931 research outputs found
A CE assay for the detection of agonist-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity
A CE assay was developed for the detection of adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity stimulated at the AC and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) level. In the assay, cell membranes overexpressing GPCR and/or AC were incubated with modulators and substrate ATP to produce cAMP in a dose-dependent manner. In both the CE-UV and a radiochemical assay, the addition of forskolin (FSK) resulted in a two- to three-fold maximum increase in AC activity with EC 50 s of 4.2â14±â140.7 and 2.4â14±â140.7â14ÎM, respectively, demonstrating that similar results were obtained by both assays. GPCR activation was also detected using cell membranes overexpressing AC and the Î 2 -adrenergic receptor (Î 2 AR) fused to the stimulatory G protein. Terbutaline (Î 2 AR agonist) increased the basal rate of cAMP formation 1.7â14±â140.1-fold resulting in an EC 50 of 62â14±â1410â14nM. The assay's ability to detect antagonists is demonstrated by the expected right-shifted EC 50 of terbutaline by the Î 2 AR antagonist propranolol. The CE-UV assay offers advantages over the traditional radioactivity assay in terms of safety and labor.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/56060/1/1913_ftp.pd
Mating system variation in neotropical black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, at three spatial scales towards an expanding northern distributional limit
Climate-driven range expansion of ecosystem-defining foundation species can have wide-reaching ecological consequences. Expansion may also result in mating system changes in these foundation species because of the ecological characteristics of range margins, such as greater conspecific isolation and reduced pollinator availability. It is important to understand how mating systems may change during expansion due to their direct influence on intraspecific genetic and demographic dynamics. Here, we used 12 microsatellite loci to genotype progeny arrays of the neotropical black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) at six collection sites (n = 23 maternal trees; 1,612 genotyped propagules) along a latitudinal gradient towards a northern distributional limit on the Atlantic coast of Florida, USA (27.56â30.01oN), where mangroves have expanded into salt marsh over the past several decades. We assessed mating system variation at three spatial scales. First, at the species-distribution level, published outcrossing rates for tropical conspecifics were more than two times higher than those for subtropical Florida A. germinans, consistent with reductions in pollinator diversity and in mangrove abundance with latitude. Second, at the population level, Florida outcrossing rates did not systematically decline towards the northern range limit, but instead, a more open pollen-dispersal neighbourhood at the transition from mangrove to salt marsh dominance may elevate outcrossing until conspecific abundances become too low towards the range limit. Third, at the individual level, outcrossing increased as conspecific cover increased at the Florida range margin, consistent with density-dependent plastic shifts in mating system. These findings suggest that ecological structure influences the A. germinans mating system at varying spatial scales. Further research needs to evaluate the effect of A. germinans mating system variation on the survival and fitness of offspring and on the extent of population-level local adaptation at expanding distributional limits
An expert assessment on playspace designs and thermal environments in a Canadian context
Playgrounds are a hub for child play and concerns that may impact children\u27s play there may hinder their health and well-being. Extreme temperatures can increase risks in children of sunstroke, burns from playground surfaces, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Despite health risks from extreme heat to children, existing playground design standards around the world, including in Canada, make little-to-no mention of how to design playgrounds for thermal comfort, particularly in summer. To help fill this gap in the Canadian context, several organizations collaborated to develop guidance for thermally comfortable playgrounds in Canada. As part of this project, an online survey was administered to 55 experts with diverse professional backgrounds, largely from Canada and the United States, to determine how thermal comfort is viewed in playground design and safety. Survey results showed agreement among experts that thermal comfort receives low or no priority in playground design but should be prioritized or considered alongside other safety factors in relevant playground safety guidelines and standards. The results of this survey not only helped inform the 2020 publication of a Thermal Comfort annex to the CSA Group\u27s Children\u27s playgrounds and equipment standard (CAN/CSA Z614) but could also help inform future research and practice globally
Geology and palaeontology of the Hindon Maar Complex: A Miocene terrestrial fossil LagerstÀtte in southern New Zealand
Highlights
⹠Hindon Maar Complex is a new mid-Miocene Fossil-LagerstÀtte in New Zealand.
