Search

Platelet 5-HT uptake sites were measured in 40 depressed patients and 40 controls using [H] imipramine binding, defined with desmethylimipramine (DMI) and Na dependence, and [H] paroxetine binding. In control subjects the B of DMI defined [H] imipramine binding was significantly higher than both Na dependent [H] imipramine (by 30%) and [H] paroxetine binding (by 22%). The B of Na dependent [H] imipramine and [H] paroxetine binding did not differ significantly. The K of Na dependent [H] imipramine binding was significantly lower than the K of DMI defined [H] imipramine binding. The binding of DMI defined and Na dependent [H] imipramine and [H] paroxetine did not differ significantly between depressed patients and controls in the total group, in those depressed patients who had never taken antidepressants or in those depressed patients who had been recently with-drawn from antidepressants. This study provides no support for the view that the number of platelet 5-HT uptake sites are reduced in depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

³H-imipramine binding in 39 drug-free patients with major depression and 44 healthy controls did not differ significantly between the two groups, in male or female subjects or in subgroups of depressed patients divided by endogenicity or dexamethasone suppression test result. ³H-imipramine binding in depressed patients drug-free for less than three weeks did not differ from those drug-free for longer intervals or from controls. A significant seasonal variation of ³H-imipramine Bmax was found, with lower values in summer and autumn. Treatment of depressed patients with imipramine or lofepramine for six weeks increased KD and Bmax. Methodological modification (in preparation and storage of platelets) does not explain the major differences in results between this study (using frozen platelets), a previous one (using freshly prepared platelets) and others in general, although it might contribute to the range of values reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The publisher regrets that a typographical error occurred in the text as follows: Recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and soluble recombinant mouse receptor activator of NFêB ligand (RANKL) and IGF-I were from Insight Biotechnology (Wembley, Middlesex, UK). The correct symbol ' ' (NF B) can be seen in the text below: Recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and soluble recombinant mouse receptor activator of NF B ligand (RANKL) and IGF-I were from Insight Biotechnology (Wembley, Middlesex, UK). [Extracted from the article]

We present historical monthly spatial models of temperature and precipitation generated from the North American dataset version "j" from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Centres for Environmental Information (NCEI). Monthly values of minimum/maximum temperature and precipitation for 1901–2016 were modelled for continental United States and Canada. Compared to similar spatial models published in 2006 by Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN), the current models show less error. The Root Generalized Cross Validation (RTGCV), a measure of the predictive error of the surfaces akin to a spatially averaged standard predictive error estimate, averaged 0.94 °C for maximum temperature models, 1.3 °C for minimum temperature and 25.2% for total precipitation. Mean prediction errors for the temperature variables were less than 0.01 °C, using all stations. In comparison, precipitation models showed a dry bias (compared to recorded values) of 0.5 mm or 0.7% of the surface mean. Mean absolute predictive errors for all stations were 0.7 °C for maximum temperature, 1.02 °C for minimum temperature, and 13.3 mm (19.3% of the surface mean) for monthly precipitation. Measurement(s) temperature • hydrological precipitation process Technology Type(s) computational modeling technique • digital curation Factor Type(s) monthly values of minimum/maximum temperature and precipitation Sample Characteristic - Environment climate system Sample Characteristic - Location contiguous United States of America • Canada Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13110422 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which found that free radical scavenging inhibits STAT phosphorylation after in vivo ischemia/reperfusion injury. Researchers performed a time course of ischemia/reperfusion injury on the rat myocardium in order to assess the dynamics of STAT1 and STAT3 tyrosine or serine phosphorylation over time. The study found that reactive oxygen species generation is responsible for intracellular damage and has been shown to lead to the onset of apoptosis.

Presents an article on traveling on The Royal Scotsman, a luxury train managed by The Great Scottish & Western Railway Co. in Scotland. Features of The Royal Scotsman; Services provided to passengers; Tour route of the train.

