2,823 research outputs found
SLIDES: A History of Climate Variability and Change in the American West
Presenter: Kelly T. Redmond, Regional Climatologist, Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC), Desert Research Institute
65 slide
SLIDES: A History of Climate Variability and Change in the American West
Presenter: Kelly T. Redmond, Regional Climatologist, Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC), Desert Research Institute
65 slide
Visual fields: back to the future.
This article provides an overview of recent research in perimetry as well as some emerging ideas for improving the ability of perimetric testing to detect glaucoma and its progression. It discusses the benefits of carrying out perimetric tests as part of the evaluation and management of patients with glaucoma and those suspected of having the condition, arguing that stable technology is necessary for continued monitoring
From the Client-Server Architecture to the Information Service Architecture
This paper aims to justify the need for refining the concept of the traditional three-tier client-server architecture to address the drastic changes we have encountered in the form of information processing needs demanded by the public and the information processing services supplied to the public. The paper suggests much needed revisions to the traditional approach and demonstrates how the Information Service Architecture fits into the realm of future systems development by using a fairly complex example of an information system implementation
Recovery Following Acute Pontine Hemorrhage
Massive pontine hemorrhage does not always carry a fatal prognosis. A case report is presented in which many of the features usually associated with a fatal outcome were seen: severe disturbance of consciousness with early onset of coma, decerebrate posturing, systolic BP ranging from 200 mm Hg to 250 mm Hg, and hypopnea. Intensive supportive therapy was instituted during the critical phase, and the patient recovered. Electrophysiological studies helped to define the neurological deficit
Author Response: Passing–Bablok Regression Is Inappropriate for Assessing Association Between Structure and Function.
Appropriately differentiated ARPE-19 cells regain phenotype and gene expression profiles similar to those of native RPE cells.
PurposeThe RPE cell line ARPE-19 provides a dependable and widely used alternative to native RPE. However, replication of the native RPE phenotype becomes more difficult because these cells lose their specialized phenotype after multiple passages. Compounding this problem is the widespread use of ARPE-19 cells in an undifferentiated state to attempt to model RPE functions. We wished to determine whether suitable culture conditions and differentiation could restore the RPE-appropriate expression of genes and proteins to ARPE-19, along with a functional and morphological phenotype resembling native RPE. We compared the transcriptome of ARPE-19 cells kept in long-term culture with those of primary and other human RPE cells to assess the former's inherent plasticity relative to the latter.MethodsARPE-19 cells at passages 9 to 12 grown in DMEM containing high glucose and pyruvate with 1% fetal bovine serum were differentiated for up to 4 months. Immunocytochemistry was performed on ARPE-19 cells grown on filters. Total RNA extracted from ARPE-19 cells cultured for either 4 days or 4 months was used for RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis using a 2 Ă— 50 bp paired end protocol. The RNA-Seq data were analyzed to identify the affected pathways and recognize shared ontological classification among differentially expressed genes. RPE-specific mRNAs and miRNAs were assessed with quantitative real-time (RT)-PCR, and proteins with western blotting.ResultsARPE-19 cells grown for 4 months developed the classic native RPE phenotype with heavy pigmentation. RPE-expressed genes, including RPE65, RDH5, and RDH10, as well as miR-204/211, were greatly increased in the ARPE-19 cells maintained at confluence for 4 months. The RNA-Seq analysis provided a comprehensive view of the relative abundance and differential expression of the genes in the differentiated ARPE-19 cells. Of the 16,757 genes with detectable signals, nearly 1,681 genes were upregulated, and 1,629 genes were downregulated with a fold change of 2.5 or more differences between 4 months and 4 days of culture. Gene Ontology analysis showed that the upregulated genes were associated with visual cycle, phagocytosis, pigment synthesis, cell differentiation, and RPE-related transcription factors. The majority of the downregulated genes play a role in cell cycle and proliferation.ConclusionsThe ARPE-19 cells cultured for 4 months developed a phenotype characteristic of native RPE and expressed proteins, mRNAs, and miRNAs characteristic of the RPE. Comparison of the ARPE-19 RNA-Seq data set with that of primary human fetal RPE, embryonic stem cell-derived RPE, and native RPE revealed an important overall similar expression ratio among all the models and native tissue. However, none of the cultured models reached the absolute values in the native tissue. The results of this study demonstrate that low-passage ARPE-19 cells can express genes specific to native human RPE cells when appropriately cultured and differentiated
Assessing insecticide hazard to bumble bees foraging on flowering weeds in treated lawns
Maintaining bee-friendly habitats in cities and suburbs can help conserve the vital pollination services of declining bee populations. Despite label precautions not to apply them to blooming plants, neonicotinoids and other residual systemic insecticides may be applied for preventive control of lawn insect pests when spring-flowering weeds are present. Dietary exposure to neonicotinoids adversely affects bees, but the extent of hazard from field usage is controversial. We exposed colonies of the bumble bee Bombus impatiens to turf with blooming white clover that had been treated with clothianidin, a neonicotinoid, or with chlorantraniliprole, the first anthranilic diamide labeled for use on lawns. The sprays were applied at label rate and lightly irrigated. After residues had dried, colonies were confined to forage for six days, and then moved to a non-treated rural site to openly forage and develop. Colonies exposed to clothianidin-treated weedy turf had delayed weight gain and produced no new queens whereas those exposed to chlorantraniliprole-treated plots developed normally compared with controls. Neither bumble bees nor honey bees avoided foraging on treated white clover in open plots. Nectar from clover blooms directly contaminated by spray residues contained 171±44 ppb clothianidin. Notably, neither insecticide adversely impacted bee colonies confined on the treated turf after it had been mown to remove clover blooms present at the time of treatment, and new blooms had formed. Our results validate EPA label precautionary statements not to apply neonicotinoids to blooming nectar-producing plants if bees may visit the treatment area. Whatever systemic hazard through lawn weeds they may pose appears transitory, however, and direct hazard can be mitigated by adhering to label precautions, or if blooms inadvertently are contaminated, by mowing to remove them. Chlorantraniliprole usage on lawns appears non-hazardous to bumble bees
Moving To The Cloud: Transitioning From Client-Server To Service Architecture
This paper makes the case that the traditional three-tier client-server architecture requires a major overhaul to address the changing and rapidly increasing information processing and services needs of consumers. Revisions to the conventional architecture model are suggested and two examples of information systems applications are discussed to illustrate how the new information service architecture fits into the realm of future systems development
Recent winters in the western United States and relationship to ENSO patterns [abstract]
EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT):
In the mountainous western United States, winter weather has consequences for the entire year, especially with respect to the use of water. For most of the past 6-8 years, drought has been a persistent feature of the climate
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