âą Anoxia in maar lakes allowed exquisite preservation of plant and animal fossils.
âą The biota is from a lake and Nothofagus/podocarp/mixed broadleaf forest ecosystem.
âą Fossils record high diversity at humid, warm Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes.
Abstract
This paper highlights the geology, biodiversity and palaeoecology of the Hindon Maar Complex, the second Miocene Konservat-LagerstĂ€tte to be described from New Zealand. The LagerstĂ€tte comprises four partly eroded maar-diatreme volcanoes, with three craters filled by biogenic and highly fossiliferous lacustrine sediments. The exceptionally well-preserved and diverse biota from the site is derived from a mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere lake-forest palaeoecosystem, including many fossil taxa not previously reported from the Southern Hemisphere. The most common macrofossils are leaves of Nothofagus, but the flora also includes conifers, cycads, monocots (such as Ripogonum and palms), together with Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Araliaceae leaves and flowers. The small maar lakes were surrounded by Nothofagus/podocarp/mixed broadleaf forest growing under humid, warm temperate to subtropical conditions. The fossil fauna comprises insects in the orders Odonata, Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Trichoptera, and the fish assemblage includes a non-migratory species of the Southern Hemisphere Galaxias (Galaxiidae) and a significant new record of the freshwater eel Anguilla (Anguillidae). The fossil assemblage also includes the first pre-Quaternary bird feathers from New Zealand and abundant coprolites derived from fish and volant birds, presumably waterfowl. Palynomorph analysis and a 40Ar/39Ar age of 14.6âŻMa obtained from basanite associated with the maar complex indicate that the Hindon Maar Complex is of mid-Miocene age (Langhian; New Zealand local stage: Lillburnian). It thus provides a new and unique perspective on Neogene terrestrial biodiversity and biogeography in the Australasian region, around the end of the mid-Miocene thermal optimum and prior to late MioceneâPleistocene climate cooling episodes when many warm-temperate and subtropical forest components became extinct in New Zealand
Miocene Fossils Reveal Ancient Roots for New Zealandâs Endemic Mystacina (Chiroptera) and Its Rainforest Habitat
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.The New Zealand endemic bat family Mystacinidae comprises just two Recent species referred to a single genus, Mystacina. The family was once more diverse and widespread, with an additional six extinct taxa recorded from Australia and New Zealand. Here, a new mystacinid is described from the early Miocene (19â16 Ma) St Bathans Fauna of Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand. It is the first pre-Pleistocene record of the modern genus and it extends the evolutionary history of Mystacina back at least 16 million years. Extant Mystacina species occupy old-growth rainforest and are semi-terrestrial with an exceptionally broad omnivorous diet. The majority of the plants inhabited, pollinated, dispersed or eaten by modern Mystacina were well-established in southern New Zealand in the early Miocene, based on the fossil record from sites at or near where the bat fossils are found. Similarly, many of the arthropod prey of living Mystacina are recorded as fossils in the same area. Although none of the Miocene plant and arthropod species is extant, most are closely related to modern taxa, demonstrating potentially long-standing ecological associations with Mystacina
Hurricanes overcome migration lag and shape intraspecific genetic variation beyond a poleward mangrove range limit
