The Florida pancreas collaborative next-generation biobank: Infrastructure to reduce disparities and improve survival for a diverse cohort of patients with pancreatic cancer

Background: Well-annotated, high-quality biorepositories provide a valuable platform to support translational research. However, most biorepositories have poor representation of minority groups, limiting the ability to address health disparities. Methods: We describe the establishment of the Florida Pancreas Collaborative (FPC), the first state-wide prospective cohort study and biorepository designed to address the higher burden of pancreatic cancer (PaCa) in African Americans (AA) compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) and Hispanic/Latinx (H/L). We provide an overview of stakeholders; study eligibility and design; recruitment strategies; standard operating procedures to collect, process, store, and transfer biospecimens, medical images, and data; our cloud-based data management platform; and progress regarding recruitment and biobanking. Results: The FPC consists of multidisciplinary teams from fifteen Florida medical institutions. From March 2019 through August 2020, 350 patients were assessed for eligibility, 323 met inclusion/exclusion criteria, and 305 (94%) enrolled, including 228 NHW, 30 AA, and 47 H/L, with 94%, 100%, and 94% participation rates, respectively. A high percentage of participants have donated blood (87%), pancreatic tumor tissue (41%), computed tomography scans (76%), and questionnaires (62%). Conclusions: This biorepository addresses a critical gap in PaCa research and has potential to advance translational studies intended to minimize disparities and reduce PaCa-related morbidity and mortality

Modified Laminar Bone in Ampelosaurus atacis and Other Titanosaurs (Sauropoda): Implications for Life History and Physiology

BACKGROUND: Long bone histology of the most derived Sauropoda, the Titanosauria suggests that titanosaurian long bone histology differs from the uniform bone histology of basal Sauropoda. Here we describe the long bone histology of the titanosaur Ampelosaurus atacis and compare it to that of basal neosauropods and other titanosaurs to clarify if a special titanosaur bone histology exists. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Ampelosaurus retains the laminar vascular organization of basal Sauropoda, but throughout most of cortical growth, the scaffolding of the fibrolamellar bone, which usually is laid down as matrix of woven bone, is laid down as parallel-fibered or lamellar bone matrix instead. The remodeling process by secondary osteons is very extensive and overruns the periosteal bone deposition before skeletal maturity is reached. Thus, no EFS is identifiable. Compared to the atypical bone histology of Ampelosaurus, the large titanosaur Alamosaurus shows typical laminar fibrolamellar bone. The titanosaurs Phuwiangosaurus, Lirainosaurus, and Magyarosaurus, although differing in certain features, all show this same low amount or absence of woven bone from the scaffolding of the fibrolamellar bone, indicating a clear reduction in growth rate resulting in a higher bone tissue organization. To describe the peculiar primary cortical bone tissue of Phuwiangosaurus, Ampelosaurus, Lirainosaurus, and Magyarosaurus, we here introduce a new term, "modified laminar bone" (MLB). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Importantly, MLB is as yet not known from extant animals. At least in Lirainosaurus and Magyarosaurus the reduction of growth rate indicated by MLB is coupled with a drastic body size reduction and maybe also a reduction in metabolic rate, interpreted as a result of dwarfing on the European islands during the Late Cretaceous. Phuwiangosaurus and Ampelosaurus both show a similar reduction in growth rate but not in body size, possibly indicating also a reduced metabolic rate. The large titanosaur Alamosaurus, on the other hand, retained the plesiomorphic bone histology of basal neosauropods

Long-term follow-up of certolizumab pegol in uveitis due to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases : multicentre study of 80 patients