Pathogens lacking the enzymatic pathways for de novo purine biosynthesis are required to salvage purines and pyrimidines from the host environment for synthesis of DNA and RNA. Two key enzymes in purine salvage pathways are IMP dehydrogenase (GuaB) and GMP synthase (GuaA), encoded by the guaB and guaA genes, respectively. While these genes are typically found on the chromosome in most bacterial pathogens, the guaAB operon of Borrelia burgdorferi is present on plasmid cp26, which also harbors a number of genes critical for B. burgdorferi viability. Using molecular genetics and an experimental model of the tick-mouse infection cycle, we demonstrate that the enzymatic activities encoded by the guaAB operon are essential for B. burgdorferi mouse infectivity and provide a growth advantage to spirochetes in the tick. These data indicate that the GuaA and GuaB proteins are critical for the survival of B. burgdorferi in the infection cycle and highlight a potential difference in the requirements for purine salvage in the disparate mammalian and tick environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor concerning the euthanasia of beached pilot whales in the Falkland Islands.

Evaluates the Toshiba Portégé 3500 from Toshiba Corp. Recognized components of the Tablet; Feature helpful in fixing the mistakes..

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a tickborne bandavirus mainly transmitted by Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in East Asia, mostly in rural areas. As of April 2022, the amplifying host involved in the natural transmission of SFTSV remained unidentified. Our epidemiologic field survey conducted in endemic areas in China showed that hedgehogs were widely distributed, had heavy tick infestations, and had high SFTSV seroprevalence and RNA prevalence. After experimental infection of Erinaceus amurensis and Atelerix albiventris hedgehogs with SFTSV, we detected robust but transitory viremias that lasted for 9-11 days. We completed the SFTSV transmission cycle between hedgehogs and nymph and adult H. longicornis ticks under laboratory conditions with 100% efficiency. Furthermore, naive H. longicornis ticks could be infected by SFTSV-positive ticks co-feeding on naive hedgehogs; we confirmed transstadial transmission of SFTSV. Our study suggests that the hedgehogs are a notable wildlife amplifying host of SFTSV in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Species distribution models typically project climatically suitable habitat for trees in eastern North America to shift hundreds of kilometres this century. We simulated potential migration, accounting for various traits that affect species' ability to track climatically suitable habitat. Location: Eastern Canada, covering ~3.7 million km2. Methods: We simulated migration‐constrained range shifts through 2100 using a hybrid approach combining projections of climatically suitable habitat based on two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5, RCP8.5) for three time periods and two species distribution modelling approaches with process‐based models parameterized using data related to dispersal ability and generation time. We developed a unique "migration kernel" that uses seed dispersal traits and observed migration velocities to obtain kernel shape and dispersal probabilities for each tree species. We then calculated lags between the migration‐constrained range limits obtained through simulations and limits of climatically suitable habitat. Results: All species demonstrated northward range shifts at the leading edge of their simulated distribution through 2100, but the magnitude and rate of that shift varied by species and time period. Climatically suitable habitat limits were found to be north of simulated distribution limits across both RCPs, with lags increasing through time. On average, simulated distribution that remained within climatically suitable habitat declined more under RCP8.5 than RCP4.5, with large areas of the rear edge of the simulated distribution becoming partially or completely climatically unsuitable for many species. Main conclusions: Climatically suitable habitat limits projected for 2100 far exceeded migration‐constrained range limits for all 10 tree species, particularly for temperate species. This study underlines the limited extent to which tree species will track climate change via natural migration. Integrating observed migration velocities, seed dispersal and generation time with SDM outputs allows for more realistic evaluations of tree migration ability under climate change and may help orient forest conservation and restoration efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Collagen and collagen crosslinking are important determinants of bone strength. For the first time, collagen and its crosslink content were measured in the humerus from primiparous dairy cows with spontaneous humeral fracture due to osteoporosis from New Zealand. The results were compared with the humerus from unfractured dairy cows. Cows with a humeral fracture have a lower total collagen content but higher total collagen crosslink content compared with unfractured cows. The results suggest that protein/calorie undernutrition might be an important factor associated with the incidence of spontaneous humeral fractures in dairy cows from New Zealand. Numerous cases of spontaneous humeral fracture in primiparous dairy cows from New Zealand have prompted the study of the condition to establish probable causes or risk factors associated with the condition. Previous studies identified inadequate protein-calorie malnutrition as an important contributory factor. Earlier case studies also reported that ~50% of cows have low liver and/or serum copper concentration at the time of humeral fracture. Because