51 research outputs found
Assessment of Abilities of White-Tailed Deer to Jump Fences
There is a need for insight into fence heights required for impeding white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We evaluated the ability of wild-caught deer to jump progressively taller fences and documented deterrence rates of 0% for fences â€1.5 m followed by increasing deterrence rates of 14% at 1.8 m, 85% at 2.1 m, and 100% at 2.4 m. We documented 100% deterrence rates during 5 additional experiments with different deer and the test fence at 2.4 m, a common height of fences at captive deer facilities. Our results will be valuable to those managing spread of wildlife diseases, deerâvehicle collisions, and agricultural damage
Towards a quantitative understanding of the MITF-PIAS3-STAT3 connection
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Expression of the two transcription factors microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) are tightly connected to cell proliferation and survival, and are important for melanocyte development. The co-regulation of MITF and STAT3 via their binding to a common inhibitor Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT3 (PIAS3) is intriguing. A better quantitative understanding of this regulation is likely to be important for elucidation of the melanocyte biology.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We present a mathematical model describing the MITF-PIAS3-STAT3 signalling network. A default parameter set was developed, partly informed by the literature and partly by constraining the model to mimic reported behavioural features of the system. In addition, a set of experiment-specific parameters was derived for each of 28 experiments reported in the literature. The model seems capable of accounting for most of these experiments in terms of observed temporal development of protein amounts and phosphorylation states. Further, the results also suggest that this system possesses some regulatory features yet to be elucidated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We find that the experimentally observed crosstalk between MITF and STAT3 via PIAS3 in melanocytes is faithfully reproduced in our model, offering mechanistic explanations for this behaviour, as well as providing a scaffold for further studies of MITF signalling in melanoma.</p
Defining the word âseamountâ
Author Posting. © Oceanography Society, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of Oceanography Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Oceanography 23, 1 (2010): 20-21.The term seamount has been
defined many times (e.g., Menard, 1964; Wessel, 2001; Schmidt and
Schmincke, 2000; Pitcher et al., 2007; International Hydrographic
Organization, 2008; Wessel et al., 2010) but there is no âgenerally
acceptedâ definition. Instead, most definitions serve the particular
needs of a discipline or a specific paper
Seamount sciences : quo vadis?
Author Posting. © Oceanography Society, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of Oceanography Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Oceanography 23, 1 (2010): 212-213.Seamounts are fascinating natural
ocean laboratories that inform us about
fundamental planetary and ocean
processes, ocean ecology and fisheries,
and hazards and metal resources. The
more than 100,000 large seamounts
are a defining structure of global
ocean topography and biogeography,
and hundreds of thousands of smaller
ones are distributed throughout every
ocean on Earth
Recommended from our members
Defining the word "Seamount"
Reading through this issue of Oceanography, it will become
apparent that researchers in different disciplines see their
seamounts in quite different ways. The term seamount has been
defined many times (e.g., Menard, 1964; Wessel, 2001; Schmidt and
Schmincke, 2000; Pitcher et al., 2007; International Hydrographic
Organization, 2008; Wessel et al., 2010) but there is no âgenerally
acceptedâ definition. Instead, most definitions serve the particular
needs of a discipline or a specific paper. Inconsistencies are
common among different publications and, most notably, differ
from the recommendations of the International Hydrographic
Organization and International Oceanographic Commission
(International Hydrographic Organization, 2008). It is not the
goal of this note to arbitrate or remedy these inconsistencies.
However, as seamount researchers begins to coalesce into one
broad, multidisciplinary research community, it is important
to: (1) have a simple definition that explains which features are
included under the umbrella of seamount research and which are
not, providing an essential condition for defining the seamount
research community, and (2) respect and be aware of differences
among disciplinary definitions, as they may stand in the way of
consistently applying one disciplinary data set to another
Targeted Nasal Vaccination Provides Antibody-Independent Protection Against Staphylococcus aureus
Despite showing promise in preclinical models, anti-Staphylococcus aureus vaccines have failed in clinical trials. To date, approaches have focused on neutralizing/opsonizing antibodies; however, vaccines exclusively inducing cellular immunity have not been studied to formally test whether a cellular-only response can protect against infection. We demonstrate that nasal vaccination with targeted nanoparticles loaded with Staphylococcus aureus antigen protects against acute systemic S. aureus infection in the absence of any antigen-specific antibodies. These findings can help inform future developments in staphylococcal vaccine development and studies into the requirements for protective immunity against S. aureu
The Ursinus Weekly, February 14, 1974
Week-long festival of arts slated to begin February 22 âą Ursinus, at mid-winter, continues coping with problems of energy conservation âą Forums set for semester âą ProTheatre to present evening of avant-garde âą Villanova University to sponsor tenth law review symposium âą Editorial: The Myrin follies; Situation wanted: Hero âą First semester Deanâs List âą Letters to the editor: Union anniversary; Madison Avenue\u27s effect âą Student teachers respond to experiences in area schools âą SFARC News âą Film Review: The Exorcist âą Alumni Corner: Mike Hunter: Society drop-in âą De-horn the Rams! âą Jazz: Thad Jones, Mel Lewis âą USGA holds elections, makes amendments and forms committees âą 9-5 and still alive!https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1009/thumbnail.jp
Immunological network signatures of cancer progression and survival
