The Use of a Habitat Quality Stress Index to Evaluate Stress as an Analog for Proximate Fitness in the American Crow Within a Matrix of Landcover Characteristics to Assess Its Potential Contribution to Disease Etiologies

All organisms occur within spatial and temporal environments to maximize proximate fitness (health) and thus life history outcomes. Previous work has examined the temporal and behavioral aspects of proximate fitness on life history outcomes particularly regarding highly perturbed environments (i.e., climate and land use change, resource extraction, agricultural erosion, etc.). My work focuses on the less examined spatial aspect of these perturbed environments. More specifically, this dissertation examines habitat selection and quality as the basis for understanding stress response (negative and positive feedback mechanisms) to environmental stressors within the larger context of regional or gamma (ɣ) biodiversity. Through the lens of environmental endocrinology, I examine patterns of glucocorticoid (GC) hormone differentiation spatially. I do this to understand how biotic and anthropogenic environmental stressors affect stress response in the American Crow (AMCR). This stress response could have an impact on human disease origins. I examined 13 sites throughout the State of Connecticut between 2019 and 2021, from very rural to very urbanized. I collected 153 opportunistic fecal samples of AMCR, then used radio immunoassay to characterize and quantify the samples as GC hormones, a key chemical constituent that reflects stress response in avian subjects. I then used a geographic information system (GIS) to plot various catchments for each sample centroid as notional representations of AMCR territories. I then overlayed 15 landcover types as biotic and anthropogenic environmental stressors (ESs). I used ordinary least squares linear regression for my initial analyses to evaluate the degree of validity of the ES–GC relationship at discrete locations where samples were taken and subsequently within varying sized territorial catchments. Finally, I reinterpreted a single constrained gravity model for the development of a habitat quality stress index (HQSI) to understand more dynamically how stress response is affected by movement around AMCR territories. Originally based on Newton’s law of universal gravitation I believe this is the first use of such a model in evaluating stress response via fecal GCs in an ecological setting across a spatial landscape. A major takeaway from these findings is that the historically understood linearly composed landscape gradient has a much greater extracellular or episodic or granular location-specific nature. Examining GIS raster imagery for instance, yields dramatic differentiation of land cover types over very small areas (\u3c0.1 km2) that indicates stress being applied in a highly stochastic manner. This coupled with the dramatic variation in GC levels around roost areas shows AMCR likely traveling significant distances over and through locations with various levels of environmental stressors to arrive at their roost sites each evening. Stress is mediated most effectively when there is consistency or linearity in its application, facilitating a rapid return to equilibrium. The extracellular nature of landcover examined showed a dramatic differentiation that stress response is unable to adjust toover time, without having a pathological response. This results in the extension or lengthening of the negative feedback response culminating in disequilibrium of a positive feedback response, and thereby reduction in proximate fitness and immunological resistance. AMCR, more so than many other taxa, is a highly social and adaptable avian species due to its higher level of cognition and neuroplastic nature (rapid flexibility and adaptation of response via its sophisticated central nervous system [CNS]). The AMCR populations in the roosts I observed thus favor urban locations. However, AMCR’s endocrine system adapts more slowly than their CNS (brain) to higher stress environments. Social cohesion thus outweighs homeostatic balance. In effect we would say that they are too smart for their own good

Anion–Anion Interactions in Aerogen-Bonded Complexes. Influence of Solvent Environment

Ab initio calculations are applied to the question as to whether a AeX5− anion (Ae = Kr, Xe) can engage in a stable complex with another anion: F−, Cl−, or CN−. The latter approaches the central Ae atom from above the molecular plane, along its C5 axis. While the electrostatic repulsion between the two anions prevents their association in the gas phase, immersion of the system in a polar medium allows dimerization to proceed. The aerogen bond is a weak one, with binding energies less than 2 kcal/mol, even in highly polar aqueous solvent. The complexes are metastable in the less polar solvents THF and DMF, with dissociation opposed by a small energy barrier

Zjawisko korupcji w Polsce i Norwegii – zarys charakterystyki prawnoporównawczej

Corruption is present in every country in the world. The Scandinavian countries are leading on the lists of the least corrupt countries. Norway is however with the highest rate of corruption. The paper raises the issue of corruption in Poland and Norway, taking into account the statistics illustrating the scale of this phenomenon. The author also compares the outline of criminal laws of both countries and tries to answer to the question what affects the number of committed crimes, taking into account the methods of counteracting them. The article includes a description of the so-called “nordic factors” that are characteristic of Scandinavian countries and which significantly contribute to the reduction of corruption.Zjawisko korupcji jest obecne w każdym kraju na świecie. Kraje skandynawskie przodują na listach najmniej skorumpowanych państw. Norwegia jednak odznacza się wśród nich najwyższym wskaźnikiem korupcji. Opracowanie porusza problematykę korupcji w Polsce i Norwegii, z uwzględnieniem statystyk ilustrujących skalę tego zjawiska. Autorka porównuje także w zarysie przepisy karne tych państw i próbuje odpowiedzieć na pytanie, co wpływa na liczbę popełnianych na tym tle przestępstw, uwzględniając metody przeciwdziałania im. W artykule uwzględniono opis tzw. czynników nordyckich, które są charakterystyczne dla państw skandynawskich i które w istotny sposób przyczyniają się do zmniejszenia zjawiska korupcji

