d

2-year-old western lowland gorilla Eyare dies at Calgary Zoo

Eyare died of injuries she sustained while moving between back of house spaces, Wilder Institute director of animal care, health and welfare, Colleen Baird said Tuesday.



  • News/Canada/Calgary

d

P.E.I.'s Brett Gallant excited to represent Canada at Winter Olympics

Charlottetown-born curler Brett Gallant says competing in the Olympics will be a dream come true for him and his fiancée, Jocelyn Peterman, even if COVID-19 protocols will make it difficult for them to see each other.



  • News/Canada/PEI

d

Meet the team: Brad Gushue

Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker discuss their team dynamics and what gives them the edge heading into the Beijing Olympics.




d

Curlers await looming Olympic team decision after cancellation of mixed doubles trials

After COVID-19 challenges forced the cancellation of Canada's mixed doubles trials, several top curlers are anxiously waiting to learn whether they will be chosen to represent the country in the discipline at the Beijing Games.



  • Sports/Olympics/Winter Sports/Curling

d

Canadian mixed doubles curlers in flux, air thoughts on Olympic selection process

The cancellation of the mixed doubles curling trials has generated a wide variety of emotions among players — illuminating a handful of issues, particularly about scheduling and the selection process as a whole.



  • Sports/Olympics/Winter Sports/Curling

d

Northern Ontario curling teams disappointed no qualifiers for national championships

It's not a complete surprise that curling and other sports have been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it doesn't make it any easier on teams that had their hopes of representing Northern Ontario at a national curling level dashed.



  • News/Canada/Thunder Bay

d

Long wait continues for Team Rachel Homan with new wrinkle after Ontario decision

The OCA's decision Friday to announce that Rachel Homan's team would only represent the province at the national championship if the skip wasn't picked for the Olympic mixed doubles team generated criticism from some corners and confusion from others.



  • Sports/Olympics/Winter Sports/Curling

d

Laura Walker makes game-winning draw to win Alberta playdown, book Scotties ticket

Laura Walker made a game-winning draw Sunday afternoon to win the Alberta women's curling playdowns and secure a berth in the upcoming national championship.



  • Sports/Olympics/Winter Sports/Curling

d

Wild-card debate ramps up ahead of Scotties Tournament of Hearts

The oft-discussed wild-card setup at the national championships took centre stage again Monday with the release of updated rankings that appeared to determine the play-in game matchup at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.



  • Sports/Olympics/Winter Sports/Curling

d

Homan and Morris' Olympic appointment is 'what every curler dreams of'

Rachel Homan and John Morris join That Curling Show fresh off the news they have been chosen to represent Canada in mixed doubles curling at the Beijing Olympics.




d

Homan, Morris selected to represent Canada in mixed doubles curling at Beijing Olympics

Curling Canada, with the assistance of Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee, announced Rachel Homan and John Morris as the mixed doubles team for Canada competing at the Beijing Olympics.



  • Sports/Olympics/Winter Sports/Curling

d

Big-name curlers are tasked with recapturing Canada's Olympic glory

Now that all of Canada's Olympic curling teams are finally set, CBC Sports' daily newsletter takes a look at the three tournaments.




d

Homan selection for Beijing gives Team Hollie Duncan the Ontario berth at Scotties

Rachel Homan and John Morris weren't the only ones celebrating after their selection to wear the Maple Leaf in mixed doubles curling competition at the Beijing Olympics. The nomination also cleared the path for Team Hollie Duncan to represent Ontario at the national championship.



  • Sports/Olympics/Winter Sports/Curling

d

Pandemic continues to impact curling events across northern Ontario

As some qualifying events in curling get cancelled, organizers in this region and across the country are starting to have to choose teams based on a ranking system to determine who gets to compete.



  • News/Canada/Sudbury

d

That Curling Show catches up with Team Canada before heading to the Beijing Olympics

Newly announced mixed doubles duo Rachel Homan and John Morris, skips Jennifer Jones and Brad Gushue, and broadcasters Mike Harris, Joanne Courtney and Bruce Rainnie all break down a busy week in curling news.




d

Scotties Tournament of Hearts women's curling good to go in Thunder Bay, Ont., maybe even with fans

Curling Canada says the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont., will operate under Ontario's current public health measures and an approved framework from the office of the chief medical officer.