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The immune contribution to cancer progression is complex and difficult to characterize. For example in tumors, immune gene expression is detected from the combination of normal, tumor and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Profiling the immune component of tumors may facilitate the characterization of the poorly understood roles immunity plays in cancer progression. However, the current approaches to analyze the immune component of a tumor rely on incomplete identification of immune factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To facilitate a more comprehensive approach, we created a ranked immunological relevance score for all human genes, developed using a novel strategy that combines text mining and information theory. We used this score to assign an immunological grade to gene expression profiles, and thereby quantify the immunological component of tumors. This immunological relevance score was benchmarked against existing manually curated immune resources as well as high-throughput studies. To further characterize immunological relevance for genes, the relevance score was charted against both the human interactome and cancer information, forming an expanded interactome landscape of tumor immunity. We applied this approach to expression profiles in melanomas, thus identifying and grading their immunological components, followed by identification of their associated protein interactions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The power of this strategy was demonstrated by the observation of early activation of the adaptive immune response and the diversity of the immune component during melanoma progression. Furthermore, the genome-wide immunological relevance score classified melanoma patient groups, whose immunological grade correlated with clinical features, such as immune phenotypes and survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The assignment of a ranked immunological relevance score to all human genes extends the content of existing immune gene resources and enriches our understanding of immune involvement in complex biological networks. The application of this approach to tumor immunity represents an automated systems strategy that quantifies the immunological component in complex disease. In so doing, it stratifies patients according to their immune profiles, which may lead to effective computational prognostic and clinical guides.</p
Patterns of deep-sea genetic connectivity in the New Zealand region : implications for management of benthic ecosystems
© The Author(s), 2012. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS One 7 (2012): e49474, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049474.Patterns of genetic connectivity are increasingly considered in the design of marine protected areas (MPAs) in both shallow and deep water. In the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), deep-sea communities at upper bathyal depths (<2000 m) are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance from fishing and potential mining operations. Currently, patterns of genetic connectivity among deep-sea populations throughout New Zealandâs EEZ are not well understood. Using the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I and 16S rRNA genes as genetic markers, this study aimed to elucidate patterns of genetic connectivity among populations of two common benthic invertebrates with contrasting life history strategies. Populations of the squat lobster Munida gracilis and the polychaete Hyalinoecia longibranchiata were sampled from continental slope, seamount, and offshore rise habitats on the Chatham Rise, Hikurangi Margin, and Challenger Plateau. For the polychaete, significant population structure was detected among distinct populations on the Chatham Rise, the Hikurangi Margin, and the Challenger Plateau. Significant genetic differences existed between slope and seamount populations on the Hikurangi Margin, as did evidence of population differentiation between the northeast and southwest parts of the Chatham Rise. In contrast, no significant population structure was detected across the study area for the squat lobster. Patterns of genetic connectivity in Hyalinoecia longibranchiata are likely influenced by a number of factors including current regimes that operate on varying spatial and temporal scales to produce potential barriers to dispersal. The striking difference in population structure between species can be attributed to differences in life history strategies. The results of this study are discussed in the context of existing conservation areas that are intended to manage anthropogenic threats to deep-sea benthic communities in the New Zealand region.This work was funded in part by a Fulbright Fellowship administered by Fulbright New Zealand and the U.S. Department of State, awarded in 2011 to EKB. Funding and support for research expedition was provided by Land Information New Zealand, New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries, NIWA, Census of Marine Life on Seamounts (CenSeam), and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. Other research funding was provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Science and Innovation project âImpacts of resource use on vulnerable deep-sea communitiesâ (FRST contract CO1X0906), the National Science Foundation (OCE-0647612), and the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute (Fellowship support to TMS)
Recommended from our members
Global data on earthworm abundance, biomass, diversity and corresponding environmental properties
Earthworms are an important soil taxon as ecosystem engineers, providing a variety of crucial ecosystem functions and services. Little is known about their diversity and distribution at large spatial scales, despite the availability of considerable amounts of local-scale data. Earthworm diversity data, obtained from the primary literature or provided directly by authors, were collated with information on site locations, including coordinates, habitat cover, and soil properties. Datasets were required, at a minimum, to include abundance or biomass of earthworms at a site. Where possible, site-level species lists were included, as well as the abundance and biomass of individual species and ecological groups. This global dataset contains 10,840 sites, with 184 species, from 60 countries and all continents except Antarctica. The data were obtained from 182 published articles, published between 1973 and 2017, and 17 unpublished datasets. Amalgamating data into a single global database will assist researchers in investigating and answering a wide variety of pressing questions, for example, jointly assessing aboveground and belowground biodiversity distributions and drivers of biodiversity change
- âŠ