Problems in early diagnosis of bladder cancer in a spinal cord injury patient: Report of a case of simultaneous production of granulocyte colony stimulating factor and parathyroid hormone-related protein by squamous cell carcinoma of urinary bladder

BACKGROUND: Typical symptoms and signs of a clinical condition may be absent in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A male with paraplegia was passing urine through penile sheath for 35 years, when he developed urinary infections. There was no history of haematuria. Intravenous urography showed bilateral hydronephrosis. The significance of abnormal outline of bladder was not appreciated. As there was large residual urine, he was advised intermittent catheterisation. Serum urea: 3.5 mmol/L; creatinine: 77 umol/L. A year later, serum urea: 36.8 mmol/l; creatinine: 632 umol/l; white cell count: 22.2; neutrophils: 18.88. Ultrasound: bilateral hydronephrosis. Bilateral nephrostomy was performed. Subsequently, blood tests showed: Urea: 14.2 mmol/l; Creatinine: 251 umol/l; Adjusted Calcium: 3.28 mmol/l; Parathyroid hormone: < 0.7 pmol/l (1.1 – 6.9); Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP): 2.3 pmol/l (0.7 – 1.8). Ultrasound scan of urinary bladder showed mixed echogenicity, which was diagnosed as debris. CT of pelvis was interpreted as vesical abscess. Urine cytology: Transitional cells showing mild atypia. Bladder biopsy: Inflamed mucosa lined by normal urothelial cells. A repeat ultrasound scan demonstrated a tumour arising from right lateral wall; biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma. In view of persistently high white cell count and high calcium level, immunohistochemistry for G-CSF and PTHrP was performed. Dense staining of tumour cells for G-CSF and faintly positive staining for C-terminal PTHrP were observed. This patient expired about five months later. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates how delay in diagnosis of bladder cancer could occur in a SCI patient due to absence of characteristic symptoms and signs

Parent of origin genetic effects on methylation in humans are common and influence complex trait variation

Parent-of-origin effects (POE) are observed when there are different effects from alleles inherited from the two parents on phenotypic measures. Here, Zeng et al. study POE on DNA methylation in 5,101 individuals and identify genetic variants that associate with methylation variation via POE and their potential phenotypic consequences

Current and Historical Drivers of Landscape Genetic Structure Differ in Core and Peripheral Salamander Populations

With predicted decreases in genetic diversity and greater genetic differentiation at range peripheries relative to their cores, it can be difficult to distinguish between the roles of current disturbance versus historic processes in shaping contemporary genetic patterns. To address this problem, we test for differences in historic demography and landscape genetic structure of coastal giant salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) in two core regions (Washington State, United States) versus the species' northern peripheral region (British Columbia, Canada) where the species is listed as threatened. Coalescent-based demographic simulations were consistent with a pattern of post-glacial range expansion, with both ancestral and current estimates of effective population size being much larger within the core region relative to the periphery. However, contrary to predictions of recent human-induced population decline in the less genetically diverse peripheral region, there was no genetic signature of population size change. Effects of current demographic processes on genetic structure were evident using a resistance-based landscape genetics approach. Among core populations, genetic structure was best explained by length of the growing season and isolation by resistance (i.e. a ‘flat’ landscape), but at the periphery, topography (slope and elevation) had the greatest influence on genetic structure. Although reduced genetic variation at the range periphery of D. tenebrosus appears to be largely the result of biogeographical history rather than recent impacts, our analyses suggest that inherent landscape features act to alter dispersal pathways uniquely in different parts of the species' geographic range, with implications for habitat management

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Search for gravitational waves associated with gamma-ray bursts detected by Fermi and Swift during the LIGO–Virgo run O3b

We search for gravitational-wave signals associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi and Swift satellites during the second half of the third observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (2019 November 1 15:00 UTC–2020 March 27 17:00 UTC). We conduct two independent searches: a generic gravitational-wave transients search to analyze 86 GRBs and an analysis to target binary mergers with at least one neutron star as short GRB progenitors for 17 events. We find no significant evidence for gravitational-wave signals associated with any of these GRBs. A weighted binomial test of the combined results finds no evidence for subthreshold gravitational-wave signals associated with this GRB ensemble either. We use several source types and signal morphologies during the searches, resulting in lower bounds on the estimated distance to each GRB. Finally, we constrain the population of low-luminosity short GRBs using results from the first to the third observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. The resulting population is in accordance with the local binary neutron star merger rate

Ovine rumen papillae biopsy via oral endoscopy; a rapid and repeatable method for serial sampling

<p>AIMS: To explore and validate the utility of rumen endoscopy for collection of rumen papillae for gene expression measurement.</p> <p>METHODS: Four adult Coopworth ewes were fasted for either 4 or 24 hours. Animals were sedated, placed in a dorsally recumbent position at 45 degrees with the head upright, and an endoscope inserted via a tube inserted into the mouth. Biopsies of rumen papillae were taken from the ventral surface of the rumen atrium under visual guidance. Two biopsies were collected from one of the animals that had been fasted for 4 hours, and three from one of the animals that had been fasted for 24 hours. Video of the rumen atrium and reticulum was also collected. The animals recovered uneventfully. Biopsies were subsequently used for extraction and sequencing of mRNA.</p> <p>RESULTS: The ventral surface of the rumen atrium was accessible after 4 hours off pasture, but a larger region was accessible after 24 hours of fasting. Sedation allowed access for endoscope use for around 5 to 10 minutes after which increased saliva flow was noted. Rumen papillae biopsies were easily collected, with samples from a variety of sites collected in the ∼10 minute time window. High quality RNA was obtained for stranded mRNA sequencing. Of the resulting reads, 69–70% mapped uniquely to version 3.1 of the ovine genome, and 48–49% to a known gene. The rumen mRNA profiles were consistent with a previously reported study.</p> <p>CONCLUSIONS: This method for obtaining rumenal tissue was found to be rapid and resulted in no apparent short or long term effects on the animal. High quality RNA was successfully extracted and amplified from the rumen papillae biopsies, indicating that this technique could be used for future gene expression studies. The use of rumen endoscopy could be extended to collection of a variety of rumen and reticulum anatomical measurements and deposition and retrieval of small sensors from the rumen. Rumen endoscopy offers an attractive and cost effective approach to repeated rumen biopsies compared with serial slaughter or use of cannulated animals.</p