The Interaction of Obesity Related Genotypes, Phenotypes, and Economics: An Experimental Economics Approach with Mice

Food intake is greatly influenced by economic factors. Consequently, neuroeconomics has been identified as a new and important area for understanding the interaction between genotypes and phenotypes related to food intake. A foundational element of economics is choice between alternatives. Changing food choices are a central element in the explanation of the increasing obesity rates in human populations. The purpose of this research is to incorporate the key element of choice into the investigation of food intake and weight-related phenotypes for mice in an operant chamber setting. Using normal mice, and mice with a mutation in the Tubby gene (Tub-Mut) which results in adult onset obesity, this research will investigate different behavioral responses among genotypes, as well as unexplored phenotype outcomes when mice are confronted with a falling price of a high fat food relative to a low fat food. Results for both genotypes indicate that as the price of the high fat food falls, consumption of that food increases, but consumption of the low fat food does not decrease in a compensatory fashion. For both genotypes, weight and body fat percentage increases with decreasing high fat food price, but ghrelin and leptin levels do not significantly change. The Tub-Mut shows a significant increase in the area under the glucose tolerance curve, suggestive of a diabetic state. These results show that accounting for choice in neuroeconomic studies is important to understanding the complex regulation of body weight and diabetes.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

A Pulsar-Based Map of Galactic Acceleration

Binary pulsars can be used to probe Galactic potential gradients through calculating their line-of-sight accelerations. We present the first data release of direct line-of-sight acceleration measurements for 26 binary pulsars. We validate these data with a local acceleration model, and compare our results to those extracted from indirect methods. We find evidence for an acceleration gradient in agreement with these values, with our results indicating a local disk density of $\rho_\mathrm{d} = 0.064_{-0.033}^{+0.025} \ \mathrm{M_\odot}\mathrm{pc}^{-3}$. We also find evidence for unmodeled noise of unknown origin in our data set.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Introgression potential between safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) and wild relatives of the genus Carthamus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Safflower, <it>Carthamus tinctorius</it>, is a thistle that is grown commercially for the production of oil and birdseed and recently, as a host for the production of transgenic pharmaceutical proteins. <it>C. tinctorius </it>can cross with a number of its wild relatives, creating the possibility of gene flow from safflower to weedy species. In this study we looked at the introgression potential between different members of the genus <it>Carthamus</it>, measured the fitness of the parents versus the F1 hybrids, followed the segregation of a specific transgene in the progeny and tried to identify traits important for adaptation to different environments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Safflower hybridized and produced viable offspring with members of the section <it>Carthamus </it>and species with chromosome numbers of n = 10 and n = 22, but not with n = 32. The T-DNA construct of a transgenic <it>C. tinctorius </it>line was passed on to the F1 progeny in a Mendelian fashion, except in one specific cross, where it was deleted at a frequency of approximately 21%. Analyzing fitness and key morphological traits like colored seeds, shattering seed heads and the presence of a pappus, we found no evidence of hybrid vigour or increased weediness in the F1 hybrids of commercial safflower and its wild relatives.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that hybridization between commercial safflower and its wild relatives, while feasible in most cases we studied, does not generate progeny with higher propensity for weediness.</p

Deletion of Nhlh2 Results in a Defective Torpor Response and Reduced Beta Adrenergic Receptor Expression in Adipose Tissue

Mice with a targeted deletion of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, Nescient Helix-Loop-Helix 2 (Nhlh2), display adult-onset obesity with significant increases in their fat depots, abnormal responses to cold exposure, and reduced spontaneous physical activity levels. These phenotypes, accompanied by the hypothalamic expression of Nhlh2, make the Nhlh2 knockout (N2KO) mouse a useful model to study the role of central nervous system (CNS) control on peripheral tissue such as adipose tissue.Differences in body temperature and serum analysis of leptin were performed in fasted and ad lib fed wild-type (WT) and N2KO mice. Histological analysis of white (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) was performed. Gene and protein level expression of inflammatory and metabolic markers were compared between the two genotypes.We report significant differences in serum leptin levels and body temperature in N2KO mice compared with WT mice exposed to a 24-hour fast, suggestive of a defect in both white (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) function. As compared to WT mice, N2KO mice showed increased serum IL-6 protein and WAT IL-6 mRNA levels. This was accompanied by slight elevations of mRNA for several macrophage markers, including expression of macrophage specific protein F4/80 in adipose, suggestive of macrophage infiltration of WAT in the mutant animals. The mRNAs for beta3-adrenergic receptors (beta3-AR), beta2-AR and uncoupling proteins were significantly reduced in WAT and BAT from N2KO mice compared with WT mice.These studies implicate Nhlh2 in the central control of WAT and BAT function, with lack of Nhlh2 leading to adipose inflammation and altered gene expression, impaired leptin response to fasting, all suggestive of a deficient torpor response in mutant animals

Improving Distances to Binary Millisecond Pulsars with Gaia

Pulsar distances are notoriously difficult to measure, and play an important role in many fundamental physics experiments, such as pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). Here we perform a cross-match between International PTA pulsars (IPTA) and Gaia's DR2 and DR3. We then combine the IPTA pulsar's parallax with its binary companion's parallax, found in Gaia, to improve the distance measurement to the binary. We find 7 cross-matched IPTA pulsars in Gaia DR2, and when using Gaia DR3, we find 6 IPTA pulsar cross-matches, but with 7 Gaia objects. Moving from Gaia DR2 to Gaia DR3, we find that the Gaia parallaxes for the successfully cross-matched pulsars improved by $53\%$, and pulsar distances improved by $29\%$. Finally, we find that binary companions with a $<3.0\sigma$ detection are unreliable associations, setting a high bar for successful cross-matches.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, 4 table

