Growth, condition, and mortality of caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) in the Sisimiut Population, West Greenland

Growth and condition of the Sisimiut caribou was anlysed by means of mandible length, carcass weight, and back fat indices. Mandible lenght showed unchanged growth conditions since the late 1960s, and growth stops at 4 years of age. The Sisimiut caribou seems to be smaller than North American caribous, Greenlandic semi-domesticated reindeer and of same size or smaller than Scandinavian reindeer. Carcass weight showed similar results, however cow growth rate seems not to prolong sexual maturation. Back fat deposits were less than what is known from other reindeer and caribou populations. Sex and age distribution of mandibles from various materials and survival curves based on the same material shows — an uneven distribution between bulls and cows and a relatively large proportion of old cows in the bag from the last years, which seems to be caused by a light hunting pressure when the population peaked in the 1960s. Heavy natural mortality for animals born before or after a winter with unfavorable snow conditions was also showed.Vækst, kondition og dødelighed hos vildren (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) i Sisimiut-bestanden, Vestgrønland.Abstract in Danish / Sammendrag: Vækst- og konditionsforhold for Sisimiut-vildrenbestanden i Vestgrønland er beskrevet ved hjæip af underkæbelængde, slagtevægt og rygfedt. Undersøgelsen af kæbelængde viste, at vækstforholdene havde været uforandret siden sidste halvdel af 1960-erne, at væksten standser ved 4-års alderen, samt at Sisimiut-vildrenen er mindre end de nordamerikanske caribou, Itinnera-tamrenen og på størrelse med eller mindre end skandinaviske rensdyr. Dette viste sig også ved sammenligninger af slagtevægt. Vægten af simlerne er dog ikke så ringe, at der kan iagttages nogen forsinkelse i kønsmodningen. Fedtreserverne ved indgangen til vinteren synes at være dårligere end i andre undersøgte rensdyrbestande. Køns- og aldersfordelingen blandt forskellige typer af indsamlet kæbemateriale og overlevelseskurver baseret på samme materiale viser, at forholdet mellem bukke og simler er blevet skævt og at der er en usædvanlig stor andel af gamle simler i jagtudbyttet i de seneste år, hvilket er forårsaget af et svagt jagttryk mens bestanden toppede i 1960-erne. Resultaterne viser desuden, at den naturlige dødelighed er størst for de årgange, der fødes umiddelbart før og efter en streng vinter.Kasvu, kunto ja kuolleisuus peurojen (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) parissa Sisimiut- tokassa Lansi-Gronlannissa.Abstract in Finnish / Yhteenveto: Kasvu- ja kuntotila on kuvailtu alaleuan(kuva 2), teuraspainon(kuva 4) ja selkärasvan (taul. 1) tutkimuksen avulla. Alaleuan tutkimus osoitti, että kasvusuhteet olivat olleet muuttumattomat vuoden 1960 loppupuolella, että kasvu lakkaa 4-vuoden iässä, sekä että grönlantilainen peura on pienempi kuin pohjoisamerikkalainen karibu ja Itinnera-poro, mutta suuruudeltaan kuin skandinaavialainen poro (kuva 3). Viimemainittu pätee myös teuraspainoa verratessa. Vaatimien paino ei ole kuitenkaan niin alhainen, että sukukypsyydessä olisi havaittavissa jotain hidastumista. Alkupuolella talvea rasvavarastot näyttävät olevan "huonommat kuin muilla tutkituilla porokannoilla. Sukupuoli- ja ikäjako erilaisten kerättyjen leuka-ainestyyppien joukossa on osoitettu kuvassa 5, kun taas eloonjääneiden käyrä, nojautuen samaan aineistoon, on osoitettu kuvassa 7. Tulokset osoittavat, että viimeisinä vuosina on ollut enempi metsästystä kun taas ennen vuotta 1960 se on ollut vähäisempää. Tämä nähdään siitäkin, että suurimpien eläinten lisäksi ammutaan ne eläimet, jotka ovat helpoimmin metsästettävissä. Kuva 6 osoittaa luonnollisen kuolleisuuden olevan suurimman niiden vuosiluokkien parissa, jotka ovat syntyneet välittömästi ennen ankaraa talvea tai sen jälkeen

