGF receptor TrkA. We conclude that Tp53inp2 mRNA regulates sympathetic neuron survival and axon growth in a coding-independent manner by interacting with TrkA receptor and enhancing axonal NGF- dependent signalling

Space, Time and Change: Investigations of Soil Bacterial Diversity and its Drivers in the Mongolian Steppe

Microorganisms are the most diverse life forms on Earth and are the foundation of any ecosystem. As estimates of microbial diversity rapidly increase with advances in sequencing technologies, so does the need to identify the drivers of such overwhelming diversity. This is particularly true in soil—the most biodiverse habitat on the planet and the key component of terrestrial ecosystems, which are being altered by changes in climate and land use. In order to understand the potential consequences of these changes, we conducted a multi-year experiment to test the effects of global change on soil bacterial communities in northern Mongolia, a region where air temperatures have increased by 1.7 °C since 1960, and traditional land-use patterns are shifting with socio-economic changes. Set in the semi-arid steppe, our global change experiment allowed as to evaluate responses to multiple stressors at once over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Over the course of three years, we investigated soil bacterial diversity at two positions (upper and lower) along a south-facing slope and documented the response of these communities to three experimental treatments: a Watering experiment (upper slope only), a Grazing experiment (lower slope only) and a Climate Manipulation experiment (both slopes). We measured diversity using both the number and abundance of distinct bacterial taxa in a soil sample and then correlated these findings with corresponding measurements of biotic and abiotic factors, which included plant richness and biomass, as well as plant available N, pH, soil moisture and soil temperature. We found that temporal and spatial factors explained much of the variation in the bacterial communities. After accounting for temporal and spatial variation, soil moisture content was the primary driver structuring bacterial diversity across the landscape and within experimental treatments. In particular, the effects of climate change on these semi-arid grasslands may act primarily through soil moisture content. Concomitant shifts in key members of the bacterial community may ultimately be bioindicators of a drier future for Mongolia