Snapping Turtle, Chelydra serpentina, Overland Movements Near the Southeastern Extent of its Range

Terrestrial movements of turtles are of interest due to the conservation implications for this imperiled group and the general lack of information on this topic, particularly in wide-ranging species. The snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina, is one of the most broadly distributed chelonians in the world; they occur from southeastern Canada westward to Alberta and throughout the eastern half of the United States and into Central America. Most research on this species has been focused on populations in the northern portion of the range. In this study, we radio-tracked five turtles in southwestern Georgia, where published data on spatial ecology and movements are lacking. Turtles exhibited extensive overland movements which we suspect occurred in response to drought

In Silico Approaches and the Role of Ontologies in Aging Research

The 2013 Rostock Symposium on Systems Biology and Bioinformatics in Aging Research was again dedicated to dissecting the aging process using in silico means. A particular focus was on ontologies, as these are a key technology to systematically integrate heterogeneous information about the aging process. Related topics were databases and data integration. Other talks tackled modeling issues and applications, the latter including talks focussed on marker development and cellular stress as well as on diseases, in particular on diseases of kidney and skin

Unraveling biogeochemical phosphorus dynamics in hyperarid Mars‐analogue soils using stable oxygen isotopes in phosphate

With annual precipitation less than 20 mm and extreme UV intensity, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile has long been utilized as an analogue for recent Mars. In these hyperarid environments, water and biomass are extremely limited, and thus, it becomes difficult to generate a full picture of biogeochemical phosphate‐water dynamics. To address this problem, we sampled soils from five Atacama study sites and conducted three main analyses—stable oxygen isotopes in phosphate, enzyme pathway predictions, and cell culture experiments. We found that high sedimentation rates decrease the relative size of the organic phosphorus pool, which appears to hinder extremophiles. Phosphoenzyme and pathway prediction analyses imply that inorganic pyrophosphatase is the most likely catalytic agent to cycle P in these environments, and this process will rapidly overtake other P utilization strategies. In these soils, the biogenic δ18O signatures of the soil phosphate (δ18OPO4) can slowly overprint lithogenic δ18OPO4 values over a timescale of tens to hundreds of millions of years when annual precipitation is more than 10 mm. The δ18OPO4 of calcium‐bound phosphate minerals seems to preserve the δ18O signature of the water used for biogeochemical P cycling, pointing toward sporadic rainfall and gypsum hydration water as key moisture sources. Where precipitation is less than 2 mm, biological cycling is restricted and bedrock δ18OPO4 values are preserved. This study demonstrates the utility of δ18OPO4 values as indicative of biogeochemical cycling and hydrodynamics in an extremely dry Mars‐analogue environment

Fueling Cancer Immunotherapy With Common Gamma Chain Cytokines

Adoptive T cell transfer therapy (ACT) using tumor infiltrating lymphocytes or lymphocytes redirected with antigen receptors (CAR or TCR) has revolutionized the field of cancer immunotherapy. Although CAR T cell therapy mediates robust responses in patients with hematological malignancies, this approach has been less effective for treating patients with solid tumors. Additionally, toxicities post T cell infusion highlight the need for safer ACT protocols. Current protocols traditionally expand T lymphocytes isolated from patient tumors or from peripheral blood to large magnitudes in the presence of high dose IL-2 prior to infusion. Unfortunately, this expansion protocol differentiates T cells to a full effector or terminal phenotype in vitro, consequently reducing their long-term survival and antitumor effectiveness in vivo. Post-infusion, T cells face further obstacles limiting their persistence and function within the suppressive tumor microenvironment. Therapeutic manipulation of T cells with common γ chain cytokines, which are critical growth factors for T cells, may be the key to bypass such immunological hurdles. Herein, we discuss the primary functions of the common γ chain cytokines impacting T cell survival and memory and then elaborate on how these distinct cytokines have been used to augment T cell-based cancer immunotherapy

Drivers and distribution of henipavirus-induced syncytia: what do we know?

Syncytium formation, i.e., cell–cell fusion resulting in the formation of multinucleated cells, is a hallmark of infection by paramyxoviruses and other pathogenic viruses. This natural mechanism has historically been a diagnostic marker for paramyxovirus infection in vivo and is now widely used for the study of virus-induced membrane fusion in vitro. However, the role of syncytium formation in within-host dissemination and pathogenicity of viruses remains poorly understood. The diversity of henipaviruses and their wide host range and tissue tropism make them particularly appropriate models with which to characterize the drivers of syncytium formation and the implications for virus fitness and pathogenicity. Based on the henipavirus literature, we summarized current knowledge on the mechanisms driving syncytium formation, mostly acquired from in vitro studies, and on the in vivo distribution of syncytia. While these data suggest that syncytium formation widely occurs across henipaviruses, hosts, and tissues, we identified important data gaps that undermined our understanding of the role of syncytium formation in virus pathogenesis. Based on these observations, we propose solutions of varying complexity to fill these data gaps, from better practices in data archiving and publication for in vivo studies, to experimental approaches in vitro

