Do Halogenated Natural Products Bioaccumulate in Narragansett Bay?

In recent decades, a new family of chemical compounds has begun to garner research attention—halogenated natural products, or HNPs. These chemicals are produced by algae, bacteria, worms, and sponges, and many are structurally similar to harmful manmade compounds, such as polychlorinated diphenyls (PCBs), or brominated flame retardants (PBDEs), which are known to cause cancer, reproduction issues, endocrine disruption, and death. While HNPs are produced naturally, they are still considered pollutants because of their bioaccumulative behavior and apparent toxicity. Currently, there is limited research on their presence and effects, with a few studies from Europe and the Pacific highlighting their importance and promoting the need for further research. Additionally, recent research has suggested that HNP dynamics could be changing due to climate change and eutrophication. To date, HNPs have never been studied in Narragansett Bay; this project seeks to identify HNPs in biota from the Bay, in an initial effort to document the presence of these compounds in the Southern New England region. Fish, mussel, and algae samples were collected from different salinity regimes throughout the Bay in the fall of 2016. Tissue samples were processed using accelerated solvent extraction, further purified using manual gel permeation chromatography and silica column chromatography, and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Initial results suggest the presence of variable groups of HNPs in Narragansett Bay and resident biota. This is valuable insight that lays a strong foundation for further research to describe the distribution and possible impacts of these pollutants within temperate Atlantic estuarine environments

Accurate assessment of carotid artery stenosis in atherosclerotic mice using accelerated high-resolution 3D magnetic resonance angiography

Object: High-resolution magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) enables non-invasive detection and longitudinal monitoring of atherosclerosis in mouse models of human disease. However, MRA is hampered by long acquisition times putting high demands on the physiological stability of the animal. Therefore, we evaluated the feasibility of accelerated MRA using the parallel imaging technique SENSE with regard to both lesion detection and quantification. Materials and methods: MRA acquisitions of supra-aortic vessels were performed in ApoE −/− mice that have been shown to develop atherosclerotic plaques. Findings obtained from accelerated data sets were compared to fully sampled reference data sets and histology. Results: Our results revealed only minor differences in detecting vascular lesions for data collections accelerated by factors of up to 3.3 using a four-element coil array. For vessels with a mean lumen diameter of 500μm, morphometry of stenotic lesions revealed no substantial deviations from reference (fully sampled) data for all investigated acceleration factors. For the highest acceleration factor of 3.3, an average deviation of the degree of stenosis of 4.9 ± 3.6% was found. Common carotid stenoses assessed by in vivo MRA displayed a good correlation with histological analyses (slope of linear regression = 0.97, R 2 = 0.98). Conclusion: According to the results of this work, we have demonstrated the feasibility and accuracy of accelerated high-resolution 3D ToF MRA in mice suitable for detailed depiction of mouse supra-aortic vessels and amenable to non-invasive quantification of small atherosclerotic lesion

Differential Influences of Parenting Dimensions and Parental Physical Abuse during Childhood on Overweight and Obesity in Adolescents

Besides other explanatory variables, parenting styles and parental violence might also be responsible for setting a path towards overweight/obesity in childhood. While this association has consistently been observed for adults, findings for adolescents still remain scarce and inconsistent. Therefore, the goal of this study is to add evidence on this topic for children and adolescents. Analyses are based on a sample of 1729 German, ninth-grade students. To analyze associations between parenting dimensions and weight status, non-parametric conditional inference trees were applied. Three gender-specific pathways for a heightened risk of overweight/obesity were observed: (1) female adolescents who report having experienced severe parental physical abuse and medium/high parental warmth in childhood; (2) male adolescents who report having experienced low or medium parental monitoring in childhood; and (3) this second pathway for male adolescents is more pronounced if the families receive welfare. The importance of promoting parenting styles characterized by warmth and a lack of physical abuse is also discussed. This is one of only a few studies examining the association of parenting dimensions/parental physical abuse and weight status in adolescence. Future studies should include even more parenting dimensions, as well as parental physical abuse levels, in order to detect and untangle gender-specific effects on weight status

