Mice lacking sialyltransferase ST3Gal-II develop late-onset obesity and insulin resistance

Sialyltransferases are a family of 20 gene products in mice and humans that transfer sialic acid from its activated precursor, CMP-sialic acid, to the terminus of glycoprotein and glycolipid acceptors. ST3Gal-II (coded by the St3gal2 gene) transfers sialic acid preferentially to the three positions of galactose on the Galβ1-3GalNAc terminus of gangliosides GM1 and GD1b to synthesize GD1a and GT1b, respectively. Mice with a targeted disruption of St3gal2 unexpectedly displayed lateonset obesity and insulin resistance. At 3 months of age, St3gal2-null mice were the same weight as their wild type (WT) counterparts, but by 13 months on standard chow they were visibly obese, 22% heavier and with 37% greater fat/lean ratio than WT mice. St3gal2-null mice became hyperglycemic and displayed impaired glucose tolerance by 9 months of age. They had sharply reduced insulin responsiveness despite equivalent pancreatic islet morphology. Analyses of insulin receptor (IR) tyrosine kinase substrate IRS-1 and downstream target Akt revealed decreased insulininduced phosphorylation in adipose tissue but not liver or skeletal muscle of St3gal2-null mice. Thin-layer chromatography and mass spectrometry revealed altered ganglioside profiles in the adipose tissue of St3gal2-null mice compared to WT littermates. Metabolically, St3gal2-null mice display a reduced respiratory exchange ratio compared to WT mice, indicating a preference for lipid oxidation as an energy source. Despite their altered metabolism, St3gal2-null mice were hyperactive. We conclude that altered ganglioside expression in adipose tissue results in diminished IR sensitivity and late-onset obesity.Fil: Lopez, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Aja, Susan. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Aoki, Kazuhiro. University of Georgia; GreciaFil: Seldin, Marcus M.. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Lei, Xia. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Ronnett, Gabriele V. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Wong, G. William. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Schnaar, Ronald L.. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Estados Unido

Degradation of contaminants of emerging concern by UV/H2O2 for water reuse: Kinetics, mechanisms, and cytotoxicity analysis.

Advanced oxidation using UV and hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) has been widely applied to degrade contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in wastewater for water reuse. This study investigated the degradation kinetics of mixed CECs by UV/H2O2 under variable H2O2 doses, including bisphenol A, estrone, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and triclosan. Reverse osmosis (RO) treated water samples from Orange County Water District's Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) potable reuse project were collected on different dates and utilized as reaction matrices with spiked additions of chemicals (CECs and H2O2) to assess the application of UV/H2O2. Possible degradation pathways of selected CECs were proposed based on high resolution mass spectrometry identification of transformation products (TPs). Toxicity assessments included cytotoxicity, aryl hydrocarbon receptor-binding activity, and estrogen receptor-binding activity, in order to evaluate potential environmental impacts resulting from CEC degradation by UV/H2O2. Cytotoxicity and estrogenic activity were significantly reduced during the degradation of mixed CECs in Milli-Q water by UV/H2O2 with high UV fluence (3200 mJ cm-2). However, in GWRS RO-treated water samples collected in April 2017, the cytotoxicity and estrogen activity of spiked CEC-mixture after UV/H2O2 treatment were not significantly eliminated; this might be due to the high concentration of target CEC and their TPs, which was possibly affected by the varied quality of the secondary treatment influent at this facility such as sewer-shed and wastewater discharges. This study aimed to provide insight on the impacts of post-UV/H2O2 CECs and TPs on human and ecological health at cellular level