  • News/Canada/Thunder Bay

d

CME Group Announces First Trades of CBL Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Futures

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced its new CBL Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) futures have launched and are available for trading. A total of five...




d

CME Group Inc. Reports All-Time Record Revenue, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Share for Q3 2024

Record revenue of $1.6 billion Record quarterly ADV of 28.3 million contracts - the second consecutive quarter of volume, open interest growth across every asset class CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2024...




d

CME Group Announces First Trades of Spodumene Futures

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced its new Spodumene CIF China (Fastmarkets) futures have launched and are available for trading. A total of 29 contracts...




d

Henry Hub Futures Reach Record Open Interest as International Demand Soars

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced that open interest in its global benchmark Henry Hub futures contract reached a record 1.73 million contracts on October 30,...




d

CME Group Reports October 2024 ADV of 24.3 Million Contracts

Record October ADV for interest rate, energy, metals and agricultural products Record October ADV across U.S. Treasury and SOFR complexes All-time record monthly ADV in U.S. Treasury options and...




d

Farmer sentiment in October rebounded ahead of the U.S. election

Farmer sentiment saw an unexpected surge in October ahead of the upcoming U.S. election, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The index rose to 115, marking a...




d

CME Group Declares Quarterly Dividend

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today declared a fourth-quarter dividend of $1.15 per share. The dividend is payable December 27, 2024, to shareholders of record as of...




d

CME Group Announces Winners of the 21st Annual University Trading Challenge

Indiana University took first place, with the rest of the top five from outside the United States Record participation from nearly 570 teams across 24 countries CHICAGO, Nov. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/...




d

CME Group Announces Employment Agreement Extension for Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy

Chief Financial Officer Lynne Fitzpatrick Appointed to President and CFO Chief Operating Officer Julie Holzrichter to Step Down and Assume Advisory Role Suzanne Sprague to Succeed Holzrichter CHICAGO,




d

Introduction to Techniques Used to Study Mosquito Neuroanatomy and Neural Circuitry

Mosquitoes transmit deadly pathogens from person to person as they obtain the blood meal that is essential for their life cycle. Female mosquitoes of many species are unable to reproduce without consuming protein that they obtain from blood. This developmental stage makes them highly efficient disease vectors of deadly pathogens. They can transmit pathogens between members of the same species and different species that can provide a route for evolving zoonotic viruses to jump from animals to humans. One possible way to develop novel strategies to combat pathogen transmission by mosquitoes is to study the sensory systems that drive mosquito reproductive behaviors, in particular the neural architecture and circuits of mosquito sensory afferent neurons, the central circuits that process sensory information, and the downstream circuits that drive reproductive behaviors. The study of mosquito neuroanatomy and circuitry also benefits basic neuroscience, allowing for comparative neuroanatomy in insect species, which has great value in the current model species-heavy landscape of neuroscience. Here, we introduce two important techniques that are used to study neuroanatomy and neural circuitry—namely, immunofluorescent labeling and neural tracing. We describe how to apply these approaches to study mosquito neuroanatomy and describe considerations for researchers using the techniques.




d

Establishing Colonies from Field-Collected Mosquitoes: Special Accommodations for Wild Strains

A researcher may have many reasons for wanting to establish new laboratory colonies from field-collected mosquitoes. In particular, the ability to study the diversity found within and among natural populations in a controlled laboratory environment opens up a wide range of possibilities for understanding how and why burdens of vector-borne disease vary over space and time. However, field-collected mosquitoes are often more difficult to work with than established laboratory strains, and considerable logistical challenges are involved in safely transporting field-collected mosquitoes into the laboratory. Here, we provide advice for researchers working with Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae, and Culex pipiens, as well as notes on other closely related species. We provide guidance on each stage of the life cycle and highlight the life stages for which it is easiest to initiate new laboratory colonies for each species. In accompanying protocols, we provide methods detailing Ae. aegypti egg collection and hatching as well as how to transport larvae and pupae from the field.




d

Whole-Brain Electrophysiology and Calcium Imaging in Drosophila during Sleep and Wake

Sleep is likely a whole-brain phenomenon, with most of the brain probably benefiting from this state of decreased arousal. Recent advances in our understanding of some potential sleep functions, such as metabolite clearance and synaptic homeostasis, make it evident why the whole brain is likely impacted by sleep: All neurons have synapses, and all neurons produce waste metabolites. Sleep experiments in the fly Drosophila melanogaster suggest that diverse sleep functions appear to be conserved across all animals. Studies of brain activity during sleep in humans typically involve multidimensional data sets, such as those acquired by electroencephalograms (EEGs) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and these whole-brain read-outs often reveal important qualities of different sleep stages, such as changes in frequency dynamics or connectivity. Recently, various techniques have been developed that allow for the recording of neural activity simultaneously across multiple regions of the fly brain. These whole-brain-recording approaches will be important for better understanding sleep physiology and function, as they provide a more comprehensive view of neural dynamics during sleep and wake in a relevant model system. Here, we present a brief summary of some of the findings derived from sleep activity recording studies in sleeping Drosophila flies and discuss the value of electrophysiological versus calcium imaging techniques. Although these involve very different preparations, they both highlight the value of multidimensional data for studying sleep in this model system, like the use of both EEG and fMRI in humans.




d

Analysis of Axon Guidance in the Drosophila Embryo

The establishment of neural connectivity is a major part of neural development. The central nervous system (CNS) midline is the most characterized axon guidance choice point, and work in Drosophila has played a pivotal role in understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible. Axons respond to attractive cues such as Netrin via the Frazzled receptor, and repulsive cues such as Slit via Robo receptors. Both signals are expressed at the CNS midline, affect pioneer axons, and have dramatic effects on the axon scaffold as a whole. Here, we focus on previous research analyzing classic mutants in the Slit/Robo pathway, which can readily be detected with a dissecting microscope. We also discuss analyzing these mutants in a teaching lab situation. The combination of sophisticated genetics and reliable axonal markers in Drosophila allows phenotypic analysis to be performed at the single-cell level. The elaborate architecture of neurons is very sensitive to disruption by genetic mutations, allowing the effects of novel mutations to be easily detected and assessed.




d

Design and Validation of Guide RNAs for CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing in Mosquitoes

CRISPR–Cas9 has revolutionized gene editing for traditional and nontraditional model organisms alike. This tool has opened the door to new mechanistic studies of basic mosquito biology as well as the development of novel vector control strategies based on CRISPR–Cas9, including gene drives that spread genetic elements in the population. Although the promise of the specificity, flexibility, and ease of deployment CRISPR is real, its implementation still requires empirical optimization for each new species of interest, as well as to each genomic target within a given species. Here, we provide an overview of designing and testing single-guide RNAs for the use of CRISPR-based gene editing tools.




d

Mosquito Blood Meal Analysis

The host associations of mosquitoes vary by species, with some species being relative generalists, whereas others specialize, to varying extents, on a particular subset of the available host community. These host associations are driving factors in transmission dynamics of mosquito-vectored pathogens. For this reason, characterizing the host associations of mosquito species is critical for understanding the epidemiology of mosquito-vectored pathogens. Diverse methods have been used to associate mosquito species with their hosts. These typically include collecting mosquitoes that bite a restrained host (bait) or collecting wild blood-engorged mosquitoes and matching their blood meal to reference samples (blood meal analysis). Blood meal analysis refers to a collection of molecular techniques for determining the taxonomic identity of the source of a mosquito blood meal using cytological, serological, or DNA-based characteristics of the blood meal. Blood meal analyses that are based on DNA markers have advantages over cytological and serological methods and are effective for determining species-level identities of hosts from a broad range of potential host taxa. Here, we discuss effective techniques for analyzing blood meals.




d

Mosquito Transposon-Mediated Transgenesis

Transposon-mediated transgenesis of mosquito vectors of disease pathogens followed the early success of transgenesis in the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The P transposable element used in Drosophila does not function canonically in mosquitoes, and repeatable, routine transgenesis in mosquitoes was not accomplished until new transposable elements were discovered and validated. A number of distinct transposons were subsequently identified that mediate the introduction of exogenous DNA in a stable and heritable manner in mosquito species, including members of the genera Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex. The most versatile element, piggyBac, is functional in all of these mosquito genera, as well as in many other insects in diverse orders, and has been used extensively outside the class. Transposon-mediated transgenesis of recessive and dominant marker genes and reporter systems has been used to define functional fragments of gene control sequences, introduce exogenous DNA encoding products beneficial to medical interests, and act as "enhancer traps" to identify endogenous genes with specific expression characteristics.




d

Mosquito Egg Development and Eggshell Formation

Anautogenous female mosquitoes, which ingest a blood meal from warm-blooded vertebrates to produce eggs, have become a valuable model organism for investigating signaling pathways and physiological processes that occur during egg development. Different molecular pathways tightly regulate the initiation of egg development and are governed by a balance among different insect hormones. Gravid (mature egg-carrying) females deposit fully developed eggs at the end of each gonotrophic cycle, which is defined as the time interval between the ingestion of a blood meal to oviposition. An intact eggshell protects the oocyte and embryo inside from external factors such as desiccation, physical damage, etc., and the various eggshell proteins are spatially and temporary deposited during oogenesis. Additionally, follicle resorption (oosorption) during blood meal–induced mosquito ovarian follicle development is an adapted physiological process that optimizes reproductive fitness. Mosquito oocytes grow and mature synchronously throughout oogenesis; however, during the later stages of oogenesis, some oocytes may undergo oosorption if sufficient nutrients are unavailable. This introduction highlights how mosquito egg development can be used to investigate follicular resorption and identify proteins involved in eggshell formation in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.




d

Lessons for Roma kids - whatever the weather!

Volker (OM Montenegro) describes how their outdoor lessons for Roma kids were threatened by bad weather. Then God provided not only the solution - building a carport as a shelter - but also the funds and manpower needed to build it.




d

Shared lives

Local people notice the unity in Christ of OM Montenegro as the team work and relax together.




d

Standing room only

When OM Montenegro began in 2007 with a team of three, holding a full Sunday meeting seemed a long way off—but not anymore.




d

Entering once-closed doors

OM Montenegro has discovered that if they are faithful and patient, they can eventually walk through doors that had once seemed closed.




d

A playground for Bar, Montenegro

No public playground exists in Bar, Montenegro. This year, OM Montenegro plans to build one with the help of an outreach team.




d

OM hosts new team in Podgorica

OM’s team in Bar, Montenegro, has been praying to expand the outreach work in the country. Their prayers have finally been answered.




d

A playground for the city of Bar

Four volunteers from Switzerland. One empty park. Ten days to build a playground. Could it be done?




d

Help for the hidden

Social workers in Bar, Montenegro, introduce OM workers to “hidden” people, enabling them to give holistic help, which the social workers alone could not provide.




d

From Scotland, with love

With the help of two Scottish special-needs teachers, OM Montenegro passionately improves the lives of children with autism and the lives of their families.




d

Two cultures, one great God

God transforms the hearts of teens from two people groups, who normally do not interact, to bring them together for worship, Bible study and friendship.




d

The kids they couldn’t forget

A couple in Montenegro, working with children in a tough neighbourhood in Bar, desire to find ways to reach them with Jesus’ love.




d

Building shelter, building impact

An OM couple serving in Bar, Montenegro share how a short-term team building a shelter has had positive and lasting impact on a community they serve through a club for kids.




d

Friendship opens many doors

Ongoing practical friendship wins the trust of a family in Montenegro, opening a door of hope for their future.




d

Never too old to know God's love

Robbie and Angela from OM in Montenegro take every opportunity to bring God's love into the lives of lonely elderly people in a care home.




d

Special wheels, special needs

OM uses a team car to transport teenagers with autism to Montenegro's only special needs school. But a better car is needed to continue.




d

Good news on the beach - all year long

OMers visit the beachfront cafes for weekly Bible study, seeking to bless the businesses and share God's love all year round.




d

Amendments to the Listing Schedule, Delisting of Previously-Listed Contract Months and Subsequent Permanent Delisting of the U.S. Midwest #1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap (AMM) Futures Contract