Spatial Drift Dynamics of Shovelnose Sturgeon and Pallid Sturgeon Prelarvae in the Transition Zone of Ft. Peck Reservoir

Habitats in reservoir headwaters may cause high mortality of sturgeon prelarvae. Short inter-reservoir reaches export drifting prelarvae from hatch locations into reservoirs. However, flooded vegetation could entrain prelarvae. We used 2 day post hatch (dph) shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) and 1-dph pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) to determine the spatial dynamics of drifting prelarvae.We released 220,000 2-dph shovelnose sturgeon 4 km upstream of Ft. Peck Reservoir and 135,000 1-dph pallid sturgeon 2.5 km upstream of the reservoir the following day. We recaptured shovelnose sturgeon prelarvae with nets deployed along three transects of the transition zone and within the headwaters of the reservoir.We sampled 5148.2 m3 of water and recaptured 323 prelarval shovelnose sturgeon for a recapture rate of 0.14 percent. Fifty-nine percent of recaptured prelarvae were recaptured from the thalweg, 12 percent from the flooded vegetation-main channel interface, 9 percent from the channel border, and 19 percent from the zero-velocity area of Ft. Peck Reservoir. We recaptured pallid sturgeon prelarvae with nets deployed along one transect of the transition zone and within the headwaters of the reservoir. We sampled 6608.5 m3 of water and recaptured 397 pallid sturgeon prelarvae for a recapture rate of 0.29 percent. Twenty one percent of prelarvae were recaptured within the thalweg, 0.25 percent were recaptured along the channel margins, and 79 percent from the zero-velocity area of Ft. Peck Reservoir. Although recapture rates were low, the majority of prelarvae were captured in the thalweg and transported to the headwaters of Ft. Peck Reservoir. The drift dynamics observed in this study provide a springboard for further research

IL‐4 induces proliferation in prostate cancer PC3 cells under nutrient‐depletion stress through the activation of the JNK‐pathway and survivin up‐regulation

Interleukin (IL)‐4 plays a critical role in the regulation of immune responses and has been detected at high levels in the tumor microenvironment of cancer patients where it correlates with the grade of malignancy. The direct effect of IL‐4 on cancer cells has been associated with increased cell survival; however, its role in cancer cell proliferation and related mechanisms is still unclear. Here it was shown that in a nutrient‐depleted environment, IL‐4 induces proliferation in prostate cancer PC3 cells. In these cells, under nutrient‐depletion stress, IL‐4 activates mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including Erk, p38, and JNK. Using MAP‐signaling‐specific inhibitors, it was shown that IL‐4‐induced proliferation is mediated by JNK activation. In fact, JNK‐inhibitor‐V (JNKi‐V) stunted IL‐4‐mediated cell proliferation. Furthermore, it was found that IL‐4 induces survivin up‐regulation in nutrient‐depleted cancer cells. Using survivin‐short‐hairpin‐RNAs (shRNAs), it was demonstrated that in this milieu survivin expression above a threshold limit is critical to the mechanism of IL‐4‐mediated proliferation. In addition, the significance of survivin up‐regulation in a stressed environment was assessed in prostate cancer mouse xenografts. It was found that survivin knockdown decreases tumor progression in correlation with cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, under nutrient depletion stress, IL ‐4 could induce proliferation in cancer cells from multiple origins: MDA‐MB‐231 (breast), A253 (head and neck), and SKOV‐3 (ovarian). Overall, these findings suggest that in a tumor microenvironment under stress conditions, IL‐4 triggers a simultaneous activation of the JNK‐pathway and the up‐regulation of survivin turning on a cancer proliferation mechanism. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1569–1580, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90542/1/24025_ftp.pd

Retrospective chart review study of use of cannabidiol (CBD) independent of concomitant clobazam use in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome

PURPOSE: This retrospective chart review study (GWEP20052) evaluated plant-derived highly purified cannabidiol (CBD; Epidyolex®; 100 mg/mL oral solution) use without clobazam as add-on therapy in patients aged ≥2 years with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome (DS) enrolled in a European Early Access Program. METHODS: Data were extracted from patient charts covering a period starting 3 months before CBD treatment and concluding after 12 months of CBD treatment, or sooner if a patient discontinued CBD or started clobazam. RESULTS: Of 114 enrolled patients, data were available for 107 (92 LGS, 15 DS) who received CBD without clobazam for ≥3 months. Mean age: 14.5 (LGS) and 10.5 (DS) years; female: 44% (LGS) and 67% (DS). Mean time-averaged CBD dose: 13.54 (LGS) and 11.56 (DS) mg/kg/day. Median change from baseline in seizure frequency per 28 days over 3-month intervals varied from -6.2% to -20.9% for LGS and 0% to -16.7% for DS. Achievement of ≥50% reduction in drop (LGS) or convulsive (DS) seizures at 3 and 12 months: LGS, 19% (n = 69) and 30% (n = 53); DS, 21% (n = 14) and 13% (n = 8). Retention on CBD without clobazam (enrolled set): 94%, 80%, 69%, and 63% at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Adverse event (AE) incidence was 31%, most commonly somnolence, seizure, diarrhea, and decreased appetite. Two patients discontinued CBD owing to AEs, and four patients with LGS experienced elevated liver enzymes. CONCLUSION: Results support favorable effectiveness and retention of CBD without concomitant clobazam for up to 12 months in clinical practice