Beneficial effects of combinatorial micronutrition on body fat and atherosclerosis in mice

Aims More than two billion people worldwide are deficient in key micronutrients. Single micronutrients have been used at high doses to prevent and treat dietary insufficiencies. Yet the impact of combinations of micronutrients in small doses aiming to improve lipid disorders and the corresponding metabolic pathways remains incompletely understood. Thus, we investigated whether a combination of micronutrients would reduce fat accumulation and atherosclerosis in mice. Methods and results Lipoprotein receptor-null mice fed with an original combination of micronutrients incorporated into the daily chow showed reduced weight gain, body fat, plasma triglycerides, and increased oxygen consumption. These effects were achieved through enhanced lipid utilization and reduced lipid accumulation in metabolic organs and were mediated, in part, by the nuclear receptor PPARα. Moreover, the micronutrients partially prevented atherogenesis when administered early in life to apolipoprotein E-null mice. When the micronutrient treatment was started before conception, the anti-atherosclerotic effect was stronger in the progeny. This finding correlated with decreased post-prandial triglyceridaemia and vascular inflammation, two major atherogenic factors. Conclusion Our data indicate beneficial effects of a combination of micronutritients on body weight gain, hypertriglyceridaemia, liver steatosis, and atherosclerosis in mice, and thus our findings suggest a novel cost-effective combinatorial micronutrient-based strategy worthy of being tested in human

PINK1-Interacting Proteins: Proteomic Analysis of Overexpressed PINK1

Recent publications suggest that the Parkinson's disease- (PD-) related PINK1/Parkin pathway promotes elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria by autophagy. We used tandem affinity purification (TAP), SDS-PAGE, and mass spectrometry as a first step towards identification of possible substrates for PINK1. The cellular abundance of selected identified interactors was investigated by Western blotting. Furthermore, one candidate gene was sequenced in 46 patients with atypical PD. In addition to two known binding partners (HSP90, CDC37), 12 proteins were identified using the TAP assay; four of which are mitochondrially localized (GRP75, HSP60, LRPPRC, and TUFM). Western blot analysis showed no differences in cellular abundance of these proteins comparing PINK1 mutant and control fibroblasts. When sequencing LRPPRC, four exonic synonymous changes and 20 polymorphisms in noncoding regions were detected. Our study provides a list of putative PINK1 binding partners, confirming previously described interactions, but also introducing novel mitochondrial proteins as potential components of the PINK1/Parkin mitophagy pathway

Mcl-1 Is a Key Regulator of Apoptosis Resistance in Chlamydia trachomatis-Infected Cells

Chlamydia are obligate intracellular bacteria that cause variety of human diseases. Host cells infected with Chlamydia are protected against many different apoptotic stimuli. The induction of apoptosis resistance is thought to be an important immune escape mechanism allowing Chlamydia to replicate inside the host cell. Infection with C. trachomatis activates the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway and the PI3K/AKT pathway. Here we show that inhibition of these two pathways by chemical inhibitors sensitized C. trachomatis infected cells to granzyme B-mediated cell death. Infection leads to the Raf/MEK/ERK-mediated up-regulation and PI3K-dependent stabilization of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Mcl-1. Consistently, interfering with Mcl-1 up-regulation sensitized infected cells for apoptosis induced via the TNF receptor, DNA damage, granzyme B and stress. Our data suggest that Mcl-1 up-regulation is primarily required to maintain apoptosis resistance in C. trachomatis-infected cells

Spatio-temporal evolution of the catuaba clade in the Neotropics: morphological shifts correlate with habitat transitions

