Genetic Influences on Brain Gene Expression in Rats Selected for Tameness and Aggression

Inter-individual differences in many behaviors are partly due to genetic differences, but the identification of the genes and variants that influence behavior remains challenging. Here, we studied an F2 intercross of two outbred lines of rats selected for tame and aggressive behavior towards humans for more than 64 generations. By using a mapping approach that is able to identify genetic loci segregating within the lines, we identified four times more loci influencing tameness and aggression than by an approach that assumes fixation of causative alleles, suggesting that many causative loci were not driven to fixation by the selection. We used RNA sequencing in 150 F2 animals to identify hundreds of loci that influence brain gene expression. Several of these loci colocalize with tameness loci and may reflect the same genetic variants. Through analyses of correlations between allele effects on behavior and gene expression, differential expression between the tame and aggressive rat selection lines, and correlations between gene expression and tameness in F2 animals, we identify the genes Gltscr2, Lgi4, Zfp40 and Slc17a7 as candidate contributors to the strikingly different behavior of the tame and aggressive animals

New transitions and feeding of the J\u3csup\u3eπ\u3c/sup\u3e=(8\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e) isomer in \u3csup\u3e186\u3c/sup\u3eRe

The spallation neutron source at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Weapons Neutron Research facility was used to populate excited states in 186Re via (n,2nγ) reactions on an enriched 187Re target. Gamma rays were detected with the GErmanium Array for Neutron Induced Excitations spectrometer, a Compton-suppressed array of 18 HPGe detectors. Incident neutron energies were determined by the time-of-flight technique and used to obtain γ-ray excitation functions for the purpose of identifying γ rays by reaction channel. Analysis of the singles γ-ray spectrum gated on the neutron energy range 10≤En≤25MeV resulted in five transitions and one level added to the 186Re level scheme. The additions include the placement of three γ rays at 266.7, 381.2, and 647.7 keV which have been identified as feeding the 2.0×105yr, Jπ=(8+) isomer and yield an improved value of 148.2(5)keV for the isomer energy. These transitions may have astrophysical implications related to the use of the Re-Os cosmochronometer. Abstract © APS

High-resolution neutron-induced [gamma]-ray production cross sections for oxygen and beryllium for neutron energies from 4 to 200 MeV.

Measurements of discrete gamma-ray spectra from neutron-induced reactions on a Be0 sample have been performed using the broad-spectrum neutron spallation source of the WNR facility at LANSCE. Incident neutron energies were determined by the time-of-flight technique. Two high-purity Ge detectors were used to detect gamma rays in the energy range from 0.150 to 9.0 MeV. Spectra were measured at seven angles. Absolute gamma-ray production cross sections were delermined from the measured neutron fluence and detector efficiencies. A new evaluation of the reaction cross sections has been performed based on this data. GNASH model calculations were performed for 20 < E, < 150 MeV, and are compared with the data. KEY WOlWS: neutron-induced reactions, gamma-ray cross section, measurement, evaluation, oxygen, beryllium, germanium detecto

The echo-transponder electrode catheter: A new method for mapping the left ventricle

AbstractThe ability to locate catheter position in the left ventricle with respect to endocardial landmarks might enhance the accuracy of ventricular tachycardia mapping. An echotransponder system (Telectronics, Inc.) was compared with biplane fluoroscopy for left ventricular endocardial mapping. A 6F electrode catheter was modified with the addition of a piezoelectric crystal 5 mm from the tip. This crystal was connected to a transponder that received and transmitted ultrasound, resulting in a discrete artifact on the two-dimensional echocardiographic image corresponding to the position of the catheter tip.Catheters were introduced percutaneously into the left ventricle of nine anesthetized dogs. Two-dimensional echotransponder and biplane fluoroscopic images were recorded on videotape with the catheter at multiple endocardial sites. Catheter location was marked by delivering radiofrequency current to the distal electrode, creating a small endocardial lesion. Catheter location by echo-transponder and by fluoroscopy were compared with lesion location without knowledge of other data. Location by echo-transponder was 8.7 ± 5.1 mm from the center of the radiofrequency lesion versus 14 + 7.8 mm by fluoroscopy (n = 15, p = 0.023). Echo-transponder localization is more precise than is biplane fluoroscopy and may enhance the accuracy of left ventricular eledrophysiologic mapping

Late winter 1992 sampling for water quality in three stream segments of the Tualatin River Basin, Oregon

The Tualatin River Basin in Washington County, Oregon has been identified by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as "Water Quality Limited." Algal blooms have become commonplace in the lower , reaches of. the river during summer months. Phosphorus has been identified as the nutrient upon which to base allowable Total Maximum Daily Loads (fMDL}. Water quality data have been collected from the Tualatin River and its tributaries for the period of May through October for each of the past several years. Samples from the main stem of the river have also been collected during the winter months on a less frequent basis. There are very few data, however, from the tributaries for the winter months. This study was planned to collect water samples from three of the Tualatin River tributaries during the months of March and April, 1992. These tributaries were selected to represent the three major land uses within the basin: urban, agricultural, and forestry. Weekly samples were taken from Dairy, McKay, and Fanno Creeks. Multiple samples were collected on each sampling date to establish the extent to which short term variability would affect interpretation of the results. Total (TP) and orthophosphate (OP) concentrations on the East and West Fork of Dairy creek were essentially constant over time and sampling site; averaging 0.05 and 0.02 mg/1 respectively. McKay Creek samples showed 0.01 mg/1 OP, with TP increasing from 0.02 to 0.045 mg/1 downstream. The values did not change with time. The Dairy Creek samples showed 0.025 OP and 0.065 TP, constant with sampling time. Fanno Creek had average values of 0.035 OP and 0.09 TP, which increased with time, but were constant across sampling sites. Total solids and suspended solids were highest in Fanno Creek and lowest in McKay Creek. Suspended solids decreased downstream in Fanno Creek, and total solids increased for McKay Creek. Flow responded to rainfall, but no erosion events were recorded during this sampling period

Fast-neutron-induced fission studied by gamma-spectroscopy.

Prompt gamma-ray and x-ray spectroscopy techniques are being employed to study fast-neutron-induced fission of actinides to determine independent (pre-beta-decay) yields for a wide range of product nuclides. Data are acquired using the GEANIE high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer at the LANSCE/WNR unmoderated spallation neutron source providing neutrons with energies from below 1 MeV to over 400 MeV. Three different techniques (identification by characteristic gamma rays, by gamma-gamma coincidences, and by fission-gamma coincidences) are being used to gather complementary data sets from which detailed fission yields can be extracted. From these data, mass and charge distributions are determined over a wide incident-neutron energy range. The phenomena of interest include the transition from asymmetric to symmetric fission, the competition between neutron and gamma-ray emission, nuclear structure effects in fission and the angular momentum imparted to the fission products. Results for 238U and 236U are presented

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Spatial Organization and Molecular Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Using Deep Learning on Pathology Images

Beyond sample curation and basic pathologic characterization, the digitized H&E-stained images of TCGA samples remain underutilized. To highlight this resource, we present mappings of tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) based on H&E images from 13 TCGA tumor types. These TIL maps are derived through computational staining using a convolutional neural network trained to classify patches of images. Affinity propagation revealed local spatial structure in TIL patterns and correlation with overall survival. TIL map structural patterns were grouped using standard histopathological parameters. These patterns are enriched in particular T cell subpopulations derived from molecular measures. TIL densities and spatial structure were differentially enriched among tumor types, immune subtypes, and tumor molecular subtypes, implying that spatial infiltrate state could reflect particular tumor cell aberration states. Obtaining spatial lymphocytic patterns linked to the rich genomic characterization of TCGA samples demonstrates one use for the TCGA image archives with insights into the tumor-immune microenvironment