Leaf-Level Gas Exchange and Foliar Chemistry of Common Old-Field Species Responding to Warming and Precipitation Treatments.

We investigated the shifts in plant carbon (C) and water dynamics by measuring rates of photosynthesis, transpiration, and instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE) in three common species of “old-field” plants—two C3 forb species (Plantago lanceolata and Taraxacum officinale) and one C3 grass species (Elymus repens)—under 12 experimentally altered temperature and precipitation regimes at the Boston Area Climate Experiment (BACE) in Waltham, Massachusetts. We also measured shifts in foliar C and nitrogen (N) content to determine possible changes in plant C/nutrient balance. We hypothesized that the warming treatment would cause an increase in photosynthesis rates, unless water was limiting; therefore, we expected an interactive effect of warming and precipitation treatments. We found that warming and drought reduced leaf-level photosynthesis most dramatically when environmental or seasonal conditions produced soils that were already dry. In general, the plants transpired fastest when soils were wet and slowest when soils were dry. Drought treatments increased WUE relative to plants in the ambient and wet treatments but only during the driest and warmest background conditions. Leaf N concentration increased with warming, thereby indicating that future warming may cause some plants to take up more soil N and/or allocate more N to their leaves, possibly as consequences of increased nutrient availability. There were no significant interactive effects of the warming and precipitation treatments together across all seasons, indicating that responses were not synergistic or ameliorative

Fatigue behavior of materials for the sst - electron fractographic studies final report

Electron microscopic fractography to determine fatigue behavior of materials for supersonic transport - titanium, aluminum, molybdenum, and vanadiu

Collagen 11a1 is Indirectly Activated by Lymphocyte Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 (Lef1) and Negatively Regulates Osteoblast Maturation

Alpha 1 (XI) collagen (Col11a1) is essential for normal skeletal development. Mutations in Col11a1 cause Marshall and Stickler syndromes, characterized by craniofacial abnormalities, nearsightedness and hearing abnormalities. Despite its link to human diseases, few studies have characterized the factors that control Col11a1 transcription. We previously identified Col11a1 as a differentially expressed gene in Lef1-suppressed MC3T3 preosteoblasts. Here we report that Lef1 activates the Col11a1 promoter. This activation is dependent upon the DNA binding domain of Lef1, but does not require the ß-catenin interaction domain, suggesting that it is not responsive to Wnt signals. Targeted deletion of Col11a1 with an antisense morpholino accelerated osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization in C2C12 cells, similar to what was observed in Lef1-suppressed MC3T3 cells. Moreover incubation with a purified Col11a1 N-terminal fragment, V1B, prevented alkaline phosphatase expression in MC3T3 and C2C12 cells. These results suggest that Lef1 is an activator of the Col11a1 promoter and that Col11a1 suppresses terminal osteoblast differentiation

Reference Genomes from Distantly Related Species Can Be Used for Discovery of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms to Inform Conservation Management

Threatened species recovery programmes benefit from incorporating genomic data into conservation management strategies to enhance species recovery. However, a lack of readily available genomic resources, including conspecific reference genomes, often limits the inclusion of genomic data. Here, we investigate the utility of closely related high-quality reference genomes for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery using the critically endangered kakī/black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) and four Charadriiform reference genomes as proof of concept. We compare diversity estimates (i.e., nucleotide diversity, individual heterozygosity, and relatedness) based on kakī SNPs discovered from genotyping-by-sequencing and whole genome resequencing reads mapped to conordinal (killdeer, Charadrius vociferus), confamilial (pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta), congeneric (pied stilt, Himantopus himantopus) and conspecific reference genomes. Results indicate that diversity estimates calculated from SNPs discovered using closely related reference genomes correlate significantly with estimates calculated from SNPs discovered using a conspecific genome. Congeneric and confamilial references provide higher correlations and more similar measures of nucleotide diversity, individual heterozygosity, and relatedness. While conspecific genomes may be necessary to address other questions in conservation, SNP discovery using high-quality reference genomes of closely related species is a cost-effective approach for estimating diversity measures in threatened species

Combat‐Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Comorbid Major Depression in U.S. Veterans: The Role of Deployment Cycle Adversity and Social Support

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) commonly co‐occur in combat veterans, and this comorbidity has been associated with higher levels of distress and more social and economic costs compared to one disorder alone. In a secondary analysis of a multisite randomized controlled trial of a sample of veterans with combat‐related PTSD, we examined the associations among pre‐, peri‐, and postdeployment adversity, social support, and clinician‐diagnosed comorbid MDD. Participants completed the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory–II as well as structured clinical interviews for diagnostic status. Among 223 U.S. veterans of the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (86.9% male) with primary combat‐related PTSD, 69.5% had current comorbid MDD. After adjustment for sex, a linear regression model indicated that more concerns about family disruptions during deployment, f2 = 0.065; more harassment during deployment, f2 = 0.020; and lower ratings of postdeployment social support, f2 = 0.154, were associated with more severe self‐reported depression symptoms. Interventions that enhance social support as well as societal efforts to foster successful postdeployment reintegration are critical for reducing the mental health burden associated with this highly prevalent comorbidity in veterans with combat‐related PTSD.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155948/1/jts22496_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155948/2/jts22496.pd