PINK1, Keap1, and Rtnl1 regulate selective clearance of endoplasmic reticulum during development.

Selective clearance of organelles, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, by autophagy plays an important role in cell health. Here, we describe a developmentally programmed selective ER clearance by autophagy. We show that Parkinson's disease-associated PINK1, as well as Atl, Rtnl1, and Trp1 receptors, regulate ER clearance by autophagy. The E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin functions downstream of PINK1 and is required for mitochondrial clearance while having the opposite function in ER clearance. By contrast, Keap1 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cullin3 function downstream of PINK1 to regulate ER clearance by influencing Rtnl1 and Atl. PINK1 regulates a change in Keap1 localization and Keap1-dependent ubiquitylation of the ER-phagy receptor Rtnl1 to facilitate ER clearance. Thus, PINK1 regulates the selective clearance of ER and mitochondria by influencing the balance of Keap1- and Parkin-dependent ubiquitylation of substrates that determine which organelle is removed by autophagy.

Natural ocean iron fertilization and climate variability over geological periods.

Marine primary producers are largely dependent on and shape the Earth's climate, although their relationship with climate varies over space and time. The growth of phytoplankton and associated marine primary productivity in most of the modern global ocean is limited by the supply of nutrients, including the micronutrient iron. The addition of iron via episodic and frequent events drives the biological carbon pump and promotes the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ) into the ocean. However, the dependence between iron and marine primary producers adaptively changes over different geological periods due to the variation in global climate and environment. In this review, we examined the role and importance of iron in modulating marine primary production during some specific geological periods, that is, the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) during the Huronian glaciation, the Snowball Earth Event during the Cryogenian, the glacial-interglacial cycles during the Pleistocene, and the period from the last glacial maximum to the late Holocene. Only the change trend of iron bioavailability and climate in the glacial-interglacial cycles is consistent with the Iron Hypothesis. During the GOE and the Snowball Earth periods, although the bioavailability of iron in the ocean and the climate changed dramatically, the changing trend of many factors contradicted the Iron Hypothesis. By detangling the relationship among marine primary productivity, iron availability and oceanic environments in different geological periods, this review can offer some new insights for evaluating the impact of ocean iron fertilization on removing CO2 from the atmosphere and regulating the climate.

Twenty years of ocean observations with China Argo.

The international Argo program, a global observational array of nearly 4 000 autonomous profiling floats initiated in the late 1990s, which measures the water temperature and salinity of the upper 2 000 m of the global ocean, has revolutionized oceanography. It has been recognized one of the most successful ocean observation systems in the world. Today, the proposed decade action "OneArgo" for building an integrated global, full-depth, and multidisciplinary ocean observing array for beyond 2020 has been endorsed. In the past two decades since 2002, with more than 500 Argo deployments and 80 operational floats currently, China has become an important partner of the Argo program. Two DACs have been established to process the data reported from all Chinese floats and deliver these data to the GDACs in real time, adhering to the unified quality control procedures proposed by the Argo Data Management Team. Several Argo products have been developed and released, allowing accurate estimations of global ocean warming, sea level change and the hydrological cycle, at interannual to decadal scales. In addition, Deep and BGC-Argo floats have been deployed, and time series observations from these floats have proven to be extremely useful, particularly in the analysis of synoptic-scale to decadal-scale dynamics. The future aim of China Argo is to build and maintain a regional Argo fleet comprising approximately 400 floats in the northwestern Pacific, South China Sea, and Indian Ocean, accounting for 9% of the global fleet, in addition to maintaining 300 Deep Argo floats in the global ocean (25% of the global Deep Argo fleet). A regional BGC-Argo array in the western Pacific also needs to be established and maintained.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel pleuromutilin derivatives possessing 4-aminothiophenol linker as promising antibacterial agents.