Expansion of many tree species lags behind climateâchange projections. Extreme storms can rapidly overcome this lag, especially for coastal species, but how will stormâdriven expansion shape intraspecific genetic variation? Do storms provide recruits only from the nearest sources, or from more distant sources? Answers to these questions have ecological and evolutionary implications, but empirical evidence is absent from the literature. In 2017, Hurricane Irma provided an opportunity to address this knowledge gap at the northern range limit of the neotropical black mangrove (Avicennia germinans ) on the Atlantic coast of Florida, USA. We observed massive postâhurricane increases in beachâstranded A. germinans propagules at, and past, this speciesâ presentâday range margin when compared to a previouslyâsurveyed, nonâhurricane year. Yet, propagule dispersal does not guarantee subsequent establishment and reproductive success (i.e., effective dispersal). We also evaluated prior effective dispersal along this coastline with isolated A. germinans trees identified beyond the most northern established population. We used 12 nuclear microsatellite loci to genotype 896 hurricaneâdriven drift propagules from nine sites and 10 isolated trees from four sites, determined their sources of origin, and estimated dispersal distances. Almost all drift propagules and all isolated trees came from the nearest sources. This research suggests that hurricanes are a prerequisite for poleward range expansion of a coastal tree species and that storms can shape the expanding gene pool by providing almost exclusively rangeâmargin genotypes. These insights and empirical estimates of hurricaneâdriven dispersal distances should improve our ability to forecast distributional shifts of coastal species
The Vehicle, Spring 1985
Vol. 26, No. 2
Table of Contents
Beyond the FieldsKeila Tooleypage 3
Lonely Sculptor Accustomed to Living AloneMichelle Mitchellpage 4
Mona LisaBob Zordanipage 4
Poet Born in Pearl HarborAngelique Jenningspage 5
IntroductionsGraham Lewispage 6
Living InsideJennifer Soulepage 9
PictureKathy Greypage 10
Salvadore Dali in a Wheelchair on TVAngelique Jenningspage 11
Sonata in E FlatBecky Lawsonpage 12
Myopia and Wild KingdomMichelle Mitchellpage 12
On Becoming a GrandmotherKeila Tooleypage 13
A VisionJennifer D. Pringlepage 14
The Covered BridgeDebbie Woodleypage 14
Jacob\u27s LifeJoan Sebastianpage 15
ForgotGraham Lewispage 15
A Dozen and One TrainsongsAngelique Jenningspage 16
Women\u27s PlaceJennifer Soulepage 19
Night SailingKim Dumentatpage 20
She Isn\u27t There WhenMichelle Mitchellpage 20
A Case for the Common ColdMaggie Kennedypage 21
the cityTammy Batespage 22
The RattlesnakeEric S. McGeepage 22
New PictureKeila Tooleypage 23
Lewis and SinGraham Lewispage 24
Funny BarbecueBob Zordanipage 26
In a DreamF. Link Rapierpage 26
The Winter\u27s ColdJennifer Soulepage 27
Diary EntryTammy Batespage 27
Minor God and Patron Saint of Rabbits SpeaksAngelique Jenningspage 28
A MomentBrett Wilhelmpage 29
The Bishop SeatF. Link Rapierpage 30
The Thought of Being Rid of MyselfKeila Tooleypage 33
I Saw A ChildBea Cessnapage 33
Complacent gourmetGary Burrowspage 34
Night DreamsJennifer Soulepage 35
Changing ImagesAmy Callpage 35
Olsen Rug Co. Waterfall & ParkMaggie Kennedypage 36
Edge of the WildF. Link Rapierpage 37
DragonS. Hillpage 37
Harvests of CornBob Zordanipage 38
The Club JeromeGary Burrowspage 39
Tarzan And The CabPatrick Peterspage 39
The Rain That Never CameLynanne Feilenpage 40
Wonderment of the Far CrescentF. Link Rapierpage 40https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1047/thumbnail.jp
Priorities for HIV and chronic pain research results from a survey of individuals with lived experience
The Global Task Force on Chronic Pain in HIV published seven research priorities in the field of HIV-associated chronic pain in 2019: (1) causes; (2) management; (3) treatment individualization and integration with addiction treatment; (4) mental and social health factors; (5) prevalence; (6) treatment cost effectiveness; and (7) prevention. The current study used a web-based survey to determine whether the research topics were aligned with the priorities of adults with lived experiences of HIV and chronic pain. We also collected information about respondents' own pain and treatment experiences. We received 311 survey responses from mostly US-based respondents. Most respondents reported longstanding, moderate to severe, multisite pain, commonly accompanied by symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. The median number of pain treatments tried was 10 (IQRâ=â8, 13), with medications and exercise being the most common modalities, and opioids being viewed as the most helpful. Over 80% of respondents considered all research topics either "extremely important" or "very important". Research topic #2, which focused on optimizing management of pain in people with HIV, was accorded the greatest importance by respondents. These findings suggest good alignment between the priorities of researchers and US-based people with lived experience of HIV-associated chronic pain.</p
