Amyloid beta 42 alters cardiac metabolism and impairs cardiac function in male mice with obesity

There are epidemiological associations between obesity and type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. The role of amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42) in these diverse chronic diseases is obscure. Here we show that adipose tissue releases Aβ42, which is increased from adipose tissue of male mice with obesity and is associated with higher plasma Aβ42. Increasing circulating Aβ42 levels in male mice without obesity has no effect on systemic glucose homeostasis but has obesity-like effects on the heart, including reduced cardiac glucose clearance and impaired cardiac function. The closely related Aβ40 isoform does not have these same effects on the heart. Administration of an Aβ-neutralising antibody prevents obesity-induced cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophy. Furthermore, Aβ-neutralising antibody administration in established obesity prevents further deterioration of cardiac function. Multi-contrast transcriptomic analyses reveal that Aβ42 impacts pathways of mitochondrial metabolism and exposure of cardiomyocytes to Aβ42 inhibits mitochondrial complex I. These data reveal a role for systemic Aβ42 in the development of cardiac disease in obesity and suggest that therapeutics designed for Alzheimer's disease could be effective in combating obesity-induced heart failure.

Inhibition of NETosis by a Nuclear-Penetrating Anti-DNA Autoantibody

Nuclear-penetrating anti-DNA autoantibodies have therapeutic potential as delivery agents and in targeting DNA and the DNA damage response (DDR). Derivatives of such Abs have advanced to human testing in genetic disease and are in preparation for oncology clinical trials. DNA release associated with neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) contributes to immunity, inflammation, and the pathophysiology of multiple diseases. The DDR contributes to mechanisms of NETosis, and we hypothesize that anti-DNA autoantibodies that localize into live cell nuclei and inhibit DNA repair will suppress release of NETs by activated neutrophils. In the current study we evaluated the impact of a nuclear-penetrating anti-DNA autoantibody that interferes with the DDR on decondensation and release of DNA and NETs by activated human granulocyte-like differentiated PLB-985 cells and neutrophils isolated from C57BL/6 mice. The response of cells pretreated with control or autoantibody to subsequent stimulators of NETosis, including PMA and the calcium ionophore ionomycin, was evaluated by DAPI and SYTOX Green stains, measurement of DNA release, analysis of histone citrullination by Western blot, or visualization of NETs by immunostaining and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Autoantibody treatment of the cells yielded significant inhibition of NADPH oxidase-dependent and independent NETosis. These findings establish the concept of nuclear-penetrating anti-DNA autoantibodies as modulators of neutrophil biology with potential for use in strategies to suppress NETosis.

ENT2 facilitates brain endothelial cell penetration and blood-brain barrier transport by a tumor-targeting anti-DNA autoantibody

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents antibodies from penetrating the CNS and limits conventional antibody-based approaches to brain tumors. We now show that ENT2, a transporter that regulates nucleoside flux at the BBB, may offer an unexpected path to circumventing this barrier to allow targeting of brain tumors with an anti-DNA autoantibody. Deoxymab-1 (DX1) is a DNA-damaging autoantibody that localizes to tumors and is synthetically lethal to cancer cells with defects in the DNA damage response. We found that DX1 penetrated brain endothelial cells and crossed the BBB, and mechanistic studies identify ENT2 as the key transporter. In efficacy studies, DX1 crosses the BBB to suppress orthotopic glioblastoma and breast cancer brain metastases. ENT2-linked transport of autoantibodies across the BBB has potential to be exploited in brain tumor immunotherapy, and its discovery raises hypotheses on actionable mechanisms of CNS penetration by neurotoxic autoantibodies in CNS lupus.

Abstract PD13-08: An ENT2-dependent, cell-penetrating, and DNA-damaging lupus autoantibody crosses the blood-brain barrier to target breast cancer brain metastases

Introduction: Antibody-based immunotherapy has potential to change paradigms in the management of breast cancer brain metastases, if the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be overcome. The autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus offers an unexpected new approach to this problem. 3E10 is a lupus anti-DNA autoantibody that localizes to DNA at tumors, penetrates cells via the ENT2 nucleoside transporter, inhibits DNA repair, and is synthetically lethal to BRCA1/2 or PTEN-deficient cancer cells with impaired homologous recombination (HR). Breast cancer brain metastases exhibit increased HR defects and PTEN loss compared to primary breast tumors, and ENT2 expressed in brain endothelial cells (BECs) regulates nucleoside flux at the BBB. Further, 3E10 has previously delivered cargo protein to ischemic brain. We hypothesized that ENT2 may facilitate transport of 3E10 across the BBB, and that 3E10 could be used to treat breast cancer brain metastases. Deoxymab-1 (also known as PAT-DX1 or DX1) is a re-engineered and optimized fragment of 3E10 in pre-clinical development for use against HR-deficient tumors. In the present study we examined the ability of DX1 to cross the BBB and suppress breast cancer brain metastases.