Alignment of Galaxies and Clusters

We investigated the influence of environment on cluster galaxies by examining the alignment of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) position angle with respect to the host cluster X-ray position angle. The cluster position angles were measured using high spatial resolution X-ray data taken from the Chandra ACIS archive, that significantly improved the determination of the cluster shape compared to the conventional method of using optical images. Meanwhile, those of the BCGs were measured using homogeneous dataset composed of high spatial resolution optical images taken with Suprime-Cam mounted on Subaru 8m telescope. We found a strong indication of an alignment between the cluster X-ray emission and optical light from BCGs, while we see no clear direct correlation between the degree of ellipticity of X-ray and optical BCG morphologies, despite the apparent alignment of two elliptical structures. We have also investigated possible dependence of the position angle alignment on the X-ray morphology of the clusters, and no clear trends are found. The fact that no trends are evident regarding frequency or degree of the alignment with respect to X-ray morphology may be consistent with an interpretation as a lack of dependence on the dynamical status of clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 7 pages, 6 figure

Mandibulofacial Dysostosis Attributed to a Recessive Mutation of CYP26C1 in Hereford Cattle

In spring 2020, six Hereford calves presented with congenital facial deformities attributed to a condition we termed mandibulofacial dysostosis (MD). Affected calves shared hallmark features of a variably shortened and/or asymmetric lower mandible and bilateral skin tags present 2–10 cm caudal to the commissure of the lips. Pedigree analysis revealed a single common ancestor shared by the sire and dam of each affected calf. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 20 animals led to the discovery of a variant (Chr26 g. 14404993T\u3eC) in Exon 3 of CYP26C1 associated with MD. This missense mutation (p.L188P), is located in an α helix of the protein, which the identified amino acid substitution is predicted to break. The implication of this mutation was further validated through genotyping 2 additional affected calves, 760 other Herefords, and by evaluation of available WGS data from over 2500 other individuals. Only the a_ected individuals were homozygous for the variant and all heterozygotes had at least one pedigree tie to the suspect founder. CYP26C1 plays a vital role in tissue-specific regulation of retinoic acid (RA) during embryonic development. Dysregulation of RA can result in teratogenesis by altering the endothelin-1 signaling pathway affecting the expression of Dlx genes, critical to mandibulofacial development. We postulate that this recessive missense mutation in CYP26C1 impacts the catalytic activity of the encoded enzyme, leading to excess RA resulting in the observed MD phenotype

FAPRI 2004 U.S. and World Agricultural Outlook

Crop Production/Industries, Livestock Production/Industries,

FAPRI 2000 U.S. Agricultural Outlook

Crop Production/Industries, Livestock Production/Industries,

Growth factor release from a chemically modified elastomeric poly(1,8‐octanediol‐co‐citrate) thin film promotes angiogenesis in vivo

The ultimate success of in vivo organ formation utilizing ex vivo expanded “starter” tissues relies heavily upon the level of vascularization provided by either endogenous or artificial induction of angiogenic or vasculogenic events. To facilitate proangiogenic outcomes and promote tissue growth, an elastomeric scaffold previously shown to be instrumental in the urinary bladder regenerative process was modified to release proangiogenic growth factors. Carboxylic acid groups on poly(1,8‐octanediol‐co‐citrate) films (POCfs) were modified with heparan sulfate creating a heparan binding POCf (HBPOCf). Release of proangiogenic growth factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) from HBPOCfs demonstrated an approximate threefold increase over controls during a 30‐day time course in vitro . Atomic force microscopy demonstrated significant topological differences between films. Subcutaneous implantation of POCf alone, HBPOCf, POCf‐VEGF, and HBPOCf‐VEGF within the dorsa of nude rats yielded increased vascular growth in HBPOCf‐VEGF constructs. Vessel quantification studies revealed that POCfs alone contained 41.1 ± 4.1 vessels/mm 2 , while HBPOCf, POCf‐VEGF, and HBPOCF‐VEGF contained 41.7 ± 2.6, 76.3 ± 9.4, and 167.72 ± 15.3 vessels/mm 2 , respectively. Presence of increased vessel growth was demonstrated by CD31 and vWF immunostaining in HBPOCf‐VEGF implanted areas. Data demonstrate that elastomeric POCfs can be chemically modified and possess the ability to promote angiogenesis in vivo . © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2012.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90248/1/33306_ftp.pd

FAPRI 2006 U.S. and World Agricultural Outlook

The FAPRI 2006 U.S. and World Agricultural Outlook presents projections of world agricultural production, consumption, and trade under average weather patterns, existing farm policy, and policy commitments under current trade agreements and custom unions. Despite continued high energy prices, world economic growth is expected to remain strong in the coming decade, above 3% per annum. Other major drivers of the 2006 baseline include new bio-energy policies in several large countries, EU sugar policy reform, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) shocks in livestock and poultry markets, and movements in the exchange rate.Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

FAPRI 2005 U.S. and World Agricultural Outlook

Crop Production/Industries, Livestock Production/Industries,