Effects of Retained Pine and Hardwood Basal Areas on Percent Cover of Plants Utilized by Bobwhite Quail

Percent cover of seven forage species utilized by bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) was determined before thinning and 2 and 4 years after thinning a 35-year-old loblolly pine-hardwood stand. Combinations of three loblolly pine (15, 18, and 21 m2/ha) and three hardwood (0, 3.5, and 7 m2/ha) basal areas were replicated three times. Percent cover was determined for American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), blackberry (Rubus spp.), tick trefoil (Desmodium spp.), lespedeza (Lespedeza spp.), panic grass (Panicum spp.), yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta), and three-seeded mercury (Acalypha spp.). Percent cover of American beautyberry and blackberry increased with time. Tick trefoil and panic grass were negatively related to time after thinning. However, lespedeza, yellow wood sorrel, and three-seeded mercury were not influenced significantly by time after thinning. Blackberry and panic grass were negatively related to pine basal area, while all other plant species were not affected. Three-seeded mercury was the only species not negatively related to hardwood basal area. Canopy cover and relative light intensity in the understory demonstrated an inverse relationship

A prospective, active haemovigilance study with combined cohort analysis of 19 175 transfusions of platelet components prepared with amotosalen-UVA photochemical treatment

Background and Objectives: A photochemical treatment process (PCT) utilizing amotosalen and UVA light (INTERCEPT™ Blood System) has been developed for inactivation of viruses, bacteria, parasites and leucocytes that can contaminate blood components intended for transfusion. The objective of this study was to further characterize the safety profile of INTERCEPT-treated platelet components (PCT-PLT) administered across a broad patient population. Materials and Methods: This open-label, observational haemovigilance programme of PCT-PLT transfusions was conducted in 21 centres in 11 countries. All transfusions were monitored for adverse events within 24 h post-transfusion and for serious adverse events (SAEs) up to 7 days post-transfusion. All adverse events were assessed for severity (Grade 0–4), and causal relationship to PCT-PLT transfusion. Results: Over the course of 7 years in the study centres, 4067 patients received 19 175 PCT-PLT transfusions. Adverse events were infrequent, and most were of Grade 1 severity. On a per-transfusion basis, 123 (0·6%) were classified an acute transfusion reaction (ATR) defined as an adverse event related to the transfusion. Among these ATRs, the most common were chills (77, 0·4%) and urticaria (41, 0·2%). Fourteen SAEs were reported, of which 2 were attributed to platelet transfusion (<0·1%). No case of transfusion-related acute lung injury, transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease, transfusion-transmitted infection or death was attributed to the transfusion of PCT-PLT. Conclusion: This longitudinal haemovigilance safety programme to monitor PCT-PLT transfusions demonstrated a low rate of ATRs, and a safety profile consistent with that previously reported for conventional platelet components.publishedVersio

Kimberlites reveal 2.5-billion-year evolution of a deep, isolated mantle reservoir

The widely accepted paradigm of Earth's geochemical evolution states that the successive extraction of melts from the mantle over the past 4.5 billion years formed the continental crust, and produced at least one complementary melt-depleted reservoir that is now recognized as the upper-mantle source of mid-ocean-ridge basalts1. However, geochemical modelling and the occurrence of high 3He/4He (that is, primordial) signatures in some volcanic rocks suggest that volumes of relatively undifferentiated mantle may reside in deeper, isolated regions2. Some basalts from large igneous provinces may provide temporally restricted glimpses of the most primitive parts of the mantle3,4, but key questions regarding the longevity of such sources on planetary timescales—and whether any survive today—remain unresolved. Kimberlites, small-volume volcanic rocks that are the source of most diamonds, offer rare insights into aspects of the composition of the Earth’s deep mantle. The radiogenic isotope ratios of kimberlites of different ages enable us to map the evolution of this domain through time. Here we show that globally distributed kimberlites originate from a single homogeneous reservoir with an isotopic composition that is indicative of a uniform and pristine mantle source, which evolved in isolation over at least 2.5 billion years of Earth history—to our knowledge, the only such reservoir that has been identified to date. Around 200 million years ago, extensive volumes of the same source were perturbed, probably as a result of contamination by exogenic material. The distribution of affected kimberlites suggests that this event may be related to subduction along the margin of the Pangaea supercontinent. These results reveal a long-lived and globally extensive mantle reservoir that underwent subsequent disruption, possibly heralding a marked change to large-scale mantle-mixing regimes. These processes may explain why uncontaminated primordial mantle is so difficult to identify in recent mantle-derived melts

