Effect of tower base painting on willow ptarmigan collision rates with wind turbines

1. Birds colliding with turbine rotor blades is a well‐known negative consequence of wind‐power plants. However, there has been far less attention to the risk of birds colliding with the turbine towers, and how to mitigate this risk.
2. Based on data from the Smøla wind‐power plant in Central Norway, it seems highly likely that willow ptarmigan (the only gallinaceous species found on the island) is prone to collide with turbine towers. By employing a BACI‐approach, we tested if painting the lower parts of turbine towers black would reduce the collision risk.
3. Overall, there was a 48% reduction in the number of recorded ptarmigan carcasses per search at painted turbines relative to neighboring control (unpainted) ones, with significant variation both within and between years.
4. Using contrast painting to the turbine towers resulted in significantly reduced number of ptarmigan carcasses found, emphasizing the effectiveness of such a relatively simple mitigation measure.

     

Variability and genetics of spacer DNA sequences between the ribosomal-RNA genes of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Summary Using restriction enzyme digests of genomic DNA extracted from the leaves of 25 hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.) cultivars and their hybrids, restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the spacer DNA which separates the ribosomal-RNA genes have been examined. (From one to three thousand of these genes are borne on chromosomes 1B and 6B of hexaploid wheat). The data show that there are three distinct alleles of the 1B locus, designated Nor-B1a, Nor-B1b, and Nor-B1c, and at least five allelic variants of the 6B locus, designated Nor-B2a, Nor-B2b, Nor-B2c, Nor-B2d, and Nor-B2e. A further, previously reported allele on 6B has been named Nor-B2f. Chromosome 5D has only one allelic variant, Nor-D3. Whereas the major spacer variants of the 1B alleles apparently differ by the loss or gain of one or two of the 133 bp sub-repeat units within the spacer DNA, the 6B allelic variants show major differences in their compositions and lengths. This may be related to the greater number of rDNA repeat units at this locus. The practical implications of these differences and their application to wheat breeding are discussed.     

Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation for Women in an HIV-1 Prevention Clinical Trial Experiencing Primary HIV-1 Infection during Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

During an HIV-1 prevention clinical trial in East Africa, we observed 16 cases of primary HIV-1 infection in women coincident with pregnancy or breastfeeding. Nine of eleven pregnant women initiated rapid combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), despite having CD4 counts exceeding national criteria for ART initiation; breastfeeding women initiated ART or replacement feeding. Rapid ART initiation during primary HIV-1 infection during pregnancy and breastfeeding is feasible in this setting.     

Synthesis of a 3-methyluridine phosphoramidite to investigate the role of methylation in a ribosomal RNA hairpin.

The synthesis of a 5'-O-BzH-2'-O-ACE-protected-3-methyluridine phosphoramidite is reported [BzH, benzhydryloxy-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)silyl; ACE, bis(2-acetoxyethoxy)methyl]. The phosphoramidite was employed in solid-phase RNA synthesis to generate a series of RNA hairpins containing single or multiple modifications, including the common nucleoside pseudouridine. Three 19-nucleotide hairpin RNAs that represent the 1920-loop region (G(1906)-C(1924)) of Escherichia coli 23S ribosomal RNA were generated. Modifications were present at positions 1911, 1915, and 1917. The stabilities and structures of the three RNAs were examined by using thermal melting, circular dichroism, and NMR spectroscopy     

Assessing Greater Sage-Grouse Selection of Brood-Rearing Habitat Using Remotely-Sensed Imagery: Can Readily Available High-Resolution Imagery Be Used to Identify Brood-Rearing Habitat Across a Broad Landscape?

Greater sage-grouse populations have decreased steadily since European settlement in western North America. Reduced availability of brood-rearing habitat has been identified as a limiting factor for many populations. We used radio-telemetry to acquire locations of sage-grouse broods from 1998 to 2012 in Strawberry Valley, Utah. Using these locations and remotely-sensed NAIP (National Agricultural Imagery Program) imagery, we 1) determined which characteristics of brood-rearing habitat could be used in widely available, high resolution imagery 2) assessed the spatial extent at which sage-grouse selected brood-rearing habitat, and 3) created a predictive habitat model to identify areas of preferred brood-rearing habitat. We used AIC model selection to evaluate support for a list of variables derived from remotely-sensed imagery. We examined the relationship of these explanatory variables at three spatial extents (45, 200, and 795 meter radii). Our top model included 10 variables (percent shrub, percent grass, percent tree, percent paved road, percent riparian, meters of sage/tree edge, meters of riparian/tree edge, distance to tree, distance to transmission lines, and distance to permanent structures). Variables from each spatial extent were represented in our top model with the majority being associated with the larger (795 meter) spatial extent. When applied to our study area, our top model predicted 75% of naïve brood locations suggesting reasonable success using this method and widely available NAIP imagery. We encourage application of our methodology to other sage-grouse populations and species of conservation concern.     

Generation of Mouse Small Intestinal Epithelial Cell Lines That Allow the Analysis of Specific Innate Immune Functions

Cell lines derived from the small intestine that reflect authentic properties of the originating intestinal epithelium are of high value for studies on mucosal immunology and host microbial homeostasis. A novel immortalization procedure was applied to generate continuously proliferating cell lines from murine E19 embryonic small intestinal tissue. The obtained cell lines form a tight and polarized epithelial cell layer, display characteristic tight junction, microvilli and surface protein expression and generate increasing transepithelial electrical resistance during in vitro culture. Significant up-regulation of Cxcl2 and Cxcl5 chemokine expression upon exposure to defined microbial innate immune stimuli and endogenous cytokines is observed. Cell lines were also generated from a transgenic interferon reporter (Mx2-Luciferase) mouse, allowing reporter technology-based quantification of the cellular response to type I and III interferon. Thus, the newly created cell lines mimic properties of the natural epithelium and can be used for diverse studies including testing of the absorption of drug candidates. The reproducibility of the method to create such cell lines from wild type and transgenic mice provides a new tool to study molecular and cellular processes of the epithelial barrier.