A new approach to understanding T cell development: the isolation and characterization of immature CD4-, CD8-, CD3- T cell cDNAs by subtraction cloning

During T cell development in the mammalian thymus, immature T cells are observed that lack the cell surface markers CD4, CD8, and CD3. A subtracted cDNA library was constructed to isolate cDNAs that are specific for these immature T cells. Tissue-specific expression of 97 individual cDNAs were examined using different cell types by Northern blot analysis, and six cDNAs were analyzed by reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of RNA. Approximately 50% of the clones could not be detected on Northern blots, and 40% of the clones were expressed by at least one other cell-type including monocytes, mature T cells, and B cells. Eight cDNA clones appear to be specific for the CD4-, CD8-, CD3- T cell line, used to construct the library, as determined by Northern blot analysis. In addition, 330 cDNA clones were subjected to partial automated DNA sequence determination. Database searches, with both nucleotide and protein translations, revealed cDNAs that exhibit interesting similarities to human cell-cycle gene 1, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, c-fms oncogene (CSF-1) receptor, and members of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily. This approach of employing subtraction coupled with large scale partial cDNA sequence determination can be useful to identify genes that may be involved in early T cell growth, cellular recognition or differentiation

Events in Adjectival Passives

The paper presents a new analysis of the semantics of adjectival passives mainly concentrating on the status of the implicit event, its agent participant and the dependency relation between eventive base and derived property. On the basis of data from two questionnaire studies it proposes an adjectival ?-affix, modifying Maienborn’s (2009) analysis in two respects: First, it does not involve existential quantification over an event particular but reference to an event kind. Second, the dependency relation between the event kind and the property denoted by the participle of an adjectival passive sentence is not a causal or temporal one. It is a relation of lexical supervenience in the sense of Kim (1990) which leaves room for the pragmatic character of adjectival passives, for their specific ‘surplus in meaning’

The Relation of Therapist Behaviors to Treatment Engagement and Outcomes in PCIT

Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) has proven to be a very effective treatment for child behavioral problems, however, PCIT does not benefit all families equally, presumably at least partly because therapists may not be equally effective in coaching their clients. Although researchers have proposed several dimensions of therapist coaching behaviors that are considered desirable, few of these have been empirically examined in relation to family engagement or child outcomes. Data from two clinical trials examining the effectiveness of culturally modified versions of PCIT (GANA and PersIn), were used to investigate which of several therapist coaching behaviors (brevity, positivity, consistency, accuracy, directive coaching and responsive coaching) are related to faster parent skill acquisition, treatment retention, and child outcomes. The findings indicate that none of these skills were significant in predicting speed of parent skill acquisition or parent reported improvement in child symptoms. However, positivity and responsiveness were significant predictors of treatment completion, while therapist directiveness was significantly related to treatment dropout. These findings suggest that these three therapist behaviors are particularly important to treatment engagement for both Spanish and English speaking families and should be important targets for therapist training

Building Gradable Adjectival Passives

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Utilizing Remote Sensing and Geospatial Techniques to Determine Detection Probabilities of Large Mammals

Whether a species is rare and requires protection or is overabundant and needs control, an accurate estimate of population size is essential for the development of conservation plans and management goals. Wildlife censuses in remote locations or over extensive areas are logistically difficult, frequently biased, and time consuming. My dissertation examined various techniques to determine the probability of detecting animals using remotely sensed imagery. We investigated four procedures that integrated unsupervised classification, texture characteristics, spectral enhancements, and image differencing to identify and count animals in remotely sensed imagery. The semi-automated processes had relatively high errors of over-counting (i.e., greater than 60%) in contrast to low (i.e. less than 19%) under-counting errors. The single-day image differencing had over-counting errors of 53% while the manual interpretation had over-counting errors of 19%. The probability of detection indicates the ability of a process or analyst to detect animals in an image or during an aerial wildlife survey and can adjust total counts to estimate the size of a population. The probabilities of detecting an animal in remotely sensed imagery with semi-automated techniques, single-day image differencing, or manual interpretation were high (e.g. ≥ 80%). Single-day image differencing resulted in the highest probability of detection suggesting this method could provide a new technique for managers to estimate animal populations, especially in open, grassland habitats. Remotely sensed imagery can be successfully used to identify and count animals in isolated or remote areas and improve management decisions. Sightability models, used to estimate population abundances, are derived from count data and the probability of detecting an animal during a census. Global positioning systems (GPS) radio-collared bison in the Henry Mountains of south-central Utah provided a unique opportunity to examine remotely sensed physiographic and survey characteristics for known occurrences of double-counted and missed animals. Bison status (detected, missed, or double-counted) was determined by intersecting helicopter survey paths with bison travel paths during annual helicopter surveys. The probability of detecting GPS-collared bison during the survey ranged from 91% in 2011 to 88% in 2012

Ontogeny of feeding performance and biomechanics in coyotes

Developing organisms must reconcile conflicts between demands of survival within the current life‐history stage, with those of maturation, while negotiating the transitions through succeeding stages. In the case of feeding performance, the parts of the feeding apparatus and their biomechanics must maintain functional integrity to meet the feeding needs of a juvenile even as they develop toward their adult form. We concurrently examine the ontogenetic relationships of feeding performance, dentition and feeding biomechanics, relative to key life‐history events, utilizing samples drawn from the same population of known‐age coyotes Canis latrans . The development of feeding performance is asynchronous with development of both feeding biomechanics and skull morphology; feeding performance lags during ontogeny despite surprisingly large early mechanical advantage of the temporalis, due in part, to early relative maturity of mandibular shape. Feeding performance and biomechanics, like skull morphology, mature well after weaning at 6 weeks of age. Late maturation of bite strength and feeding performance is mediated by ongoing and continued growth of the temporalis muscles as measured by maximum zygomatic arch breadth (ZAB). Males and females may resolve developmental conflicts differently, as females trade earlier maturity for smaller maximum ZAB, decreased relative bite strength and diminished feeding performance, compared with males. The asynchrony of feeding performance development seen in coyotes, is also characteristic of a highly specialized carnivore, the spotted hyena, but coyotes have a much less protracted development, being handicapped relative to adults for a much shorter time. This developmental asynchrony between feeding performance and morphology suggests that a certain minimum threshold of physical growth and development, together with the associated development of biomechanics, are required to produce effective mastication. The relationships among biomechanics, life‐history schedules and ontogeny of feeding performance have obvious implications for fitness.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88048/1/jzo847.pd

Resource Selection by Cougars: Influence of Behavioral State and Season

An understanding of how a predator uses the landscape can assist in developing management plans. We modeled resource selection by cougars (Puma concolor) during 2 behavioral states (moving and killing) and 2 seasons (summer and winter) with respect to landscape characteristics using locations from global positioning system (GPS)-collared cougars in the Pryor Mountains, Montana and Wyoming, USA. Furthermore, we examined predation-specific resource selection at 2 scales (fine and coarse). When possible, we backtracked from cache sites to kill sites and used a fine-scale analysis to examine landscape characteristics of confirmed kills. At this fine scale, kill sites had less horizontal visibility, were more likely to be in juniper (Juniperus spp.)-mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius), and were less likely to be in grassland vegetation. For the coarse-scale analysis of predation risk, we used the entire dataset of kills by buffering each cache site by 94.9 m, which was the 95% upper cut-off point of the known distances dragged from kill sites to cache sites, thereby creating buffered cache sites that had a high probability of containing the kill site. We modeled seasonal cougar predation site selection by constructing resource selection functions for these buffered cache sites. The top model for summer predation risk consisted of vegetation class, distance to water, and slope. The top model for winter predation risk included vegetation class and elevation. These predation risk models were similar to but simpler than the resource selection models developed from the moving locations. Essentially, the behavioral state (i.e., killing vs. moving) of the cougar had little influence on resource selection, indicating that cougars are generally in hunting mode while moving through their landscape. To potentially reduce cougar predation on mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in our study area, managers can intersect the cougar predation-risk resource selection functions with deer and sheep habitat to guide habitat modification efforts aimed at increasing horizontal visibility in risky vegetation classes

Evaluating the influence of water developments on the demography and spatial ecology of a rare, desert-adapted carnivore: the kit fox (\u3ci\u3eVulpes macrotis\u3c/i\u3e)

Constructing water developments to support anthropogenic activities and particular fauna is pervasive across many arid regions of the globe. Despite their prevalence and a predicted increase as a management and conservation tool, water developments may have complex and unanticipated impacts on wildlife. For example, the addition of water developments to the Great Basin Desert in the western United States may have indirectly contributed to a decrease in distribution and abundance of kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis). From 2010 to 2013, we examined survival, relative abundance, and habitat characteristics of kit foxes in relation to water developments on the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, using a before-after control-impact design. We collected 2 years of baseline data prior to reducing availability of water and continued data collection for another 2 years after removal of water on one-half of the study area. We found no evidence that removing water influenced survival or abundance of kit foxes. In addition, we found areas associated with the majority of water developments differed from current kit fox territories in elevation, soil type, and dominant cover type; historical use by kit foxes of areas associated with water developments is largely unknown. One explanation for our inability to find support for a water effect is that observed changes in the kit fox population and canid community in the Great Basin are attributable to changes in coyote management practices that temporally coincided with, but were largely unrelated to increases in water availability