A series of novel pleuromutilin derivatives containing 4-aminothiophenol moieties have been designed and synthesized as promising antibacterial agents against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The in vitro antibacterial activity of these semisynthetic derivatives against 4 strains of S. aureus (MRSA ATCC 43300, S. aureus ATCC 29213, S. aureus 144 and S. aureus AD3) was evaluated by the broth dilution method. Most of the synthesized derivatives displayed prominent in vitro activity (MIC ≤ 0.5 µg/mL). 12 Compounds possessed superior antibacterial activity against MRSA compared with valnemulin and retapamulin (MIC = 0.0625 µg/mL). Compounds 12, 16a, 16c and 19 exhibited the most effective antibacterial effect against MRSA (MIC = 0.015 µg/mL). Furthermore, the time-kill curves showed compounds 12 and 19 had a certain inhibitory effect against MRSA in vitro. Compounds 12 and 19 possessed longer PAE time (2.74 h and 3.11 h, respectively) than tiamulin (PAE = 2.04 h) against MRSA after exposure at 4 × MIC concentration for 2 h. Compounds 12 and 19 also displayed superior in vivo antibacterial efficacy (-1.20 log10 CFU/mL and -1.21 log10 CFU/mL, respectively) than tiamulin (-0.75 log10 CFU/mL) in reducing MRSA load in the mice thigh infection model. In addition, compound 19 had barely inhibitory effect on RAW 264.7 and 16HBE cells at 8 µg/mL. In molecular docking study, upon docking into the 50S ribosomal subunit, the binding free energy (ΔGb) of compound 12 and 19 was calculated to be -9.02 kcal/mol and -9.89 kcal/mol, respectively.

Design, synthesis, in vitro and in vivo evaluation against MRSA and molecular docking studies of novel pleuromutilin derivatives bearing 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole linker.

A class of pleuromutilin derivatives containing 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole were designed and synthesized as potential antibacterial agents against Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The ultrasound-assisted reaction was proposed as a green chemistry method to synthesize 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole derivatives (intermediates 85-110). Among these pleuromutilin derivatives, compound 133 was found to be the strongest antibacterial derivative against MRSA (MIC = 0.125 µg/mL). Furthermore, the result of the time-kill curves displayed that compound 133 could inhibit the growth of MRSA in vitro quickly (- 4.36 log10 CFU/mL reduction). Then, compound 133 (- 1.82 log10 CFU/mL) displayed superior in vivo antibacterial efficacy than tiamulin (- 0.82 log10 CFU/mL) in reducing MRSA load in mice thigh model. Besides, compound 133 exhibited low cytotoxicity to RAW 264.7 cells. Molecular docking studies revealed that compound 133 was successfully localized in the binding pocket of 50S ribosomal subunit (ΔGb = -10.50 kcal/mol). The results indicated that these pleuromutilin derivatives containing 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole might be further developed into novel antibiotics against MRSA.

Structure-function analysis of ß-arrestin Kurtz reveals a critical role of receptor interactions in downregulation of GPCR signaling in vivo.

Arrestins control signaling via the G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), serving as both signal terminators and transducers. Previous studies identified several structural elements in arrestins that contribute to their functions as GPCR regulators. However, the importance of these elements in vivo is unclear, and the developmental roles of arrestins are not well understood. We carried out an in vivo structure-function analysis of Kurtz (Krz), the single ortholog of mammalian ß-arrestins in the Drosophila genome. A combination of Krz mutations affecting the GPCR-phosphosensing and receptor core-binding ("finger loop") functions (Krz-KKVL/A) resulted in a complete loss of Krz activity during development. Endosome recruitment and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays revealed that the KKVL/A mutations abolished the GPCR-binding ability of Krz. We found that the isolated "finger loop" mutation (Krz-VL/A), while having a negligible effect on GPCR internalization, severely affected Krz function, suggesting that tight receptor interactions are necessary for proper termination of signaling in vivo. Genetic analysis as well as live imaging demonstrated that mutations in Krz led to hyperactivity of the GPCR Mist (also known as Mthl1), which is activated by its ligand Folded gastrulation (Fog) and is responsible for cellular contractility and epithelial morphogenesis. Krz mutations affected two developmental events that are under the control of Fog-Mist signaling: gastrulation and morphogenesis of the wing. Overall, our data reveal the functional importance in vivo of direct ß-arrestin/GPCR binding, which is mediated by the recognition of the phosphorylated receptor tail and receptor core interaction. These Krz-GPCR interactions are critical for setting the correct level of Fog-Mist signaling during epithelial morphogenesis.

