The timing of anadromous migrations varies greatly among species, reflecting foraging opportunities, predation risk, and physical factors in freshwater and marine habitats. We studied the timing of ...bull trout,
Salvelinus. confluentus
, migrations downstream into Puget Sound, Washington, and the return migration using data from a combination of traps and beach seining to capture juveniles and adults, and acoustic telemetry to quantify movements in river, estuary, and marine waters. The period of marine residence overlapped among fish from different river basins and was generally brief; most bull trout entered marine waters from April to June and migrated back into rivers by July and August as temperatures were increasing, despite the increasing availability of prey fishes. The timing of return migration upriver occurred earlier in rivers with warmer temperatures than in cooler rivers, such that the fish entered at similar temperatures but different dates. However, the trapping and acoustic tag detections indicated that some exceptions occur, as individuals were in marine waters at times of the year when most of their populations were upriver. These timing patterns and other complex migration pathways and life history patterns indicated by the combination of sampling techniques, revealed the diversity in migratory behavior in this species, and the connections to the region’s abiotic and biotic conditions.
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are a class of compounds used to treat and prevent breast cancer and osteoporosis. SERMs currently approved for use in patients include tamoxifen, ...toremifene and raloxifene. These compounds are well tolerated in patients, and the most common adverse effects experienced in patients undergoing SERM therapy include vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal discharge. New SERMs currently under development for use in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and breast cancer include ospemifene, a derivative of toremifene, and arzoxifene, a compound very similar in structure to raloxifene. SERMs are administered orally at doses ranging from 20 to 60 mg/day. Tamoxifen and toremifene have a bioavailability of approximately 100%, whereas that of raloxifene is only 2%. SERMs are very highly bound to plasma proteins (>95%). Tamoxifen and toremifene are metabolised by the cytochrome p450 enzyme system, and raloxifene is metabolised by glucuronide conjugation. The terminal elimination half-lives of these drugs range from 27.7 hours to 7 days. The pharmacokinetics of these compounds are affected in hepatically impaired patients, but not in renally impaired patients. SERMs have several potential drug interactions with other agents, such as warfarin, rifampicin (rifampin), cholestyramine and aromatase inhibitors.
Abstract Aim This was a retrospective cohort study that evaluated the differences in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c ) and body mass index (BMI) in veterans with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), ...prescribed exenatide twice daily (BID) versus long-acting insulin analog (LAIA) two years after initiation in the United States (US) veteran population. Materials and methods Patients were included if they were ≥ 18 years old with T2DM, and initiated exenatide BID or LAIA at the Veterans Health Administration between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2010. Multivariate models were used to evaluate the changes in HbA1c and BMI between groups, controlling for potential confounders. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the odds of achieving ≥ 0.5% HbA1c reduction based on baseline HbA1c stratifications: low, < 7%; moderate, 7% to < 9%; and high, ≥ 9%. Results A total of 446 exenatide BID and 51,531 LAIA patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria. On average, exenatide BID patients were significantly older (64 versus 60 years) with a higher BMI (37.8 versus 32.9 kg/m2 ). Baseline HbA1c was 8.2% and 8.8% for exenatide BID and LAIA patients, respectively ( P < 0.001); otherwise, patients were similar for all other characteristics. Exenatide BID treatment was significantly associated with a 0.32% (95%CI: 0.18–0.47%) greater reduction in HbA1c at two years compared with LAIA. Similar findings were observed for BMI reduction (0.68 kg/m2 ; 95%CI: 0.42–0.95 kg/m2 ). Exenatide BID patients with moderate baseline HbA1c had significantly higher odds of achieving ≥ 0.5% HbA1c reduction compared with LAIA patients (OR = 1.5; 95%CI: 1.2–2.0). Conclusions Veterans treated with exenatide BID had significantly greater reduction in HbA1c and BMI compared with patients treated with LAIA patients two years after initiation.
