Speciation in the baboon and its relation to gamma-chain heterogeneity and to the response to induction of HbF by 5-azacytidine

In the baboon (Papio species), the two nonallelic gamma-genes produce gamma-chains that differ at a minimum at residue 75, where isoleucine (I gamma-chain) or valine (V gamma) may be present. This situation obtains in baboons that are sometimes designated as Papio anubis, Papio hamadryas, and Papio papio. However, in Papio cynocephalus, although the I gamma-chains are identical with those in the above mentioned types, the V gamma-chains have the substitutions ala----gly at residue 9 and ala----val at residue 23. The V gamma-chains of P. cynocephalus are called V gamma C to distinguish them from the V gamma A-chains of P. anubis, etc. A single cynocephalus animal has been found to have only normal I gamma-chains and I gamma C-chains (that is, glycine in residue 9, valine in 23, and isoleucine in 75). When HbF is produced in response to stress with 5-azacytidine, P. anubis baboons respond with greater production than do P. cynocephalus, and hybrids fall between. Minimal data on P. hamadryas and P. papio suggest an even lower response than P. cynocephalus. As HbF increases under stress, the ratio of I gamma to V gamma-chains changes from the value in the adult or juvenile baboon toward the ratio in the newborn baboon. However, it does not attain the newborn value. The V gamma A and V gamma C-genes respond differently to stress. In hybrids, the production of V gamma A- chains exceeds that of V gamma C-chains. A controlling factor in cis apparently is present and may be responsible for the species-related extent of total HbF production. It may be concluded that the more primitive the cell in the erythroid maturation series that has been subjected to 5-azacytidine, the more active is the I gamma-gene

He may be your man: but he comes to see me sometimes

(Published By Ted Browne Music Co.

Fluctuations in Blood Biomarkers of Head Trauma in NCAA Men’s Soccer Athletes over the Course of a Season

Repetitive subconcussive impacts to the head are commonplace in soccer. The ability to detect the extent of neurological injury due to these impacts over the course of a season is paramount. PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study was to examine alterations in blood biomarkers of head injury over the course of a soccer season. METHODS: Sixteen National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) male soccer athletes participated in weekly blood sampling throughout an 18-week season. Athlete statistics were received from the coaches post-season. Serum samples were stored at -80°C until analysis for Tau and Neurofilament Light polypeptide (NFL) using a QuanterixTM Simoa HD-1 analyzer. We used R statistical language and the lme4 statistical package to perform a linear mixed effects analysis of the relationships of minutes played (MP) and headers (HEAD) with Tau and NFL. We included the intercept for subjects as a random effect, and time point (TP), MP and HEAD (without the interaction term) as fixed effects. P-values for model comparisons were obtained by likelihood ratio tests. RESULTS: NFL was significantly elevated in weeks 5 (7.3±2.8pg/mL; pCONCLUSION: In our study, neither MP nor HEAD were significant predictors for Tau concentration over the course of an NCAA Men’s soccer season. HEAD appeared to have a small predictive effect on NFL concentrations across the season. Research reported in this publication was supported (in part) by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R01AG051848, R01AG058537, and R01AG058252. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Different factors limit early- and late-season windows of opportunity for monarch development.

Seasonal windows of opportunity are intervals within a year that provide improved prospects for growth, survival, or reproduction. However, few studies have sufficient temporal resolution to examine how multiple factors combine to constrain the seasonal timing and extent of developmental opportunities. Here, we document seasonal changes in milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)-monarch (Danaus plexippus) interactions with high resolution throughout the last three breeding seasons prior to a precipitous single-year decline in the western monarch population. Our results show early- and late-season windows of opportunity for monarch recruitment that were constrained by different combinations of factors. Early-season windows of opportunity were characterized by high egg densities and low survival on a select subset of host plants, consistent with the hypothesis that early-spring migrant female monarchs select earlier-emerging plants to balance a seasonal trade-off between increasing host plant quantity and decreasing host plant quality. Late-season windows of opportunity were coincident with the initiation of host plant senescence, and caterpillar success was negatively correlated with heatwave exposure, consistent with the hypothesis that late-season windows were constrained by plant defense traits and thermal stress. Throughout this study, climatic and microclimatic variations played a foundational role in the timing and success of monarch developmental windows by affecting bottom-up, top-down, and abiotic limitations. More exposed microclimates were associated with higher developmental success during cooler conditions, and more shaded microclimates were associated with higher developmental success during warmer conditions, suggesting that habitat heterogeneity could buffer the effects of climatic variation. Together, these findings show an important dimension of seasonal change in milkweed-monarch interactions and illustrate how different biotic and abiotic factors can limit the developmental success of monarchs across the breeding season. These results also suggest the potential for seasonal sequences of favorable or unfavorable conditions across the breeding range to strongly affect monarch population dynamics

Different factors limit early‐ and late‐season windows of opportunity for monarch development

Abstract Seasonal windows of opportunity are intervals within a year that provide improved prospects for growth, survival, or reproduction. However, few studies have sufficient temporal resolution to examine how multiple factors combine to constrain the seasonal timing and extent of developmental opportunities. Here, we document seasonal changes in milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)–monarch (Danaus plexippus) interactions with high resolution throughout the last three breeding seasons prior to a precipitous single‐year decline in the western monarch population. Our results show early‐ and late‐season windows of opportunity for monarch recruitment that were constrained by different combinations of factors. Early‐season windows of opportunity were characterized by high egg densities and low survival on a select subset of host plants, consistent with the hypothesis that early‐spring migrant female monarchs select earlier‐emerging plants to balance a seasonal trade‐off between increasing host plant quantity and decreasing host plant quality. Late‐season windows of opportunity were coincident with the initiation of host plant senescence, and caterpillar success was negatively correlated with heatwave exposure, consistent with the hypothesis that late‐season windows were constrained by plant defense traits and thermal stress. Throughout this study, climatic and microclimatic variations played a foundational role in the timing and success of monarch developmental windows by affecting bottom‐up, top‐down, and abiotic limitations. More exposed microclimates were associated with higher developmental success during cooler conditions, and more shaded microclimates were associated with higher developmental success during warmer conditions, suggesting that habitat heterogeneity could buffer the effects of climatic variation. Together, these findings show an important dimension of seasonal change in milkweed–monarch interactions and illustrate how different biotic and abiotic factors can limit the developmental success of monarchs across the breeding season. These results also suggest the potential for seasonal sequences of favorable or unfavorable conditions across the breeding range to strongly affect monarch population dynamics

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially