Chromosomes of the Laboratory Mouse

The chromosome number of 40 for the laboratory mouse was confirmed. A karyotype of mouse chromosomes was made. The chromosomes can be arranged into four groups based on size and shape

Final Cultural Resources Report of the Salt Creek Midstream, LLC Proposed Olifant Eight Inch Pipeline Project on University Lands in Ward County, Texas

Enercon Services, Inc. (ENERCON), in support of Salt Creek Midstream, LLC, conducted an intensive archeological survey for the proposed Olifant Eight Inch Pipeline Project located near Pyote in Ward County, Texas. The proposed project consists of the construction of an approximately 800 foot (244 m) long eight inch steel pipeline on University Lands, extending from a tie-in at an existing well pad, trending generally south-southeast to a tie-in on the existing Quito Draw pipeline. The Olifant Eight Inch Pipeline Project area is mapped on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Soda Lake NE, Texas (1967, photorevised 1981) 7.5 Minute Quadrangle map. The construction corridor consists of a 50 foot (15 m) wide permanent pipeline right-of-way (ROW) and a 50 foot (15 m) wide temporary workspace corridor. The cultural resources survey corridor and the area of potential effect (APE) was 100 feet (30 m) wide for the entire 800 foot (244 m) length of the proposed Olifant Eight Inch Pipeline Project, totaling 1.84 acres (.74 hectares). The proposed project is entirely on University Lands, a political subdivision of the State of Texas. The archeological survey was completed under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9012. The cultural resources field investigation on University Lands was conducted on February 26, 2019 by ENERCON archeologist Gary Edington, who meets the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for archeology as set forth in 36 CFR 61, and consisted of an intensive pedestrian survey utilizing transects spaced no greater than 15 m apart, with shovel tests in areas which had the potential for buried cultural resources. The field investigation was conducted in accordance with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) Archeological Survey Standards for Texas. The entire project was supervised by Michael Margolis, an ENERCON archeologist who meets the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for archeology as set forth in 36 CFR 61. The cultural resources survey did not result in finding any historic or prehistoric artifacts, features, cultural lenses, or sites over 50 years of age on University Lands. Therefore, it is recommended that the project will have no effect on any historic property that may qualify for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on University Lands. No further cultural resources investigations are recommended prior to construction of the proposed Olifant Eight Inch Pipeline Project on University Lands. If cultural material, including sites, features, or artifacts that are 50 years old or older are encountered within the ROW during construction of this project, work in the area must cease and the THC must be immediately be notified

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: Are telomeres the end of the story

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a progressive myopathy with a relatively late age of onset (usually in the late teens) compared with Duchenne and many other muscular dystrophies. The current FSHD disease model postulates that contraction of the D4Z4 array at chromosome 4q35 leads to a more open chromatin conformation in that region and allows transcription of the DUX4 gene. DUX4 mRNA is stable only when transcribed from certain haplotypes that contain a polyadenylation signal. DUX4 protein is hypothesized to cause FSHD by mediating cytotoxicity and impairing skeletal muscle differentiation. We recently showed in a cell culture model that DUX4 expression is regulated by telomere length, suggesting that telomere shortening during aging may be partially responsible for the delayed onset and progressive nature of FSHD. We here put our data in the context of other recent findings arguing that progressive telomere shortening may play a critical role in FSHD but is not the whole story and that the current disease model needs additional refinement

Cultural Resources Report for the Salt Creek Midstream, LLC Proposed Quito Draw Pipeline Project on University Lands, UT System Property in Ward County, Texas

