Nongame Birds, Small Mammals, Reptiles, Fishes: Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 1995-1996

The goal of this study was to conduct a nongame vertebrate survey at SLNWR by primary habitat types, with emphasis placed on nongame breeding birds and small mammals . Specific objectives were to determine: 1) avian and mammalian species composition by primary habitat types with special emphasis on nongame/neotropical avian species and nongame small mammals, 2) the presence of other vertebrate species (amphibians, reptiles , and fishes) by primary habitat type, 3) present vertebrate biota occurrence, as compared to pre-1940 occurence as found in the literature and other records or sources, 4) significant changes in habitat and/ or vegetation on SLNWR, based on current and historical literature and refuge files, and 5) to make recommendations for preserving/ enhancing populations of nongame vertebrate species on SLNWR

Effect of non-zero constant vorticity on the nonlinear resonances of capillary water waves

The influence of an underlying current on 3-wave interactions of capillary water waves is studied. The fact that in irrotational flow resonant 3-wave interactions are not possible can be invalidated by the presence of an underlying current of constant non-zero vorticity. We show that: 1) wave trains in flows with constant non-zero vorticity are possible only for two-dimensional flows; 2) only positive constant vorticities can trigger the appearance of three-wave resonances; 3) the number of positive constant vorticities which do trigger a resonance is countable; 4) the magnitude of a positive constant vorticity triggering a resonance can not be too small.Comment: 6 pages, submitte

Radio Astronomy

Contains research objectives, summary of research and reports on eleven research projects.National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NGL 22-009-016)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-14854)Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DA 28-043-AMC-02536(E)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-13056)Sloan Fund for Basic Research (M. I. T. Grant 312

B Cells Migrate into Remote Brain Areas and Support Neurogenesis and Functional Recovery after Focal Stroke in Mice

Lymphocytes infiltrate the stroke core and penumbra and often exacerbate cellular injury. B cells, however, are lymphocytes that do not contribute to acute pathology but can support recovery. B cell adoptive transfer to mice reduced infarct volumes 3 and 7 d after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo), independent of changing immune populations in recipient mice. Testing a direct neurotrophic effect, B cells cocultured with mixed cortical cells protected neurons and maintained dendritic arborization after oxygen-glucose deprivation. Whole-brain volumetric serial two-photon tomography (STPT) and a custom-developed image analysis pipeline visualized and quantified poststroke B cell diapedesis throughout the brain, including remote areas supporting functional recovery. Stroke induced significant bilateral B cell diapedesis into remote brain regions regulating motor and cognitive functions and neurogenesis (e.g., dentate gyrus, hypothalamus, olfactory areas, cerebellum) in the whole-brain datasets. To confirm a mechanistic role for B cells in functional recovery, rituximab was given to human CD20+ (hCD20+) transgenic mice to continuously deplete hCD20+-expressing B cells following tMCAo. These mice experienced delayed motor recovery, impaired spatial memory, and increased anxiety through 8 wk poststroke compared to wild type (WT) littermates also receiving rituximab. B cell depletion reduced stroke-induced hippocampal neurogenesis and cell survival. Thus, B cell diapedesis occurred in areas remote to the infarct that mediated motor and cognitive recovery. Understanding the role of B cells in neuronal health and disease-based plasticity is critical for developing effective immune-based therapies for protection against diseases that involve recruitment of peripheral immune cells into the injured brain

BRCA2 polymorphic stop codon K3326X and the risk of breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers

Background: The K3326X variant in BRCA2 (BRCA2*c.9976A>T; p.Lys3326*; rs11571833) has been found to be associated with small increased risks of breast cancer. However, it is not clear to what extent linkage disequilibrium with fully pathogenic mutations might account for this association. There is scant information about the effect of K3326X in other hormone-related cancers. Methods: Using weighted logistic regression, we analyzed data from the large iCOGS study including 76 637 cancer case patients and 83 796 control patients to estimate odds ratios (ORw) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for K3326X variant carriers in relation to breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer risks, with weights defined as probability of not having a pathogenic BRCA2 variant. Using Cox proportional hazards modeling, we also examined the associations of K3326X with breast and ovarian cancer risks among 7183 BRCA1 variant carriers. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: The K3326X variant was associated with breast (ORw = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.17 to 1.40, P = 5.9x10- 6) and invasive ovarian cancer (ORw = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.43, P = 3.8x10-3). These associations were stronger for serous ovarian cancer and for estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer (ORw = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.2 to 1.70, P = 3.4x10-5 and ORw = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.28 to 1.76, P = 4.1x10-5, respectively). For BRCA1 mutation carriers, there was a statistically significant inverse association of the K3326X variant with risk of ovarian cancer (HR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.84, P = .013) but no association with breast cancer. No association with prostate cancer was observed. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that the K3326X variant is associated with risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers independent of other pathogenic variants in BRCA2. Further studies are needed to determine the biological mechanism of action responsible for these associations

Whole-genome survey reveals extensive variation in genetic diversity and inbreeding levels among peregrine falcon subspecies

Article describes how, in efforts to prevent extinction, resource managers are often tasked with increasing genetic diversity in a population of concern to prevent inbreeding depression or improve adaptive potential in a changing environment. The authors used whole-genome resequencing to generate over two million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from multiple individuals of all peregrine falcon subspecies