The genetics of neuropathic pain from model organisms to clinical application

Neuropathic pain (NeuP) arises due to injury of the somatosensory nervous system and is both common and disabling, rendering an urgent need for non-addictive, effective new therapies. Given the high evolutionary conservation of pain, investigative approaches from Drosophila mutagenesis to human Mendelian genetics have aided our understanding of the maladaptive plasticity underlying NeuP. Successes include the identification of ion channel variants causing hyper-excitability and the importance of neuro-immune signaling. Recent developments encompass improved sensory phenotyping in animal models and patients, brain imaging, and electrophysiology-based pain biomarkers, the collection of large well-phenotyped population cohorts, neurons derived from patient stem cells, and high-precision CRISPR generated genetic editing. We will discuss how to harness these resources to understand the pathophysiological drivers of NeuP, define its relationship with comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, and explore how to apply these findings to the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of NeuP in the clinic

David Tappens/ Funffzehen Jährige Curiöse und denckwürdige auch sehr gefährliche Ost-Indianische Reise-Beschreibung/ : So sich im Jahr Christi 1667. angefangen/ und durch Göttlichen Beystand im 1682ten Jahre geendet hat/ Auf vielfältiges Verlangen guter Freunde zum Druck übergeben/

DAVID TAPPENS/ FUNFFZEHEN JÄHRIGE CURIÖSE UND DENCKWÜRDIGE AUCH SEHR GEFÄHRLICHE OST-INDIANISCHE REISE-BESCHREIBUNG/ : SO SICH IM JAHR CHRISTI 1667. ANGEFANGEN/ UND DURCH GÖTTLICHEN BEYSTAND IM 1682TEN JAHRE GEENDET HAT/ AUF VIELFÄLTIGES VERLANGEN GUTER FREUNDE ZUM DRUCK ÜBERGEBEN/ David Tappens/ Funffzehen Jährige Curiöse und denckwürdige auch sehr gefährliche Ost-Indianische Reise-Beschreibung/ : So sich im Jahr Christi 1667. angefangen/ und durch Göttlichen Beystand im 1682ten Jahre geendet hat/ Auf vielfältiges Verlangen guter Freunde zum Druck übergeben/ (1) Einband (1) Titelblatt (10) Vorrede An den günstigen Leser (12) Ost-Indianische Reise-Beschreibung (16) Reise nach der Stadt Mallacca ... (43) Voyagie nach dem Käyser-Reiche China ... (132) Reise nach Jappara, Sourabaya ... (173) Folget nun eine ... Beschreibunge/ wovon ein Schiff gebauet ... (267) Eigentliche Beschreibung ... einiger Indianischen Thiere ... (289) Diese hiernach specificirte Menschen ... (324

MAGLAB: A computing platform connecting geophysical signatures to melting processes in Earth's mantle

