Effectiveness of a Simulated Pack to Manipulate Wolf Movements

Bioboundaries, also called biofences, are deterrents that attempt to exploit certain innate behaviors to exclude wildlife from target areas. We hypothesized that human-deployed scent marks and playbacks of foreign howls could simulate a territorial gray wolf (Canis lupus) pack impinging on a resident pack, thereby causing the resident pack to move. During summer 2010, we deployed a simulated-pack bioboundary near 3 wolf packs in northern Wisconsin and monitored their movements relative to 3 wolf packs experiencing a sham treatment, to control for effects of human presence. We analyzed wolves’ locations (≥1 location per week) and used linear models with mixed effects to examine distance from the rendezvous site as a function of treatment (sham or experimental) and phase of treatment (before or after treatment was initiated), while accounting for variations in individual wolves. We found little evidence that biofences, as configured and deployed in this study, caused wolves to change use of their territory

Гипотензивный эффект факоэмульсификации катаракты у больных с некомпенсированной первичной открытоугольной глаукомой

Нами було досліджено вплив факоемульсифікації катаракти з імплантацією інтраокулярної лінзи на внутришньоочний тиск (ВОТ). Обстежено та прооперовано 44 ока (36 людей) хворих на катаракту зпідвищеннимвнутриочним тиском, який тримався на тлі прийому двох чи більше гіпотензивних препаратах, та з відкритим кутом передньої камери.Очі були поділені на дві групи: у першу групу увійшли очі з псевдоесфоліативним синдромом, друга – без псевдо ексфоліацій. Більш виражене зниження внутрішньоочного тиску спостерігалося на очах з псевдоексфоліативним синдромом (32,4%) ніж на очах без нього (27,6%). В результаті проведеного лікування крім нормалізації офтальмотонуса вдалося зменшити кількість застосовуваних гіпотензивних препаратів або повністю відійти від них на оперованих очах.Факоемульсифікація катаракти є ефективною методикою нормалізації ВОТ у хворих з ПВКГ і катарактою та може рекомендуватися як метод першого вибору в тактиці лікування даної групи пацієнтів.We have investigated the effect of phacoemulsification of cataract with implantation of intraocular lenses on intraocular pressure (IOP). Examined and operated 44 eyes (36 patients) with cataract and high intraocular pressure, which was kept in the background taking two or more antihypertensive medications, and an open anterior chamber angle. Eyes were divided into two groups: first group included eyes with psevdoesfoliation syndrome, the second – with out pseudoeksfoliation. A marked reduction of intraocular pressure was observed in eyes with PEX syndrome (32.4%) thanineyeswithout (27.6%). As a result of treatment but normalization of IOP managed to reduce the number of antihypertensive drugs used or completely away from them on the operated eyes. Phacoemulsification of the cataract is an effective method of normalization of IOP in patients with POAG and cataract and be recommended as a method of first choice in tactics of treatment of this patient group

Improved imputation quality of low-frequency and rare variants in European samples using the ‘Genome of The Netherlands’

Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many common variants associated with complex traits, low-frequency and rare variants have not been interrogated in a comprehensive manner. Imputation from dense reference panels, such as the 1000 Genomes Project (1000G), enables testing of ungenotyped variants for association. Here we present the results of imputation using a large, new population-specific panel: the Genome of The Netherlands (GoNL). We benchmarked the performance of the 1000G and GoNL reference sets by comparing imputation genotypes with ‘true’ genotypes typed on ImmunoChip in three European populations (Dutch, British, and Italian). GoNL showed s

Trans-eQTLs Reveal That Independent Genetic Variants Associated with a Complex Phenotype Converge on Intermediate Genes, with a Major Role for the HLA

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Occupational exposure to gases/fumes and mineral dust affect DNA methylation levels of genes regulating expression

Many workers are daily exposed to occupational agents like gases/fumes, mineral dust or biological dust, which could induce adverse health effects. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, have been suggested to play a role. We therefore aimed to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) upon occupational exposures in never-smokers and investigated if these DMRs associated with gene expression levels. To determine the effects of occupational exposures independent of smoking, 903 never-smokers of the LifeLines cohort study were included. We performed three genome-wide methylation analyses (Illumina 450 K), one per occupational exposure being gases/fumes, mineral dust and biological dust, using robust linear regression adjusted for appropriate confounders. DMRs were identified using comb-p in Python. Results were validated in the Rotterdam Study (233 never-smokers) and methylation-expression associations were assessed using Biobank-based Integrative Omics Study data (n = 2802). Of the total 21 significant DMRs, 14 DMRs were associated with gases/fumes and 7 with mineral dust. Three of these DMRs were associated with both exposures (RPLP1 and LINC02169 (2x)) and 11 DMRs were located within transcript start sites of gene expression regulating genes. We replicated two DMRs with gases/fumes (VTRNA2-1 and GNAS) and one with mineral dust (CCDC144NL). In addition, nine gases/fumes DMRs and six mineral dust DMRs significantly associated with gene expression levels. Our data suggest that occupational exposures may induce differential methylation of gene expression regulating genes and thereby may induce adverse health effects. Given the millions of workers that are exposed daily to occupational exposures, further studies on this epigenetic mechanism and health outcomes are warranted

Метафорична картина світу та її місце у системі світів

Статья посвящается исследованию понятия метафорической картины мира, целесообразность выделения которой автор объясняет тем, что по аналогии с языковой и концептуальной картинами мира, термин "метафорическая картина мира" содержит информацию о сложной структуре многосмысловых значений, которые в силу своей метафорической природе гармонически объединяются.У статті йдеться про поняття метафоричної картини світу, доцільність виділення якої авторка пояснює тим, що за аналогією до мовної й концептуальної картин світу, термін "метафорична картина світу" вміщує інформацію про складну структуру багатосмислових значень, що завдяки своїй метафоричній природі гармонійно поєднуються.The article deals with the notion of metaphorical world picture connected with the general principle of conceptualization. The term "metaphorical world picture" consists of a complex structure of various meanings harmonically combined due to their metaphorical nature

Genomics of human longevity

In animal models, single-gene mutations in genes involved in insulin/IGF and target of rapamycin signalling pathways extend lifespan to a considerable extent. The genetic, genomic and epigenetic influences on human longevity are expected to be much more complex. Strikingly however, beneficial metabolic and cellular features of long-lived families resemble those in animals for whom the lifespan is extended by applying genetic manipulation and, especially, dietary restriction. Candidate gene studies in humans support the notion that human orthologues from longevity genes identified in lower species do contribute to longevity but that the influence of the genetic variants involved is small. Here we discuss how an integration of novel study designs, labour-intensive biobanking, deep phenotyping and genomic research may provide insights into the mechanisms that drive human longevity and healthy ageing, beyond the associations usually provided by molecular and genetic epidemiology. Although prospective studies of humans from the cradle to the grave have never been performed, it is feasible to extract life histories from different cohorts jointly covering the molecular changes that occur with age from early development all the way up to the age at death. By the integration of research in different study cohorts, and with research in animal models, biological research into human longevity is thus making considerable progress