Population Structure of Coyote (Canis latrans) in the Urban Landscape of the Cleveland, Ohio Area

Author Institution: Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State UniversityTo obtain information on the population structure of coyote (Canis latrans) in an urban setting, a non-invasive genetic sampling technique was applied that consisted of DNA isolation from scat collected around the Cleveland metropolitan area. Muscle tissue was provided from two other coyotes. Amplifying the mitochondrial D-loop or control region produced 33 haplotypes from just 57 coyote sequences and two additional dog sequences from putative coyote-dog hybrids. The mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity in the Cleveland area was high, π 0.02, and composed of six distinct haplotype lineages. In addition, Fst values ranged from 0.07 between collections east and west of the Cuyahoga River to 0.17 for samples separated between the Cuyahoga River valley and the adjacent Rocky River valley to the west. Interstate highways may restrict gene flow between populations that are based around the numerous large parks while channeling migrants towards the urbanized center. The low number of haplotypes sampled may attest to a poor reproductive rate after arrival, and the two dog-like haplotypes, which were confirmed using a nuclear gene, may be a secondary consequence of low mating opportunities for surviving males

Population Structure of Coyote (Canis latrans) in the Urban Landscape of the Cleveland, Ohio Area

To obtain information on the population structure of coyote (Canis latrans) in an urban setting, a non-invasive genetic sampling technique was applied that consisted of DNA isolation from scat collected around the Cleveland metropolitan area. Muscle tissue was provided from two other coyotes. Amplifying the mitochondrial D-loop or control region produced 33 haplotypes from just 57 coyote sequences and two additional dog sequences from putative coyote-dog hybrids. The mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity in the Cleveland area was high, π 0.02, and composed of six distinct haplotype lineages. In addition, Fst values ranged from 0.07 between collections east and west of the Cuyahoga River to 0.17 for samples separated between the Cuyahoga River valley and the adjacent Rocky River valley to the west. Interstate highways may restrict gene flow between populations that are based around the numerous large parks while channeling migrants towards the urbanized center. The low number of haplotypes sampled may attest to a poor reproductive rate after arrival, and the two dog-like haplotypes, which were confirmed using a nuclear gene, may be a secondary consequence of low mating opportunities for surviving males

Identification of helianthus annuus proteins that are upregulated when exposed to heavy metals

Plants have evolved the ability to extract, transport and use micronutrients from the soil. Many plants utilize this mechanism to accumulate toxic metals from the soil without incurring toxic effects. As a result, phytoremediation is gaining interest as a remediation technology. The study of model plants has shown that plants use a large amount of its genome to deal with stress, including heavy metal uptake and protection from the toxic effects. Although many genes have been identified, knowledge of the basic mechanisms of remediation is limited. Hydroponic and soil based experiments were conducted with two different dwarf sunflowers to identify what proteins were up-regulated as a response to heavy metal exposure. Two-dimensional gels of Helianthus annuus have isolated four proteins that were upregulated when the plants were exposed to arsenic or lead. This paper will discuss total metal uptake and translocation of arsenic and lead as well as the proteins that were upregulated as a result of metal sequestration

Population Structure of Coyote (Canis latrans) in the Urban Landscape of the Cleveland, Ohio Area

To obtain information on the population structure of coyote (Canis latrans) in an urban setting, a non-invasive genetic sampling technique was applied that consisted of DNA isolation from scat collected around the Cleveland metropolitan area. Muscle tissue was provided from two other coyotes. Amplifying the mitochondrial D-loop or control region produced 33 haplotypes from just 57 coyote sequences and two additional dog sequences from putative coyote-dog hybrids. The mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity in the Cleveland area was high, π 0.02, and composed of six distinct haplotype lineages. In addition, Fst values ranged from 0.07 between collections east and west of the Cuyahoga River to 0.17 for samples separated between the Cuyahoga River valley and the adjacent Rocky River valley to the west. Interstate highways may restrict gene flow between populations that are based around the numerous large parks while channeling migrants towards the urbanized center. The low number of haplotypes sampled may attest to a poor reproductive rate after arrival, and the two dog-like haplotypes, which were confirmed using a nuclear gene, may be a secondary consequence of low mating opportunities for surviving males

High-precision motion system design by topology optimization considering additive manufacturing