The Danish Heart Registry

AIM: The Danish Heart Registry (DHR) seeks to monitor nationwide activity and quality of invasive diagnostic and treatment strategies in patients with ischemic heart disease as well as valvular heart disease and to provide data for research. STUDY POPULATION: All adult (≥15 years) patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting, and heart valve surgery performed across all Danish hospitals were included. MAIN VARIABLES: The DHR contains a subset of the data stored in the Eastern and Western Denmark Heart Registries (EDHR and WDHR). For each type of procedure, up to 70 variables are registered in the DHR. Since 2010, the data quality protocol encompasses fulfillment of web-based validation rules of daily-submitted records and yearly approval of the data by the EDHR and WDHR. DESCRIPTIVE DATA: The data collection on procedure has been complete for PCI and surgery since 2000, and for CAG as of 2006. From 2000 to 2014, the number of CAG, PCI, and surgical procedures changed by 231%, 193%, and 99%, respectively. Until the end of 2014, a total of 357,476 CAG, 131,309 PCI, and 60,831 surgical procedures had been performed, corresponding to 249,445, 100,609, and 55,539 first-time patients, respectively. The DHR generally has a high level of completeness (1–missing) of each procedure (>90%) when compared to the National Patient Registry. Variables important for assessing the quality of care have a high level of completeness for surgery since 2000, and for CAG and PCI since 2010. CONCLUSION: The DHR contains valuable data on cardiac invasive procedures, which makes it an important national monitoring and quality system and at the same time serves as a platform for research projects in the cardiovascular field

Stratigraphy and palaeoceanography of upper Maastrichtian chalks, southern Danish Central Graben

Upper Maastrichtian chalks form important hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Danish sector of the North Sea and have been intensively studied, yet their lithological uniformity can frustrate attempts to develop a high-resolution stratigraphic subdivision and a genetic understanding of the factors controlling production and sedimentation of the pelagic carbonate ooze. Recent research into these topics, supported by the Danish Energy Authority, was carried out by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) in collaboration with the Geological Institute, University of Copenhagen by means of a multidisciplinary study involvingquantitative/semiquantitative palynology, micropalaeontology (nannofossils, foraminifers) and isotope geochemistry, integrated with detailed sedimentology. Two key wells were selected, the M-10X well from the Dan Field and the E-5X well from the Tyra SE Field (Fig. 1), based on the extensive core coverage in these wells and on their position in the southern part of the Danish Central Graben where evidence of large-scale resedimentation (and consequent stratigraphic complexity) is uncommon within the Maastrichtian section. In focusing on such a pelagic carbonate system, the ultimate aim is a holistic understanding of the marine system including temperature variation, nutrient supply and distribution, salinity, watermass layering, circulation and oxygen distribution. All these factors influence organic productivity and thus the accumulation of biogenic sediment. This study concentrated on a number of palaeoceanographic signals that can be derived from the sedimentary record, summarised in Fig. 2. Planktonic organisms, both phytoplankton (e.g. coccolithophores, some dinoflagellates) and zooplankton (e.g. foraminifers) provide a record of conditions in the upper water masses, largely within the photic zone, while bottom conditions are indicated by epifaunal/infaunal organisms (e.g. benthic foraminifers) and bioturbation, and by the sedimentological evidence of depositional processes at the sea floor. On a larger scale, the input of terrestrial organic material relative to the marine component can provide an indirect measure of shoreline migration and thus relative sea-level change, a factor that is also reflected in the δ13C isotopic composition of the seawater, as recorded by the biogenic carbonate ooze

Terranimo® – ein webbasiertes Modell zur Abschätzung des Bodenverdichtungsrisikos

Um die Druckverhältnisse unter Landmaschinen zu simulieren und das Bodenverdichtungsrisiko einschätzen zu können, wurde das webbasierte Modell Terranimo® entwickelt. Darin kann mithilfe von verfügbaren Reifenkennwerten und in Abhängigkeit von der Oberbodenfestigkeit die Kontaktfläche und die Druckverteilung zwischen Reifen und Boden beschrieben werden. Mithilfe von Pedotransferfunktionen wird die Bodenfestigkeit (Vorbelastung) vom Tongehalt und der Saugspannung im Boden abgeleitet. Das Verdichtungsrisiko wird durch den Vergleich von Bodenfestigkeit und ausgeübtem Bodendruck abgeschätzt: Bleibt der durch die Landmaschine ausgeübte Bodendruck unterhalb der aktuellen Bodenfestigkeit, so können das Verdichtungsrisiko minimiert und negative Veränderungen der Bodenstruktur – und somit der Bodenfunktionen – vermieden werden.Based on experimental data from wheeling experiments, a web-based model for the simulation of stress and the evaluation of the soil compaction risk under agricultural machinery named Terranimo® has been developed. Terranimo® incorporates a model for prediction of contact area, shape and stress distribution in the tyre soil interface from wheel load and readily-available tyre parameters and the topsoil strength. In Terranimo® pedotransfer functions are used to estimate soil strength from clay content and matric potential. Principally, by limiting the imposed stress to below soil strength, the risk of soil compaction and undesirable changes of soil structure – and hence soil functions – can be minimized

Mutation of Tyrosine Sites in the Human Alpha-Synuclein Gene Induces Neurotoxicity in Transgenic Mice with Soluble Alpha-Synuclein Oligomer Formation

