Dust particles from high latitudes have a potentially large local, regional, and global significance to climate and the environment as short-lived climate forcers, air pollutants, and nutrient ...sources. Identifying the locations of local dust sources and their emission, transport, and deposition processes is important for understanding the multiple impacts of high-latitude dust (HLD) on the Earth’s systems. Here, we identify, describe, and quantify the source intensity (SI) values, which show the potential of soil surfaces for dust emission scaled to values 0 to 1 concerning globally best productive sources, using the Global Sand and Dust Storms Source Base Map (G-SDS-SBM). This includes 64 HLD sources in our collection for the northern (Alaska, Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Sweden, and Russia) and southern (Antarctica and Patagonia) high latitudes. Activity from most of these HLD sources shows seasonal character. It is estimated that high-latitude land areas with higher (SI ≥ 0.5), very high (SI ≥ 0.7), and the highest potential (SI ≥ 0.9) for dust emission cover > 1 670 000 km2 , > 560 000 km2 , and > 240 000 km2 , respectively. In the Arctic HLD region (≥ 60◦ N), land area with SI ≥ 0.5 is 5.5 % (1 035 059 km2), area with SI ≥ 0.7 is 2.3 % (440 804 km2), and area with SI ≥ 0.9 is 1.1 % (208 701 km2). Minimum SI values in the northern HLD region are about 3 orders of magnitude smaller, indicating that the dust sources of this region greatly depend on weather conditions. Our spatial dust source distribution analysis modeling results showed evidence supporting a northern HLD belt, defined as the area north of 50◦ N, with a “transitional HLD-source area” extending at latitudes 50–58◦ N in Eurasia and 50–55◦ N in Canada and a “cold HLD-source area” including areas north of 60◦ N in Eurasia and north of 58◦ N in Canada, with currently “no dust source” area between the HLD and low-latitude dust (LLD) dust belt, except for British Columbia. Using the global atmospheric transport model SILAM, we estimated that 1.0 % of the global dust emission originated from the high-latitude regions. About 57 % of the dust deposition in snow- and ice-covered Arctic regions was from HLD sources. In the southern HLD region, soil surface conditions are favorable for dust emission during the whole year. Climate change can cause a decrease in the duration of snow cover, retreat of glaciers, and an increase in drought, heatwave intensity, and frequency, leading to the increasing frequency of topsoil conditions favorable for dust emission, which increases the probability of dust storms. Our study provides a step forward to improve the representation of HLD in models and to monitor, quantify, and assess the environmental and climate significance of HLD.
We compared and tested Thermal Time, Sequential, Parallel and Flexible phenological models of leaf bud burst in birch (Betula pendula Roth. and B. pubescens Ehrh.) and flowering in bird cherry ...(Prunus padus L.) and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.). We used phenological records from Oulainen-Ohineva (64°13' N, 24°53' E) in central Finland from 1953 to 2002 to estimate model parameters. We tested the models with data collected in all but six years between 1896 and 2002 in southern and central Finland; we divided this dataset into two 50-year datasets. The use of three datasets enabled us to test the models with data that were independent of the parameter fitting data, facilitating robust evaluation of model performance. Several models that fitted the parameterization data well showed poorer performance when tested with the independent data. This may be because the models were over-parameterized and able to adapt to noise in the data in addition to the phenological phenomenon itself. Simple Thermal Time models performed best with independent data, and Sequential and Parallel models were similar in prediction accuracy. Although Thermal Time models simulated boreal phenological events under current climatic conditions, some precautions are needed with simulations of climatic warming. For example, changed conditions may increase the relative importance of chilling in the timing of bud burst under elevated temperature conditions, which could alter the performance of phenological models.
