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If the modern climate trend continues for an additional 20-40 years, forests along the southern border of Canadian taiga may shift into new ranges of annual temperature and precipitation that are similar to the modern climate of central New York State, United States. Here we investigate the possible future response of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) to a warmer climate by studying trees planted 90 years ago near the southern limit of their climate tolerance in central New York, 300 km south of the boreal forest where this species is prevalent. We employed high-frequency recording dendrometers to determine radial growth phenology of six mature white spruce trees during 2013-2017. The results demonstrate significant reductions in the length of radial growth periods inversely proportional to the number of hot days with air temperature exceeding 30[degrees]C. During years with very hot summers, the start of radial growth began about 3 days earlier than the 2013-2017 average. However, in those same years, the end of radial growth was also about 17 days earlier resulting in a shorter (70 days versus 100 days) radial growth season. Abundant (350-500 mm) summer precipitation, which resulted in soil moisture values of 20%-30%, allowed us to dismiss drought as a factor. Instead, a likely cause of reduced radial growth was mean temperature that exceeded optimal growth ranges, exacerbated by temperature extremes in ranges that lead to photoinhibition. The latter case was evident in the two warmest growing seasons (2013 and 2017), marked by extended periods of high daytime temperature (>30[degrees]C) followed by early cessation of radial growth independent of seasonal precipitation. Key words: threshold summer temperature, radial growth phenology, short growing season. Si la tendance du climat moderne se maintient pendant encore 20 a 40 ans, les forets situees le long de la frontiere sud de la taiga canadienne pourraient se deplacer vers de nouvelles plages de temperatures et de precipitations annuelles similaires au climat moderne du centre de l'Etat de New York, aux Etats-Unis. Nous etudions ici la reponse future possible de l'epinette blanche (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) a un climat plus chaud en etudiant des arbres plantes il y a 90 ans pres de la limite sud de leur tolerance climatique dans le centre de l'Utat de New York, a 300 km au sud de la foret boreale ou cette espece est repandue. Nous avons utilise des dendrometres a enregistrement haute frequence pour determiner la phenologie de la croissance radiale de six epinettes blanches matures entre 2013 et 2017 Les resultats demontrent des reductions significatives de la duree des periodes de croissance radiale inversement proportionnelles au nombre de jours chauds ou la temperature de l'air depasse 30[degrees]C. Pendant les annees avec des etes tres chauds, le debut de la croissance radiale a commence environ 3 jours plus tot que la moyenne 2013-2017. Cependant, au cours de ces memes annees, la fin de la croissance radiale etait egalement plus precoce d'environ 17 jours, ce qui donne une saison de croissance radiale plus courte (70 contre 100 jours). Les precipitations estivales abondantes (350-500 mm), qui ont entraine des valeurs d'humidite du sol de 20-30%, nous ont permis d'ecarter la secheresse comme facteur. Au lieu de cela, une cause probable de la reduction de la croissance radiale etait la temperature moyenne qui depassait les plages de croissance optimales, exacerbee par des temperatures extremes dans les plages qui conduisent a la photoinhibition. Ce dernier cas etait evident lors des deux saisons de croissance les plus chaudes (2013 et 2017), marquees par de longues periodes de temperature diurne elevee (>30[degrees]C) suivies d'un arret precoce de la croissance radiale, independamment des precipitations saisonnieres. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : seuil de temperature estivale, phenologie de la croissance radiale, courte saison de croissance., Introduction Very warm temperatures in both summer and winter have already increased across Canada, with stronger trends in the southern part of the country during winter. At the same time, [...]