copper is so closely associated with the formation of collagen cross-links, the aim of this study was to compare collagen and collagen crosslink content in the humerus from primiparous cows with and without humeral fractures and to determine the role of copper in the occurrence of these fractures. Humeri were collected from cows with and without humeral fractures, ground, and the collagen and collagen cross-link content measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Collagen content was significantly higher in the humeri of cows without humeral fractures, while total collagen crosslink content was significantly higher in the humerus of cows with humeral fractures. These results indicate other factor/s (e.g., protein-calorie undernutrition) might be more important than the copper status in the occurrence of humeral fractures in dairy cows in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study produced annual spatial models (or grids) of 27 growing-season variables for Canada that span two centuries (1901-2100). Temporal gaps in the availability of daily climate data-the typical and preferred source for calculating growing-season variables-necessitated the use of two approaches for generating these growing-season grids. The first approach, used only for the 1950-2010 period, employed a computer script to directly calculate the suite of growing-season variables from existing daily climate grids. Since daily grids were not available for the remaining years, a second approach, which employed a machine-learning method called boosted regression trees (BRT), was used to generate statistical models that related each growing-season variable to a suite of climate and water-related predictors. These BRT models were used to generate grids of growing-season variables for each year of the study period, including the 1950-2010 period to allow comparison between the two approaches. Mean absolute errors associated with the BRT-based grids were approximately 30% higher than those associated with the daily-based grids. The two approaches were also compared by calculating trends in growing-season length over the 1950-2010 period. Significant increases in growing-season length were obtained for nearly all ecozones across Canada, and there were no significant differences in the trends obtained from the two approaches. Although the daily-based approach tended to have lower errors, the BRT approach produced comparable map products that should be valuable for periods and regions for which daily data are not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present 50-year updates for two plant hardiness models (maps), developed originally by Agriculture Canada and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), that are widely used for plant selection decisions in Canada. The updated maps show clear northward shifts in hardiness zones across western Canada. Shifts are less dramatic in southeastern Canada, with modest increases in zone values associated with the Canadian map but modest declines associated with the USDA approach. Species-specific climate envelope models are an alternative to generalized hardiness zones. We generated climate envelopes for 62 northern tree species over the same 50-year interval and found an average northward shift of 57 kilometers. These changes signal an increase in the productivity and diversity of plants that can be grown in Canada. However, late spring frosts and other factors discussed herein may limit the extent to which this potential is realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Borrelia burgdorferi encounters potentially harmful reactive nitrogen species (RNS) throughout its infective cycle. In this study, diethylamine NONOate (DEA/NO) was used to characterize the lethal effects of RNS on B. burgdorferi. RNS produce a variety of DNA lesions in a broad spectrum of microbial pathogens; however, levels of the DNA deamination product, deoxyinosine, and the numbers of apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites were identical in DNA isolated from untreated and DEA/NO-treated B. burgdorferi cells. Strains with mutations in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway genes uvrC or uvrB treated with DEA/NO had significantly higher spontaneous mutation frequencies, increased numbers of AP sites in DNA and reduced survival compared with wild-type controls. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in B. burgdorferi cell membranes, which are susceptible to peroxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS), were not sensitive to RNS-mediated lipid peroxidation. However, treatment of B. burgdorferi cells with DEA/NO resulted in nitrosative damage to several proteins, including the zinc-dependent glycolytic enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (BB0445), the B orrelia oxidative stress regulator (BosR) and neutrophil-activating protein (NapA). Collectively, these data suggested that nitrosative damage to proteins harbouring free or zinc-bound cysteine thiols, rather than DNA or membrane lipids underlies RNS toxicity in wild-type B. burgdorferi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the main hurdles for the wide use of current Ag-filled, isotropically conductive adhesives (ICAs) is the high cost of Ag fillers, while the challenge for low cost copper-filled ICAs is their poor reliability. In this paper, highly reliable, low cost ICAs in which the copper flakes used as filler are coated with silver (Ag-coated Cu flakes) have been developed. With Ag-coated Cu flakes modified by an amine-based silane coupling agent (SCA), the ICAs with the resistivity (2.4×10−4 Ωcm) comparable to that of commercially available Ag-filled ICAs have been achieved. Moreover, the contact resistance of the ICAs filled with