Enercon Services, Inc. (ENERCON), in support of Salt Creek Midstream, LLC, conducted an intensive archeological survey for the proposed Quito Draw Pipeline Project. The proposed pipeline is approximately 19.3 miles (31.1 km) in length, located near Barstow and Pyote, Texas in Ward County. This report encompasses only the University Lands, UT System property segment of the proposed Quito Draw Pipeline Project which is approximately 11.8 miles (19.0km) in length. The University Lands, UT System property segment of the project area is depicted on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Wink South, Tex. (1968), Soda Lake NE, Tex. (1968), and Soda Lake SE, Tex. (1968) 7.5 Minute Quadrangle maps. The construction corridor consists of a 50 foot (15m) wide permanent pipeline right-of-way (ROW) and a 50 foot (15m) wide temporary workspace corridor. The entire 50 foot (15m) wide ROW will be cleared of vegetation and the eight-inch gas pipeline will be installed in an open cut trench. The cultural resources survey corridor and area of potential effect (APE) was 100 foot (30m) wide for the entire 11.8 mile (19.0km) length of the pipeline segment through the University Lands, UT System property segment of the project, for a total of 143.03 acres (57.88 hectares). The survey of the University Lands, UT System, a political subdivision of the State of Texas, property, was completed under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9011. The initial cultural resources field investigation on University Lands, UT System property was conducted October 7, 2018 to October 9, 2018 by Christopher Flowers and Gary D. Edington and consisted of an intensive pedestrian survey utilizing transects spaced no greater than 15m apart with shovel tests in areas which had the potential for buried cultural resources. The field investigation was conducted in accordance with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) Archeological Survey Standards for Texas. The entire project was supervised by Gary D. Edington, an ENERCON archeologist who meets the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for archeology as set forth in 36 CFR 61. The initial cultural resources investigation of the proposed Quito Draw Pipeline Project on University Lands, UT System property resulted in the observation of one isolated find (IF). IF#1 consists of a mottled pink and white tertiary chert flake. Ground Surface Visibility (GSV) at the location of IF#1 averaged around 65 percent. Five shovel tests were excavated in the vicinity of IF#1, all of which were negative for cultural resources. A pedestrian survey grid at 3-5m intervals at the location of IF#1 failed to identify any additional cultural materials and the location was noted as an isolated find. IF#1 lacks important information potential and is not recommended as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL), and no further work is recommended at the location of IF#1. Prior to the initial survey, a site file check was conducted which resulted in the determination that no previously recorded sites are within the APE, or within 1-mile of the APE on University Lands, UT System property. Unfortunately, the Atlas was updated after the site file check was completed. A post facto site file check was conducted which resulted in the determination that seven previously recorded sites are recorded within 1-mile of the APE. Two of which, 41WR106 and 41WR107, are recorded within the APE and were partially impacted by the construction of the Quito Draw Pipeline on University Lands, UT System property. The field crew did not know 41WR106 and 41WR107 were recorded adjacent to the APE prior to fieldwork and these site locations were not observed during the initial survey. Prior to this Cultural Resources Report being presented to THC construction began on both the Quito Draw and Olifant 12-Inch pipelines. Thus, a post facto revisit of 41WR106 and 41WR107 was conducted on February 22, 2020 by J. Matthew Oliver and Gary D. Edington to assess the impact damage to both sites. Both sites, 41WR106 and 41WR107 were negatively impacted by the construction of the Quito Draw and Olifant 12-inch Pipelines on University Lands, UT System property. At site 41WR106 it appears that less than two percent of the previously recorded site area has been destroyed while at site 41WR107 it appears that approximately four percent of the site has been destroyed by the clearing of the Quito Draw and Olifant 12-inch pipelines. The cultural resources investigations did not result in finding any additional historic or prehistoric artifacts, features, cultural lenses, or sites over 50 years of age on University Lands, UT System property. Therefore, it is recommended that the project will have no effect on any additional historic property that may qualify for inclusion in the NRHP or determination as a SAL on University Lands, UT System property. No further cultural resources investigations are recommended for the Quito Draw Pipeline Project on University Lands, UT System property. If cultural material, including sites, features, or artifacts that are 50 years old or older are encountered within the ROW during maintenance activities of the Quito Draw and Olifant Pipelines on University Lands, UT System property, work in the area must cease and the THC (512-463- 5853) must be immediately be notified

Telomere Position Effect (TPE) Regulates DUX4 in Human Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD)

Telomeres may regulate human disease by at least two independent mechanisms. 1) Replicative senescence occurs once short telomeres generate DNA damage signals that produce a barrier to tumor progression. 2) Telomere Position Effect (TPE) can change gene expression at intermediate telomere lengths in cultured human cells. We here report a human disease, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) where telomere length may well contribute to its pathogenesis. FSHD is age-related and genetically only 25-60 kb from the end of chromosome 4q. We used a floxable telomerase to generate isogenic clones with different telomere lengths from patients and their unaffected siblings. DUX4, the primary candidate for FSHD pathogenesis, is upregulated >10-fold in FSHD myoblasts-myotubes with short versus long telomeres, and its expression is inversely proportional to telomere length. FSHD may represent a human disease in which TPE contributes to its age-related phenotype

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Multipotent Capacity of Immortalized Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

While the adult murine lung utilizes multiple compartmentally restricted progenitor cells during homeostasis and repair, much less is known about the progenitor cells from the human lung. Translating the murine stem cell model to humans is hindered by anatomical differences between species. Here we show that human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) display characteristics of multipotent stem cells of the lung. These HBECs express markers indicative of several epithelial types of the adult lung when experimentally tested in cell culture. When cultured in three different three-dimensional (3D) systems, subtle changes in the microenvironment result in unique responses including the ability of HBECs to differentiate into multiple central and peripheral lung cell types. These new findings indicate that the adult human lung contains a multipotent progenitor cell whose differentiation potential is primarily dictated by the microenvironment. The HBEC system is not only important in understanding mechanisms for specific cell lineage differentiation, but also for examining changes that correlate with human lung diseases including lung cancer