The people of New York have long benefited from the state's diversity of ecosystems, which range from coastal shorelines and wetlands to extensive forests and mountaintop alpine habitat, and from lakes and rivers to greenspaces in heavily populated urban areas. These ecosystems provide key services such as food, water, forest products, flood prevention, carbon storage, climate moderation, recreational opportunities, and other cultural services. This chapter examines how changes in climatic conditions across the state are affecting different types of ecosystems and the services they provide, and considers likely future impacts of projected climate change. The chapter emphasizes how climate change is increasing the vulnerability of ecosystems to existing stressors, such as habitat fragmentation and invasive species, and highlights opportunities for New Yorkers to adapt and build resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Cardiovascular disease through accelerated atherosclerosis is a leading cause of mortality for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), likely due to increased chronic inflammation and cardiometabolic defects over age. We investigated age-associated changes in metabolomic profiles of SLE patients and healthy controls (HCs). Methods Serum NMR metabolomic profiles from female SLE patients (n  = 164, age = 14–76) and HCs (n  = 123, age = 13–72) were assessed across age by linear regression and by age group between patients/HCs (Group 1, age ≤ 25, n  = 62/46; Group 2, age = 26–49, n  = 50/46; Group 3, age ≥ 50, n  = 52/31) using multiple t tests. The impact of inflammation, disease activity and treatments were assessed, and UK Biobank disease-wide association analysis of metabolites was performed. Results Age-specific metabolomic profiles were identified in SLE patients vs HCs, including reduced amino acids (Group 1), increased very-low-density lipoproteins (Group 2), and increased low-density lipoproteins (Group 3). Twenty-five metabolites were significantly altered in all SLE age groups, dominated by decreased atheroprotective high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subsets, HDL-bound apolipoprotein (Apo)A1 and increased glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA). Furthermore, ApoA1 and GlycA were differentially associated with disease activity and serological measures, as well as atherosclerosis incidence and myocardial infarction mortality risk through disease-wide association. Separately, glycolysis pathway metabolites (acetone/citrate/creatinine/glycerol/lactate/pyruvate) uniquely increased with age in SLE, significantly influenced by prednisolone (increased pyruvate/lactate) and hydroxychloroquine (decreased citrate/creatinine) treatment and associated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes by disease-wide association. Conclusions Increasing HDL (ApoA1) levels through therapeutic/nutritional intervention, whilst maintaining low disease activity, in SLE patients from a young age could improve cardiometabolic disease outcomes. Biomarkers from the glycolytic pathway could indicate adverse metabolic effects of current therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Going on an expedition enables teachers to become better scientists and researchers and, thus, better classroom instructors. Teachers have the opportunities to go on exotic field trips around the world as amateur research assistants, do hands on research in their own backyards, or vicariously experience another scientist?s work via the Internet. A list of annotated Web sites invite teachers to explore the possibilities of doing scientific research as part of a team internationally (e.g., NOAA's Sustainable Seas Expedition), locally (e.g., The Cornel Lab of Ornithology's Project Feeder Watch), or virtually (e.g., The Earth Watch Global Classroom). One teacher?s experience doing research in these three venues is testimony to how undertaking these types of authentic scientific research improves student instruction and learning.

Introduction The inflammation associated with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is dependent on multiple immune cell subsets within disease-specific settings, each having [...], Suppressing inflammation has been the primary focus of therapies in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs), including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. However, conventional therapies with low target specificity can have effects on cell metabolism that are less predictable. A key example is lipid metabolism; current therapies can improve or exacerbate dyslipidemia. Many conventional drugs also require in vivo metabolism for their conversion into therapeutically beneficial products; however, drug metabolism often involves the additional formation of toxic by- products, and rates of drug metabolism can be heterogeneous between patients. New therapeutic technologies and research have highlighted alternative metabolic pathways that can be more specifically targeted to reduce inflammation but also to prevent undesirable off-target metabolic consequences of conventional antiinflammatory therapies. This Review highlights the role of lipid metabolism in inflammation and in the mechanisms of action of AIRD therapeutics. Opportunities for cotherapies targeting lipid metabolism that could reduce immunometabolic complications and potential increased cardiovascular disease risk in patients with AIRDs are discussed.

This study investigated whether supplementation with nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BR) can improve high-intensity intermittent running performance in trained males in normoxia and different doses of normobaric hypoxia. Eight endurance-trained males ( V ˙ O 2 peak , 62 ± 6 ml·kg−1·min−1) completed repeated 90 s intervals at 110% of peak treadmill velocity, from an initial step incremental test, interspersed by 60 s of passive recovery until exhaustion (Tlim). Participants completed the first three experimental trials during days 3, 5, and 7 of BR or nitrate-depleted beetroot juice (PLA) supplementation and completed the remaining experimental visits on the alternative supplement following at least 7 days of washout. The fraction of inspired oxygen during visits 1–3 was either 0.209, 0.182, or 0.157, equivalent to an altitude of 0, 1,200, and 2,400 m, respectively, and this order was replicated on visits 4–6. Arterial oxygen saturation declined dose dependently as fraction of inspired oxygen was lowered (p <.05). Plasma nitrite concentration was higher pre- and postexercise after BR compared with PLA supplementation (p <.05). There was no difference in Tlim between PLA and BR at 0 m (445 [324, 508] and 410 [368, 548] s); 1,200 m (341 [270, 390] and 332 [314, 356] s); or 2,400 m (233 [177, 373] and 251 [221, 323] s) (median and [interquartile range]; p >.05). The findings from this study suggest that short-term BR supplementation does not improve high-intensity intermittent running performance in endurance-trained males in normoxia or at doses of normobaric hypoxia that correspond to altitudes at which athletes typically train while on altitude training camps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]