BBB study results: ENT2-dependent transport of DX1 across the BBB was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. DX1 penetrated hCMEC/D3 BECs and crossed from apical to basolateral chambers in an hCMEC/D3 transwell model of the BBB. Integrity of the model was confirmed by measuring transendothelial electrical resistance and demonstrating the barrier prevented movement of control protein into the basolateral chamber. Expression of ENT2 in hCMEC/D3 cells was confirmed by immunostaining, and the ENT2 inhibitor dipyridamole (DP) inhibited both penetration by DX1 into the cells and its transport across the BBB transwell model. Immunodeficient mice with orthotopic GBM tumors were treated with IV and IP control buffer (n=2), IV DX1 (20 mg/kg) and IP control buffer (n=4), or IV DX1 (20 mg/kg) and IP DP (ENT2 inhibitor, 70 mg/kg) (n=4). DX1 was labeled with Alexa Fluor 750 (AF750) to allow detection by IVIS. Twenty-four hours after treatment, mice treated with DX1 in the absence of DP exhibited strong AF750 signal in the brain correlating to tumor. Co-treatment with DP reduced uptake of DX1 into the brain tumors by ~78% (P<0.001). These findings are consistent with DX1 crossing the BBB and localizing into brain tumors in an ENT2-dependent manner.

Efficacy study results: The 231-BR brain-seeking subclone of the MDA-MB-231 triple negative breast cancer cell line exhibits PTEN loss relative to parental cells. DX1 penetrated and killed 231-BR cells in vitro. For in vivo testing, brain metastases were generated in immunodeficient mice by intracardiac injection of 231-BR cells engineered for expression of luciferase. Brain metastases were confirmed by IVIS one week later, and then mice were treated with IV control buffer (PBS, n=7) or DX1 (20 mg/kg, n=7). In separate studies DX1 was delivered as a single cycle or as four consecutive cycles, with one cycle defined as control or DX1 3X/week. DX1 significantly suppressed tumor growth, evidenced by weekly IVIS. At week 5 brain radiance efficiencies (x105) in the single cycle study in control and DX1-treated mice were 264.8±72.0 and 71.9±31.3 (P<0.04), and 320±66 and 20.2±8.5 (P≤0.01) in the four-cycle study. One cycle of DX1 yielded a non-significant increase in median survival from 30 to 35 days (P=0.42). Four cycles of DX1 had greater impact, with median survival increased by 14 days (from 31 to 45) (P<0.002). DX1 was not associated with nonspecific toxicity.

Conclusion: Our findings support an ENT2-mediated mechanism of BBB penetration by DX1 and establish proof of concept for use of a DNA-targeting autoantibody against breast cancer brain metastases.

Citation Format: James E Hansen, Shenqi Zhang, Anupama Shirali, Christopher May, Benedette Cuffari, Valentina Dubljevic, James A Campbell, Jiangbing Zhou. An ENT2-dependent, cell-penetrating, and DNA-damaging lupus autoantibody crosses the blood-brain barrier to target breast cancer brain metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD13-08.

A new elasmosaurid (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) from the non-marine to paralic Dinosaur Park Formation of southern Alberta, Canada