the modified Ag-coated Cu flakes on a Ni/Au surface can be stabilized (less than 10% increase) for more than 1000h of aging at 85°C and 85% RH and after three reflows with a peak reflow temperature of 255°C. The causes leading to the higher conductivity and the better reliability of the ICAs filled with Ag-coated Cu flakes modified by amine-based silane coupling agent are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The application of trivariate thin-plate smoothing splines to the interpolation of daily weather data is investigated. The method was used to develop spatial models of daily minimum and maximum temperature and daily precipitation for all of Canada, at a spatial resolution of 300 arc s of latitude and longitude, for the period 1961–2003. Each daily model was optimized automatically by minimizing the generalized cross validation. The fitted trivariate splines incorporated a spatially varying dependence on ground elevation and were able to adapt automatically to the large variation in station density over Canada. Extensive quality control measures were performed on the source data. Error estimates for the fitted surfaces based on withheld data across southern Canada were comparable to, or smaller than, errors obtained by daily interpolation studies elsewhere with denser data networks. Mean absolute errors in daily maximum and minimum temperature averaged over all years were 1.1° and 1.6°C, respectively. Daily temperature extremes were also well matched. Daily precipitation is challenging because of short correlation length scales, the preponderance of zeros, and significant error associated with measurement of snow. A two-stage approach was adopted in which precipitation occurrence was estimated and then used in conjunction with a surface of positive precipitation values. Daily precipitation occurrence was correctly predicted 83% of the time. Withheld errors in daily precipitation were small, with mean absolute errors of 2.9 mm, although these were relatively large in percentage terms. However, mean percent absolute errors in seasonal and annual precipitation totals were 14% and 9%, respectively, and seasonal precipitation upper 95th percentiles were attenuated on average by 8%. Precipitation and daily maximum temperatures were most accurately interpolated in the autumn, consistent with the large well-organized synoptic systems that prevail in this season. Daily minimum temperatures were most accurately interpolated in summer. The withheld data tests indicate that the models can be used with confidence across southern Canada in applications that depend on daily temperature and accumulated seasonal and annual precipitation. They should be used with care in applications that depend critically on daily precipitation extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selective PPARγ antagonist GW9662 reverses the protection of LPS in a model of renal ischemia-reperfusion. Background. We have recently reported that pretreatment of rats with endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and selective agonists of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) protect the kidney against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Here we investigate the hypothesis that the renoprotective effects of LPS may be due to an enhanced formation of endogenous ligands of PPARγ, rather than an up-regulation of PPARγ expression. Methods. Rats were pretreated with LPS (1 mg/kg, IP, 24 hours prior to ischemia) in the absence (control) or presence of the selective PPARγ antagonist GW9662 (1 mg/kg, IP, 24 and 12 hours prior to ischemia). Twenty-four hours after injection of LPS, rats were subjected to 60 minutes of bilateral renal ischemia, followed by 6 hours of reperfusion. Serum and urinary indicators of renal injury and dysfunction were measured, specifically serum creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl-transferase, creatinine clearance, urine flow, and fractional excretion of sodium. Kidney PPARγ1 mRNA levels were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results. Pretreatment with LPS significantly attenuated all markers of renal injury and dysfunction caused by I/R. Most notably, GW9662 abolished the protective effects of LPS. Additionally, I/R caused an up-regulation of kidney PPARγ1 mRNA levels compared to sham animals, which were unchanged in rats pretreated with LPS. Conclusion. We document here for the first time that endogenous ligands of PPARγ may contribute to the protection against renal I/R injury afforded by LPS pretreatment in the rat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is spreading rapidly in Asia. This virus is transmitted by the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), which has parthenogenetically and sexually reproducing populations. Parthenogenetic populations were found in ≥15 provinces in China and strongly correlated with the distribution of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome cases. However, distribution of these cases was poorly correlated with the distribution of populations of bisexual ticks. Phylogeographic analysis suggested that the parthenogenetic population spread much faster than bisexual population because colonization is independent of sexual reproduction. A higher proportion of parthenogenetic ticks was collected from migratory birds captured at an SFTSV-endemic area, implicating the contribution to the long-range movement of these ticks in China. The SFTSV susceptibility of parthenogenetic females was similar to that of bisexual females under laboratory conditions. These results suggest that parthenogenetic Asian longhorned ticks, probably transported by migratory birds, play a major role in the rapid spread of SFTSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]