57 research outputs found
Co-existing pseudo-planar and saddle conformers of tetramethyl tetraaza[14]annulene platinum complexes: X-ray crystallographic studies on [PtII(tmtaa)] and trans-[PtIVCl(2)(tmtaa)]
No full textOrange platelets of [Pt(tmtaa)], where H₂tmtaa = 6,8,15,17-tetramethyl-5,6,9,14,15,18-hexahydrodibenzo[b,i ][l,4,8,11]tetraazacyclotetradecine, show the expected ‘pseudo-planar’ centrosymmetric macrocyclic conformation but red needles of another [Pt(tmtaa)] modification and purple trans-[PtCl2(tmtaa)] both show saddle-form co-ordination with the metal ion only 0.046(1) Å (Pt²⁺) or 0.024(5) Å (Pt⁴⁺) above the N4 plane; X-ray powder diffraction reveals similar dimorphism for [Pd(tmtaa)] but not for [Ni(tmtaa)].Rowena L. Paul, Stephen F. Gheller, Graham A. Heath, David C. R. Hockless, Louis M. Rendina and Meta Stern
Characterisation of two members of a macroschizont gene family, Tashat1 and Tashat3, from Theileria annulata
No full textEThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Characterisation of two members of a macroschizont gene family, Tashat1 and Tashat2, from Theileria annulata
No full textTheileria annulata is a protozoan parasite of cattle, that causes the disease tropical theileriosis throughout sub-tropical regions of the Old World. Theileria parasites have the ability to immortalise the host leukocyte they infect causing clonal expansion and dissemination of infected leukocytes throughout the host. This property has allowed the development of an in vitro system for the culture of bovine cells infected by the macroschizont stage of the parasite. In addition, differentiation of the parasite towards the next life cycle stage, the merozoite, can be induced in culture. The signals that cause the macroschizont to differentiate into merozoites are not fully understood, although it is known that this event is associated with a major elevation in merozoite gene expression (Shiels et al., 1994). Recently a small family of parasite genes that are negatively regulated early during differentiation to the merozoite were identified. One member, known as TashAT2 contained predicted AT hook DNA binding motifs and was shown to be localised to the host cell nucleus. It has been postulated that the TashAT2 polypeptide may play a role in the regulation of macroschizont or modulation of host cell gene expression (Swan et al., 1999). The focus of this project was to characterise TashAT1, a second member of the TashAT gene family. To this end, the TashAT1 gene was sub-cloned and sequenced and mapped to a region of the genome containing TashAT2 and a third Task AT gene, TashAT3. The 1.4kb open reading frame of TashAT1 was virtually identical to the five prime end of TashAT3, indicating that TashAT1 or TashAT3 (TashAT1/3) were derived from a recent duplication event. The predicted amino acid sequence of TashAT1/3 contained four AT hook motifs, a nuclear localisation signal and a signal sequence. Northern blot analysis revealed that TashAT1, TashAT2 and TashAT3 mRNA were down regulated early, during differentiation to the merozoite in vitro. However, no down regulation was observed for any of the TashAT transcripts in a cell line that was severely attenuated with respect to parasite differentiation. Sequence analysis of the upstream regions of TashAT1/3 identified a motif element (TashUM) located 43bp upstream of the putative transcription start site of TashAT1/3 that was highly related to a sequence upstream of TashAT1 and another, unrelated macroschizont gene, Tash1. Preliminary electromobility band shift analysis of TashUM revealed that it bound to a factor found in host and parasite enriched nuclear extract, which appeared to decrease in abundance as the parasite differentiated towards merogony. Antisera generated against a region of TashAT1 failed to recognise a TashAT1 polypeptide by Western blot analysis. However, a 180kDa polypeptide that was down regulated with respect to merogony and co-localised to the host nucleus was specifically recognised. The detected polypeptide was identified as TashAT3 on the basis of size, sequence identity and predicted expression profile. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the anti-TashAT1 antisera reacted against both the host nucleus and parasite. This reactivity was lost as the parasite differentiated to the merozoite. The host reactivity was probably due to recognition of TashAT3, while it could not be concluded that the parasite reactivity was directed against TashAT1. Taken together, the results indicated that TashAT3 and possibly TashAT1 are additional candidates for parasite encoded factors that are translocated to the host nucleus, bind to DNA and alter host cell gene expression. This modulation of gene expression could directly or indirectly alter the phenotype of the host cell and be involved in parasite dependent regulation of leukocyte cell division
Moving from information and collaboration to action: report from the 3rd International Dog Health Workshop, Paris in April 2017
No full textAbstract Background Breed-related health problems in dogs have received increased focus over the last decade. Responsibility for causing and/or solving these problems has been variously directed towards dog breeders and kennel clubs, the veterinary profession, welfare scientists, owners, regulators, insurance companies and the media. In reality, all these stakeholders are likely to share some responsibility and optimal progress on resolving these challenges requires all key stakeholders to work together. The International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD), together with an alternating host organization, holds biennial meetings called the International Dog Health Workshops (IDHW). The Société Centrale Canine (French Kennel Club) hosted the 3rd IDHW, in Paris, in April, 2017. These meetings bring together a wide range of stakeholders in dog health, science and welfare to improve international sharing of information and resources, to provide a forum for ongoing collaboration, and to identify specific needs and actions to improve health, well-being and welfare in dogs. Results The workshop included 140 participants from 23 countries and was structured around six important issues facing those who work to improve dog health. These included individualized breed-specific strategies for health and breeding, extreme conformations, education and communication in relation to antimicrobial resistance, behavior and welfare, genetic testing and population-based evidence. A number of exciting actions were agreed during the meeting. These included setting up working groups to create tools to help breed clubs accelerate the implementation of breed-health strategies, review aspects of extreme conformation and share useful information on behavior. The meeting also heralded the development of an online resource of relevant information describing quality measures for DNA testing. A demand for more and better data and evidence was a recurring message stressed across all themes. Conclusions The meeting confirmed the benefits from inclusion of a diverse range of stakeholders who all play relevant and collaborative parts to improve future canine health. Firm actions were set for progress towards improving breed-related welfare. The next international workshop will be in the UK in 2019 and will be organized by the UK Kennel Club
An Art Program Evaluation of Daily Life Therapy for Children with Autism
No full textThe author evaluated a private school’s art program in 2009-2010 that used Daily Life Therapy (DLT) for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Significant increases in numbers of persons diagnosed with ASD have been noted in the last two decades. Several methodologies claim success in programming for children with ASD, but lack empirically based research and it is unclear which are most beneficial. This program evaluation used a mixed-method design to address the following questions: (1) is there evidence of success with the art experience goals and objectives in the art products, (2) what is the experience of the art education staff facilitating this technique, and (3) is there evidence overall that the art program meets its stated goals? The study focused on 26 culturally diverse students diagnosed with ASD, ranging between the ages of 8-14 years (27% female, 73% male). The study focused on two analyses; (1) analysis of six art products per child at three times of the year were rated specifically for art lessons’ goals and objectives, by two independent raters, and (2) analysis of interview data where teachers were questioned about the DLT method in art instruction. Data revealed: participants performed significantly (draw, p \u3c .01 and color, p \u3c.001) better at midyear than in the fall or early summer; a significant (p \u3c .01) increase of teacher prompts for artworks at midyear was also evident; and results indicated differences between groups defined by Childhood Autism Rating Scale Second Edition (Schopler, Reichler & Rochen-Renner, 2010) score and age, but only for drawing tasks. Analysis of the interview data indicated emphasis placed on the following themes: (1) opportunities through an individualized method (f= 31%), (2) consistency through prompt assistance and active participation (f= 52%) and (3) improvement in relationships and connection to the greater world (f= 16%). The combined results were mixed. While teachers reported and described dedication to the method, quantitative data did not clearly reflect meeting program goals and objectives, and record-keeping issues appeared to be a key factor. The findings showed the necessity for improving programming for students diagnosed on the autism spectrum
Environmental Barcoding Reveals Massive Dinoflagellate Diversity in Marine Environments
No full textRowena F. Stern is with University of British Columbia, Ales Horak is with University of British Columbia, Rose L. Andrew is with University of British Columbia, Mary-Alice Coffroth is with State University of New York at Buffalo, Robert A. Andersen is with the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Frithjof C. Küpper is with the Scottish Marine Institute, Ian Jameson is with CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Mona Hoppenrath is with the German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research, Benoît Véron is with University of Caen Lower Normandy and the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Fumai Kasai is with the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Jerry Brand is with UT Austin, Erick R. James is with University of British Columbia, Patrick J. Keeling is with University of British Columbia.Background -- Dinoflagellates are an ecologically important group of protists with important functions as primary producers, coral symbionts and in toxic red tides. Although widely studied, the natural diversity of dinoflagellates is not well known. DNA barcoding has been utilized successfully for many protist groups. We used this approach to systematically sample known “species”, as a reference to measure the natural diversity in three marine environments. Methodology/Principal Findings -- In this study, we assembled a large cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) barcode database from 8 public algal culture collections plus 3 private collections worldwide resulting in 336 individual barcodes linked to specific cultures. We demonstrate that COI can identify to the species level in 15 dinoflagellate genera, generally in agreement with existing species names. Exceptions were found in species belonging to genera that were generally already known to be taxonomically challenging, such as Alexandrium or Symbiodinium. Using this barcode database as a baseline for cultured dinoflagellate diversity, we investigated the natural diversity in three diverse marine environments (Northeast Pacific, Northwest Atlantic, and Caribbean), including an evaluation of single-cell barcoding to identify uncultivated groups. From all three environments, the great majority of barcodes were not represented by any known cultured dinoflagellate, and we also observed an explosion in the diversity of genera that previously contained a modest number of known species, belonging to Kareniaceae. In total, 91.5% of non-identical environmental barcodes represent distinct species, but only 51 out of 603 unique environmental barcodes could be linked to cultured species using a conservative cut-off based on distances between cultured species. Conclusions/Significance -- COI barcoding was successful in identifying species from 70% of cultured genera. When applied to environmental samples, it revealed a massive amount of natural diversity in dinoflagellates. This highlights the extent to which we underestimate microbial diversity in the environment.This project was funded by Genome Canada and the Canadian Barcode of Life Network. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Biological Sciences, School o
Microbes to mammals: metabarcoding of the marine pelagic assemblage
No full textNo abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.Conveners: Ann Bucklin (USA), Rowena Stern (UK), Katja Metfies (Germany).CM 2017/C:447. Inclusion of DNA Sequencing into an Ecosystem Observing Program in the Southern California Bight. Kelly D. Goodwin, Lisa Zeigler Allen, Ariel Rabines, John McCrow, Andrew AllenCM 2017/C:230. The Earth Microbiome Project: lessons from a massive metagenetic survey. Luke R. ThompsonCM 2017/C:449. Assessing Biodiversity in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Through Environmental DNA Metabarcoding. Natalie Sawaya, Anni Djurhuus, Collin J. Closek, Megan Hepner, Emily Olesin, Lindsey Visser, Chris Kelble, Katherine Hubbard, Mya BreitbartCM 2017/C:441. Multi-gene metabarcoding of plankton tow samples and eDNA: a comparative morphological-molecular analysis of coastal zooplankton diversity. Annette F. Govindarajan, Jennifer M. Questel, Nancy J. Copley, John P. Wares, Ann BucklinCM 2017/C:201. Developing a robust framework for applying metabarcoding analyses to identify pelagic ichthyoplankton in the California Current. Dovi Kacev, David Gillett, Eric Stein, Andrew ThompsonCM 2017/C:160. Metabarcoding analysis of zooplankton biodiversity of the Pacific-Arctic Chukchi Borderlands region. Jennifer M. Questel, Russell R. Hopcroft, Ann BucklinCM 2017/C:75. Diet composition and variability of wild cephalopod paralarvae: a metagenomic approach to identifying dietary preferences. Lorena Olmos-Pérez, Álvaro Roura, Graham J. Pierce, Stéphane Boyer, Ángel F. GonzálezCM 2017/C:183. Metagenetic analysis of the pelagic food web: prey choice and selectivity of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus in the Gulf of Maine (NW Atlantic).. Heidi Yeh, Jennifer Questel, Ann BucklinCM 2017/C:437. DNA barcoding Pan-Arctic copepod assemblages: toward a regional reference DNA sequence database for COI and 18S rRNA. Hayley M. DeHart, Jennifer M. Questel, Russell R. Hopcroft, Ksenia N. Kosobokova, Ann BucklinCM 2017/C:409. Time-series analysis of zooplankton diversity of the NW Atlantic continental shelf based on COI and 18S rRNA metabarcodes. Ann Bucklin, Jennifer M. Questel, Bo Reese, Nancy J. Copley, Peter H. Wiebe</p
Investigating the potential added value of [ 18 F]FDG-PET/CT in long COVID patients with persistent symptoms: a proof of concept study
No full textOBJECTIVE: Since the end of 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus has infected millions of people, of whom a significant group suffers from sequelae from COVID-19, termed long COVID. As more and more patients emerge with long COVID who have symptoms of fatigue, myalgia and joint pain, we must examine potential biomarkers to find quantifiable parameters to define the underlying mechanisms and enable response monitoring. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential added value of [ 18 F]FDG-PET/computed tomography (CT) for this group of long COVID patients. METHODS: For this proof of concept study, we evaluated [ 18 F]FDG-PET/CT scans of long COVID patients and controls. Two analyses were performed: semi-quantitative analysis using target-to-background ratios (TBRs) in 24 targets and total vascular score (TVS) assessed by two independent nuclear medicine physicians. Mann-Whitney U -test was performed to find significant differences between the two groups. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were included in the long COVID group and 25 patients were included in the control group. No significant differences ( P < 0.05) were found between the long COVID group and the control group in the TBR or TVS assessment. CONCLUSION: As we found no quantitative difference in the TBR or TVS between long COVID patients and controls, we are unable to prove that [ 18 F]FDG is of added value for long COVID patients with symptoms of myalgia or joint pain. Prospective cohort studies are necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms of long COVID
Theme Session F – Integration of molecular tools for biodiversity, risk assessment, ecosystem advice within a changing climate
No full textBook of abstracts of theme session F:Integration of molecular tools for biodiversity, risk assessment, ecosystem advice within a changing climateConveners: Dave Clarke (Ireland), Cynthia McKenzie (Canada), Rowena Stern (UK)CM 68: DNA metabarcoding of zooplankton species diversity and climate-driven range shifts based on time-series ecosystem monitoring of the NW Atlantic continental shelfCM 72: Detection of eDNA functional indicators using digital PCR (dPCR): Comparison with existing methods for biomonitoring environmental pressures in estuariesCM 115: Time Series and Network Theory application for benthic microbial community metagenomes: From Community structure to community functioningCM 126: DNA metabarcoding for large-scale studies and monitoring of fish trophic interactionsCM 158: Spatio-temporal dynamics of Arctic eukaryotic microbes from days to decades and across habitatsCM 163: Exploring biodiversity in an ecosystem impacted by seafloor plastics is made easier by eDNA metabarcodingCM 199: Exploring the potential for oyster aquaculture to remediate biodiversity loss in oyster reef habitats using non-destructive environmental DNA samplingCM 225: Seasonal variation of non-indigenous invertebrate species in recreational marinas in the north of Portugal using DNA metabarcoding: impact of sample typeCM 226: Estuarine microbenthos metabarcoding for ecosystem status assessment − the Basque coast and beyondCM 239: Evaluation of environmental DNA capture and extraction methods for Harmful Algal Blooms biomonitoringCM 250: Development and validation of molecular markers for early detection of Alexandrium spp. in the west coast of IrelandCM 266: Development and validation of a HT-qPCR screening panel for efficient high-resolution bioassessment of ecological and economically important shellfish species in Irish coastal watersCM 268: Detecting two marine non-indigenous species from the French coast using eDNA and molecular approachesCM 269: Differences between microbial communities and their ecological associations in clean and polluted estuaries from the Basque CountryCM 383: Improving assessment of diadromous fishes distribution in the North-East Atlantic using eDNA analysesCM 389: Plankton community response to climate-driven salinity change and warming: A mesocosm experiment comparing morphology‐based identification and metabarcodingCM 398: Genetics as a tool for sustainable fishing and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems - VMECM 418: Monitoring the variability of microplankton communities’ structure in the Alboran Sea with high throughput sequencingCM 425: Coastal microbiomes in estuarine ecosystems of France: the eDNA network ROMECM 430: Integration of new methods for evaluating marine protected area connectivity and efficiencyCM 445: Characterization of VMEs with DNA: mind the gapCM 454: Trawl-associated opportunistic eDNA sampling probe for large scale fish community assessmentCM 532: A meta-analysis of potential biomarkers linked to the consumption of microplastics in marine fishCM 590: Comparison between COI metabarcoding and microscopy for zooplankton monitoring of the Adriatic biodiversityCM 644: Comparison of the three metabarcoding genes (18S, 28S and COI) for the Adriatic Sea zooplankton biodiversity monitoring</ul
Mapping selected emergent marine toxin-producing organisms using historical samples with two methods (biosensors and real-time PCR): a comparison of resolution
No full textThe Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey is a valuable resource for mapping changes in plankton distribution and understanding harmful algal ecology because of its breadth and longevity. Preservation methods with formalin degrade DNA, making it difficult to use as a molecular tool for archived marine samples. DNA was extracted from CPR samples immediately after collection, seven months later and after nine years of storage from a cruise track along the Iberian Peninsula. PCR reactions performed from the nine-year timepoint were hybridized to probes in an electrochemical biosensor and compared to results obtained from RT-PCR performed at two earlier time points. The successful identification of Pseudo-nitzschia spp., Prorocentrum lima, Alexandrium minutum, Alexandrium ostenfeldii, Gambierdiscus spp. and Coolia spp. was documented. The biosensor analysis outperformed RT-PCR, allowing us to document certain tropical toxic dinoflagellates, viz., Gambierdiscus and Coolia, that produce human ciguatoxins and Coolia toxins, respectively. These non-native algal toxins can accumulate, pervade the food web and negatively impact human food security. This supports the northerly movement of microalgae with climate change in offshore Iberian peninsular waters. This study highlights biosensors as a cost-effective tool for the offshore monitoring of HAB species and advances molecular technologies for long-term CPR datasets that have limited records of harmful algae. DNA from formalin-preserved CPR samples is degraded, so the use of a short, multiprobe biosensor can augment historical plankton records with contemporary methods that also capture infrequently occurring benthic taxa carried in surface waters. The integration of probe-based biosensor technologies offers a promising avenue for exploring plankton dynamics in response to environmental change
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