The Vehicle, Spring 1984
Vol. 25, No. 2
Table of Contents
The OpeningKathy Fordpage 3
PaintThomas B. Waltrippage 3
PhotographLisa Fresepage 4
City as Castigating AnimalJerry McAnultypage 5
LimitsMichelle Mitchellpage 6
In SilenceKeila Tooleypage 6
PhotographLisa Fresepage 7
Indian CreekJerry McAnultypage 8
The Right Idea about RainMichelle Mitchellpage 8
Van Gogh\u27s Young Male PeasantKeila Tooleypage 9
AbigailMaggie Kennedypage 9
CleaningJennifer K. Soulepage 10
Heat WaveJerry McAnultypage 11
VigilJanet Gracepage 11
Hatred of ClownsMichelle Mitchellpage 12
Trees in the YardKeila Tooleypage 13
Lost on Back RoadsToby Mirabellipage 13
The Death of My Father\u27s HandsGina Grillopage 14
Soft LandingMaggie Kennedypage 14
Incident in the Generic AisleMaggie Kennedypage 15
Happy Well-adjusted Individuals, ConsideringJennifer K. Soulepage 16
Old ManGina Grillopage 17
It Doesn\u27t MatterTed Boonepage 18
A Love Poem for Charles DonaldCathy Moepage 18
David Willey at Whitman WharfSue Oiler Millerpage 19
I Am the ArtsBrenda Renee Drummerpage 20
Mothers and DaughtersJennifer K. Soulepage 22
ScratchesMichelle Mitchellpage 26
SedativeStacey Flanniganpage 26
Calloused HandJanet Gracepage 27
Cool CatStacey Flanniganpage 27
For My History Teacher, Miss WilhelmCathy Moepage 28
Short Poem for Chris\u27s EyesBob Zordanipage 28
MissingMichelle Mitchellpage 29
Over ThereGraham Lewispage 30
Strange BedfellowsMaggie Kennedypage 31
Retired PlumberMichelle Mitchellpage 32
Rumors of War DeadKathy Fordpage 33
Night LightsKeila Tooleypage 33
Fish on the Train TracksJerry McAnultypage 34
DaddyKeily Tooleypage 34
A Message to the MessengerAmy Eadespage 35
Dancing AloneKathy Bowerpage 36
HandsMaggie Kennedypage 36
The Key to the Ladies\u27s RoomMichelle Mitchellpage 37
Crashing the BlueStacey Flanniganpage 37
The Cradle will FallMichelle Mitchellpate 38
One IslandKeila Tooleypage 38
Black Walnut PaintSue Oiler Millerpage 39
SerendipityGraham Lewispage 40
Cover ArtLisa Fresehttps://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1045/thumbnail.jp
Human Tyrosine Hydroxylase Natural Allelic Variation: Influence on Autonomic Function and Hypertension
The catecholamine biosynthetic pathway consists of several enzymatic steps in series, beginning with the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine, and eventuating in the catecholamines norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline). Since the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; tyrosine 3-mono-oxygenase; EC 1.14.16.2; chromosome 11p15.5) is generally considered to be rate-limiting in this pathway, probed as to whether common genetic variation at the TH gene occurred, and whether such variants contributed to inter-individual alterations in autonomic function, either biochemical or physiological. We began with sequencing a tetranucleotide (TCAT) repeat in the first intron, and found that the two most common versions, (TCAT)6 and (TCAT)10i, predicted heritable autonomic traits in twin pairs. We then conducted systematic polymorphism discovery across the ~8Â kbp locus, and discovered numerous variants, principally non-coding. The proximal promoter block contained four common variants, and its haplotypes and SNPs (especially C-824T, rs10770141) predicted catecholamine secretion, environmental stress-induced BP increments, and hypertension. Finally, we found that two of the common promoter variants, C-824T (rs10770141) and A-581G (rs10770140), were functional in that they differentially affected transcriptional activity of the isolated promoter, disrupted recognition motifs for specific transcription factor binding, altered the promoter responses to the co-transfected (exogenous) factors, and bound the endogenous factors in the chromatin fraction of the nucleus. We concluded that common variation in the proximal TH promoter is functional, giving rise to changes in autonomic function and consequently cardiovascular risk
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