Regional Distribution Patterns Research Articles

Impact of land use/land cover types on surface humidity in northern China in the early 21st century

In the context of global change, it is essential to promote the rational development and utilization of land resources, improve the quality of regional ecological environment, and promote the harmonious development of human and nature for the regional sustainability. We identified land use/land cover types in northern China from 2001 to 2018 with ENVI images and ArcGIS software. Meteorological data were selected from 292 stations in northern China, the potential evapotranspiration was calculated with the Penman—Monteith formula, and reanalysis humidity and observed humidity data were obtained. The reanalysis minus observation (RMO, i.e., the difference between reanalysis humidity and observed humidity) can effectively characterize the impact of different land use/land cover types (forestland, grassland, cultivated land, construction land, water body and unused land) on surface humidity in northern China in the early 21st century. The results showed that from 2001 to 2018, the area of forestland expanded (increasing by approximately 1.80×104 km2), while that of unused land reduced (decreasing by approximately 5.15×104 km2), and the regional ecological environment was improved. Consequently, land surface in most areas of northern China tended to be wetter. The contributions of land use/land cover types to surface humidity changes were related to the quality of the regional ecological environment. The contributions of the six land use/land cover types to surface humidity were the highest in northeastern region of northern China, with a better ecological environment, and the lowest in northwestern region, with a fragile ecological environment. Surface humidity was closely related to the variation in regional vegetation coverage; when the regional vegetation coverage with positive (negative) contributions expanded (reduced), the land surface became wetter. The positive contributions of forestland and water body to surface humidity were the greatest. Unused land and construction land were associated with the most serious negative contributions to surface humidity. Affected by the regional distribution pattern of vegetation, surface humidity in different seasons decreased from east to west in northern China. The seasonal variation in surface humidity was closely related to the growth of vegetation: surface humidity was the highest in summer, followed by autumn and spring, and the lowest in winter. According to the results, surface humidity is expected to increase in northeastern region of northern China, decrease in northern region, and likely increase in northwestern region.

Geochemical features of the accumulation and migration of heavy metals in the peats of the Lviv region

Problem formulation. Study and interpretation of geochemical characteristic, component composition, content of macro- and microelements in peat has both a general scientific fundamental character and an applied one. Its results used for various purposes: quality assessment of peat, determination of the possibility of their use in industry etc. The article is devoted to study of the elements and microelements distribution in the peat of the Lviv region. The study of peatlands in western Ukraine and their component composition carried out only during geological exploration aimed at assessing the regions potential to produce own peat fertilizers or fuel. Article purpose. The aim of the work is to present an extended geochemical characteristic of Lviv’s region peats, to determine peats typical microelement composition and geochemical specialization, to establish regional regularities of distribution and accumulation of elements using methods of mathematical and statistical analysis, and to study the factors controlling the content, distribution and genesis of microelements in the region peatlands. Object, subject, factual material and research methods. The object of research is peat and its ash from peatlands of the Lviv region. The subject of research is geochemical characteristic of this peat, regional patterns of distribution and accumulation of chemical elements, components and geological and geochemical indicators in peats. The ashes of 248 peat samples taken in 110 representative areas were analyzed by spectral semi-quantitative analysis for the content of 21 chemical elements and other geochemical characteristics of peat (pH, ash content, etc.). Discussion. An integrated approach to the study of the geochemical characteristics of peat made it possible to identify the spatial geochemical features of peats in the territory of the Lviv region, to determine their typical microelements composition, to establish regional regularities of their distribution and accumulation (changes) - significant unevenness of the concentration of microelements by area of distribution, high indicators of the content of Mo, Yt, Sr, Co, Ag, Ba, Be, Pb in relation to the clarks of the lithosphere, soils, and plants. According to the results of correlation, factor and cluster analyzes, the following typomorphic geochemical associations of peats of the Lviv region can be distinguished: Ti-Ga-Cu-Y-Pb-Sc-V-Yb-Be is associated with the features of natural soil-forming processes of geochemical landscapes; Ni-Mo-Zn is possibly of technogenic origin and is associated with the accumulation of heavy metals in soils due to the development of mineral deposits. Conclusion. The analysis of the spatial distribution, mathematical and statistical processing of the geochemical characteristics and the composition and given varimax factor features and other integral and single-component parameters of peats described in the study indicates their satisfactory condition and can be to conclude that there is no regional pollution of peats in the Lviv region with heavy metals (except for Mo) or that the regional impact of such pollution is completely insignificant.