Elasmosaurid plesiosaurian remains have been documented from non-marine to paralic (fluvial to estuarine) sediments of the upper Campanian Dinosaur Park Formation (DPF) of southern Alberta since 1898. Despite this long collection history, this material has received relatively little research attention, largely due to the highly fragmentary nature of most recovered specimens. However, this assemblage is significant, as it constitutes a rare occurrence of plesiosaurian remains in a non-marine depositional environment. This study reports on a recently collected and prepared specimen, which represents the most complete elasmosaurid yet collected from the DPF. This specimen preserves the trunk region, the base of the neck and tail, a partial fore and hind limb, and tooth, and is sufficiently complete to be assigned as the holotype of a new genus and species. This new taxon is diagnosed by a distinctive character state combination including a boomerang-shaped clavicular arch with acute anterior process, convex anterolateral margin, deeply embayed posterior margin, and pronounced ventral keel, together with the presence of 22 dorsal vertebrae, and the anterior dorsal centra bearing a ventral notch. The DPF plesiosaurian fossils were recovered from both estuarine/bay and fluvial palaeochannel sediments. The holotype skeleton represents an osteologically mature individual with an estimated body length of around 5 m, although the largest referred DPF elasmosaurid might have been closer to 7 m, which is considerably larger than other plesiosaurians reported from non-marine deposits. This suggests small-body lengths relative to typical elasmosaurids from marine settings, but is consistent with other plesiosaurians recovered from non-marine sediments. The identification of a distinct elasmosaurid taxon in the DPF might be evidence of niche-partitioning among the predominantly oceanic members of the ubiquitous plesiosaurian clade.

Diving apart together: call propagation in diving long-finned pilot whales

Group-living animals must communicate to stay in contact. In long-finned pilot whales, there is a trade-off between the benefits of foraging individually at depth and the formation of tight social groups at the surface. Using theoretical modelling and empirical data of tagged pairs within a group, we examined the potential of pilot whale social calls to reach dispersed group members during foraging periods. Both theoretical predictions and empirical data of tag pairs showed a potential for communication between diving and non-diving group members over separation distances up to 385 m (empirical) and 1800 m (theoretical). These distances match or exceed pilot whale dive depths recorded across populations. Call characteristics and environmental characteristics were analysed to investigate determinants of call detectability. Longer calls with a higher sound pressure level (SPL) that were received in a quieter environment were more often detected than their shorter, lower SPL counterparts within a noisier environment. In a noisier environment, calls were louder and had a lower peak frequency, indicating mechanisms for coping with varying conditions. However, the vulnerability of pilot whales to anthropogenic noise is still of concern as the ability to cope with increasing background noise may be limited. Our study shows that combining propagation modelling and actual tag recordings provides new insights into the communicative potential for social calls in orientation and reunion with group members for deep-diving pilot whales.

Abstract 393: Deoxymab: A targeted biologic that is synthetically lethal to TNBC brain metastases

Brain metastases in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) harbor defects in homology-directed DNA repair that may be exploited to develop new therapeutic strategies. However, these tumors are protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and mechanisms of DNA repair are sequestered in the nucleus. Methods to cross the BBB and target intranuclear processes are needed.

3E10 is a nuclear-penetrating lupus anti-DNA autoantibody that inhibits the DNA damage response to selectively kill cancer cells with defects in DNA repair. 3E10 localizes to DNA in tumor environments, and penetrates cells via the ENT2 equilibrative nucleoside transporter. ENT2 is expressed in the BBB, and 3E10 has previously delivered cargo proteins to the brain. We believe 3E10 can be turned against TNBC brain metastases, and used MDA-MB-231-BR brain-seeking human TNBC cells and tumors as a model system to test this hypothesis.

We re-engineered 3E10 into an optimized fragment, called Deoxymab-1 (DX1), to maximize effect on cancer cells and minimize toxicity. DX1 expressed in CHO cells was purified over a HiTrap Capto S column by FPLC, and purity and quality was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and SEC-HPLC. Immunostaining and colony formation assays demonstrated that DX1 penetrated the nuclei of ~100% of MDA-MB-231-BR cells in culture and was synthetically lethal to the cells, with doses of 5 and 10 μM reducing surviving fractions to 0.47±0.15 (P<0.03) and 0.29±0.07 (P<0.01), respectively.

TNBC brain metastases were established in nude mice by intracardiac injection of 1.75x105 MDA-MB-231-BR cells transfected with luciferase. One week later the presence of brain metastases was confirmed by IVIS. Mice were treated with tail vein injection of vehicle control (n=7) or DX1 (20 mg/kg) (n=7) 3x/week for 3 weeks. Tumor burden was monitored by weekly IVIS. DX1 significantly suppressed growth of the brain metastases (Table 1). These results establish proof of the novel concept of use of a modified lupus autoantibody against TNBC brain metastases.