Objectives To evaluate effectiveness and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) in uveitis due to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID). Methods Multicentre study of CZP-treated patients with IMID uveitis refractory to conventional immunosuppressant. Effectiveness was assessed through the following ocular parameters: best-corrected visual acuity, anterior chamber cells, vitritis, macular thickness and retinal vasculitis. These variables were compared between the baseline, and first week, first, third, sixth months, first and second year. Results We studied 80 (33 men/47 women) patients (111 affected eyes) with a mean age of 41.6±11.7 years. The IMID included were: spondyloarthritis (n=43), Behçet's disease (n=10), psoriatic arthritis (n=8), Crohn's disease (n=4), sarcoidosis (n=2), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (n=1), reactive arthritis (n=1), rheumatoid arthritis (n=1), relapsing polychondritis (n=1), Conclusions CZP seems to be effective and safe in uveitis related to different IMID, even in patients refractory to previous biological drugs

Data from: A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs

Titanosauria was the most diverse and successful lineage of sauropod dinosaurs. This clade had its major radiation during the middle Early Cretaceous and survived up to the end of that period. Among sauropods, this lineage has the most disparate values of body mass, including the smallest and largest sauropods known. Although recent findings have improved our knowledge on giant titanosaur anatomy, there are still many unknown aspects about their evolution, especially for the most gigantic forms and the evolution of body mass in this clade. Here we describe a new giant titanosaur, which represents the largest species described so far and one of the most complete titanosaurs. Its inclusion in an extended phylogenetic analysis and the optimization of body mass reveals the presence of an endemic clade of giant titanosaurs inhabited Patagonia between the Albian and the Santonian. This clade includes most of the giant species of titanosaurs and represents the major increase in body mass in the history of Titanosauria

Data from: A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs

Titanosauria was the most diverse and successful lineage of sauropod dinosaurs. This clade had its major radiation during the middle Early Cretaceous and survived up to the end of that period. Among sauropods, this lineage has the most disparate values of body mass, including the smallest and largest sauropods known. Although recent findings have improved our knowledge on giant titanosaur anatomy, there are still many unknown aspects about their evolution, especially for the most gigantic forms and the evolution of body mass in this clade. Here we describe a new giant titanosaur, which represents the largest species described so far and one of the most complete titanosaurs. Its inclusion in an extended phylogenetic analysis and the optimization of body mass reveals the presence of an endemic clade of giant titanosaurs inhabited Patagonia between the Albian and the Santonian. This clade includes most of the giant species of titanosaurs and represents the major increase in body mass in the history of Titanosauria

Histological details of humerus bone tissue of <i>Ampelosaurus atacis</i> from Bellevue locality (MDE C3) and from a titanosaur north of Narbonne (Cru), all from the Maastrichian of South France.

<p><b>A</b>) Modified laminar bone at the anterior bone side of humerus C3-270 (cam 170 mm). The vascular canals are wide open, and primary osteons had not yet developed. The scaffolding of the fibrolamellar bone consists largely of parallel-fibered and lamellar bone matrix. This bone tissue represents HOS 7. <b>B</b>) Modified laminar bone at the posterior bone side of humerus C3-270 (cam 170 mm). The vascular canals are still distinctly open. Laminar organization is greater when compared to the anterior bone side. Primary osteons had partially developed. The scaffolding of the fibrolamellar bone consists of parallel-fibered and lamellar bone matrix. This bone tissue represents HOS 9. <b>C</b>) Modified laminar bone at the anterior bone side of humerus C3-1506 (cam 195 mm, humerus length is 620 mm). Primary bone tissue is visible in the upper third of the cortex, whereas the inner part is remodeled by secondary osteons. The scaffolding of the fibrolamellar bone consists of parallel-fibered and lamellar bone matrix. Primary osteons are nearly filled in. This bone tissue represents HOS 11. <b>D</b>) Modified laminar bone of humerus Cru-1723 (cam 250 mm). The scaffolding of the fibrolamellar bone consists largely of lamellar bone matrix. The vascular density in this sample is still moderate with still open primary osteons. Most of the cortex is completely remodeled by secondary osteons. The outer cortex shows dense secondary osteons. This bone tissue represents HOS 12. <b>E</b>) The posterior bone side of humerus C3-602 (cam 250 mm) is completely remodeled by secondary osteons representing HOS 13. <b>F</b>) The anterior bone side of humerus C3-1189 (cam 310 mm) is completely remodeled by secondary osteons representing HOS 13.</p

Phylogenetic relationships of the sampled titanosaur taxa (underlined in red) and outgroup taxa (black box) and body size evolution in Titanosauria.

