Obliquities of Hot Jupiter host stars: Evidence for tidal interactions and primordial misalignments

We provide evidence that the obliquities of stars with close-in giant planets were initially nearly random, and that the low obliquities that are often observed are a consequence of star-planet tidal interactions. The evidence is based on 14 new measurements of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect (for the systems HAT-P-6, HAT-P-7, HAT-P-16, HAT-P-24, HAT-P-32, HAT-P-34, WASP-12, WASP-16, WASP-18, WASP-19, WASP-26, WASP-31, Gl 436, and Kepler-8), as well as a critical review of previous observations. The low-obliquity (well-aligned) systems are those for which the expected tidal timescale is short, and likewise the high-obliquity (misaligned and retrograde) systems are those for which the expected timescale is long. At face value, this finding indicates that the origin of hot Jupiters involves dynamical interactions like planet-planet interactions or the Kozai effect that tilt their orbits, rather than inspiraling due to interaction with a protoplanetary disk. We discuss the status of this hypothesis and the observations that are needed for a more definitive conclusion.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; typos corrected, 2 broken references fixed, 26 pages, 25 figure

Claudin 13, a Member of the Claudin Family Regulated in Mouse Stress Induced Erythropoiesis

Mammals are able to rapidly produce red blood cells in response to stress. The molecular pathways used in this process are important in understanding responses to anaemia in multiple biological settings. Here we characterise the novel gene Claudin 13 (Cldn13), a member of the Claudin family of tight junction proteins using RNA expression, microarray and phylogenetic analysis. We present evidence that Cldn13 appears to be co-ordinately regulated as part of a stress induced erythropoiesis pathway and is a mouse-specific gene mainly expressed in tissues associated with haematopoietic function. CLDN13 phylogenetically groups with its genomic neighbour CLDN4, a conserved tight junction protein with a putative role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition, suggesting a recent duplication event. Mechanisms of mammalian stress erythropoiesis are of importance in anaemic responses and expression microarray analyses demonstrate that Cldn13 is the most abundant Claudin in spleen from mice infected with Trypanosoma congolense. In mice prone to anaemia (C57BL/6), its expression is reduced compared to strains which display a less severe anaemic response (A/J and BALB/c) and is differentially regulated in spleen during disease progression. Genes clustering with Cldn13 on microarrays are key regulators of erythropoiesis (Tal1, Trim10, E2f2), erythrocyte membrane proteins (Rhd and Gypa), associated with red cell volume (Tmcc2) and indirectly associated with erythropoietic pathways (Cdca8, Cdkn2d, Cenpk). Relationships between genes appearing co-ordinately regulated with Cldn13 post-infection suggest new insights into the molecular regulation and pathways involved in stress induced erythropoiesis and suggest a novel, previously unreported role for claudins in correct cell polarisation and protein partitioning prior to erythroblast enucleation

Chromosome Number and Reproductive Attributes For Erigeron lemmonii (Asteraceae), A Cliff-Dwelling Endemic of Southeastern Arizona

Volume: 61Start Page: 9End Page: 1

Advanced Morphological — Behavioral Test Platform Reveals Neurodevelopmental Defects in Embryonic Zebrafish Exposed to Comprehensive Suite of Halogenated and Organophosphate Flame Retardants

Sharp increases in the use of flammable plastics and electronic devices coupled with stricter fire safety requirements have promoted the heavy use of flame retardant chemicals. While flame retardant use has increased, a great deal of uncertainty surrounds their safety with some evidence showing toxicity and risk to human and environmental health. Recent efforts have focused on designing high-throughput biological platforms with non-mammalian models to evaluate and prioritize chemicals with limited hazard information. To complement these efforts, this study used a new morphological and behavioral testing platform with embryonic zebrafish to characterize the developmental toxicity of 44 halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants and several of their known metabolites. Zebrafish were exposed to flame retardants from 6-120 hours post fertilization (hpf) across concentrations spanning four orders of magnitude (e.g., 6.4 nM to 64 µM). Flame retardant effects on survival and development were evaluated at 24 and 120 hpf, and neurobehavioral changes were measured using two photomotor response (PMR) assays. Compared to controls, 93% (41/44) of flame retardants studied elicited adverse effects among one or more of the bioassays and concentrations tested with the aryl phosphate ester (APE)-based mono-isopropylated triaryl phosphate (mITP) and the brominated-bisphenol-A analog tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) producing the greatest array of malformations. Hierarchical clustering showed that APE flame retardants with isopropyl, butyl, and cresyl substituents on phenyl rings clustered tightly and were particularly potent. Both PMR assays were highly predictive of morphological defects supporting their use as non-lethal means of evaluating teratogenicity that could allow for additional evaluations of long-term or delayed effects in older animals. Taken together, evidence presented here indicates that zebrafish neurodevelopment is highly sensitive to many flame retardants currently in use and can be used to understand potential vulnerabilities to human health.This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Toxicological Sciences following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version, Noyes, P. D., Haggard, D. E., Gonnerman, G. D., & Tanguay, R. L. (2015). Advanced morphological-behavioral test platform reveals neurodevelopmental defects in embryonic zebrafish exposed to comprehensive suite of halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants. Toxicological Sciences, 145(1), 177-195. doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfv044, is available online at: http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/145/1/177 The published article is copyrighted by The Author(s) and published by Oxford University Press.Keywords: TCEP, Teratogenicity, TPP, TDCPP, TBBPA, TCPP, Firemaster 550, Neurotoxicity, PBD