The skeletal dysplasias are disorders of the bone and cartilage tissues. Similarly to humans, several dog breeds have been reported to suffer from different types of genetic skeletal disorders. We ...have studied the molecular genetic background of an autosomal recessive chondrodysplasia that affects the Norwegian Elkhound and Karelian Bear Dog breeds. The affected dogs suffer from disproportionate short stature dwarfism of varying severity. Through a genome-wide approach, we mapped the chondrodysplasia locus to a 2-Mb region on canine chromosome 17 in nine affected and nine healthy Elkhounds (praw = 7.42×10(-6), pgenome-wide = 0.013). The associated locus contained a promising candidate gene, cartilage specific integrin alpha 10 (ITGA10), and mutation screening of its 30 exons revealed a nonsense mutation in exon 16 (c.2083C>T; p.Arg695*) that segregated fully with the disease in both breeds (p = 2.5×10(-23)). A 24% mutation carrier frequency was indicated in NEs and an 8% frequency in KBDs. The ITGA10 gene product, integrin receptor α10-subunit combines into a collagen-binding α10β1 integrin receptor, which is expressed in cartilage chondrocytes and mediates chondrocyte-matrix interactions during endochondral ossification. As a consequence of the nonsense mutation, the α10-protein was not detected in the affected cartilage tissue. The canine phenotype highlights the importance of the α10β1 integrin in bone growth, and the large animal model could be utilized to further delineate its specific functions. Finally, this study revealed a candidate gene for human chondrodysplasias and enabled the development of a genetic test for breeding purposes to eradicate the disease from the two dog breeds.
Filopodia are thin, actin-rich plasma-membrane protrusions that function as antennae for cells to probe their environment. Consequently, filopodia have an important role in cell migration, neurite ...outgrowth and wound healing and serve as precursors for dendritic spines in neurons. The initiation and elongation of filopodia depend on the precisely regulated polymerization, convergence and crosslinking of actin filaments. The increased understanding of the functions of various actin-associated proteins during the initiation and elongation of filopodia has provided new information on the mechanisms of filopodia formation in distinct cell types.
There is evidence that abnormalities in brain dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin metabolism may play an important role in binge eating. Serotonin-active antidepressant drugs have also been found ...to decrease binge eating.
We investigated serotonin transporter binding in obese binge-eating women. Eleven obese binge-eating and seven obese control women participated in the study. The subjects were not taking any medication known to affect serotonin (5-HT) transporters.
We used single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) with the radioligand 123I-labelled nor-beta-CIT, which specifically labels 5-HT transporters.
Obese binge-eating women showed significantly decreased 5-HT transporter binding in the mid-brain compared with obese controls (2.1 +/- 0.5 versus 2.9 +/- 0.5, respectively).
SPECT imaging with a ligand specific for 5-HT transporters can be used to assess altered serotonin transporter binding in the living human brain. The results tentatively suggest that 5-HT transporter binding is decreased in binge-eating women.
Canine hip dysplasia is a common, non-congenital, complex and hereditary disorder. It can inflict severe pain via secondary osteoarthritis and lead to euthanasia. An analogous disorder exists in ...humans. The genetic background of hip dysplasia in both species has remained ambiguous despite rigorous studies. We aimed to investigate the genetic causes of this disorder in one of the high-risk breeds, the German Shepherd. We performed genetic analyses with carefully phenotyped case-control cohorts comprising 525 German Shepherds. In our genome-wide association studies we identified four suggestive loci on chromosomes 1 and 9. Targeted resequencing of the two loci on chromosome 9 from 24 affected and 24 control German Shepherds revealed deletions of variable sizes in a putative enhancer element of the NOG gene. NOG encodes for noggin, a well-described bone morphogenetic protein inhibitor affecting multiple developmental processes, including joint development. The deletion was associated with the healthy controls and mildly dysplastic dogs suggesting a protective role against canine hip dysplasia. Two enhancer variants displayed a decreased activity in a dual luciferase reporter assay. Our study identifies novel loci and candidate genes for canine hip dysplasia, with potential regulatory variants in the NOG gene. Further research is warranted to elucidate how the identified variants affect the expression of noggin in canine hips, and what the potential effects of the other identified loci are.
