| 561. |
- Nene, Vishvanath, et al.
(författare)
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Genome sequence of Aedes aegypti, a major arbovirus vector.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Science (New York, N.Y.). - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 1095-9203 .- 0036-8075. ; 316:5832, s. 1718-23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a draft sequence of the genome of Aedes aegypti, the primary vector for yellow fever and dengue fever, which at approximately 1376 million base pairs is about 5 times the size of the genome of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. Nearly 50% of the Ae. aegypti genome consists of transposable elements. These contribute to a factor of approximately 4 to 6 increase in average gene length and in sizes of intergenic regions relative to An. gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster. Nonetheless, chromosomal synteny is generally maintained among all three insects, although conservation of orthologous gene order is higher (by a factor of approximately 2) between the mosquito species than between either of them and the fruit fly. An increase in genes encoding odorant binding, cytochrome P450, and cuticle domains relative to An. gambiae suggests that members of these protein families underpin some of the biological differences between the two mosquito species.
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| 562. |
- Nichols, Aaron L., et al.
(författare)
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Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors within Cells : Temporal Resolution in Cytoplasm, Endoplasmic Reticulum, and Membrane
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Neuroscience. - : SOC NEUROSCIENCE. - 0270-6474 .- 1529-2401. ; 43:13, s. 2222-2241
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most prescribed treatment for individuals experiencing major depres-sive disorder. The therapeutic mechanisms that take place before, during, or after SSRIs bind the serotonin transporter (SERT) are poorly understood, partially because no studies exist on the cellular and subcellular pharmacokinetic properties of SSRIs in living cells. We studied escitalopram and fluoxetine using new intensity-based, drug-sensing fluorescent reporters targeted to the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of cultured neurons and mammalian cell lines. We also used chemical detection of drug within cells and phospholipid membranes. The drugs attain equilibrium in neuronal cytoplasm and ER at approximately the same concentration as the externally applied solution, with time constants of a few s (escitalopram) or 200-300 s (fluoxetine). Simultaneously, the drugs accumulate within lipid membranes by >18-fold (escitalo-pram) or 180-fold (fluoxetine), and possibly by much larger factors. Both drugs leave cytoplasm, lumen, and membranes just as quickly during washout. We synthesized membrane-impermeant quaternary amine derivatives of the two SSRIs. The qua-ternary derivatives are substantially excluded from membrane, cytoplasm, and ER for .2.4 h. They inhibit SERT transport -associated currents sixfold or 11-fold less potently than the SSRIs (escitalopram or fluoxetine derivative, respectively), provid-ing useful probes for distinguishing compartmentalized SSRI effects. Although our measurements are orders of magnitude faster than the therapeutic lag of SSRIs, these data suggest that SSRI-SERT interactions within organelles or membranes may play roles during either the therapeutic effects or the antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.
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| 563. |
- Novotny, Marian, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of protein fold comparison servers.
- 2004
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Ingår i: Proteins. - 1097-0134. ; 54:2, s. 260-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- When a new protein structure has been determined, comparison with the database of known structures enables classification of its fold as new or belonging to a known class of proteins. This in turn may provide clues about the function of the protein. A large number of fold comparison programs have been developed, but they have never been subjected to a comprehensive and critical comparative analysis. Here we describe an evaluation of 11 publicly available, Web-based servers for automatic fold comparison. Both their functionality (e.g., user interface, presentation, and annotation of results) and their performance (i.e., how well established structural similarities are recognized) were assessed. The servers were subjected to a battery of performance tests covering a broad spectrum of folds as well as special cases, such as multidomain proteins, Calpha-only models, new folds, and NMR-based models. The CATH structural classification system was used as a reference. These tests revealed the strong and weak sides of each server. On the whole, CE, DALI, MATRAS, and VAST showed the best performance, but none of the servers achieved a 100% success rate. Where no structurally similar proteins are found by any individual server, it is recommended to try one or two other servers before any conclusions concerning the novelty of a fold are put on paper.
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| 564. |
- Obrien, Eugene J., et al.
(författare)
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Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife
- 2016
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Ingår i: Transportation Research Procedia. - : Elsevier. ; , s. 509-517
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- 'Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife' or 'Harmony' is a project that aims to develop sustainable solutions to road transport challenges that are in harmony with wildlife. This paper summarises Harmony's work in the areas of Environmental Legislation and Guidelines, Project Appraisal, and Procurement Practices. The project mainly focuses on practices in the eight reference countries of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, Sweden and Denmark. A review of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) is carried out.As part of this review, a database of over 80 Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Appropriate Assessment reports is analysed to identify the similarities and differences between countries in the implementation of the duties required by EU Environmental Legislation. It is found that the degree of implementation under the headings considered varies greatly between countries. It is concluded that increased guidance on monitoring be provided in all countries. Project Appraisal for transport infrastructure is the process of assessing whether capital expenditure is justified for a project and ensuring that it is allocated to the best transport solution to achieve the objectives of that project whilst complying with planning policy and national and EU legislation.The project appraisal methodologies used in the reference countries are compared with the aim of identifying a set of tools to enable rational and sensible decisions to be made. The approach used in the UK is recommended for adoption by all Member States. This paper then examines existing approaches to the procurement of road constructions in the reference countries. The different types of contracts used for procurement are described and the benefits and disadvantages of different contract types are discussed.Recommendations are then made as to which contracts are the most favourable for ensuring the environmental commitments of the Environmental Impact Statement are carried out. Early contractor involvement as well as construction contracts that incorporate maintenance, with monitoring, for an extended period afterwards were cited as key recommendations to ensure a good outcome for wildlife.
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| 565. |
- Ogaki, Kotaro, et al.
(författare)
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Multiple system atrophy and apolipoprotein E
- 2018
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Ingår i: Movement Disorders. - : Wiley. - 0885-3185 .- 1531-8257. ; 33:4, s. 647-650
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Dysregulation of the specialized lipid metabolism involved in myelin synthesis and maintenance by oligodendrocytes has been associated with the unique neuropathology of MSA. We hypothesized that apolipoprotein E, which is associated with neurodegeneration, may also play a role in the pathogenesis of MSA. Objective: This study evaluated genetic associations of Apolipoprotein E alleles with risk of MSA and -synuclein pathology, and also examined whether apolipoprotein E isoforms differentially affect -synuclein uptake in a oligodendrocyte cell.Methods: One hundred sixty-eight pathologically confirmed MSA patients, 89 clinically diagnosed MSA patients, and 1,277 control subjects were genotyped for Apolipoprotein E. Human oligodendrocyte cell lines were incubated with -synuclein and recombinant human apolipoprotein E, with internalized -synuclein imaged by confocal microscopy and cells analyzed by flow cytometry.Results: No significant association with risk of MSA or was observed for either Apolipoprotein E 2 or 4. -Synuclein burden was also not associated with Apolipoprotein E alleles in the pathologically confirmed patients. Interestingly, in our cell assays, apolipoprotein E 4 significantly reduced -synuclein uptake in the oligodendrocytic cell line.Conclusions: Despite differential effects of apolipoprotein E isoforms on -synuclein uptake in a human oligodendrocytic cell, we did not observe a significant association at the Apolipoprotein E locus with risk of MSA or -synuclein pathology.
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| 566. |
- Olsson, Jan-Ola, et al.
(författare)
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Compression Ratio Influence on Maximum Load of a Natural Gas Fueled HCCI Engine
- 2002
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Ingår i: SAE Transactions, Journal of Engines. - 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA, United States : SAE International. - 0096-736X. ; 111:3, s. 442-458
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses the compression ratio influence on maximum load of a Natural Gas HCCI engine. A modified Volvo TD100 truck engine is controlled in a closed-loop fashion by enriching the Natural Gas mixture with Hydrogen. The first section of the paper illustrates and discusses the potential of using hydrogen enrichment of natural gas to control combustion timing. Cylinder pressure is used as the feedback and the 50 percent burn angle is the controlled parameter. Full-cycle simulation is compared to some of the experimental data and then used to enhance some of the experimental observations dealing with ignition timing, thermal boundary conditions, emissions and how they affect engine stability and performance. High load issues common to HCCI are discussed in light of the inherent performance and emissions tradeoff and the disappearance of feasible operating space at high engine loads. The problems of tighter limits for combustion timing, unstable operational points and physical constraints at high loads are discussed and illustrated by experimental results. Finally, the influence on operational limits, i.e., emissions peak pressure rise and peak cylinder pressure, from compression ratio at high load are discussed.
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| 567. |
- O'Reilly, Éilis J, et al.
(författare)
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Prediagnostic body size and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis death in 10 studies
- 2018
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Ingår i: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2167-8421 .- 2167-9223. ; 19:5-6, s. 396-406
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: Using pooled multivariable-adjusted rate ratios (RR), we explored relationships between prediagnostic body-mass-index (BMI), waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR), and weight-gain during adulthood, and ALS in 419,894 women and 148,166 men from 10 community-based cohorts in USA, Europe, and Australia; 428 ALS deaths were documented in women and 204 in men.RESULTS: , limiting power. Weight-gain during adulthood was strongly associated with lower ALS; for an additional 1kg gain in weight/year, the RR = 0.43 (95% CI: 0.28-0.65; p < 0.001). Associations persisted when adjusted for diabetes at enrollment, restricted to never-smokers, and ALS deaths in the 5 years after enrollment were excluded (accounting for recent weight loss).CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm somewhat conflicting, underpowered evidence that adiposity is inversely associated with ALS. We newly demonstrate that weight-gain during adulthood is strongly predictive of lower ALS risk.