HSP90B1 overexpression predicts poor prognosis in NSCLC patients.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85 % of lung cancer-related mortality worldwide. The heat shock protein 90B1 (HSP90B1) and DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3) are endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins that are associated with many malignancies. However, the roles of two proteins on NSCLC remain uncovered. To investigate the correlation between the expressions of HSP90B1 and DDIT3 and clinicopathological parameters of NSCLC as well as the significance of prognosis in NSCLC, a total of 143 NSCLC tissue samples and 45 control tissues samples were assessed. NSCLC patients were followed up from the day of surgery and ended by March 2014. The expressions of HSP90B1 and DDIT3 proteins were detected in all paraffin-embedded biopsy samples by immunochemistry. The HSP90B1 was highly expressed (65.2 %) in the 143 NSCLC patients, and its high expression was correlated with clinical stages (P = 0.001) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.016). Similarly, DDIT3 was highly expressed in 43 (30.1 %) of 143 NSCLC patients, but only correlated with lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, Log-rank test suggested that high HSP90B1 expression may predict shorter survival (overall survival (OS)) and disease-free survival (DFS) for NSCLC patients. Cox model multivariate analyses indicated that HSP90B1 overexpression was an independent poor prognostic factor for both of OS and DFS. Therefore, HSP90B1 and DDIT3 may the potential biomarker to predict the NSCLC clinicopathological progress. Meanwhile, high HSP90B1 expression means poor prognosis, and HSP90B1 can be a promising prognosis factor for NSCLC.

Spaceflight alters expression of microRNA during T-cell activation.

Altered immune function has been demonstrated in astronauts during spaceflights dating back to Apollo and Skylab; this could be a major barrier to long-term space exploration. We tested the hypothesis that spaceflight causes changes in microRNA (miRNA) expression. Human leukocytes were stimulated with mitogens on board the International Space Station using an onboard normal gravity control. Bioinformatics showed that miR-21 was significantly up-regulated 2-fold during early T-cell activation in normal gravity, and gene expression was suppressed under microgravity. This was confirmed using quantitative real-time PCR (n = 4). This is the first report that spaceflight regulates miRNA expression. Global microarray analysis showed significant (P < 0.05) suppression of 85 genes under microgravity conditions compared to normal gravity samples. EGR3, FASLG, BTG2, SPRY2, and TAGAP are biologically confirmed targets and are co-up-regulated with miR-21. These genes share common promoter regions with pre-mir-21; as the miR-21 matures and accumulates, it most likely will inhibit translation of its target genes and limit the immune response. These data suggest that gravity regulates T-cell activation not only by transcription promotion but also by blocking translation via noncoding RNA mechanisms. Moreover, this study suggests that T-cell activation itself may induce a sequence of gene expressions that is self-limited by miR-21.

HMGB1 overexpression correlates with poor prognosis in early-stage squamous cervical cancer.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is associated with tumor progression and a poor prognosis; microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) plays a critical role in autophagy. However, the roles of HMGB1 and LC3 in squamous cervical cancer (SCC) remain unclear. An array of 166 early-stage SCC, 62 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 50 normal cervical tissue samples was assessed. HMGB1 and LC3 protein levels were examined by immunohistochemistry, and the associations of HMGB1 and LC3 levels with clinicopathological characteristics evaluated, to assess their prognosis significance. High nuclear HMGB1 levels were detected in 72.9% SCC cases; 16% cases showed cytoplasmic expression of HMGB1 in cancer cells with low nuclear expression. Interestingly, HMGB1 levels in SCC samples were significantly higher than CIN and control specimens, while lower LC3 expression was found in SCC samples (P < 0.001). Nuclear HMGB1 expression was weakly negatively correlated to LC3 amounts (r = -0.254, P = 0.001). High nuclear HMGB1 levels were associated with vascular metastasis (P < 0.05). In addition, cytoplasmic HMGB1 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, high nuclear HMGB1 levels and cytoplasmic HMGB1 expression predicted poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Meanwhile, high LC3 expression was associated with favorable prognosis. Multivariate analysis showed that both nuclear and cytoplasmic HMGB1 expressions were independent prognostic factors for overall- and disease-free survival, along with nodule metastasis. HMGB1 overexpression plays a significant role in SCC progression. Both nuclear and cytoplasmic HMGB1 are independent factors for poor prognosis in early-stage SCC.

Eddy impacts on abundance and habitat distribution of a large predatory squid off Peru.

The pelagic cephalopod species jumbo flying squid Dosidicus gigas is ecologically and economically important in the Humboldt ecosystem off Peru. This squid species is sensitive to oceanic environmental changes, and regional oceanographical variability is one of the important factors driving its redistribution. Off Peruvian waters, mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous and dominate the biogeochemical processes in this region. This study first explored the role of mesoscale eddies in regulating the environments and their effects on the abundance and habitat distribution of D. gigas off Peru by analyzing squid distribution in eddy-centric coordinates and building a habitat suitability index (HSI) model. Results indicated that the abundance and habitat distribution of D. gigas in mesoscale eddies varied across months, with significant differences observed between anticyclonic eddies (AE) and cyclonic eddies (CE). In AE, a higher abundance and proportion of suitable habitat occurred. While in CE, the abundance was relatively low and the suitable habitat was relatively less, concentrating at the periphery of CE. Based on the HSI model results, sea surface temperature (SST) and 50 m water temperature (T50m) in AE were more favorable for D. gigas, which was 0.3-0.5 °C lower than that in CE, yielding high-quality habitats and higher abundance of D. gigas. Our findings emphasized that mesoscale eddies have a significant impact on water temperature conditions and nutrient concentrations off Peruvian waters.

Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts.

Oceanic submesoscale processes are ubiquitous in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), where the biological carbon pump is generally ineffective. Due to difficulties in collecting continuous observations, however, it remains uncertain whether episodic submesoscale processes can drive significant changes in particulate organic carbon (POC) export into the mesopelagic ocean. Here we present observations from high-frequency Biogeochemical-Argo floats in the NPSG, which captured the enhanced POC export fluxes during the intensifying stages of a submesoscale front and a cyclonic eddy compared to their other life stages. A higher percentage of POC export flux was found to be transferred to the base of mesopelagic layer at the front compared to that at the intensifying eddy and the mean of previous studies (37% vs. ~10%), suggesting that the POC export efficiency was significantly strengthened by submesoscale dynamics. Such findings highlight the importance of submesoscale fronts for carbon export and sequestration in subtropical gyres.

Quantifying anthropogenic emission of iron in marine aerosol in the Northwest Pacific with shipborne online measurements.

Anthropogenic emissions are recognized as significant contributors to atmospheric soluble iron (Fe) in recent years, which may affect marine primary productivity, especially in Fe-limited areas. However, the contribution of different emission sources to Fe in marine aerosol has been primarily estimated by modeling approaches. Quantifying anthropogenic Fe based on field measurements remains a great challenge. In this study, online multi-element measurements and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) were combined for the first time to quantify sources of atmospheric Fe and soluble Fe in the Northwest Pacific during a cruise in spring 2015. Fe concentration in 624 atmospheric PM2.5 samples measured online was 74.58 ± 90.87 ng/m3. The PMF results showed anthropogenic activities, including industrial coal combustion, biomass burning, and maritime transport, were important in this region, contributing 31.4 % of atmospheric Fe on average. In addition, anthropogenic Fe concentration resolved by PMF was comparable to the simulation results of the CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality) and GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observing System-Chemical transport) models, with better correlation to CMAQ (r = 0.76) than GEOS-Chem (r = 0.26). This study developed a new method to estimate atmospheric soluble Fe, which integrates Fe source apportionment results and Fe solubility from different sources. Soluble Fe concentration was estimated as 3.93 ± 5.14 ng/m3, of which 87.0 % was attributed to anthropogenic emissions. Notably, ship emission alone contributed 27.5 % of soluble Fe, though its contribution to total Fe was only 2.2 %. Finally, the total deposition fluxes of atmospheric Fe (37.11 ± 38.43 µg/m2/day) and soluble Fe (1.85 ± 2.13 µg/m2/day) were estimated. This study developed a new methodology for quantifying contribution of anthropogenic emissions to Fe in marine aerosol, which could greatly help the assessment of impacts of human activities on marine environment.

Neurodegeneration in a domestic rabbit with severe malnourishment and low hepatic copper.

Copper is a trace element that plays an essential role in neurodevelopment and neurologic function. Acquired copper deficiency has a range of neurologic manifestations, with myelopathy being the most common association. We describe here the clinical, radiologic, histopathologic, and toxicologic findings of a rabbit with malnutrition, neurodegeneration, and suspected copper deficiency. A stray, adult female dwarf rabbit cross (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in poor body condition developed ataxia and pelvic limb weakness progressing to lateral recumbency and urine retention. The clinical findings suggested multifocal brainstem disease with right-sided central vestibular involvement; however, microscopic examination identified thoracic and lumbosacral spinal cord myelopathy. Differentials for the spinal cord changes included neurodegenerative disease, nutritional deficiency, neurotoxin, trauma to the lumbosacral region, and ischemia. Hepatic copper levels were suboptimal at 18 ppm dry weight (RI: 24-150 ppm dry weight). While speculative, copper-deficiency myelopathy is a treatable cause of non-compressive myelopathy that may occur in this species.

Horner syndrome as a physiological biomarker of disease in canine cervical myelopathy.

BACKGROUND: Horner syndrome often occurs with cervical myelopathies and might provide insight into the underlying disease and prognosis. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical and imaging features of dogs with cervical myelopathy and concurrent Horner syndrome and to determine association of Horner syndrome with diseases or magnetic resonance images (MRI). ANIMALS: Ninety-three client-owned dogs with cervical myelopathy and concurrent Horner syndrome and 99 randomly selected client-owned dogs with cervical myelopathy without Horner syndrome (control cases). METHODS: Retrospective study. Medical records were reviewed to identify Horner and control cases and clinical findings recorded. MRI were reviewed, and lesions characterized and recorded. Descriptive and comparative statistics were performed. RESULTS: Non-compressive disease occurred more frequently in the Horner group compared with controls (58%; 95% CI: 48-68 vs 9%; 95% CI: 5-16; P < .0001). The most common diseases were fibrocartilaginous embolism in the Horner group (44/93; 47%) and intervertebral disc extrusion (76/99; 77%) amongst controls. On MRI, parenchymal hyperintensity was seen more commonly in the Horner group (95%; 95% CI: 88-98) compared with controls (51%; 95% CI: 41-60; P < .0001). In the Horner group, dogs that did not survive to discharge (N = 13) had more extensive MRI lesions relative to the adjacent vertebral length (200%; IQR 110%-575%) compared with survivors (N = 80; 110%; IQR 40%-250%; P = .02). Lateralization of Horner signs and MRI changes matched in 54% of cases. The overall survival rate was high in both Horner (80/93; 86%) and control (95/99; 96%) groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Horner syndrome in cervical myelopathy is commonly associated with noncompressive intraparenchymal disease.

Stereotactic radiotherapy outcomes for intraventricular brain tumours in 11 dogs.

Published radiotherapy data for canine intraventricular tumours are limited. In this retrospective, longitudinal study (9/2011-2018), 11 dogs with intraventricular masses were treated with stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT). Pathologic diagnosis was available from surgery or necropsy in 6/11 cases, revealing choroid plexus papilloma (3) or carcinoma (2), and ependymoma (1). The remainder were magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-diagnosed as suspected choroid tumours or ependymomas. Tumours were located in the third or lateral ventricle (8), fourth ventricle (2), and cerebellopontine angle (1). Surgery was performed in three dogs prior to radiotherapy, and all showed gross residual/recurrent disease at treatment. Dogs received 8 Gray × 3 fractions (7), or 15 Gray × 1 fraction (4). Ten dogs were deceased at analysis, and one was living. The estimated median overall survival time (OS) from first SRT treatment was 16.9 months (515 days, 95% CI 33-1593 days). The survival time for two pathology-diagnosed carcinoma dogs were 24 and 133 days, respectively, and survival time for dogs with moderate to marked ventriculomegaly (4/11) ranged from 24 to 113 days. A total of 10/11 showed clinical improvement per owner or clinician, but two had short-lived benefits and were euthanized within 6 weeks of SRT. Limited conclusions on radiation-specific complications are possible due to the small dataset and limited follow-up imaging. This study provides preliminary evidence that radiotherapy outcomes are variable with intraventricular tumours, and some long-term survivors are noted.

Environmental impacts of three Asian dust events in the northern China and the northwestern Pacific in spring 2021.

In March 2021, China experienced three dust events (Dust-1, 2, 3), especially the first of which was reported as the strongest one in recent ten years. Their environmental impacts have received great attention, demanding comprehensive study to assess such impacts quantitatively. Multiple advanced measurement methods, including satellite, ground-based lidar, online aerosol speciation instrument, and biogeochemical Argo float, were applied to examine and compare the transport paths, optical and chemical properties, and impacts of these three dust events on urban air quality and marine ecosystem. The results showed that Dust-1 exhibited the largest impacts on urban area, increasing PM10 concentration in Beijing, Shuozhou, and Shijiazhuang up to 7525, 3819, and 2992 µg m-3, respectively. However, due to fast movement of the Mongolian low-pressure cyclone, the duration of northwest wind over the land was quite short (e.g., only 10 h in Beijing), which prevented the transport of dust plume to the northwestern Pacific, resulting in limited impact on the ocean. Dust-2 and Dust-3, though weaker in intensity, were transported directly to the sea, and led to a substantial increase in chlorophyll-a concentration (up to near 3 times) in the northwestern Pacific, comparing to climatological value. This indicates that the impacts of dust events on ocean was not necessarily and positively correlated to their impacts on land. Based on the analyses of land-ocean-space integrated observational data and synoptic systems, this study examined how marine ecosystem responded to three significant Asian dust events in spring 2021 and quantitatively assessed the overall impacts of mega dust storms both on land and ocean, which could also provide an interdisciplinary research methodology for future research on strong aerosol emission events such as wildfire and volcanic eruption.

Widespread global disparities between modelled and observed mid-depth ocean currents.

The mid-depth ocean circulation is critically linked to actual changes in the long-term global climate system. However, in the past few decades, predictions based on ocean circulation models highlight the lack of data, knowledge, and long-term implications in climate change assessment. Here, using 842,421 observations produced by Argo floats from 2001-2020, and Lagrangian simulations, we show that only 3.8% of the mid-depth oceans, including part of the equatorial Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, can be regarded as accurately modelled, while other regions exhibit significant underestimations in mean current velocity. Knowledge of ocean circulation is generally more complete in the low-latitude oceans but is especially poor in high latitude regions. Accordingly, we propose improvements in forecasting, model representation of stochasticity, and enhancement of observations of ocean currents. The study demonstrates that knowledge and model representations of global circulation are substantially compromised by inaccuracies of significant magnitude and direction, with important implications for modelled predictions of currents, temperature, carbon dioxide sequestration, and sea-level rise trends.

FGF4L2 retrogene copy number is associated with intervertebral disc calcification and vertebral geometry in Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of the chondrodystrophy-associated FGF4L2 retrogene on intervertebral disc (IVD) calcification and vertebral geometry. ANIMALS: 22 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers (NSDTR) with no FGF4L2 retrogene (n = 7, wild-type dogs), 1 retrogene copy (8, heterozygous dogs), or 2 retrogene copies (7, homozygous dogs). PROCEDURES: Computed tomography (CT) scans of the vertebral column were analyzed using computer-aided design (CAD) software. IVD calcification, vertebral column length, and vertebral geometry of the third cervical (C3), 13th thoracic (T13), and first lumbar (L1) vertebrae were compared. RESULTS: IVD calcification was not found in wild-type dogs. IVD calcification was more frequent in homozygous dogs than heterozygous (P = .008) or wild-type dogs (P < .001) and in heterozygous dogs compared to wild-type dogs (P < .001). Four IVDs were subclinically herniated in 3 dogs (2 homozygous, 1 heterozygous). Calcified IVD had a greater volume and surface area in heterozygous dogs than homozygous dogs. C3 vertebral canal height-to-width ratio was greater in homozygous dogs than heterozygous dogs (P = .044) and wild-type dogs (P = .010). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: IVD calcification and vertebral geometry can be analyzed using CAD software. The presence of 1 or 2 FGF4L2 copies in the absence of the FGF4L1 retrogene has an additive effect on the number of calcified IVD and a minor effect on vertebral geometry in NSDTR dogs. Data support the use of FGF4L2 phenotyping to reduce clinical disease in segregating breeds and to monitor the introduction of wild-type alleles into fixed breed populations.

Intra- and Intertumoral Microglia/Macrophage Infiltration and Their Associated Molecular Signature Is Highly Variable in Canine Oligodendroglioma: A Preliminary Evaluation.

The goal of this study was to define the glioma-associated microglia/macrophage (GAM) response and associated molecular landscape in canine oligodendrogliomas. Here, we quantified the intratumoral GAM density of low- and high-grade oligodendrogliomas compared to that of a normal brain, as well as the intratumoral concentration of several known GAM-derived pro-tumorigenic molecules in high-grade oligodendrogliomas compared to that in a normal brain. Our analysis demonstrated marked intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity of GAM infiltration. Correspondingly, we observed significant variability in the intratumoral concentrations of several GAM-associated molecules, unlike what we previously observed in high-grade astrocytomas. However, high-grade oligodendroglioma tumor homogenates (n = 6) exhibited an increase in the pro-tumorigenic molecules hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), as we observed in high-grade astrocytomas. Moreover, neoplastic oligodendrocytes displayed robust expression of GAL-3, a chimeric galectin implicated in driving immunosuppression in human glioblastoma. While this work identifies shared putative therapeutic targets across canine glioma subtypes (HGFR, GAL-3), it highlights several key differences in the immune landscape. Therefore, a continued effort to develop a comprehensive understanding of the immune microenvironment within each subtype is necessary to inform therapeutic strategies going forward.

Highly efficient removal of arsenic (III/V) from groundwater using nZVI functionalized cellulose nanocrystals fabricated via a bioinspired strategy.

Utilizing nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) to purify groundwater contaminated by arsenic species [As(III/V)] is an efficient technology, but the fast and severe aggregation of nZVI limits its practical applications. Herein, nZVI was anchored onto the mussel-inspired polydopamine-coated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs-PDA-nZVI) as an efficient material for As groundwater remediation. In this set, the introduction of nZVI was expected to significantly enhance the arsenic removal property, while cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) endowed nZVI with ultrahigh dispersibility. The batch results showed that the maximum As adsorption capacities of CNCs-PDA-nZVI (i.e., 333.3 mg g-1 and 250.0 mg g-1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively) were ten times higher compared with those of pristine CNCs. The kinetics results revealed that chemical adsorption was dominant for As adsorption. The isotherms indicated that a homogeneous adsorption for As(III) and heterogenous adsorption for As(V) on the surface of CNCs-PDA-nZVI. The removal mechanisms for As by CNCs-PDA-nZVI included adsorption-oxidation, coprecipitation and inner-sphere complexation. Overall, the excellent arsenic removal efficiency makes CNCs-PDA-nZVI a promising material for the remediation of As polluted groundwater, and this in-situ anchoring strategy can be extended to overcome the aggregation bottleneck of other nanoparticles for various applications.