Regional Distribution and Causes of Global Mine Tailings Dam Failures

Tailings ponds are one of the three major production facilities in metal mines. The volume of tailings increases year by year, but the storage capacity of existing tailings ponds is limited. Therefore, tailings dams must become more fine-grained and larger. The potential hazard they represent should not be underestimated. This paper reveals the causes and regional distribution patterns of 342 tailings dam failures globally from 1915 to 2021 through statistical analysis. It was found that tailings pond failures occur almost every year, with an average of 4.4 accidents/year (1947–2021). The frequency has been gradually increasing in recent years, and most tailings pond failures are directly related to heavy rainfall or earthquakes. The frequency of tailings pond failures was significantly higher in Asia (21.3%) and the Americas (57.9%), especially in China (n = 43) and the United States (n = 107). Causes of tailings pond failures differed among regions. Most tailings pond failures in Asia and Europe were related to hydroclimate, while those in South America were mainly triggered by earthquakes. This study will provide theoretical data for the pre-design as well as the safe and stable operation of global tailings ponds, which will help to prevent global tailings pond failures.

Aspects of the hydrocarbon accumulations distribution in the Bathonian regional reservoir (Western Siberia)

The paper considers the different aspects of the oil and gas presence in a specific reservoir in the top of the Middle Jurassic sequence of the West Siberian sedimentary cover. They allow to identify regional patterns of hydrocarbon accumulations distribution in the Yu2-Yu4 horizons of Bathonian reservoir within the entire territory of the West Siberian basin. Based on the latest results of the regional studies, the structural and facies control, trap type control have been established. Confinement to the certain parts of the reservoir section in various regions of the petroleum province have been described. Additionally changes in the hydrocarbons phase, pressure-and-temperature conditions, the physical and chemical properties of fluids have been identified. The revealed features of the oil-and-gas accumulations distribution make it possible to carry out a reasonable forecast of new findings in the Yu, Yu and Yu productive horizons within the promising areas. This is of great practical importance and application for the reserve replacement, as well as the effective selection of the future exploration strategy and further on the creation of the optimal development plan.

Spatial distribution patterns of tick community structure in sympatric jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) from three ecoregions in Mexico.

We examined tick communities on wild felid hosts in three ecoregions of Mexico. We collected 186 ticks of 7 species from 10 pumas (Puma concolor) and 9 jaguars (Panthera onca). Tick community composition varied across the ecoregions, and across host species within each region. Overall, Ixodes affinis, Amblyomma ovale, and Amblyomma tenellum were the most abundant species; however, only the latter two ticks were distributed across all three ecoregions, while I. affinis, along with Ixodes spinipalpis, Amblyomma inornatum, and Amblyomma parvum were restricted to more limited geographical regions. Ixodes affinis occurred strictly in southern tropical rainforest ecoregions and was significantly more abundant in Selva Lacandona compared with the Yucatán Peninsula. Amblyomma ovale was significantly more common in the tropical dry forest in the Pacific coastal ecoregion. Amblyomma tenellum abundance tended to be higher on jaguars, while I. affinis abundance was higher on pumas. Regional distribution patterns of some tick species (e.g., I. affinis and I. spinipalpis) may be determined by off-host environmental conditions rather than host factors. In contrast, at the local scale, occurrence and abundance of some tick species (e.g., A. tenellum, A. ovale and Rhipicephalus microplus) might be driven by ecological-host factors, such as habitat use or predator-prey relationships.

The market for foreign cinema in contemporary Italy: a geography of film consumption

The article aims at studying the geographical variability of theatrical consumption and popularity of contemporary films imported in Italy since the beginning of the XXI century. It relies on the data about regional admissions and theatrical distribution of more than 4100 titles, namely all the films with more than 15,000 admissions that had been projected in Italy from January 2000 to the pandemic outbreak in mid-February 2020, which forced the closure of all cinemas nationwide. While the regional patterns of distribution of both domestic and foreign films are always rather homogeneous and do not undergo major regional variations, Italian and non-Italian films are consumed in very different ways, geographically. When it comes to foreign cinema, a Regional Popularity Index shows how different regions and primarily wider trans-regional areas have different preferences linked to particular themes and genres. Different films are more or less popular in different areas, even regardless of any disparities in their distribution, precisely because they meet (or fail to meet) the specific tastes of macro-regional audiences. Specifically, the data consistently show a divide in taste between the northern-central audiences and their southern counterparts, which replicates the great distance that still divides the North from the South of Italy, from an economic, social and cultural point of view.

Comparison of effects of sevoflurane versus propofol on left ventricular longitudinal global and regional strain in patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background:Assessment of myocardial deformation by quantifying peak systolic longitudinal strain (PSLS) is a sensitive and robust index to detect subclinical myocardial dysfunction. We hypothesize that sevoflurane by virtue of anesthetic preconditioning preserves myocardial function better than propofol.Aims:The authors have assessed the effects of sevoflurane and propofol on global longitudinal strain (GLS) as a primary outcome in patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Our secondary aim was to assess the pattern of regional distribution of segmental PSLS between the groups.Materials and Methods:Fifty patients with normal left ventricular function undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were analyzed in this prospective observational study. Consecutive patients received either propofol (P) or sevoflurane (S) anesthesia.Measurements:Trans-esophageal echocardiographic images (mid-esophageal four-chamber, two-chamber, and three-chamber (long-axis)) were recorded during the precardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and post-CPB period. Strain analysis (GLS/segmental PSLS) was done offline by investigators blinded to the study. The inotropic score, duration of inotropic support, and mechanical ventilation required were recorded.Results:Following cardiopulmonary bypass and coronary revascularization, GLS reduced significantly in both the groups (P < 0.05). In the S-group, significant reduction in segmental strain was observed only in apical segments including apex, whereas in P-group significant reduction in segmental strain was seen in mid- and apical segments. The postoperative VIS, duration of inotropes/vasopressor required, and mechanical ventilation were similar in both the groups.Conclusions:There are no significant differences in global left ventricular function as assessed by GLS between patients anesthetized with sevoflurane or propofol. However, regional PSLS was better preserved in the S-group compared to P-group.

An Efficient Strategy Combining Immunoassays and Molecular Identification for the Investigation of Fusarium Infections in Ear Rot of Maize in Guizhou Province, China

Fusarium is one of the most important phytopathogenic and mycotoxigenic fungi that caused huge losses worldwide due to the decline of crop yield and quality. To systematically investigate the infections of Fusarium species in ear rot of maize in the Guizhou Province of China and analyze its population structure, 175 samples of rotted maize ears from 76 counties were tested by combining immunoassays and molecular identification. Immunoassay based on single-chain variable fragment (scFv) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein was first employed to analyze these samples. Fusarium pathogens were isolated and purified from Fusarium-infected samples. Molecular identification was performed using the partial internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1α (TEF-1α) sequences. Specific primers were used to detect toxigenic chemotypes, and verification was performed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). One-hundred and sixty three samples were characterized to be positive, and the infection rate was 93.14%. Sixteen species of Fusarium belonging to six species complexes were detected and Fusarium meridionale belonging to the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) was the dominant species. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identification illustrated that 69 isolates (56.10%) were potential mycotoxin-producing Fusarium pathogens. The key synthetic genes of NIV, NIV + ZEN, DON + ZEN, and FBs were detected in 3, 35, 7, and 24 isolates, respectively. A total of 86.11% of F. meridionale isolates carried both NIV- and ZEN-specific segments, while Fusarium verticillioides isolates mainly represented FBs chemotype. All the isolates carrying DON-producing fragments were FGSC. These results showed that there are different degrees of Fusarium infections in Guizhou Province and their species and toxigenic genotypes display regional distribution patterns. Therefore, scFv-AP fusion-based immunoassays could be conducted to efficiently investigate Fusarium infections and more attention and measures should be taken for mycotoxin contamination in this region.

Enhanced Chlorophyll-a in the Coastal Waters near the Eastern Guangdong during the Downwelling Favorable Wind Period

Phytoplankton dynamics, which are highly sensitive to the ecosystem condition and change, are different in coastal waters and open ocean. Previous researches mainly focused on the open ocean dynamic in the South China Sea (SCS), but few research on the Eastern Guangdong (EGD), especially during a period of downwelling-favorable winds. In fact, the influence of topographic irregularities, downwelling, continental outflows, and cold, nutrient-rich currents from Fujian-Zhejiang coastal waters (ZFC) of the East China Sea (ECS) on the spatial distribution of Chlorophyll a (Chl a) in EGD coastal waters could be significant. This study utilized ocean color time series and meteorological and hydrographic data jointly from July 2002 to June 2020 to investigate the heterogeneous regional specific distribution pattern of Chl a in EGD and the environmental determinants in different regions subdivided by water depth. Then the temporal and spatial distribution pattern of Chl a in EGD in winter were discussed in detail by applying an Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis, GaoFeng-1 (GF-1) satellite data and in situ measured dataset. The sea surface temperature (SST) in February was negatively related with Chl a in shallow coastal waters less than 60 m deep due to the nutrient-rich, cold waters from ZFC. The monthly mean photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and precipitation showed significant effects on the phytoplankton growth over regions with a depth less than 10 m. An area with higher Chl a concentration in the downwelling zone were detected in winter. By an examining the temporal variability in meridional distribution of the mean Chl a at 22.41°N and 22.21°N, a symmetrical peak was observed. The coastal fronts extended southwestward from the southeastern coast of Guangdong Province to Dangan Island in the SCS. In addition, a cross-shelf filament was detected near the coast of Shanwei, Guangdong, China on 8 January 2020.

The role of forest structure and composition in driving the distribution of bats in Mediterranean regions

Forests are key native habitats in temperate environments. While their structure and composition contribute to shaping local-scale community assembly, their role in driving larger-scale species distributions is understudied. We used detailed forest inventory data, an extensive dataset of occurrence records, and species distribution models integrated with a functional approach, to disentangle mechanistically how species-forest dependency processes drive the regional-scale distributions of nine forest specialist bats in a Mediterranean region in the south of Spain. The regional distribution patterns of forest bats were driven primarily by forest composition and structure rather than by climate. Bat roosting ecology was a key trait explaining the strength of the bat-forest dependency relationships. Tree roosting bats were strongly associated with mature and heterogeneous forest with large trees (diameters > 425 mm). Conversely, and contrary to what local-scale studies show, our results did not support that flight-related traits (wing loading and aspect ratio) drive species distributional patterns. Mediterranean forests are expected to be severely impacted by climate change. This study highlights the utility of disentangling species-environment relationships mechanistically and stresses the need to account for species-forest dependency relationships when assessing the vulnerability of forest specialists towards climate change.

Assessing gully erosion susceptibility and its conditioning factors in southeastern Brazil using machine learning algorithms and bivariate statistical methods: A regional approach

Despite being a very common phenomenon worldwide, in Brazil, the factors and mechanisms that control gully erosion on a regional scale are still little known, which leads to the neglect of this environmental hazard by territorial and environmental management policies. In order to reducing this gap, we explored the potential of four common supervised machine learning algorithms, named random forest (RF), logistic regression (LR), naïve Bayes (NB) and artificial neural network (ANN) to produce gully erosion susceptibility models for two gullied watersheds, located in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The modeling was based on the construction of a solid gully inventory and a database consisting of fifteen geo-environmental factors (GEF), whose influence was determined from the information gain ratio (IGR) and two bivariate statistical methods, named frequency ratio (FR) and modified information value (MIV). The predictive performance of the models was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), overall accuracy (ACC) and sufficiency analysis. The results revealed that random forest achieved the highest overall performance in correct prediction of gullies and produced the most realistic gully susceptibility maps. The IGR data indicated that all GEF considered in the analysis contributed to the predictive model, although lithology, elevation and rainfall are the most influential variables. From an integrated analysis between the gully inventory, field observations, FR and MIV values, we found that gullies seem to be triggered by high annual average rainfall, but only develop where a set of specific geo-environmental conditions occur simultaneously. Finally, despite the limited land use data available, anthropogenic activities do not seem to affect the regional distribution pattern of gullies, although we have not excluded their local influence in triggering some erosive features.

Electrical characterization of the short and long gamma subunit splice variants of human GABAA receptors

Sleep aids, anti-anxiety medications, anesthetics, alcohol, and neurosteroids all target GABAA receptors (GABAARs), which regulate the bulk of rapid inhibition in the mammalian brain. GABAA receptors are pentamers of α, β and γ subunits, with the γ2 subunit having two splice variants (γ2S and γ2L). These two variants are distinguished by 8 amino acid differences when integrated into the pentameric receptors. It been noted that they have assorted patterns of regional distribution during development and in the adult brain with the γ2L dominating in later stages of life.

Evaluation of 10-minute post-injection 11C-PiB PET and its correlation with 18F-FDG PET in older adults who are cognitively healthy, mildly impaired, or with probable Alzheimer's disease.

Objective:Positron emission tomography (PET) allows in vivo evaluation of molecular targets in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate stage between normal cognition and Alzheimer-type dementia. In vivo fibrillar amyloid-beta can be detected in PET using [11C]-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (11C-PiB). In contrast, [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG) is a neurodegeneration biomarker used to evaluate cerebral glucose metabolism, indicating neuronal injury and synaptic dysfunction. In addition, early cerebral uptake of amyloid-PET tracers can determine regional cerebral blood flow. The present study compared early-phase 11C-PiB and 18F-FDG in older adults without cognitive impairment, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease.Methods:We selected 90 older adults, clinically classified as healthy controls, with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, or with probable Alzheimer’s disease, who underwent an 18F-FDG PET, early-phase 11C-PiB PET and magnetic resonance imaging. All participants were also classified as amyloid-positive or -negative in late-phase 11C-PiB. The data were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping.Results:We found that the probable Alzheimer’s disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment group had lower early-phase 11C-PiB uptake in limbic structures than 18F-FDG uptake. The images showed significant interactions between amyloid-beta status (negative or positive). However, early-phase 11C-PiB appears to provide different information from 18F-FDG about neurodegeneration.Conclusions:Our study suggests that early-phase 11C-PiB uptake correlates with 18F-FDG, irrespective of the particular amyloid-beta status. In addition, we observed distinct regional distribution patterns between both biomarkers, reinforcing the need for more robust studies to investigate the real clinical value of early-phase amyloid-PET imaging.

Turnover of Lecanoroid Mycobionts and Their Trebouxia Photobionts Along an Elevation Gradient in Bolivia Highlights the Role of Environment in Structuring the Lichen Symbiosis.

Shifts in climate along elevation gradients structure mycobiont–photobiont associations in lichens. We obtained mycobiont (lecanoroid Lecanoraceae) and photobiont (Trebouxia alga) DNA sequences from 89 lichen thalli collected in Bolivia from a ca. 4,700 m elevation gradient encompassing diverse natural communities and environmental conditions. The molecular dataset included six mycobiont loci (ITS, nrLSU, mtSSU, RPB1, RPB2, and MCM7) and two photobiont loci (ITS, rbcL); we designed new primers to amplify Lecanoraceae RPB1 and RPB2 with a nested PCR approach. Mycobionts belonged to Lecanora s.lat., Bryonora, Myriolecis, Protoparmeliopsis, the “Lecanora” polytropa group, and the “L.” saligna group. All of these clades except for Lecanora s.lat. occurred only at high elevation. No single species of Lecanoraceae was present along the entire elevation gradient, and individual clades were restricted to a subset of the gradient. Most Lecanoraceae samples represent species which have not previously been sequenced. Trebouxia clade C, which has not previously been recorded in association with species of Lecanoraceae, predominates at low- to mid-elevation sites. Photobionts from Trebouxia clade I occur at the upper extent of mid-elevation forest and at some open, high-elevation sites, while Trebouxia clades A and S dominate open habitats at high elevation. We did not find Trebouxia clade D. Several putative new species were found in Trebouxia clades A, C, and I. These included one putative species in clade A associated with Myriolecis species growing on limestone at high elevation and a novel lineage sister to the rest of clade C associated with Lecanora on bark in low-elevation grassland. Three different kinds of photobiont switching were observed, with certain mycobiont species associating with Trebouxia from different major clades, species within a major clade, or haplotypes within a species. Lecanoraceae mycobionts and Trebouxia photobionts exhibit species turnover along the elevation gradient, but with each partner having a different elevation threshold at which the community shifts completely. A phylogenetically defined sampling of a single diverse family of lichen-forming fungi may be sufficient to document regional patterns of Trebouxia diversity and distribution.

Body Fat Distribution and Associated Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults With Cerebral Palsy.

Objective: Fat distribution has increasingly been acknowledged as a more significant health parameter than general obesity, in terms of the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to investigate the regional fat distribution pattern and general body fat characteristics of adults with cerebral palsy (CP), and we explored the risk of CVD in this population.Methods: People aged ≥20 years who were diagnosed with CP were recruited between February 2014 and November 2014. The subjects underwent a structured interview, laboratory studies, and physical examination. The amount and distribution of fat were determined directly by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Laboratory analysis was performed to measure total cholesterol and triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein, and fasting plasma glucose levels. The Framingham risk score (FRS) was used to present the 10-year risk for having CVD, and predictors such as sex, age, total cholesterol, HDL, systolic blood pressure, treatment for hypertension, and smoking status were used to calculate the FRS.Results: Ninety-nine adults (58 men, mean age 41.77 ± 8.95 years) with CP were included. The participants consisted of all five levels of the Gross Motor Function Classification System. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 22.52 ± 4.58 kg/m2. According to BMI criteria, 54.9% were overweight and 27.3% were obese. The fat mass index criteria revealed 10.1% excess fat and 7.6% obesity. In univariable regression analysis, age, the timing of physical function deterioration, and android fat percentage were associated with the FRS (p <0.001, p <0.001, and p = 0.007, respectively). In multiple regression analysis, the FRS was associated with age and android fat percentage, based on the following formula: “FRS=−18.549 + 0.410 ∗ Age + 0.577 ∗ Android percent fat (%) (R2=0.528)′′ (p<0.001).Conclusions: Body fat distribution in the android area is significantly associated with future CVD risk in adults with CP.

Exploring the basis of phenotypic diversity in Alzheimer’s disease

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and affects more than 50 million people around the world. Although there is no effective treatment for the disease at the moment, early detection is still critical to start an early management plan and try out various interventions. Besides the stereotypical Amnestic Syndrome, many atypical pehnotypes exist which make accurate early diagnosis challenging.MethodExamined Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS), behavioural variant of Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD), Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA), and Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) cases correlating with AD's onset. As such, this literature review investigated the reasons underpinning the selective regional vulnerability leading to clinical diversity in AD.ResultThe majority of AD is sporadic, caused by phosphorylated‐tau aggregates and amyloid‐β depositions in neurons or extracellular space. Increasing age is the dominant risk factor for AD development and the major genetic risk factor for sporadic AD is ApoE4. A small proportion of AD is familial, due to mutations in APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes. The available research findings suggest that diverse clinical presentations correlated with selective degeneration and pathology development in different brain regions. The different regions with originally pathological alternations of each phenotype may help explain the conundrum of polytropic presentations, that primary motor cortex is significantly affected in CBS, basal ganglia in bvFTD, posterior part of the brain in PCA, and temporoparietal areas in PPA. Research indicates that the presence of ApoE4 is significant for the development of all AD phenotypes. In addition, while some studies reported several famial cases, these are not typically thought to be representative and thus more studies are needed.ConclusionThe diverse clinical phenotypes of AD, including AS, CBS, bvFTD, PCA, and PPA, share similar pathogenesis and genetic factors, but each phenotype has divergent patterns of regional distribution of the pathology.

Unraveling the drug distribution in brain enabled by MALDI MS imaging with laser-assisted chemical transfer

Accurate localization of central nervous system (CNS) drug distribution in the brain is quite challenging to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), owing to the ionization competition/suppression of highly abundant endogenous biomolecules and MALDI matrix. Herein, we developed a highly efficient sample preparation technique, laser-assisted chemical transfer (LACT), to enhance the detection sensitivity of CNS drugs in brain tissues. A focused diode laser source transilluminated the tissue slide coated with α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, an optimal matrix to highly absorb the laser radiation at 405 nm, and a very thin-layer chemical film mainly containing drug molecule was transferred to the acceptor glass slide. Subsequently, MALDI MSI was performed on the chemical film without additional sample treatment. One major advantage of LACT is to minimize ionization competition/suppression from the tissue itself by removing abundant endogenous lipid and protein components. The superior performance of LACT led to the successful visualization of regional distribution patterns of 16 CNS drugs in the mouse brain. Furthermore, the dynamic spatial changes of risperidone and its metabolite were visualized over a 24-h period. Also, the brain-to-plasma (B/P) ratio could be obtained according to MALDI MSI results, providing an alternative means to assess brain penetration in drug discovery.

Animal rabies epidemiology in Nepal from 2005 to 2017

Background and Aim: Animal rabies is endemic in Nepal, and it occurs in two forms. Although governmental and non-governmental agencies are working toward the control of rabies by mass dog vaccination and stray dog population management, there is still massive number of rabies incidence reported to the reference veterinary laboratory, Nepal. Therefore, this study aimed to assess animal species, temporal, regional, and agro-ecological distribution patterns of animal rabies in Nepal from 2005 to 2017. Materials and Methods: The epidemiological data on animal rabies from the period of 2005 to 2017 were obtained from the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal. The laboratory-confirmed rabies cases were analyzed according to animal species, temporal, regional (developmental zones), and agro-ecological distributions. In addition, descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the distribution patterns of rabies. Results: From 2005 to 2017, a total of 2771 suspected rabies cases in animals were reported to The Central Veterinary Hospital, Kathmandu. Of which, 1302 were found laboratory-confirmed cases. The rabies cases were most commonly reported and confirmed in dogs followed by other domestic animals. The high occurrences were recorded between 2005 and 2007. However, the incidence was increased during 2016 and 2017. The highest number of rabies cases was recorded in the eastern development zone, and the least number in the central zone at regional level. Likewise, it was highest in the Terai (plain) region and lowest in mountainous areas at agro-ecological zones. The findings also revealed that the occurrences of rabies significantly differed among seasons. Conclusion: Rabies is present in Nepal throughout the year and all seasons with seasonal variation. Among the animal species, dogs are the primary animals affected with rabies followed by cattle and other domestic animals. At the regional level, eastern development zone had the highest incidence and Central development zone recorded the least. Similarly, the Terai region had the highest incidence rates, and the least overall prevalence rate was observed in mountainous regions among agro-ecological zones. Therefore, the government should implement the strict enforcement of mass dog vaccination and dog population management through one health approach to control rabies incidence in the country.

Genomic landscape of mitochondrial DNA insertions in 23 bat genomes: characteristics, loci, phylogeny, and polymorphism.

The transfer of mitochondrial DNA to the nuclear genome gives rise to the nuclear DNA sequences of mitochondrial origin (NUMTs), considered as a driving force in genome evolution. In this study, NUMTs in 23 bat genomes were investigated and compared systematically. The results showed that NUMTs existed in 22 genomes except for Noctilio leporinus, suggesting that mitochondrial fragment insertion in the nuclear genome was a common event in bat genomes. However, remarkable variations in NUMTs number, cumulative length, and proportion in the nuclear genome were discovered across bat species. Further orthologous NUMT loci analysis of the Phyllostomidae family indicated that the NUMTs insertion events in bat genomes were homoplasy-free. The NUMTs were mainly inserted into the intergenic regions, particularly, co-localized with repetitive sequences (especially transposable elements). However, several NUMTs were inserted into genes, some of which were in the exon region of functional genes. One NUMT in the genome of Pteropus alecto surprisingly matched with cDNA of ATP8B3 that provided evidence of NUMTs with coding function. Phylogenic analysis on NUMTs originating from COXI and COXII loci highlighted 2 clusters of Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiroptera for Chiroptera. Seven NUMTs from Rhinolophus ferrumequinum were amplified, and the sequencing results confirmed the reliability of the NUMT analysis. One of them was polymorphic for the presence or absence of the NUMT insertion, and each genotype of NUMT loci showed a distinct regional distribution pattern. The information obtained in this study provides novel insights into the NUMT organization and features in bat genomes and establishes a basis for further studying of the evolution of bat species.

A Maxent Predictive Model for Hunter-Gatherer Sites in the Southern Pampas, Argentina

The following paper presents the results of a Species Distribution Model (SDM) for grassland hunter-gatherer archaeology sites in the southern Pampas region of Argentina. The goal of this exploratory model is to provide a complementary survey model for the detection of archaeological sites in this region, which will also help characterize and discuss site locations and regional distribution patterns of hunter-gatherer occupations. Even in this largely homogenous and highly dynamic landscape, SDMs can help guide archaeological surveys by identifying some environmental variables affecting hunter-gatherer decisions, and can provide insights into mobility and archaeological settlement patterns. Among the available tools for SDM, Maximum Entropy Modeling (Maxent) is one of the most widely used approaches in archaeological predictive modelling. After controlling for bias and adjustment of several modifiable parameters, the Maxent software provided a potentially effective predictive model to direct future archaeological survey and heritage management projects. The results of this research suggest that watercourses and slope were the key environmental factors influencing the distribution of hunter-gatherer archaeological sites in the southern Pampas region.