Ramulosis is one of the most aggressive diseases in cotton, and understanding the genetic control of its resistance is imperative for selecting superior cotton genotypes in breeding programs. This ...study analyzed the inheritance pattern of this resistance using chi-square goodness-of-fit tests to determine the phenotypic proportions of the F
generation, and a mixed inheritance approach to jointly model major gene and polygenes effects. F
, F
, Rc
, and Rc
generations were obtained by crossing resistant (BRS Facual, CNPA 2984, or CNPA 2043) and susceptible (Delta Opal, CNPA 999, or CNPA 2161) genotypes, and were assessed under field conditions with artificial inoculation of the pathogen (Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides). Genetic control of the trait varied among the crossings. For Delta Opal x BRS Facual and CNPA 2161 x BRS Facual, phenotypic segregations in the F
generation did not differ from the expected proportions for the hypothesis of duplicate genes (15:1). For Delta Opal x CNPA 2043, the segregation did not differ from the expected proportions for dominant recessive epistasis (13:3). The hypothesis of genetic control by one major gene was supported only for the Delta Opal x CNPA 2043 crossing. Three other crossings showed evidence of polygenes in the inheritance of the trait. In conclusion, major genes and polygenes are likely involved in the genetic control of ramulosis resistance in cotton.
The evolution of the cosmic ray primary composition in the energy range 106–107 GeV (i.e. the “knee” region) is studied by means of the e.m. and muon data of the Extensive Air Shower EAS-TOP array ...(Campo Imperatore, National Gran Sasso Laboratories). The measurement is performed through: (a) the correlated muon number (Nμ) and shower size (Ne) spectra, and (b) the evolution of the average muon numbers and their distributions as a function of the shower size. From analysis (a) the dominance of helium primaries at the knee, and therefore the possibility that the knee itself is due to a break in their energy spectrum (at EkHe=(3.5±0.3)×106 GeV) are deduced. Concerning analysis (b), the measurement accuracies allow the classification in terms of three mass groups: light (p,He), intermediate (CNO), and heavy (Fe). At primary energies E0≈106 GeV the results are consistent with the extrapolations of the data from direct experiments. In the knee region the obtained evolution of the energy spectra leads to: (i) an average steep spectrum of the light mass group (γp,He>3.1), (ii) a spectrum of the intermediate mass group harder than the one of the light component (γCNO≃2.75, possibly bending at EkCNO≈(6–7)×106 GeV), (iii) a constant slope for the spectrum of the heavy primaries (γFe≃2.3–2.7) consistent with the direct measurements. In the investigated energy range, the average primary mass increases from 〈lnA〉=1.6–1.9 at E0≃1.5×106 GeV to 〈lnA〉=2.8–3.1 at E0≃1.5×107 GeV. The result supports the standard acceleration and propagation models of galactic cosmic rays that predict rigidity dependent cut-offs for the primary spectra of the different nuclei. The uncertainties connected to the hadronic interaction model (QGSJET in CORSIKA) used for the interpretation are discussed.
Brassica insularis is a protected plant that grows on both coastal and inland cliffs in the western Mediterranean Basin. The objective of this study was to test if any variability exists in the salt ...stress response during seed germination and seedling development in this species relative to its provenance habitat. Variability among three populations in the salt stress effects on seed germination and recovery under different temperatures was evaluated. The effect of nebulisation of a salt solution on seedling development was evaluated between populations growing at different distances from the sea. Seeds of B. insularis could germinate at NaCl concentrations up to 200 mm. Seed viability was negatively affected by salt, and recovery ability decreased with increasing temperature or salinity. Inter-population variability was detected in salt response during the seed germination phase, as well as in seedling salt spray tolerance. The inland population seedlings had drastically decreased survival and life span and failed to survive to the end of the experiment. In contrast, at least 90% of the coastal seedlings survived, even when sprayed at the highest frequency with salt solution. This study allowed investigation of two natural factors, soil salinity and marine aerosols, widely present in the B. insularis habitat, and provided the first insights into ecology of this protected species and its distribution in the Mediterranean. These results might be useful in understanding the actual distributions of other species with the same ecology that experience these same abiotic parameters.
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