Secret Little Functions and Codebook for Protecting Users from Password Theft

Abstract—In this paper, we discuss how to prevent users’ passwords from being stolen by adversaries. We propose differentiated security mechanisms in which a user has the freedom to choose a virtual password scheme ranging from weak security to strong security. The tradeoff is that the stronger the scheme, the more complex the scheme may be. Among the schemes, we have a default method (i.e., traditional password scheme), system recommended function, user-specified function, user-specified program, etc. A function/program is used to implement the virtual password concept with a trade off of security for complexity requiring a small amount of human computing. We further propose codebook approach to serve as system recommended functions and provide a security analysis. For user-specified functions, we adopt secret little functions, in which security is enhanced by hiding secret functions/algorithms. I

Coupled near-field and far-field exposure assessment framework for chemicals in consumer products

AbstractHumans can be exposed to chemicals in consumer products through product use and environmental emissions over the product life cycle. Exposure pathways are often complex, where chemicals can transfer directly from products to humans during use or exchange between various indoor and outdoor compartments until sub-fractions reach humans. To consistently evaluate exposure pathways along product life cycles, a flexible mass balance-based assessment framework is presented structuring multimedia chemical transfers in a matrix of direct inter-compartmental transfer fractions. By matrix inversion, we quantify cumulative multimedia transfer fractions and exposure pathway-specific product intake fractions defined as chemical mass taken in by humans per unit mass of chemical in a product. Combining product intake fractions with chemical mass in the product yields intake estimates for use in life cycle impact assessment and chemical alternatives assessment, or daily intake doses for use in risk-based assessment and high-throughput screening. Two illustrative examples of chemicals used in personal care products and flooring materials demonstrate how this matrix-based framework offers a consistent and efficient way to rapidly compare exposure pathways for adult and child users and for the general population. This framework constitutes a user-friendly approach to develop, compare and interpret multiple human exposure scenarios in a coupled system of near-field (‘user’ environment), far-field and human intake compartments, and helps understand the contribution of individual pathways to overall human exposure in various product application contexts to inform decisions in different science-policy fields for which exposure quantification is relevant

Results from a Phase 1 Study of Sodium Selenite in Combination with Palliative Radiation Therapy in Patients with Metastatic Cancer.

In preclinical studies, selenite had single agent activity and radiosensitized tumors in vivo. Here we report results from a Phase 1 trial in 15 patients with metastatic cancer treated with selenite (5.5 to 49.5 mg) orally as a single dose 2 hours before each radiation therapy (RT) treatment. Patients received RT regimens that were standard of care. The primary objective of the study was to assess the safety of this combination therapy. Secondary objectives included measurement of pharmacokinetics (PK) and evaluation of efficacy. Endpoints included assessment of PK, toxicity, tumor response, and pain before and after treatment. The half-life of selenite was 18.5 hours. There were no adverse events attributable to selenite until the 33 mg dose level, at which the primary toxicities were grade 1 GI side effects. One patient treated with 49.5 mg had grade 2 GI toxicity. Although this was not a DLT, it was felt that the highest acceptable dose in this patient population was 33 mg. Most patients had stabilization of disease within the RT fields, with some demonstrating objective evidence of tumor regression. Most patients had a marked improvement in pain and seven out of nine patients with prostate cancer had a decrease in PSA ranging from 11-78%. Doses up to 33 mg selenite were well tolerated in combination with RT. A randomized, well controlled study is needed at the 33 mg dose level to determine if selenite results in clinically meaningful improvements in the response to palliative RT

Afadin orients cell division to position the tubule lumen in developing renal tubules

In many types of tubules, continuity of the lumen is paramount to tubular function, yet how tubules generate lumen continuity in vivo is not known. We recently found the F-actin binding protein Afadin is required for lumen continuity in developing renal tubules, though its mechanism of action remains unknown. Here we demonstrate Afadin is required for lumen continuity by orienting the mitotic spindle during cell division. Using an in vitro 3D cyst model, we find Afadin localizes to the cell cortex adjacent to the spindle poles and orients the mitotic spindle. In tubules, cell division may be oriented relative to two axes, longitudinal and apical-basal. Unexpectedly, in vivo examination of early stage developing nephron tubules reveals cell division is not oriented in the longitudinal (or planar polarized) axis. However, cell division is oriented perpendicular to the apical-basal axis. Absence of Afadin in vivo leads to misorientation of apical-basal cell division in nephron tubules. Together these results support a model whereby Afadin determines lumen placement by directing apical-basal spindle orientation, which generates a continuous lumen and normal tubule morphogenesis