<p>For the reconstruction of body size evolution, we used femur length as a proxy for body size and optimized it on the only phylogeny that includes all the taxa discussed in this study <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0036907#pone.0036907-CurryRogers1" target="_blank">[10]</a>. <i>Europasaurus</i> was inserted into this phylogeny as a basal macronarian <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0036907#pone.0036907-Sander6" target="_blank">[20]</a>. <i>Magyarosaurus</i>, <i>Lirainosaurus</i>, and <i>Europasaurus</i> show autapomorphic size decrease, i.e., dwarfing. <i>Phuwiangosaurus</i> also has a slightly reduced body size compared to the stem line, while <i>Ampelosaurus</i> shows a slight phylogenetic size increase. Character optimization analysis was performed in TNT <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0036907#pone.0036907-Goloboff1" target="_blank">[41]</a>.</p

Circumference at midshaft (cam) plotted versus bone length (in millimeter) of humeri and femora of <i>Ampelosaurus atacis</i> from the locality of Bellevue from the Upper Aude Valley.

<p>A) Femora. B) Humeri. The plot suggests that there are two morphotypes, because humeri and femora of a similar length form two groups in terms of circumference. A gracile and a more robust type is thus suggested by differences around 100 mm in circumference at midshaft. This graph also includes bones which were not sampled.</p

Overview (A) and enlargements (B, C) of a cross section of an <i>Ampelosaurus atacis</i> humerus (MDE C3-328, cam 270 mm) from Bellevue locality.

<p>On the posterior side (B), the humerus shows an “older” bone tissue (HOS 13) than at the anterior side (C) (HOS 12). Scale bars in B and C equals 0.5 mm.</p

Histological details of the humeral cortex of a growth series of the derived titanosaur <i>Alamosaurus sanjuanensis</i> from the Upper Cretaceous Javelina Formation, Texas, USA.

<p>The bones tissues in this growth series of the large titanosaur <i>Alamosaurus</i> are identical to those of large diplodocoid and basal macronarian sauropods. The plane of sectioning is perpendicular to bone long axis, and the direction of bone apposition is towards the top of the images. <b>A</b>) Typical laminar fibrolamellar bone tissue of a young individual (HOS 4; TMM 45600-1; 460 mm long, 31% max. size) in normal light. Note the absence of LAGs but the subtle modulations in vascularization (arrows). <b>B</b>) Same view in polarized light. Note the dominance of the scaffolding of woven bone in the fibrolamellar complex. <b>C</b>) Typical laminar fibrolamellar bone tissue of a young adult individual (HOS 7; TMM 43600-2; 915 mm long, 61% max. size). Note the strictly circumferential arrangement of the vascular canals. <b>D</b>) Same view in polarized light. Note the primary osteons in the scaffolding of woven bone. <b>E</b>) Incipient <u>EFS</u> in the outermost cortex and scattered secondary osteons in laminar fibrolamellar bone of a fully grown individual (HOS 12; TMM uncat.; 1350 mm long, 90% max. size). <b>F</b>) Same view in polarized light. Note the highly birefringent parallel-fibered bone of the EFS and the woven to parallel-fibered scaffolding of the fibrolamellar bone in the deeper cortex, between the secondary osteons. The high amount of parallel-fibered bone in the scaffolding of the fibrolamellar bone is typical in late ontogenetic stages in diplodocoid and basal macronarian dinosaurs <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0036907#pone.0036907-Klein1" target="_blank">[6]</a> as well as for <i>Alamosaurus</i> but occurs already in early ontogenetic stages in <i>Ampelosaurus</i>.</p