International audienceDecompression melting of the upper mantle produces magmas and volcanism at the Earth's surface. Experimental petrology demonstrates that the presence of CO2 and H2O enhances peridotite melting anywhere within the upper mantle down to approximately 200–300 km depth. The presence of mantle melts with compositions ranging from carbonate-rich to silicate-rich unavoidably affects the geophysical signals retrieved from Earth's mantle. Geochemical investigations of erupted intraplate magmas along with geophysical surveys allow for constraining the nature and volume of primary melts, and a sound formalism is required to integrate these diverse datasets into a realistic model for the upper mantle including melting processes. Here, we introduce MAGLAB, a model developed to calculate the composition and volume fraction of melts in the upper mantle, together with the corresponding electrical conductivity of partially molten mantle peridotites at realistic pressure-temperature conditions and volatile contents. We use MAGLAB to show how the compositions of intraplate magmas relate to variations in lithosphere thickness. Progressive partial melting of a homogeneous peridotitic mantle source can in theory create the diversity of compositions observed among the spectrum of intraplate magma types, with kimberlite melts beneath thick continental shields, alkaline magmas such as melilitite, nephelinite and basanite beneath thinner continents and relatively old plus thick oceanic lithospheres, and ‘regular’ basalts beneath the youngest and thinnest oceanic lithospheres as well as beneath significantly thinned continental lithospheres. MAGLAB calculations support recent experimental findings about the role of H2O in the upper mantle on producing primary kimberlitic melts in addition to CO2. We demonstrate the robustness of MAGLAB calculations by reproducing the compositions of erupted melts as well as associated mantle electrical conductivities beneath the Society hotspot in the Pacific Ocean. A comparison of our simulations with magnetotelluric surveys at various oceanic settings shows that the heterogeneities in electrical conductivity of Earth's upper mantle are related to variations in volatile content via the presence of small (generally <<1 wt%) and heterogeneously distributed fractions of CO2-H2O-bearing melts

Single-use wave-mixed versus stirred bioreactors for insect-cell/BEVS-based protein expression at benchtop scale

Spodoptera frugiperda-9 (Sf-9) cells used in conjunction with the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) represent a promising platformfor the rapid development and manufacture of protein complexes and virus-like particle (VLP) products. Several studies have described the superiority of single-use wave-mixed bioreactors although reusable stirred and, more recently, single-use stirred bioreactors have also been successfully applied. Due to their bioengineering characteristics (more homogeneous energy dissipation, reduced foam formation), wave-mixed systems are often preferred. However, a direct comparison of the influence of single-use wave-mixed and single-use stirred bioreactors on cell growth and protein expression in Sf-9/BEVS-based production processes was still lacking. We investigated Sf-9 cell growth and expression of a recombinant secreted alkaline phosphatase (rSEAP) in thewave-mixed BIOSTAT® RMaswell as the stirred UniVessel R SU and a serum-free culture medium. Irrespective of the bioreactor system, comparable growth, substrate, and metabolite courses as well as peak cell densities (>1.2 × 107 cells mL−1) were observed in Sf-9 cell expansions performed in batch mode. Additionally, identical rSEAP quality and maximumrSEAP activities were found in biphasic productions in both bioreactor systems. Concluding, comparability of single-use wave-mixed and stirred bioreactors for insect cell culture processes was demonstrated for the first time.

A prospective, active haemovigilance study with combined cohort analysis of 19 175 transfusions of platelet components prepared with amotosalen-UVA photochemical treatment

Background and Objectives: A photochemical treatment process (PCT) utilizing amotosalen and UVA light (INTERCEPT™ Blood System) has been developed for inactivation of viruses, bacteria, parasites and leucocytes that can contaminate blood components intended for transfusion. The objective of this study was to further characterize the safety profile of INTERCEPT-treated platelet components (PCT-PLT) administered across a broad patient population. Materials and Methods: This open-label, observational haemovigilance programme of PCT-PLT transfusions was conducted in 21 centres in 11 countries. All transfusions were monitored for adverse events within 24 h post-transfusion and for serious adverse events (SAEs) up to 7 days post-transfusion. All adverse events were assessed for severity (Grade 0–4), and causal relationship to PCT-PLT transfusion. Results: Over the course of 7 years in the study centres, 4067 patients received 19 175 PCT-PLT transfusions. Adverse events were infrequent, and most were of Grade 1 severity. On a per-transfusion basis, 123 (0·6%) were classified an acute transfusion reaction (ATR) defined as an adverse event related to the transfusion. Among these ATRs, the most common were chills (77, 0·4%) and urticaria (41, 0·2%). Fourteen SAEs were reported, of which 2 were attributed to platelet transfusion (<0·1%). No case of transfusion-related acute lung injury, transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease, transfusion-transmitted infection or death was attributed to the transfusion of PCT-PLT. Conclusion: This longitudinal haemovigilance safety programme to monitor PCT-PLT transfusions demonstrated a low rate of ATRs, and a safety profile consistent with that previously reported for conventional platelet components