Overexpression of α-synuclein with tyrosine mutated to phenylalanine at position 125 leads to a severe phenotype with motor impairment and neuropathology in Drosophila. Here, we hypothesized that tyrosine mutations would similarly lead to impaired motor performance with neuropathology in a rodent model. In transgenic mice (ASO), tyrosines at positions 125, 133, and 136 in human α-synuclein were mutated to phenylalanine and cloned into a Thy1.2 expression vector, which was used to create transgenic mouse lines on a mixed genetic background TgN(Thy-1-SNCA-YF)4Emfu (YF). The YF mice had a decreased lifespan and displayed a dramatic motor phenotype with paralysis of both hind- and forelegs. Post-translational modification of α-synuclein due to phosphorylation of serine 129 is often seen in inclusions in the brains of patients with α-synucleinopathies. We observed a slight but significant increase in phosphorylation of serine 129 in the cytosol in YF mice compared to age-matched human α-synuclein transgenic mice (ASO). Conversely, significantly decreased phosphorylation of serine 129 was seen in synaptosomes of YF mice that also contained higher amounts of soluble oligomers. YF mice deposited full-length α-synuclein aggregates in neurons widespread in the CNS with the main occurrence in the forebrain structures of the cerebral cortex, the basal ganglia, and limbic structures. Full-length α-synuclein labeling was also prominent in many nuclear regions of the brain stem, deep cerebellar nuclei, and cerebellar cortex. The study shows that the substitution of tyrosines to phenylalanine in α-synuclein at positions 125, 133, and 136 leads to severe toxicity in vivo. An insignificant change upon tyrosine substitution suggests that the phosphorylation of serine 129 is not the cause of the toxicity

Mannose 6-Phosphate Receptor Is Reduced in -Synuclein Overexpressing Models of Parkinsons Disease

Increasing evidence points to defects in autophagy as a common denominator in most neurodegenerative conditions. Progressive functional decline in the autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP) occurs with age, and the consequent impairment in protein processing capacity has been associated with a higher risk of neurodegeneration. Defects in cathepsin D (CD) processing and α-synuclein degradation causing its accumulation in lysosomes are particularly relevant for the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanism by which alterations in CD maturation and α-synuclein degradation leads to autophagy defects in PD neurons is still uncertain. Here we demonstrate that MPR300 shuttling between endosomes and the trans Golgi network is altered in α-synuclein overexpressing neurons. Consequently, CD is not correctly trafficked to lysosomes and cannot be processed to generate its mature active form, leading to a reduced CD-mediated α-synuclein degradation and α-synuclein accumulation in neurons. MPR300 is downregulated in brain from α-synuclein overexpressing animal models and in PD patients with early diagnosis. These data indicate MPR300 as crucial player in the autophagy-lysosomal dysfunctions reported in PD and pinpoint MRP300 as a potential biomarker for PD

Expression and membrane-targeting of an active plant cytochrome P450 in the chloroplast of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has potential as a cell factory for the production of recombinant proteins and other compounds, but mainstream adoption has been hindered by a scarcity of genetic tools and a need to identify products that can be generated in a cost-effective manner. A promising strategy is to use algal chloroplasts as a site for synthesis of high value bioactive compounds such as diterpenoids since these are derived from metabolic building blocks that occur naturally within the organelle. However, synthesis of these complex plant metabolites requires the introduction of membrane-associated enzymes including cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s). Here, we show that a gene (CYP79A1) encoding a model P450 can be introduced into the C. reinhardtii chloroplast genome using a simple transformation system. The gene is stably expressed and the P450 is efficiently targeted into chloroplast membranes by means of its endogenous N-terminal anchor domain, where it is active and accounts for 0.4% of total cell protein. These results provide proof of concept for the introduction of diterpenoid synthesis pathways into the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii

Tat proteins as novel thylakoid membrane anchors organize a biosynthetic pathway in chloroplasts and increase product yield 4-fold

Photosynthesis drives the production of ATP and NADPH, and acts as a source of carbon for primary metabolism. NADPH is also used in the production of many natural bioactive compounds. These are usually synthesized in low quantities and are often difficult to produce by chemical synthesis due to their complex structures. Some of the crucial enzymes catalyzing their biosynthesis are the cytochromes P450 (P450s) situated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), powered by electron transfers from NADPH. Dhurrin is a cyanogenic glucoside and its biosynthesis involves a dynamic metabolon formed by two P450s, a UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) and a P450 oxidoreductase (POR). Its biosynthetic pathway has been relocated to the chloroplast where ferredoxin, reduced through the photosynthetic electron transport chain, serves as an efficient electron donor to the P450s, bypassing the involvement of POR. Nevertheless, translocation of the pathway from the ER to the chloroplast creates other difficulties, such as the loss of metabolon formation and intermediate diversion into other metabolic pathways. We show here that co-localization of these enzymes in the thylakoid membrane leads to a significant increase in product formation, with a concomitant decrease in off-pathway intermediates. This was achieved by exchanging the membrane anchors of the dhurrin pathway enzymes to components of the Twin-arginine translocation pathway, TatB and TatC, which have self-assembly properties. Consequently, we show 4-fold increased titers of dhurrin and a decrease in the amounts of intermediates and side products in Nicotiana benthamiana. Further, results suggest that targeting the UGT to the membrane is a key factor to achieve efficient substrate channeling