Utility of EST-Derived SSRs as Population Genetics Markers in a Beetle

Microsatellite, or simple sequence repeat (SSR), loci can be identified by mining expressed sequence tag (EST) databases, and where these are available, marker development time and expense can be decreased considerably over conventional strategies of probing the entire genome. However, it is unclear whether they provide information on population structure similar to that generated by anonymous genomic SSRs. We performed comparative population genetic analyses between EST-derived SSRs (EST-SSRs) and anonymous SSRs developed from genomic DNA for the same set of populations of the insect Diabrotica virgifera, a beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. Compared with noncoding, nontranscribed regions, EST-SSRs were generally less polymorphic but had reduced occurrence of null alleles and greater cross-species amplification. Neutrality tests suggested the loci were not under positive selection. Across all populations and all loci, the genomic and EST-SSRs performed similarly in estimating genetic diversity, FIS, FST, population assignment and exclusion tests, and detection of distinct populations. These findings, therefore, indicate that the EST-SSRs examined can be used with confidence in future genetic studies of Diabrotica populations and suggest that EST libraries can be added as a valuable source of markers for population genetics studies in insects and other animals

Analysis of Expression Pattern and Genetic Deletion of Netrin5 in the Developing Mouse

Boundary cap cells are a transient, neural-crest-derived population found at the motor exit point and dorsal root entry zone of the embryonic spinal cord. These cells contribute to the central/peripheral nervous system boundary, and in their absence neurons and glia from the CNS migrate into the PNS. We found Netrin5 (Ntn5), a previously unstudied member of the netrin gene family, to be robustly expressed in boundary cap cells. We generated Ntn5 knockout mice and examined neurodevelopmental and boundary-cap-cell-related phenotypes. No abnormalities in cranial nerve guidance, dorsal root organization, or sensory projections were found. However, Ntn5 mutant embryos did have ectopic motor neurons that migrated out of the ventral horn and into the motor roots. Previous studies have implicated semaphorin6A (Sema6A) in boundary cap cells signaling to plexinA2 (PlxnA2)/neuropilin2 (Nrp2) in motor neurons in restricting motor neuron cell bodies to the ventral horn, particularly in the caudal spinal cord. In Ntn5 mutants, ectopic motor neurons are likely to be a different population, as more ectopias were found rostrally. Furthermore, ectopic motor neurons in Ntn5 mutants were not immunoreactive for NRP2. The netrin receptor DCC is a potential receptor for NTN5 in motor neurons, as similar ectopic neurons were found in Dcc mutant mice, but not in mice deficient for other netrin receptors. Thus, Ntn5 is a novel netrin family member that is expressed in boundary cap cells, functioning to prevent motor neuron migration out of the CNS

Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change: Lessons from the US National Wildlife Refuge System

US national wildlife refuges have recent, detailed management plans illustrating the state of planning for climate-change adaptation in protected areas. Discussion of and prescriptions for addressing climate change increased in refuge plans between 2005 and 2010 but decreased in 2011. The plans respond to some climate-change impacts on biodiversity and call for monitoring but with little clarity regarding how to act on monitoring results and scant attention to future changes in phenology and community composition. The threats posed by sea-level rise generated the best-developed plan prescriptions. Examples of excellent prescriptions provide models for future planning. Some decision-support tools, such as vulnerability assessments, will improve future planning as they become more available. However, research better targeted at management information gaps is also needed. Region-level coordination, such as through landscape conservation design, offers opportunities for enlarging conservation footprints and improving information generation and sharing