The Arctic marine climate system is changing rapidly, which is seen in the warming of the
ocean and atmosphere, decline of sea ice cover, increase in river discharge,
acidification of the ocean, and ...changes in marine ecosystems. Socio-economic
activities in the coastal and marine Arctic are simultaneously changing. This
calls for the establishment of a marine Arctic component of the Pan-Eurasian
Experiment (MA-PEEX). There is a need for more in situ observations on the
marine atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean, but increasing the amount of such
observations is a pronounced technological and logistical challenge. The
SMEAR (Station for Measuring Ecosystem–Atmosphere Relations) concept can be
applied in coastal and archipelago stations, but in the Arctic Ocean it will
probably be more cost-effective to further develop a strongly distributed
marine observation network based on autonomous buoys, moorings, autonomous
underwater vehicles (AUVs), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These have to
be supported by research vessel and aircraft campaigns, as well as various
coastal observations, including community-based ones. Major manned drifting
stations may occasionally be comparable to terrestrial SMEAR flagship
stations. To best utilize the observations, atmosphere–ocean reanalyses need
to be further developed. To well integrate MA-PEEX with the existing
terrestrial–atmospheric PEEX, focus is needed on the river discharge and
associated fluxes, coastal processes, and atmospheric transports in
and out of the marine Arctic. More observations and research are also needed
on the specific socio-economic challenges and opportunities in the marine and
coastal Arctic, and on their interaction with changes in the climate and
environmental system. MA-PEEX will promote international collaboration;
sustainable marine meteorological, sea ice, and oceanographic observations;
advanced data management; and multidisciplinary research on the marine Arctic
and its interaction with the Eurasian continent.
Hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis continue to be prevalent problems in veterinary and human medicine. Canine hip dysplasia is particularly problematic as it massively affects several large-sized ...breeds and can cause a severe impairment of the quality of life. In Finland, the complex condition is categorized to five classes from normal to severe dysplasia, but the categorization includes several sub-traits: congruity of the joint, Norberg angle, subluxation degree of the joint, shape and depth of the acetabulum, and osteoarthritis. Hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis have been proposed to have separate genetic etiologies.
Using Fédération Cynologique Internationale -standardized ventrodorsal radiographs, German shepherds were rigorously phenotyped for osteoarthritis, and for joint incongruity by Norberg angle and femoral head center position in relation to dorsal acetabular edge. The affected dogs were categorized into mild, moderate and severe dysplastic phenotypes using official hip scores. Three different genome-wide significant loci were uncovered. The strongest candidate genes for hip joint incongruity were noggin (NOG), a bone and joint developmental gene on chromosome 9, and nanos C2HC-type zinc finger 1 (NANOS1), a regulator of matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) on chromosome 28. Osteoarthritis mapped to a long intergenic region on chromosome 1, between genes encoding for NADPH oxidase 3 (NOX3), an intriguing candidate for articular cartilage degradation, and AT-rich interactive domain 1B (ARID1B) that has been previously linked to joint laxity.
Our findings highlight the complexity of canine hip dysplasia phenotypes. In particular, the results of this study point to the potential involvement of specific and partially distinct loci and genes or pathways in the development of incongruity, mild dysplasia, moderate-to-severe dysplasia and osteoarthritis of canine hip joints. Further studies should unravel the unique and common mechanisms for the various sub-traits.
The Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) is a multidisciplinary, multiscale and multicomponent research, research infrastructure and capacity-building program. PEEX has originated from a bottom-up approach ...by the science communities and is aiming at resolving the major uncertainties in Earth system science and global sustainability issues concerning the Arctic and boreal pan-Eurasian regions, as well as China. The vision of PEEX is to solve interlinked, global grand challenges influencing human well-being and societies in northern Eurasia and China. Such challenges include climate change; air quality; biodiversity loss; urbanization; chemicalization; food and freshwater availability; energy production; and use of natural resources by mining, industry, energy production and transport sectors. Our approach is integrative and supra-disciplinary, recognizing the important role of the Arctic and boreal ecosystems in the Earth system. The PEEX vision includes establishing and maintaining long-term, coherent and coordinated research activities as well as continuous, comprehensive research and educational infrastructure and related capacity-building across the PEEX domain. In this paper we present the PEEX structure and summarize its motivation, objectives and future outlook.
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