VibCo Engineering Test Bench

The VIBCO Engineering Test Bench was designed to be an all-inclusive, easy-to-use testing station for use by VIBCO’s engineering team. It features both loaded and unloaded testing areas, precision data acquisition instruments, and numerous sensors. The test bench was designed with convenience in mind. The main goal was to create an easy-to-use station where the majority of VIBCO’s small electric and pneumatic units can be quickly set up and tested with minimal user training. The test bench is constructed almost fully out of steel. It utilizes 2”x2”x1/4” angle steel and 1/4” steel plates. The height and other dimensions were carefully selected for ease of operation. A portion of the bench is vibration isolated using four Firestone air mounts. The bench is relatively portable, with heavy-duty casters allowing it to be transported from one area of VIBCO’s shop to another. Several modular mounting plates were designed to attach many different VIBCO models to the isolated portion of the test bench. These plates can accommodate over 60 different units each. They attach to mounting rails affixed the isolated bench top section using ¾”cap screws. Using AstroNova’s DAXUS data acquisition system and associated software, various sensors were interfaced to collect the necessary data from VIBCO’s vibration units. A thermocouple measures temperature data. A current clamp measures current draw of electric units. A tri-axial accelerometer measures acceleration of the vibrating assembly, which is in turn used to calculate both vibration speed (VPM) and force outputted by the unit

Nuclear position dictates DNA repair pathway choice

Faithful DNA repair is essential to avoid chromosomal rearrangements and promote genome integrity. Nuclear organization has emerged as a key parameter in the formation of chromosomal translocations, yet little is known as to whether DNA repair can efficiently occur throughout the nucleus and whether it is affected by the location of the lesion. Here, we induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at different nuclear compartments and follow their fate. We demonstrate that DSBs induced at the nuclear membrane (but not at nuclear pores or nuclear interior) fail to rapidly activate the DNA damage response (DDR) and repair by homologous recombination (HR). Real-time and superresolution imaging reveal that DNA DSBs within lamina-associated domains do not migrate to more permissive environments for HR, like the nuclear pores or the nuclear interior, but instead are repaired in situ by alternative end-joining. Our results are consistent with a model in which nuclear position dictates the choice of DNA repair pathway, thus revealing a new level of regulation in DSB repair controlled by spatial organization of DNA within the nucleus

Análise da preservação do miocárdio após administração de N-2 mercaptopropionilglicina em modelo experimental de isquemia e reperfusão em cães

Nowadays, cardiovascular diseases are the principal cause of morbimortality, specially the coronary artery disease. New physiopathological acknowledgement indicates new mechanisms for myocardial injury, still not quite studied.The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of N2-Mercaptopropionilglicine (N2-MPG) as a myocardial protection agent during ischemya/reperfusion based on the preservationof the necrosis area. Sixteen dogs where divided into two groups of eight dogs each one: Group I (N2-MPG) and Group II (control). After the experimental acute myocardialinfarction reproduction, the hearts where colored (TTC/Blue Evans dye) and weighed for the myocardial preservation analysis. The amount of necrosis area were: Group I(73,14%) and Group II (49,98%) through the Mann-Whitney method. The necrosis area reduction showed an average reduction of 23,16%, concluding that N2-MPG has aprotection effect during myocardial ischemya/reperfusion.As doenças cardiovasculares representam a principal causa de morbi-mortalidade da atualidade, sendo a doença arterial coronariana seu maior expoente. Novos conhecimentosfisiopatológicos indicam outros mecanismos para injúria miocárdica, ainda pouco estudados. O objetivo desse trabalho é analisar o efeito da N2-Mercaptopropionilglicina (N2-MPG) como agente protetor do miocárdio durante a isquemia/reperfusão, com base na preservação da área denecrose. Foram utilizados 16 cães alocados em dois grupos de oito cães cada: Grupo I (N2-MPG) e Grupo II (controle). Após a reprodução experimental de infarto agudo do miocárdio, os corações foram corados (TTC/Azul de Evans) e pesados para análise da preservação do miocárdio. Os resultados, em relação à preservação da área de necrose, foram: Grupo I (73,14%) e Grupo II (49,98%) através do método de Mann-Whitney. A redução da área de necrose obtida neste estudo apresentou diferença estatística significativa entre os grupos mostrando uma reduçãomédia de 23,16%, concluindo-se que a N2-MPG possui efeito protetor durante a isquemia/reperfusão do miocárdio

Human BRCA1-BARD1 ubiquitin ligase activity counters chromatin barriers to DNA resection

The opposing activities of 53BP1 and BRCA1 influence pathway choice of DNA double-strand break repair. How BRCA1 counters the inhibitory effect of 53BP1 on DNA resection and homologous recombination is unknown. Here we identify the site of BRCA1-BARD1 required for priming ubiquitin transfer from E2~ubiquitin. We demonstrate that BRCA1-BARD1’s ubiquitin ligase activity is required for repositioning 53BP1 on damaged chromatin. We confirm H2A ubiquitylation by BRCA1-BARD1 and show that an H2A-ubiquitin fusion protein promotes DNA resection and repair in BARD1 deficient cells. We show BRCA1-BARD1 function in homologous recombination requires the chromatin remodeler SMARCAD1. SMARCAD1 binding to H2A-ubiquitin, optimal localization to sites of damage and activity in DNA repair requires its ubiquitin-binding CUE domains. SMARCAD1 is required for 53BP1 repositioning and the need for SMARCAD1 in Olaparib or camptothecin resistance is alleviated by 53BP1 loss. Thus BRCA1- BARD1 ligase activity and subsequent SMARCAD1-dependent chromatin remodeling are critical regulators of DNA repair