Table 1:Brain Radiance Efficiencies (x105)TreatmentWeek 0Week 1Week 2Week 3Control1.2±0.22.5±0.45.1±0.720±5DX11.3±0.21.4±0.32.0±0.23.8±0.8Pns<0.01<0.01<0.02

Citation Format: Shenqi Zhang, Christopher May, Anupama Shirali, Valentina Dubljevic, James A. Campbell, Jiangbing Zhou, James E. Hansen. Deoxymab: A targeted biologic that is synthetically lethal to TNBC brain metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 393.

The differential impact of adverse childhood experiences in the development of pre-diabetes in a longitudinal cohort of US adults

BACKGROUND

ACEs have a dose-response relationship with diabetes. The relationship between ACEs and pre-diabetes is not well known and may represent an effective area for prevention efforts.

METHODS

Data from 1054 participants from two waves of the longitudinal MIDUS study were used. Multivariate general linear regression models assessed the relationship between ACEs and biomarker outcomes. Correlation tests and mediation models investigated the relationship between ACE and pre-diabetes.

RESULTS

Individuals reporting ACEs were statistically significantly more likely to have higher BMI (1.13 (0.34-1.92)), higher waist circumference (2.74 (0.72-4.76)), elevated blood fasting insulin levels (2.36 (0.71-4.02)) and higher insulin resistance (HOMA-IR (0.57 (0.08-1.06)). BMI/waist circumference and insulin resistance did not maintain independent relationships with ACEs once HOMA-IR was included in the dichotomized ACE model (p = 0.05 and p = 0.06, respectively), suggesting the relationship between BMI and ACEs may be mediated by insulin resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

These results represent one of the first studies to examine the differential impact of ACEs on a diverse set of clinical pre-diabetes measures. Findings suggest sexual and physical abuse, and financial strain during childhood are important factors associated with higher risk for pre-diabetes, and should be considered during intervention development.

New insights into chasmosaurine (Dinosauria: Ceratopsidae) skulls from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of Alberta, and an update on the distribution of accessory frill fenestrae in Chasmosaurinae

Chasmosaurine ceratopsids are well documented from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Dinosaur Park Formation (DPF) of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, and include Chasmosaurus belli, Chasmosaurus russelli, Mercuriceratops gemini, Vagaceratops irvinensis, and material possibly referable to Spiclypeus shipporum. In this study, we describe three recently prepared chasmosaurine skulls (CMN 8802, CMN 34829, and TMP 2011.053.0046) from the DPF, and age-equivalent sediments, of Alberta. CMN 8802 and CMN 34829 are both referred to Chasmosaurus sp. based on the size and shape of the preserved parietal fenestrae. TMP 2011.053.0046 is referred to Vagaceratops sp. based on the position and orientation of its preserved epiparietals. Each skull is characterized by the presence of an accessory fenestra in either the squamosal (CMN 8802 and TMP 2011.053.0046) or parietal (CMN 34829). Such fenestrae are common occurrences in chasmosaurine squamosals, but are rare in the parietal portion of the frill. The origin of the fenestrae in these three specimens is unknown, but they do not appear to exhibit evidence of pathology, as has been previously interpreted for the accessory fenestrae in most other chasmosaurine frills. These three skulls contribute to a better understanding of the morphological variation, and geographic and stratigraphic distribution, of chasmosaurines within the DPF and age-equivalent sediments in Western Canada.

Abstract 2773: A DNA-damaging lupus autoantibody synergizes with PARP inhibitors against DNA repair-deficient tumor cells

The lupus anti-DNA autoantibody 3E10 is a compelling candidate for development as a targeted therapy for DNA repair-deficient malignancies. 3E10 has previously been shown to localize to tumors due to its attraction to DNA released by dying cancer cells, penetrate into cell nuclei, inhibit DNA repair, and kill cancer cells with defects in homology-directed repair (HDR) of DNA double-strand breaks. A more potent derivative of 3E10 with increased affinity for DNA has been developed (referred to here as 3E10EN), and identification of optimal combination therapies with 3E10EN is needed to facilitate planning for upcoming clinical trials. In the present study, we found that 3E10EN increases the activity of the DNA repair enzyme poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in HDR-deficient cells and hypothesized that combination treatment with 3E10EN and PARP inhibitors (PARPi) would yield synergistic effects on HDR-deficient cancer cell survival.