Transition to High School: School 'Choice' and Freshman Year in Philadelphia

The School District of Philadelphia's tiered system of selective, nonselective, and charter high schools, and the process for high school choice, has created real variation in the degree to which high schools can successfully meet the needs of ninth graders. Research has shown that the ninth grade year is critical in determining a student's likelihood of graduating from high school. This mixed-methods study examines the transition to high school in Philadelphia, which we define as including the eighth grade high school selection process and students' experience in their ninth grade year. In our analysis of eighth grade applications to district-managed high schools for the 2007-08 school year, we found that most District eighth graders participated in the high school selection process, but fewer than half of them were admitted and enrolled in any of their chosen schools. Further, comparing across types of high schools, we found first, that the choice process contributes to system stratification, with low-income students, Black and Latino students, students who need special supports, and boys concentrated in nonselective neighborhood high schools and Whites, Asians, and girls concentrated in special admission high schools. Second, we learned that the choice process creates distinct challenges to the neighborhood schools' ability to support ninth graders. Enrollment at neighborhood high schools does not settle until the school selection process settles in late summer, and then continues to shift through the fall due to geographic mobility and returns from the juvenile justice system or other schools. Late enrollments undercut the ability of the neighborhood high schools to prepare for incoming classes, and contribute to changes in course schedules and teacher assignments after the school year begins, which cost important instructional time. Finally, we found that despite widespread acknowledgement of the importance of the freshman year, competing district agendas often mean it is not a priority in district and school planning. Freshman year interventions are often implemented piecemeal, without the professional support teachers need to adopt new practices, and without the assessments needed to know if they are effective. We argue that if low-performing neighborhood high schools are going to "turn around" or improve, it will require not only building school capacity but also implementing changes to the broader systems of district policy and practice in which these schools function, including the high school selection process

Design of the Spitzer Space Telescope Heritage Archive

It is predicted that Spitzer Space Telescope’s cryogen will run out in April 2009, and the final reprocessing for the cryogenic mission is scheduled to end in April 2011, at which time the Spitzer archive will be transferred to the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) for long-term curation. The Spitzer Science Center (SSC) and IRSA are collaborating to design and deploy the Spitzer Heritage Archive (SHA), which will supersede the current Spitzer archive. It will initially contain the raw and final reprocessed cryogenic science products, and will eventually incorporate the final products from the Warm mission. The SHA will be accompanied by tools deemed necessary to extract the full science content of the archive and by comprehensive documentation

Southern Resident killer whales: from captivity to conservation

The endangered Southern Resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) (SRKW) population remains the only killer whale population listed under the United States Endangered Species Act in U.S. waters since it was listed in 2005. In the 1960s and 70s, the population was reduced by approximately 40% following intensive efforts to capture individuals for a growing marine park captivity industry. The first Northwest killer whale census (1974) found just 70 remaining individuals in the SRKW community. This population has struggled to return to pre-capture numbers, and in the face of new threats including prey depletion, toxic contamination, and vessel effects, fewer than 80 individuals remain today. Over the last 40 years, this unique killer whale community has transitioned from targets of the captivity industry to one of the most iconic wild species of the Pacific Northwest, but is now desperately in need of meaningful and effective conservation efforts. As threats to this population have changed, environmental and advocacy groups have revised their strategies from a focus on separate issues to a recognition of the need for an ecosystem approach to ensure the long-term recovery and survival of these iconic killer whales. Recent research indicates that ecosystem-based efforts drive quicker recovery of ecosystems and endangered species. This innovative method has led to new partnerships with groups from disparate backgrounds working together to address multiple issues in the Pacific Northwest to recover the SRKWs and their habitat - in particular addressing the threat of prey depletion for the SRKWs by working for salmon restoration. By focusing on the role of whales in the ecosystem and their needs, we can increase conservation efforts for the SRKWs and demonstrate the potential of ecosystem-based management

Long Term Preservation of Data Analysis Software at the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive

The NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) curates both data and analysis tools from NASA's infrared missions. As part of our primary goal, we provide long term access to mission-specific software from projects such as IRAS and Spitzer. We will review the efforts by IRSA (and within the greater IPAC before that) to keep the IRAS and Spitzer software tools current and available. Data analysis tools are a vital part of the Spitzer Heritage Archive. The IRAS tools HIRES and SCANPI have been in continual use since the 1980's. Scanpi offers a factor of 2 to 5 gain in sensitivity over the IRAS Point Source Catalog by performing 1D scan averaging of raw survey data at specified arbitrary position. In 2007 SCANPI was completely modernized, with major code revisions. HIRES returns IRAS survey images with higher resolution than the IRAS Sky Survey Atlas (ISSA). We are currently undertaking a modest revision to the tool to ensure continued reliability. In the next two years, the US Planck Data Center plans to adapt both tools for use with Planck data, and deliver them to IRSA for long term curation

Non-detection of CHIME/FRB sources with the Arecibo Observatory

In this work, we present follow-up observations of two known repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) and seven non-repeating FRBs with complex morphology discovered with CHIME/FRB. These observations were conducted with the Arecibo Observatory 327 MHz receiver. We detected no additional bursts from these sources, nor did CHIME/FRB detect any additional bursts from these sources during our follow-up program. Based on these non-detections, we provide constraints on the repetition rate, for all nine sources. We calculate repetition rates using both a Poisson distribution of repetition and the Weibull distribution of repetition presented by Oppermann et al. (2018). For both distributions, we find repetition upper limits of the order $\lambda = 10^{-2} - 10^{-1} \text{hr}^{-1}$ for all sources. These rates are much lower than those recently published for notable repeating FRBs like FRB 20121102A and FRB 20201124A, suggesting the possibility of a low-repetition sub-population.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables; submitted to Ap