On the abundance of non-cometary HCN on Jupiter

Using one-dimensional thermochemical/photochemical kinetics and transport models, we examine the chemistry of nitrogen-bearing species in the Jovian troposphere in an attempt to explain the low observational upper limit for HCN. We track the dominant mechanisms for interconversion of N2-NH3 and HCN-NH3 in the deep, hightemperature troposphere and predict the rate-limiting step for the quenching of HCN at cooler tropospheric altitudes. Consistent with other investigations that were based solely on time-scale arguments, our models suggest that transport-induced quenching of thermochemically derived HCN leads to very small predicted mole fractions of hydrogen cyanide in Jupiter's upper troposphere. By the same token, photochemical production of HCN is ineffective in Jupiter's troposphere: CH4-NH3 coupling is inhibited by the physical separation of the CH4 photolysis region in the upper stratosphere from the NH3 photolysis and condensation region in the troposphere, and C2H2-NH3 coupling is inhibited by the low tropospheric abundance of C2H2. The upper limits from infrared and submillimeter observations can be used to place constraints on the production of HCN and other species from lightning and thundershock sources.Comment: 56 pages, 0 tables, 6 figures. Submitted to Faraday Discussions [in press

Perfusion Imaging for Endovascular Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Is Associated With Improved Functional Outcomes in the Early and Late Time Windows

Background: The impact on clinical outcomes of patient selection using perfusion imaging for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting beyond 6 hours from onset remains undetermined in routine clinical practice. Methods: Patients from a national stroke registry that underwent EVT selected with or without perfusion imaging (noncontrast computed tomography/computed tomography angiography) in the early (&lt;6 hours) and late (6-24 hours) time windows, between October 2015 and March 2020, were compared. The primary outcome was the ordinal shift in the modified Rankin Scale score at hospital discharge. Other outcomes included functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2) and in-hospital mortality, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, successful reperfusion (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score 2b-3), early neurological deterioration, futile recanalization (modified Rankin Scale score 4-6 despite successful reperfusion) and procedural time metrics. Multivariable analyses were performed, adjusted for age, sex, baseline stroke severity, prestroke disability, intravenous thrombolysis, mode of anesthesia (Model 1) and including EVT technique, balloon guide catheter, and center (Model 2). Results: We included 4249 patients, 3203 in the early window (593 with perfusion versus 2610 without perfusion) and 1046 in the late window (378 with perfusion versus 668 without perfusion). Within the late window, patients with perfusion imaging had a shift towards better functional outcome at discharge compared with those without perfusion imaging (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 1.45 [95% CI, 1.16-1.83]; P=0.001). There was no significant difference in functional independence (29.3% with perfusion versus 24.8% without; P=0.210) or in the safety outcome measures of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (P=0.53) and in-hospital mortality (10.6% with perfusion versus 14.3% without; P=0.053). In the early time window, patients with perfusion imaging had significantly improved odds of functional outcome (adjusted common OR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.28-1.78]; P=0.0001) and functional independence (41.6% versus 33.6%, adjusted OR, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.08-1.59]; P=0.006). Perfusion imaging was associated with lower odds of futile recanalization in both time windows (late: adjusted OR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.50-0.97]; P=0.034; early: adjusted OR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.65-0.99]; P=0.047). Conclusions: In this real-world study, acquisition of perfusion imaging for EVT was associated with improvement in functional disability in the early and late time windows compared with nonperfusion neuroimaging. These indirect comparisons should be interpreted with caution while awaiting confirmatory data from prospective randomized trials.</p

Perfusion Imaging for Endovascular Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Is Associated With Improved Functional Outcomes in the Early and Late Time Windows

Background: The impact on clinical outcomes of patient selection using perfusion imaging for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting beyond 6 hours from onset remains undetermined in routine clinical practice. Methods: Patients from a national stroke registry that underwent EVT selected with or without perfusion imaging (noncontrast computed tomography/computed tomography angiography) in the early (&lt;6 hours) and late (6-24 hours) time windows, between October 2015 and March 2020, were compared. The primary outcome was the ordinal shift in the modified Rankin Scale score at hospital discharge. Other outcomes included functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2) and in-hospital mortality, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, successful reperfusion (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score 2b-3), early neurological deterioration, futile recanalization (modified Rankin Scale score 4-6 despite successful reperfusion) and procedural time metrics. Multivariable analyses were performed, adjusted for age, sex, baseline stroke severity, prestroke disability, intravenous thrombolysis, mode of anesthesia (Model 1) and including EVT technique, balloon guide catheter, and center (Model 2). Results: We included 4249 patients, 3203 in the early window (593 with perfusion versus 2610 without perfusion) and 1046 in the late window (378 with perfusion versus 668 without perfusion). Within the late window, patients with perfusion imaging had a shift towards better functional outcome at discharge compared with those without perfusion imaging (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 1.45 [95% CI, 1.16-1.83]; P=0.001). There was no significant difference in functional independence (29.3% with perfusion versus 24.8% without; P=0.210) or in the safety outcome measures of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (P=0.53) and in-hospital mortality (10.6% with perfusion versus 14.3% without; P=0.053). In the early time window, patients with perfusion imaging had significantly improved odds of functional outcome (adjusted common OR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.28-1.78]; P=0.0001) and functional independence (41.6% versus 33.6%, adjusted OR, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.08-1.59]; P=0.006). Perfusion imaging was associated with lower odds of futile recanalization in both time windows (late: adjusted OR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.50-0.97]; P=0.034; early: adjusted OR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.65-0.99]; P=0.047). Conclusions: In this real-world study, acquisition of perfusion imaging for EVT was associated with improvement in functional disability in the early and late time windows compared with nonperfusion neuroimaging. These indirect comparisons should be interpreted with caution while awaiting confirmatory data from prospective randomized trials.</p