TanguayRobertEnvironmentalMolecularToxicologyAdvancedMorphologicalBehavioralTest(Figure5).tif

Sharp increases in the use of flammable plastics and electronic devices coupled with stricter fire safety requirements have promoted the heavy use of flame retardant chemicals. While flame retardant use has increased, a great deal of uncertainty surrounds their safety with some evidence showing toxicity and risk to human and environmental health. Recent efforts have focused on designing high-throughput biological platforms with non-mammalian models to evaluate and prioritize chemicals with limited hazard information. To complement these efforts, this study used a new morphological and behavioral testing platform with embryonic zebrafish to characterize the developmental toxicity of 44 halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants and several of their known metabolites. Zebrafish were exposed to flame retardants from 6-120 hours post fertilization (hpf) across concentrations spanning four orders of magnitude (e.g., 6.4 nM to 64 µM). Flame retardant effects on survival and development were evaluated at 24 and 120 hpf, and neurobehavioral changes were measured using two photomotor response (PMR) assays. Compared to controls, 93% (41/44) of flame retardants studied elicited adverse effects among one or more of the bioassays and concentrations tested with the aryl phosphate ester (APE)-based mono-isopropylated triaryl phosphate (mITP) and the brominated-bisphenol-A analog tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) producing the greatest array of malformations. Hierarchical clustering showed that APE flame retardants with isopropyl, butyl, and cresyl substituents on phenyl rings clustered tightly and were particularly potent. Both PMR assays were highly predictive of morphological defects supporting their use as non-lethal means of evaluating teratogenicity that could allow for additional evaluations of long-term or delayed effects in older animals. Taken together, evidence presented here indicates that zebrafish neurodevelopment is highly sensitive to many flame retardants currently in use and can be used to understand potential vulnerabilities to human health.Keywords: TCEP, PBDE, TBBPA, TDCPP, Firemaster 550, Teratogenicity, Neurotoxicity, TCPP, TP

TanguayRobertEnvironmentalMolecularToxicologyAdvancedMorphologicalBehavioralTest(Figure2).tif

Sharp increases in the use of flammable plastics and electronic devices coupled with stricter fire safety requirements have promoted the heavy use of flame retardant chemicals. While flame retardant use has increased, a great deal of uncertainty surrounds their safety with some evidence showing toxicity and risk to human and environmental health. Recent efforts have focused on designing high-throughput biological platforms with non-mammalian models to evaluate and prioritize chemicals with limited hazard information. To complement these efforts, this study used a new morphological and behavioral testing platform with embryonic zebrafish to characterize the developmental toxicity of 44 halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants and several of their known metabolites. Zebrafish were exposed to flame retardants from 6-120 hours post fertilization (hpf) across concentrations spanning four orders of magnitude (e.g., 6.4 nM to 64 µM). Flame retardant effects on survival and development were evaluated at 24 and 120 hpf, and neurobehavioral changes were measured using two photomotor response (PMR) assays. Compared to controls, 93% (41/44) of flame retardants studied elicited adverse effects among one or more of the bioassays and concentrations tested with the aryl phosphate ester (APE)-based mono-isopropylated triaryl phosphate (mITP) and the brominated-bisphenol-A analog tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) producing the greatest array of malformations. Hierarchical clustering showed that APE flame retardants with isopropyl, butyl, and cresyl substituents on phenyl rings clustered tightly and were particularly potent. Both PMR assays were highly predictive of morphological defects supporting their use as non-lethal means of evaluating teratogenicity that could allow for additional evaluations of long-term or delayed effects in older animals. Taken together, evidence presented here indicates that zebrafish neurodevelopment is highly sensitive to many flame retardants currently in use and can be used to understand potential vulnerabilities to human health.Keywords: PBDE, Firemaster 550, TCPP, TPP, TCEP, TDCPP, Neurotoxicity, TBBPA, TeratogenicityKeywords: PBDE, Firemaster 550, TCPP, TPP, TCEP, TDCPP, Neurotoxicity, TBBPA, Teratogenicit