In the design process of high-precision motion stages, the dynamic behavior is of paramount importance. Manual design of such a stage is a time-consuming process, involving many iterations between engineers responsible for mechanics, dynamics and control. By using topology optimization in combination with additive manufacturing, post-processing using traditional machining and parts assembly, it is possible to arrive at an optimal design in an automated manner. The printing, machining, and assembly steps are incorporated in the optimization in order to directly arrive at a manufacturable design. With a motion stage demonstrator optimized for maximum eigenfrequencies, it is shown that combining additive manufacturing and topology optimization at industry-relevant design precision is within reach and can be applied to high-performance motion systems.Structural Optimization and Mechanic

Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism during Giardia encystment

Giardia intestinalis trophozoites encyst when they are exposed to bile. During encystment, events related to the inducible synthesis of a novel N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (GalNAc) homopolymer, occur. Within the first 6 h of encystment, mRNA for glucosamine 6-P isomerase (GPI), the first inducible enzyme unique to this pathway appears, oxygen uptake rates double from non-encysting levels, and metronidazole (MTZ) inhibits oxygen uptake. Within 12 h, GPI and its activity are detectable and OU decreases 50% from non-encysting levels; glucose's stimulation and MTZ's inhibition of oxygen uptake cease. In contrast, aspartate uptake remained constant throughout the 40 h monitored. Two genes, gpi 1 and 2 encode for GPI, but only gpi1 is expressed during encystment. Glucosamine 6-P (GlcN6P), the synthetic product of GPI, activates UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) pyrophosphorylase, a downstream enzyme, 3 to 5-fold in the direction of UDP-GlcNAc synthesis. UDP-GlcNAc is epimerized to UDP-GalNAc and UDP-GalNAc is polymerized by cyst wall synthase (â 1 ;ra 3 GalNAc transferase) into a highly insoluble â 1,3-linked homopolymer. This GalNAc polysaccharide, the major component of cyst wall filaments, forms, in conjunction with polypeptides, the outer cyst wall of Giardia

Werken aan de robotsamenleving : Visies en inzichten uit de wetenschap over de relatie technologie en werkgelegenheid

Visies en inzichten uit de wetenschap over de relatie technologie en werkgelegenheid. Steeds vaker komen we in aanraking met robots en verregaande automatisering. Denk aan robotstofzuigers, zelfscankassa's of online tools waarmee je zelf juridische contracten kunt opstellen. De discussie over wat deze automatisering gaat betekenen voor toekomstige werkgelegenheid is inmiddels losgebarsten in de media, de wetenschap en de politiek. De een ziet kansen met nieuwe mogelijkheden voor meer comfort, gezondheid en economische groei. De ander maakt zich zorgen over de vraag of 'slimme technologie' banen gaat vervangen. Over die laatste vraag gaat dit rapport. Wat betekent de inzet van slimme technologie voor de werkgelegenheid? Welke taken kan slimme technologie overnemen van de mens en waar vullen mens en machine elkaar aan? Hoe verandert de organisatie van arbeids- en productieprocessen en welke invloed heeft dat op automatisering van werk? Zijn bepaalde groepen op de arbeidsmarkt kwetsbaarder dan andere? Met welke beleidsmaatregelen kunnen we de kansen van automatisering benutten en negatieve effecten zoveel mogelijk voorkomen? Het rapport Werken aan de robotsamenleving brengt in kaart, wat er in de wetenschap bekend is over de relatie technologie en werkgelegenheid. Het werpt een blik op de toekomst en geeft een beeld van de beleidsopties. Het rapport legt zo een gezamenlijke kennisbasis voor het maatschappelijke en politieke debat over de vraag, hoe Nederland ervoor kan zorgen dat we de robotsamenleving zo inrichten dat deze samenleving voor iedereen een aantrekkelijk perspectief is

Realization and assessment of metal additive manufacturing and topology optimization for high-precision motion systems

The design of high-precision motion stages, which must exhibit high dynamic performance, is a challenging task. Manual design is difficult, time-consuming, and leads to sub-optimal designs that fail to fully exploit the extended geometric freedom that additive manufacturing offers. By using topology optimization and incorporating all manufacturing steps (printing, milling, and assembly) into the optimization formulation, high-quality optimized and manufacturable designs can be obtained in an automated manner. With a special focus on overhang control, minimum feature size, and computational effort, the proposed methodology is demonstrated using a case study of an industrial motion stage, optimized for maximum eigenfrequencies. For this case study, an optimized design can be obtained in a single day, showing a substantial performance increase of around 15% as compared to a conventional design. The generated design is manufactured using laser powder-bed fusion in aluminum and experimentally validated within 1% of the simulated performance. This shows that the combination of additive manufacturing and topology optimization can enable significant gains in the high-tech industry.Structural Optimization and MechanicsMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin