Resegmentation is an ancestral feature of the gnathostome vertebral skeleton

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Criswell, K. E., & Gillis, J. A. Resegmentation is an ancestral feature of the gnathostome vertebral skeleton. Elife, 9, (2020): e51696, doi:10.7554/elife.51696.The vertebral skeleton is a defining feature of vertebrate animals. However, the mode of vertebral segmentation varies considerably between major lineages. In tetrapods, adjacent somite halves recombine to form a single vertebra through the process of ‘resegmentation’. In teleost fishes, there is considerable mixing between cells of the anterior and posterior somite halves, without clear resegmentation. To determine whether resegmentation is a tetrapod novelty, or an ancestral feature of jawed vertebrates, we tested the relationship between somites and vertebrae in a cartilaginous fish, the skate (Leucoraja erinacea). Using cell lineage tracing, we show that skate trunk vertebrae arise through tetrapod-like resegmentation, with anterior and posterior halves of each vertebra deriving from adjacent somites. We further show that tail vertebrae also arise through resegmentation, though with a duplication of the number of vertebrae per body segment. These findings resolve axial resegmentation as an ancestral feature of the jawed vertebrate body plan.Royal Society (NF160762) Katharine E Criswell Royal Society (UF130182) J. Andrew Gillis Marine Biological Laboratory Katharine E. Criswel

Automation and robotics for the Space Exploration Initiative: Results from Project Outreach

A total of 52 submissions were received in the Automation and Robotics (A&R) area during Project Outreach. About half of the submissions (24) contained concepts that were judged to have high utility for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) and were analyzed further by the robotics panel. These 24 submissions are analyzed here. Three types of robots were proposed in the high scoring submissions: structured task robots (STRs), teleoperated robots (TORs), and surface exploration robots. Several advanced TOR control interface technologies were proposed in the submissions. Many A&R concepts or potential standards were presented or alluded to by the submitters, but few specific technologies or systems were suggested

Design study of a device to simulate the dynamic environment encountered under condi- tions of reduced or zero gravity final report

Design study of reduced or zero gravity environment simulation devic

Conditional analysis of the major histocompatibility complex in rheumatoid arthritis

We performed a whole-genome association study of rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility using Illumina 550k single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes of 868 cases and 1194 controls from the North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium (NARAC). Structured association analysis with adjustment for potential population stratification yielded 200 SNPs with p < 1 × 10-8 for association with RA, all of which were on chromosome 6 in a 2.7-Mb region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Given the extensive linkage equilibrium in the region and known risk of HLA-DRB1 alleles, we then applied conditional analyses to ascertain independent signals for RA susceptibility among these 200 candidate SNPs. Conditional analyses incorporating risk categories of the HLA-DRB1 "shared epitope" revealed three SNPs having independent associations with RA (conditional p < 0.001). This supports the presence of significant effects on RA susceptibility in the MHC in addition to the shared epitope

Paper Session II-C - Infrastructure for a Lunar Base

Exploration of the Moon is the most crucial and decisive step for human expansion into the vast reaches of space. The Moon is the natural and ideal testbed for determining human capability to survive, function, expand and settle into the space environment. Scientific studies, astronomic observations, and exploitation and utilization of space resources culminating in the establishment of a self-sufficient permanently human-tended lunar base are the goals of lunar exploration. Four development stages in the evolutionary exploration of the Moon are suggested: (1) exploratory; (2) pioneering; (3) outpost; and (4) base. Overall goals and specific objectives, functional requirements, construction conditions, and life support systems requirements needed in each stage are identified

Health-related quality of life and depression among participants in the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance registry.

ObjectiveTo examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depression among participants in an international Sjögren's syndrome (SS) registry, comparing those with and without SS.MethodsCross-sectional study of participants in the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) registry. The 2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism SS classification criteria were used to determine disease status. HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form 12, version 2 Health Survey to derive scores for physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS). Depression was assessed using the 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of HRQoL and depression while controlling for potential confounders.ResultsAmong 2401 SICCA participants who had symptoms of dry eyes and dry mouth, 1051 had SS (44%) and 1350 did not (56%). After controlling for confounders, when compared with non-SS participants, those with SS had better PCS (p&lt;0.001, β=2.43, 95% CI 1.57 to 3.29), MCS (p=0.002, β=1.37, 95% CI 0.50 to 2.23) and lower adjusted odds of depression (p&lt;0.001, OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.81). Other significant predictors of HRQoL and depression included employment, country of residence and use of medication with anticholinergic effect or for management of SS-related signs and symptoms.ConclusionOur results suggest that among symptomatic patients, having a diagnosis of SS may be associated with better emotional and psychological well-being compared with patients without a diagnosis. Having a definitive diagnosis of SS may encourage patients to obtain a better understanding of their disease and have coping mechanisms in place to better manage their symptoms

Cost Comparison of Methyl Bromide and Sulfuryl Fluoride (ProFume®) for Fumigating Food Processing Facilities, Warehouses, and Cocoa Beans

Costs of fumigating a food processing/warehouse facility using methyl bromide and sulfuryl fluoride (ProFume®) were compared using an economic-engineering approach. The two fumigants were also compared for fumigating cocoa beans. Sulfuryl fluoride is economically feasible for cocoa beans. It is economically feasible for some, but not all, applications in food processing facilities and warehouses. Keywords: Economics, Cost, Benefit, Fumigation methyl bromide, Sulfuryl fluoride, ProFume

Planetary Protection Issues in the Human Exploration of Mars

This workshop report, long delayed, is the first 21st century contribution to what will likely be a series of reports examining the effects of human exploration on the overall scientific study of Mars. The considerations of human-associated microbial contamination were last studied in a 1990 workshop ("Planetary Protection Issues and Future Mars Missions," NASA CP-10086, 1991), but the timing of that workshop allowed neither a careful examination of the full range of issues, nor an appreciation for the Mars that has been revealed by the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Pathfinder missions. Future workshops will also have the advantage of Mars Odyssey, the Mars Exploration Rover missions, and ESA's Mars Express, but the Pingree Park workshop reported here had both the NCR's (1992) concern that "Missions carrying humans to Mars will contaminate the planet" and over a decade of careful study of human exploration objectives to guide them and to reconcile. A daunting challenge, and one that is not going to be simple (as the working title of this meeting, "When Ecologies Collide?" might suggest), it is clear that the planetary protection issues will have to be addressed to enable human explorers to safely and competently extend out knowledge about Mars, and its potential as a home for life whether martian or human

Material variability and wood joist floor response

CER75-76RVG-MEC-JRG-MDV-JB46.May 1976.Includes bibliographical references