PARP content and activity in HDR-deficient and proficient cells prior to and following treatment with 3E10EN was evaluated. 3E10EN did not impact PARP protein content but yielded a significant increase in pADPr signal in HDR-deficient cells, which suggests a compensatory increase in PARP activity in response to DNA damage accumulation in HDR-deficient cells. Combinations of 3E10EN and the PARPi olaparib were tested on a panel of HDR-deficient cells, and a matched pair of BRCA2-deficient and proficient DLD1 cells. Olaparib inhibited the increase in pADPr caused by 3E10EN, and colony formation assays analyzed by the Chou-Talalay method confirmed that 3E10EN and olaparib synergized against HDR-deficient cancer cells. Conversely, HDR-proficient cells were resistant to 3E10EN and olaparib combination treatment.

The original 3E10 is a murine antibody isolated from a lupus mouse model, and in preparation for its further development as a new drug we have recently designed Deoxymab 1 (DX1), a humanized version of 3E10EN. DX1 exhibits improved activity relative to the 3E10EN prototype, and when tested on a panel of HDR-deficient and proficient cells, DX1 and olaparib exhibited synergistic effects similar to that observed with the 3E10EN prototype.

In conclusion, we have found that both the prototype 3E10EN and humanized DX1 synergize with PARPi against HDR-deficient tumor cells. These findings provide the rationale for further studies to determine the potential for this approach to be translated into a clinically relevant therapeutic strategy.

Citation Format: Zahra Rattray, Jaymin M. Patel, Philip W. Noble, Valentina Dubljevic, Deanne L. Greenwood, James A. Campbell, James E. Hansen. A DNA-damaging lupus autoantibody synergizes with PARP inhibitors against DNA repair-deficient tumor cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2773.

Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Potential of Clofibrate in the p53+/− Mouse

This study was conducted as part of International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) program to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of clofibrate, a nongenotoxic, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α agonist, following oral administration to p53+ /− heterozygous mice for a minimum of 26 weeks. p-Cresidine, a urinary bladder carcinogen, was given orally at 400 mg/kg/day as a positive control. Initial clofibrate doses were 50, 250, and 400 mg/kg/day for males and 50, 200, and 500 mg/kg/day for females. Due to unexpected mortality during the first week of dosing, clofibrate doses were lowered to 25, 75, and 100 mg/kg/day for males and 25, 75, and 125 mg/kg/day for females. Clinical signs and mortality were greater in p53+ /− than wild-type (WT) mice. With the exception of liver weights, no marked differences in any other parameters either between the sexes or between WT and p53+ /− mice were noted. Moderate increases in liver weights noted in WT males given 100 mg/kg/day clofibrate were not associated with any microscopic changes. No neoplastic response was observed in p53+ /−mice after 6 months of exposure to clofibrate at doses up to 100 mg/kg/day for males and 125 mg/kg/day for females. Transitional-cell hyperplasia and carcinoma of the urinary bladder were noted in both sexes given p-cresidine, demonstrating that the p53+ /− mouse responded to a known mouse carcinogen as expected. Clofibrate produced non-neoplastic findings in the adrenals, pancreas, and prostate, whereas p-cresidine affected the kidney, liver, pancreas, and spleen.

Studies on a Miscible Polyimide Blend

Blends of polyimides XU-218 and PEI were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and adhesive bond testing. The thermal stability of the blends increased as the proportion of PEI increased while the α-relaxation of the blends occurred at a slower rate and was broader and more cooperative in some blends, compared with the pure polymers. Physical aging of the pure polymers and blends in the glass state revealed changes in relaxation rate and lost enthalpy that were also consistent with blends not behaving as simple mixtures. The dynamic mechanical and physical aging behaviour was attributed to an increase in density on blending which decreased the unoccupied volume and increased the constraints on molecular mobility, as well as to the presence of concentration fluctuations. The adhesive properties of the blends were also investigated and bond strength was found to vary with blend composition and test temperature.

Diverse approaches to the health economic evaluation of bariatric surgery: a comprehensive systematic review

BACKGROUND

Health economic evaluations inform healthcare resource allocation decisions for treatment options for obesity including bariatric/metabolic surgery. As an important advance on existing systematic reviews, we aimed to capture, summarize and synthesize a diverse range of economic evaluations on bariatric surgery.