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| 568. |
- Orr, Russell J.S., et al.
(författare)
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A molecular phylogeny of historical and contemporary specimens of an under-studied micro-invertebrate group
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 11:1, s. 309-320
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2020 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Resolution of relationships at lower taxonomic levels is crucial for answering many evolutionary questions, and as such, sufficiently varied species representation is vital. This latter goal is not always achievable with relatively fresh samples. To alleviate the difficulties in procuring rarer taxa, we have seen increasing utilization of historical specimens in building molecular phylogenies using high throughput sequencing. This effort, however, has mainly focused on large-bodied or well-studied groups, with small-bodied and under-studied taxa under-prioritized. Here, we utilize both historical and contemporary specimens, to increase the resolution of phylogenetic relationships among a group of under-studied and small-bodied metazoans, namely, cheilostome bryozoans. In this study, we pioneer the sequencing of air-dried cheilostomes, utilizing a recently developed library preparation method for low DNA input. We evaluate a de novo mitogenome assembly and two iterative methods, using the sequenced target specimen as a reference for mapping, for our sequences. In doing so, we present mitochondrial and ribosomal RNA sequences of 43 cheilostomes representing 37 species, including 14 from historical samples ranging from 50 to 149years old. The inferred phylogenetic relationships of these samples, analyzed together with publicly available sequence data, are shown in a statistically well-supported 65 taxa and 17 genes cheilostome tree, which is also the most broadly sampled and largest to date. The robust phylogenetic placement of historical samples whose contemporary conspecifics and/or congenerics have been sequenced verifies the appropriateness of our workflow and gives confidence in the phylogenetic placement of those historical samples for which there are no close relatives sequenced. The success of our workflow is highlighted by the circularization of a total of 27 mitogenomes, seven from historical cheilostome samples. Our study highlights the potential of utilizing DNA from micro-invertebrate specimens stored in natural history collections for resolving phylogenetic relationships among species.
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| 569. |
- Orr, Russell J.S., et al.
(författare)
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Paleozoic origins of cheilostome bryozoans and their parental care inferred by a new genome-skimmed phylogeny
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 8:13
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phylogenetic relationships and the timing of evolutionary events are essential for understanding evolution on longer time scales. Cheilostome bryozoans are a group of ubiquitous, species-rich, marine colonial organisms with an excellent fossil record but lack phylogenetic relationships inferred from molecular data. We present genome-skimmed data for 395 cheilostomes and combine these with 315 published sequences to infer relationships and the timing of key events among c. 500 cheilostome species. We find that named cheilostome genera and species are phylogenetically coherent, rendering fossil or contemporary specimens readily delimited using only skeletal morphology. Our phylogeny shows that parental care in the form of brooding evolved several times independently but was never lost in cheilostomes. Our fossil calibration, robust to varied assumptions, indicates that the cheilostome lineage and parental care therein could have Paleozoic origins, much older than the first known fossil record of cheilostomes in the Late Jurassic.
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| 570. |
- Owen-Ashley, N T, et al.
(författare)
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Androgens and the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis: Unraveling direct and indirect pathways of immunosuppression in song sparrows
- 2004
-
Ingår i: American Naturalist. - 0003-0147. ; 164:4, s. 490-505
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis proposes that testosterone (T)-dependent sexual signals are honest indicators of male health or genetic quality because only high-quality males are able to withstand the obligate effects of T-induced immunosuppression. In birds, the basic assumption that T suppresses immune function is equivocal, and the physiological mechanisms underlying T-induced immunosuppression remain to be investigated. We explored the proximate pathways of T-induced immunosuppression in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) by treating captive nonbreeding males with different androgens and measuring several components of acquired immune function. Males implanted with T suppressed cell-mediated and humoral immune responses compared to males implanted with 5proportional to-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dehydroepiandrosterone, or control ( empty) implants. Furthermore, T treatment increased plasma levels of corticosterone and decreased body mass and fat stores in relation to other treatments. The failure of DHT to depress immune function suggests that T-induced immunosuppression does not occur through a direct pathway because both T and DHT bind to androgen receptors on target cells. Instead, we outline indirect pathways that are likely responsible for suppression of the avian immune system that include stress-induced immunosuppression, aromatization to estrogen, and alterations in energy allocation that constrain expenditures toward immune system activation.
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