Estimating the annual distribution of monarch butterflies in Canada over 16 years using citizen science data

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus, Linnaeus, 1758) are comprised of two migratory populations separated by the Rocky Mountains and are renowned for their long-distance movements among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Both populations have declined over several decades across North America prompting all three countries to evaluate conservation efforts. Monitoring monarch distribution and abundance is a necessary aspect of ongoing management in Canada where they are a species at risk. We used presence-only data from two citizen science data sets to estimate the annual breeding distribution of monarch butterflies in Canada between 2000 and 2015. Monarch breeding distribution in Canada varied widely among years owing to natural variation, and when considering the upper 95% of the probability of occurrence, the annual mean breeding distribution in Canada was 484 943 km(2) (min: 173 449 km(2); max: 1 425 835 km(2)). The area of occurrence was approximately an order of magnitude larger in eastern Canada than in western Canada. Habitat restoration for monarch butterflies in Canada should prioritize productive habitats in southern Ontario where monarchs occur annually and, therefore, likely contribute most to the long-term viability of monarchs in eastern North America. Overall, our assessment sets the geographic context to develop successful management strategies for monarchs in Canada.Liber Ero Postdoctoral Fellowship; University Research Chair from the University of GuelphOpen access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Stereoselective pharmacokinetics of stable isotope (+/-)-[13C]-pantoprazole: Implications for a rapid screening phenotype test of CYP2C19 activity

AIMS: We have previously shown that the (±)-[(13) C]-pantoprazole breath test is a promising noninvasive probe of CYP2C19 activity. As part of that trial, plasma, breath test indices and CYP2C19 (*2, *3, and *17) genotype were collected. Here, we examined whether [(13) C]-pantoprazole exhibits enantioselective pharmacokinetics and whether this enantioselectivity is correlated with indices of breath test. METHODS: Plasma (-)- and (+)-[(13) C]-pantoprazole that were measured using a chiral HPLC were compared between CYP2C19 genotypes and correlated with breath test indices. RESULTS: The AUC( 0-∞) of (+)-[(13) C]-pantoprazole in PM (*2/*2, n = 4) was 10.1- and 5.6-fold higher that EM (*1/*1or *17, n = 10) and IM (*1/*2or *3, n = 10) of CYP2C19, respectively (P < 0.001). The AUC( 0-∞) of (-)-[(13) C]-pantoprazole only significantly differed between PMs and EMs (1.98-fold; P = 0.05). The AUC( 0-∞) ratio of (+)-/(-)-[(13) C]-pantoprazole was 3.45, 0.77, and 0.67 in PM, IM, and EM genotypes, respectively. Breath test index, delta over baseline show significant correlation with AUC( 0-∞) of (+)-[(13) C]-pantoprazole (Pearson's r = 0.62; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: [(13) C]-pantoprazole exhibits enantioselective elimination. (+)-[(13) C]-pantoprazole is more dependent on CYP2C19 metabolic status and may serve as a more attractive probe of CYP2C19 activity than (-)-[(13) C]-pantoprazole or the racemic mixture

A Penalized Mixture Model Approach in Genotype/Phenotype Association Analysis for Quantitative Phenotypes

A mixture normal model has been developed to partition genotypes in predicting quantitative phenotypes. Its estimation and inference are performed through an EM algorithm. This approach can conduct simultaneous genotype clustering and hypothesis testing. It is a valuable method for predicting the distribution of quantitative phenotypes among multi-locus genotypes across genes or within a gene. This mixture model’s performance is evaluated in data analyses for two pharmacogenetics studies. In one example, thirty five CYP2D6 genotypes were partitioned into three groups to predict pharmacokinetics of a breast cancer drug, Tamoxifen, a CYP2D6 substrate (p-value = 0.04). In a second example, seventeen CYP2B6 genotypes were categorized into three clusters to predict CYP2B6 protein expression (p-value = 0.002). The biological validities of both partitions are examined using established function of CYP2D6 and CYP2B6 alleles. In both examples, we observed genotypes clustered in the same group to have high functional similarities. The power and recovery rate of the true partition for the mixture model approach are investigated in statistical simulation studies, where it outperforms another published method

Two-axis bend measurement with Bragg gratings in multicore optical fiber

We describe what is to our knowledge the first use of fiber Bragg gratings written into three separate cores of a multicore fiber for two-axis curvature measurement. The gratings act as independent, but isothermal, fiber strain gauges for which local curvature determines the difference in strain between cores, permitting temperature-independent bend measurement. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America

Tamoxifen therapy reduced platelet counts without change in platelet function

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109840/1/cptclpt2005247.pd

Gene expression profiles of 4‐hydroxy‐N‐desmethyl‐tamoxifen (endoxifen)‐ and 4‐hydroxy‐tamoxifen (4OHTAM)‐treated human breast cancer cells determined by CDNA microarray analysis

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109798/1/cptclpt2004192.pd

Menopausal status and estrogen receptor genotypes influenced the severity of hot flashes after tamoxifen treatment

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109844/1/cptclpt200521.pd

Aromatase inhibitors augment nociceptive behaviors in rats and enhance the excitability of sensory neurons

Although aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are commonly used therapies for breast cancer, their use is limited because they produce arthralgia in a large number of patients. To determine whether AIs produce hypersensitivity in animal models of pain, we examined the effects of the AI, letrozole, on mechanical, thermal, and chemical sensitivity in rats. In ovariectomized (OVX) rats, administering a single dose of 1 or 5mg/kg letrozole significantly reduced mechanical paw withdrawal thresholds, without altering thermal sensitivity. Repeated injection of 5mg/kg letrozole in male rats produced mechanical, but not thermal, hypersensitivity that extinguished when drug dosing was stopped. A single dose of 5mg/kg letrozole or daily dosing of letrozole or exemestane in male rats also augmented flinching behavior induced by intraplantar injection of 1000nmol of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). To determine whether sensitization of sensory neurons contributed to AI-induced hypersensitivity, we evaluated the excitability of neurons isolated from dorsal root ganglia of male rats chronically treated with letrozole. Both small and medium-diameter sensory neurons isolated from letrozole-treated rats were more excitable, as reflected by increased action potential firing in response to a ramp of depolarizing current, a lower resting membrane potential, and a lower rheobase. However, systemic letrozole treatment did not augment the stimulus-evoked release of the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from spinal cord slices, suggesting that the enhanced nociceptive responses were not secondary to an increase in peptide release from sensory endings in the spinal cord. These results provide the first evidence that AIs modulate the excitability of sensory neurons, which may be a primary mechanism for the effect of these drugs to augment pain behaviors in rats

Pii‐21

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109873/1/cptclpt2006159.pd