METHODS

Studies were identified by electronic screening of all major biomedical/economic databases. Studies included if they reported any quantified health economic cost and/or consequence with a measure of effect for any type of bariatric surgery from 1995 to September 2015. Study screening, data extraction and synthesis followed international guidelines for systematic reviews.

RESULTS

Six thousand one hundred eighty-seven studies were initially identified. After two levels of screening, 77 studies representing 17 countries (56% USA) were included. Despite study heterogeneity, common themes emerged, and important gaps were identified. Most studies adopted the healthcare system/third-party payer perspective; reported costs were generally healthcare resource use (inpatient/shorter-term outpatient). Out-of-pocket costs to individuals, family members (travel time, caregiving) and indirect costs due to lost productivity were largely ignored. Costs due to reoperations/complications were not included in one-third of studies. Body-contouring surgery included in only 14%. One study evaluated long-term waitlisted patients. Surgery was cost-effective/cost-saving for severely obese with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Study quality was inconsistent.

DISCUSSION

There is a need for studies that assume a broader societal perspective (including out-of-pocket costs, costs to family and productivity losses) and longer-term costs (capture reoperations/complications, waiting, body contouring), and consequences (health-related quality-of-life). Full economic evaluation underpinned by reporting standards should inform prioritization of patients (e.g. type 2 diabetes mellitus with body mass index 30 to 34.9 kg/m(2) or long-term waitlisted) for surgery. © 2016 World Obesity.

Validation of Single and Pooled Manure Drag Swabs for the Detection of Salmonella Serovar Enteritidis in Commercial Poultry Houses

Single swabs (cultured individually) are currently used in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official method for sampling the environment of commercial laying hens for the detection of Salmonella enterica ssp. serovar Enteritidis (Salmonella Enteritidis). The FDA has also granted provisional acceptance of the National Poultry Improvement Plan's (NPIP) Salmonella isolation and identification methodology for samples taken from table-egg layer flock environments. The NPIP method, as with the FDA method, requires single-swab culturing for the environmental sampling of laying houses for Salmonella Enteritidis. The FDA culture protocol requires a multistep culture enrichment broth, and it is more labor intensive than the NPIP culture protocol, which requires a single enrichment broth. The main objective of this study was to compare the FDA single-swab culturing protocol with that of the NPIP culturing protocol but using a four-swab pool scheme. Single and multi-laboratory testing of replicate manure drag swab sets (n  =  525 and 672, respectively) collected from a Salmonella Enteritidis-free commercial poultry flock was performed by artificially contaminating swabs with either Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 4, 8, or 13a at one of two inoculation levels: low, x¯  = 2.5 CFU (range 2.5-2.7), or medium, x¯  = 10.0 CFU (range 7.5-12). For each replicate, a single swab (inoculated), sets of two swabs (one inoculated and one uninoculated), and sets of four swabs (one inoculated and three uninoculated), testing was conducted using the FDA or NPIP culture method. For swabs inoculated with phage type 8, the NPIP method was more efficient (P < 0.05) for all swab sets at both inoculation levels than the reference method. The single swabs in the NPIP method were significantly (P < 0.05) better than four-pool swabs in detecting Salmonella Enteritidis at the lower inoculation level. In the collaborative study (n  =  13 labs) using Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 13a inoculated swabs, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the FDA method (single swabs) and the pooled NPIP method (four-pool swabs). The study concludes that the pooled NPIP method is not significantly different from the FDA method for the detection of Salmonella Enteritidis in drag swabs in commercial poultry laying houses. Consequently based on the FDA's Salmonella Enteritidis rule for equivalency of different methods, the pooled NPIP method should be considered equivalent. Furthermore, the pooled NPIP method was more efficient and cost effective.

A Re-Evaluation of the Chasmosaurine Ceratopsid Genus Chasmosaurus (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Dinosaur Park Formation of Western Canada

Background

The chasmosaurine ceratopsid Chasmosaurus is known from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Dinosaur Park Formation of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Two valid species, Chasmosaurus belli and C. russelli, have been diagnosed by differences in cranial ornamentation. Their validity has been supported, in part, by the reported stratigraphic segregation of chasmosaurines in the Dinosaur Park Formation, with C. belli and C. russelli occurring in discrete, successive zones within the formation.