Aim: The biotic assembly of one of the most species-rich savannas, the Brazilian Cerrado, has involved recruitment of lineages from several surrounding regions. However, we lack a clear understanding about the timing and pathways of biotic exchanges among these regions and about the role those interchanges had in the assembly of Neotropical biodiversity. We investigated the timing and routes of species movements between wet or seasonally dry habitats across Neotropical regions and assessed the potential for ecological adaptation by evaluating the habitat transitions correlated with morphological shifts. Location: Neotropics. Taxon: The plant genus Anemopaegma (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae). Methods: We inferred a Bayesian molecular phylogeny of Anemopaegma using one nuclear and two chloroplast markers. We sampled more than 90% of the known species diversity of Anemopaegma, covering its full geographical range. We estimated divergence times using a Bayesian relaxed-clock approach and inferred ancestral ranges as well as shifts in habitat and morphological characters. Results: Phylogenetic analyses recovered seven main clades within Anemopaegma. The genus likely originated in Amazonia in the late Oligocene. Early-diverging lineages diversified in situ in Amazonia, particularly during the Miocene, with independent dispersal events to the Andes, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. Shifts from seasonally dry forest to savanna habitats were correlated with shifts from liana to shrub and the loss of tendrils. Main Conclusions: The timing of diversification of major lineages within Anemopaegma is consistent with major geological and climatic events that occurred during the late Palaeogene and Neogene, such as the Andean uplift and the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum. Movements across different regions within the Neotropics were relatively common but shifts between habitats were not. The correlation in the evolution of the shrubby habit, the loss of tendrils and the shifts from forest to savanna are consistent with a scenario of ecological adaptation

Field validation of a novel passive sampler for dissolved PFAS in surface waters

Numerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of growing concern worldwide due to their ubiquitous presence, bioaccumulation and adverse effects. Surface waters in the United States have displayed elevated concentrations of PFAS, but so far discrete water sampling has been the commonly applied sampling approach. In the present study we field-tested a novel integrative passive sampler, a microporous polyethylene tube, and derived sampling rates (Rs) for nine PFAS in surface waters. Three sampling campaigns were conducted, deploying polyethylene tube passive samplers in the effluent of two wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and across Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA) for 1 month each in 2017 and 2018. Passive samplers exhibited linear uptake of PFAS in the WWTP effluents over 16–29 days, with in situ Rs for nine PFAS ranging from 10 ml day−1 (perfluoropentanoic acid) to 29 ml day−1 (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid). Similar sampling rates of 19 ± 4.8 ml day−1 were observed in estuarine field deployments. Applying these Rs values in a different WWTP effluent predicted dissolved PFAS concentrations mostly within 50% of their observations in daily composite water samples, except for perfluorobutanoic acid (where predictions from passive samplers were 3 times greater than measured values), perfluorononanoic acid (1.9 times), perfluorodecanoic acid (1.7 times), and perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (0.1 times). These results highlight the potential use of passive samplers as measurement and assessment tools of PFAS in dynamic aquatic environments

Creating Community Identity: City of Ramsey

Report completed by students enrolled in JOUR 8202: Generation and Selection of Communication Strategies, taught by Steve Wehrenberg in spring 2018.This project was completed as part of the 2017-2018 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Ramsey. Despite Ramsey’s rich history, it is often confused with Ramsey County (located on the opposite side of the Twin Cities metro area) or the neighboring community of Anoka. Ramsey has a central brand, but it is often not used to its full potential. Students in JOUR 8202: Generation and Selection of Communication Strategies, taught by Steve Wehrenberg, worked with City staff and used various methods to gain resident feedback on the aspects of Ramsey valued most by residents. The students used this information to develop a unique branding strategy that will not only help people distinguish Ramsey from other communities, but will also attract new residents and businesses to the city. The students’ final report is available.This project was supported by the Resilient Communities Project (RCP), a program at the University of Minnesota whose mission is to connect communities in Minnesota with U of MN faculty and students to advance community resilience through collaborative, course-based projects. RCP is a program of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). More information at http://www.rcp.umn.edu