Large mammal telomere length variation across ecoregions

Background Telomere length provides a physiological proxy for accumulated stress in animals. While there is a growing consensus over how telomere dynamics and their patterns are linked to life history variation and individual experience, knowledge on the impact of exposure to different stressors at a large spatial scale on telomere length is still lacking. How exposure to different stressors at a regional scale interacts with individual differences in life history is also poorly understood. To better understand large-scale regional influences, we investigated telomere length variation in moose (Alces alces) distributed across three ecoregions. We analyzed 153 samples of 106 moose representing moose of both sexes and range of ages to measure relative telomere lengths (RTL) in white blood cells. Results We found that average RTL was significantly shorter in a northern (montane) and southern (sarmatic) ecoregion where moose experience chronic stress related to severe summer and winter temperatures as well as high anthropogenic land-use compared to the boreal region. Our study suggests that animals in the northern boreal forests, with relatively homogenous land use, are less disturbed by environmental and anthropogenic stressors. In contrast, animals in areas experiencing a higher rate of anthropogenic and environmental change experience increased stress. Conclusion Although animals can often adapt to predictable stressors, our data suggest that some environmental conditions, even though predictable and ubiquitous, can generate population level differences of long-term stress. By measuring RTL in moose for the first time, we provide valuable insights towards our current understanding of telomere biology in free-ranging wildlife in human-modified ecosystems

Weed Robot

Team Weed Scouts has completed our work on a weed-cutting robot for the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast. The final robot build provides a solid foundation that can be built and improved upon by future teams. We have completed the robot base and structure, including the chassis, drivetrain, and robot shell. We also completed manufacturing a weed storage bin and canvas cover for the robot. Additionally, we have built a weed scooper, the mechanism that cuts weeds and transports them into a storage compartment. The electronics and programming for remote control of the robot are also implemented. After some testing, we found that the robot had limited functionality. It was able to drive around with slight power issues but unfortunately, the weed scooper was not able to fully cut and transport the weeds. Despite these obstacles, we have created a semi-operable foundation for future teams to optimize, test, and debug. The next steps include adding a weed shredder and developing autonomous robot functionality along with weed identification. Upon project completion, the weed-cutting robot will help maintain the grounds at Camp Arnaz and serve as a source of engineering inspiration for Girl Scouts and other camp visitors

High throughput phenotypic screening of the human spermatozoon

Despite recent advances in male reproductive health research, there remain many elements of male infertility where our understanding is incomplete. Consequently, diagnostic tools and treatments for men with sperm dysfunction, other than medically assisted reproduction, are limited. On the other hand, the gaps in our knowledge of the mechanisms which underpin sperm function have hampered the development of male non-hormonal contraceptives. The study of mature spermatozoa is inherently difficult. They are a unique and highly specialised cell type which does not actively transcribe or translate proteins and cannot be cultured for long periods of time or matured in vitro. One large-scale approach to both increasing the understanding of sperm function and the discovery and development of compounds that can modulate sperm function is to directly observe responses to compounds with phenotypic screening techniques. These target agnostic approaches can be developed into high-throughput screening platforms with the potential to drastically increase advances in the field. Here, we discuss the rationale and development of high-throughput phenotypic screening platforms for mature human spermatozoa and the multiple potential applications these present, as well as the current limitations and leaps in our understanding and the capabilities needed to overcome them. Further development and use of these technologies could lead to the identification of compounds which positively or negatively affect sperm cell motility or function or novel platforms for toxicology or environmental chemical testing among other applications. Ultimately, each of these potential applications is also likely to increase the understanding within the field of sperm biology.</p

Quantification techniques for potential CO2 leakage from geological storage sites

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Quantification techniques for potential CO2 leakage from geological storage sites

AbstractCO2 storage monitoring programmes aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of the project in controlling atmospheric CO2 levels, by providing confidence in predictions of the long-term fate of stored CO2 and identifying and measuring any potentially harmful leaks to the environment. In addition, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) treats leakages of stored CO2 from the geosphere in to the ocean or atmosphere as emissions, and as such they need to be accounted for. An escape of CO2 from storage may be detected through losses from the reservoir, or migration through the overburden, into shallow groundwater systems, through topsoil and into the atmosphere, or through a seabed into the water column. Various monitoring techniques can be deployed to detect and in some cases quantify leakage in each of these compartments. This paper presents a portfolio of monitoring methods that are appropriate for CO2 leakage quantification, with a view to minimising both uncertainties and costs

Perspectives of hospital emergency department staff on traumaâ informed care for injured children: An Australian and New Zealand analysis

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138230/1/jpc13644_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138230/2/jpc13644.pd

Focal Point Gallery : a new institutional model?

A description is given of how Focal Point Gallery’s (FPG) new building (in Southend-on-Sea, Essex) was conceived in terms of its practical effectiveness in addressing tensions between local and global, utopian, social and political thought, through the commissioning of permanent and temporary artworks – by Marc Camille Chaimowicz, Scott King, Mike Nelson, Elizabeth Price, Allen Rupperberg, Tris Vonna-Michell and Lawrence Weiner – via an ethical curatorial approach involving affirmative modes of criticality. This includes an account of distribution strategies used for FPG’s printed publicity as an artistic program in its own right, and the various platforms, channels and spaces of editorial circulation that informed this curatorial approach

Practical lessons learned for assessing and treating bipolar disorder via telehealth modalities during the COVID-19 pandemic

We briefly frame challenges and steps to overcoming those challenges in delivering care for patients with bipolar disorder via telehealth or telephone during COVID-19. Telehealth provides an invaluable opportunity to provide care for patients even under circumstances of social isolation. The issues discussed in this debate are intended to guide and assist clinicians, both in assessment and intervention, in adjusting to the use of virtual care for patients with bipolar disorder

Quantitative investigation of calcimimetic R568 on beta-cell adhesion and mechanics using AFM single-cell force spectroscopy

In this study we use a novel approach to quantitatively investigate mechanical and interfacial properties of clonal b-cells using AFM-Single Cell Force Spectroscopy (SCFS). MIN6 cells were incubated for 48 h with 0.5 mMCa2+ ± the calcimimetic R568 (1 lM). AFM-SCFS adhesion and indentation experiments were performed by using modified tipless cantilevers. Hertz contact model was applied to analyse force–displacement (F–d) curves for determining elastic or Young’s modulus (E). Our results show CaSR-evoked increases in cell-to-cell adhesion parameters and E modulus of single cells, demonstrating that cytomechanics have profound effects on cell adhesion characterization

Prophylaxis after Exposure to Coxiella burnetii

Postexposure prophylaxis may avert Q fever illness and death when the probability of exposure is above the population-specific threshold point