Results/Conclusions

An analysis of every potentially taxonomically informative chasmosaurine specimen from the Dinosaur Park Formation indicates that C. belli and C. russelli have indistinguishable ontogenetic histories and overlapping stratigraphic intervals. Neither taxon exhibits autapomorphies, nor a unique set of apomorphies, but they can be separated and diagnosed by a single phylogenetically informative character—the embayment angle formed by the posterior parietal bars relative to the parietal midline. Although relatively deeply embayed specimens (C. russelli) generally have relatively longer postorbital horncores than specimens with more shallow embayments (C. belli), neither this horncore character nor epiparietal morphology can be used to consistently distinguish every specimen of C. belli from C. russelli.

Status of Kosmoceratops in the Dinosaur Park Formation

Kosmoceratops is purportedly represented in the Dinosaur Park Formation by a specimen previously referred to Chasmosaurus. The reassignment of this specimen to Kosmoceratops is unsupported here, as it is based on features that are either influenced by taphonomy or within the realm of individual variation for Chasmosaurus. Therefore, we conclude that Kosmoceratops is not present in the Dinosaur Park Formation, but is instead restricted to southern Laramidia, as originally posited.

Qualitative identification of dibenzoylmethane in licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) using gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), an herbal Chinese medicine, has shown medicinal uses in therapeutics and cancer prevention. Dibenzoylmethane (DBM; 1, 3-diphenyl-1, 3-propadinedione), a small beta-diketone, has been reported to be a minor constituent of licorice and a known deregulator of the human prostate cancer cell cycle. Characterization of the phytochemical profiles of licorice root forms including commercially available DBM will advance our search in identifying novel reagents for prostate cancer therapeutics. Gas chromatography- triple quadrupole-mass spectrometric analysis was used for detecting DBM in licorice root extracts. DBM and all licorice forms exhibited a component with a retention time of 14.5 minutes. The major fragment ions detected were at m/z 77, 105, 147, 223 and 224 at the identified retention time by selected reaction monitoring/SRM. These data confirm the presence of DBM from its natural source (G. glabra), and the GC-MS/SRM method helps in the identification of this minor component in a complex biological matrix.

Qualitative Identification of Dibenzoylmethane in Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) using Gas Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

Licorice root ( Glycyrrhiza glabra), an herbal Chinese medicine, has shown medicinal uses in therapeutics and cancer prevention. Dibenzoylmethane (DBM; 1, 3-diphenyl-1, 3-propadinedione), a small β-diketone, has been reported to be a minor constituent of licorice and a known deregulator of the human prostate cancer cell cycle. Characterization of the phytochemical profiles of licorice root forms including commercially available DBM will advance our search in identifying novel reagents for prostate cancer therapeutics. Gas chromatography- triple quadrupole-mass spectrometric analysis was used for detecting DBM in licorice root extracts. DBM and all licorice forms exhibited a component with a retention time of 14.5 minutes. The major fragment ions detected were at m/z 77, 105, 147, 223 and 224 at the identified retention time by selected reaction monitoring/SRM. These data confirm the presence of DBM from its natural source ( G. glabra), and the GC-MS/SRM method helps in the identification of this minor component in a complex biological matrix.

NP1EC degradation pathways under oxic and microxic conditions

The degradation pathway of nonylphenol ethoxyacetic acid (NP1EC) and the conditions favoring dicarboxylated alklyphenol ethoxyacetic acid (CAnP1EC; where n = the number of aliphatic carbon atoms) formation were studied in oxic microcosms constructed with organic carbon-poor soil from the Mesa soil aquifer treatment (SAT) facility (Arizona) and pristine organic carbon-rich sediments from Coyote Creek (California). Results suggest that the availability of dissolved oxygen determines the dominant biodegradation pathway; ether cleavage and the formation of NP is favored by oxic conditions, while alkyl chain oxidation and the formation of CAP1ECs is favored under microxic conditions. In the Mesa microcosms, para-NP1EC was transformed to para-nonylphenol (NP) before being rapidly transformed to nonyl alcohols via ipso-hydroxylation. In the Coyote Creek microcosms, large quantities of CAP1ECs were observed. Initially, CA8P1ECs were the dominant metabolites, but as biodegradation continued, CAP1ECs became the dominant metabolites. Compared to the CAsP1ECs, the number of CA6P1ECs peaks observed was small (< 6) even though their concentrations were high. Several novel metabolites, tentatively identified as 3-alkylchroman-4-carboxylic acids (with alkyl groups ranging from C2 to C5), were formed in the Coyote Creek microcosms. These metabolites are presumably formed from ortho-CAP1ECs by intramolecular ring closure.