TanguayRobertEnvironmentalMolecularToxicologyAdvancedMorphologicalBehavioralTest(SupplementaryData).pdf

Sharp increases in the use of flammable plastics and electronic devices coupled with stricter fire safety requirements have promoted the heavy use of flame retardant chemicals. While flame retardant use has increased, a great deal of uncertainty surrounds their safety with some evidence showing toxicity and risk to human and environmental health. Recent efforts have focused on designing high-throughput biological platforms with non-mammalian models to evaluate and prioritize chemicals with limited hazard information. To complement these efforts, this study used a new morphological and behavioral testing platform with embryonic zebrafish to characterize the developmental toxicity of 44 halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants and several of their known metabolites. Zebrafish were exposed to flame retardants from 6-120 hours post fertilization (hpf) across concentrations spanning four orders of magnitude (e.g., 6.4 nM to 64 µM). Flame retardant effects on survival and development were evaluated at 24 and 120 hpf, and neurobehavioral changes were measured using two photomotor response (PMR) assays. Compared to controls, 93% (41/44) of flame retardants studied elicited adverse effects among one or more of the bioassays and concentrations tested with the aryl phosphate ester (APE)-based mono-isopropylated triaryl phosphate (mITP) and the brominated-bisphenol-A analog tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) producing the greatest array of malformations. Hierarchical clustering showed that APE flame retardants with isopropyl, butyl, and cresyl substituents on phenyl rings clustered tightly and were particularly potent. Both PMR assays were highly predictive of morphological defects supporting their use as non-lethal means of evaluating teratogenicity that could allow for additional evaluations of long-term or delayed effects in older animals. Taken together, evidence presented here indicates that zebrafish neurodevelopment is highly sensitive to many flame retardants currently in use and can be used to understand potential vulnerabilities to human health.Keywords: Teratogenicity, TDCPP, Firemaster 550, TBBPA, PBDE, Neurotoxicity, TCPP, TPP, TCE

TanguayRobertEnvironmentalMolecularToxicologyAdvancedMorphologicalBehavioralTest.pdf

Sharp increases in the use of flammable plastics and electronic devices coupled with stricter fire safety requirements have promoted the heavy use of flame retardant chemicals. While flame retardant use has increased, a great deal of uncertainty surrounds their safety with some evidence showing toxicity and risk to human and environmental health. Recent efforts have focused on designing high-throughput biological platforms with non-mammalian models to evaluate and prioritize chemicals with limited hazard information. To complement these efforts, this study used a new morphological and behavioral testing platform with embryonic zebrafish to characterize the developmental toxicity of 44 halogenated and organophosphate flame retardants and several of their known metabolites. Zebrafish were exposed to flame retardants from 6-120 hours post fertilization (hpf) across concentrations spanning four orders of magnitude (e.g., 6.4 nM to 64 µM). Flame retardant effects on survival and development were evaluated at 24 and 120 hpf, and neurobehavioral changes were measured using two photomotor response (PMR) assays. Compared to controls, 93% (41/44) of flame retardants studied elicited adverse effects among one or more of the bioassays and concentrations tested with the aryl phosphate ester (APE)-based mono-isopropylated triaryl phosphate (mITP) and the brominated-bisphenol-A analog tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) producing the greatest array of malformations. Hierarchical clustering showed that APE flame retardants with isopropyl, butyl, and cresyl substituents on phenyl rings clustered tightly and were particularly potent. Both PMR assays were highly predictive of morphological defects supporting their use as non-lethal means of evaluating teratogenicity that could allow for additional evaluations of long-term or delayed effects in older animals. Taken together, evidence presented here indicates that zebrafish neurodevelopment is highly sensitive to many flame retardants currently in use and can be used to understand potential vulnerabilities to human health.Keywords: Teratogenicity, TDCPP, TBBPA, TCEP, Firemaster 550, Neurotoxicity, TPP, PBDE, TCPPKeywords: Teratogenicity, TDCPP, TBBPA, TCEP, Firemaster 550, Neurotoxicity, TPP, PBDE, TCP