The function of the midtarsal joint: a review of the literature

The midtarsal joint (MTJt) consists of the combined articulations of the talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joints and represents the functional articulation between the rearfoot (talus and calcaneus) and the midfoot (navicular and cuboid). The movement of the transverse tarsal region has been described as a segment rotating around two distinct axes of the MTJt; the longitudinal and the oblique. Recent research has suggested that the two axes model of the MTJt is a theory of convenience to explain clinical observation, and that the MTJt moves in a more complex manner. It has been hypothesised that the MTJt has one triplanar axis of motion, so there remains the need to investigate the practical application of this understanding in terms of how this motion affects the MTJt in gait and the implications this may have on podiatric treatment.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of the organophosphorus insecticide chlorpyrifos and its major metabolites diethylphosphate, diethylthiophosphate and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol in the rat

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is a commonly used diethylphosphorothionate organophosphorus (OP) insecticide. Diethylphosphate (DEP), diethylthiophosphate (DETP) and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy) are products of metabolism and of environmental degradation of CPF and are routinely measured in urine as biomarkers of exposure. However, because these same chemicals can result from metabolism or by biodegradation, monitoring total urinary metabolite levels may be reflective of not only an individual's contact with the parent pesticide, but also exposure with the metabolites, which are present in the environment. The objective of the current study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of orally administered DEP, DETP and TCPy with their kinetics following oral dosing with the parent insecticide CPF in the rat. Groups of rats were orally administered CPF, DEP, TCPy or DETP at doses of 140mumol/kg body weight, and the time-courses of the metabolites were evaluated in blood and urine. Following oral administration, all three metabolites were well absorbed with peak blood concentrations being attained between 1 and 3h post-dosing. In the case of DEP and TCPy virtually all the administered dose was recovered in the urine by 72h post-dosing, suggesting negligible, if any, metabolism; whereas with DETP, approximately 50% of the orally administered dose was recovered in the urine. The CPF oral dose was likewise rapidly absorbed and metabolized to DEP, TCPy and DETP, with the distribution of metabolites in the urine followed the order: TCPy (22+/-3mumol)>DETP (14+/-2mumol)>DEP (1.4+/-0.7mumol). Based upon the total amount of TCPy detected in the urine a minimum of 63% of the oral CPF dose was absorbed. These studies support the hypotheses that DEP, DETP and TCPy present in the environment can be readily absorbed and eliminated in the urine of rats and potentially humans.

Development of a non-invasive biomonitoring approach to determine exposure to the organophosphorus insecticide chlorpyrifos in rat saliva

Non-invasive biomonitoring approaches are being developed using reliable portable analytical systems to quantify dosimetry utilizing readily obtainable body fluids, such as saliva. In the current study, rats were given single oral gavage doses (1, 10, or 50 mg/kg) of the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF). Saliva and blood were then collected from groups of animals (4/time-point) at 3, 6, and 12 h post-dosing, and were analyzed for the CPF metabolite trichloropyridinol (TCP). Trichloropyridinol was detected in both blood and saliva at all doses and the TCP concentration in blood exceeded saliva, although the kinetics in blood and saliva were comparable. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) model for CPF incorporated a compartment model to describe the time-course of TCP in blood and saliva. The model adequately simulated the experimental results over the dose ranges evaluated. A rapid and sensitive sequential injection (SI) electrochemical immunoassay was developed to monitor TCP, and the reported detection limit for TCP was 6 ng/L (in water). Computer model simulation in the range of the Allowable Daily Intake (ADI) or Reference Dose (RfD) for CPF (0.01-0.003 mg/kg/day) suggests that the electrochemical immunoassay has adequate sensitivity to detect and quantify TCP in saliva at these low exposure levels. However, to validate this approach, further studies are needed to more fully understand the pharmacokinetics of CPF and TCP excretion in saliva. These initial findings suggest that the utilization of saliva as a biomonitoring matrix, coupled to real-time quantitation and PBPK/PD modeling represents a novel approach with broad application for evaluating both occupational and environmental exposures to CPF.