Common variants near TARDBP and EGR2 are associated with susceptibility to Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma, a pediatric tumor characterized by EWSR1-ETS fusions, is predominantly observed in populations of European ancestry. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 401 French individuals with Ewing sarcoma, 684 unaffected French individuals and 3,668 unaffected individuals of European descent and living in the United States. We identified candidate risk loci at 1p36.22, 10q21 and 15q15. We replicated these loci in two independent sets of cases and controls. Joint analysis identified associations with rs9430161 (P = 1.4 × 10(-20); odds ratio (OR) = 2.2) located 25 kb upstream of TARDBP, rs224278 (P = 4.0 × 10(-17); OR = 1.7) located 5 kb upstream of EGR2 and, to a lesser extent, rs4924410 at 15q15 (P = 6.6 × 10(-9); OR = 1.5). The major risk haplotypes were less prevalent in Africans, suggesting that these loci could contribute to geographical differences in Ewing sarcoma incidence. TARDBP shares structural similarities with EWSR1 and FUS, which encode RNA binding proteins, and EGR2 is a target gene of EWSR1-ETS. Variants at these loci were associated with expression levels of TARDBP, ADO (encoding cysteamine dioxygenase) and EGR2.     

Organophosphate-mediated inhibition of choline acetyltransferase activity in rat brain tissue

Administration of the organophosphate compound soman in rats resulted in an inhibition of choline acetyltransferase activity in almost all brain regions examined. Enzyme activity was inhibited by 20-50% in various brain regions 30 min after soman injection (94-120 micrograms/kg). Enzyme activity in two regions decreased with time to a near zero level by 3 h after injection.     

The curvature argument

Dasgupta (2015) has recently put forward a novel argument, which he calls the ‘curvature argument’, that aims to show that Galilean spacetime is not an ideal setting for our classical theory of motion. This paper examines the curvature argument and argues that it is not sound. The discussion yields a remark about the conditions under which a ‘symmetry argument’ demonstrates that a particular spacetime is a non-ideal setting for our theory of motion.     

Common variation at 10p12.31 near MLLT10 influences meningioma risk

To identify susceptibility loci for meningioma, we conducted a genome-wide association study of 859 affected individuals (cases) and 704 controls with validation in two independent sample sets totaling 774 cases and 1,764 controls. We identified a new susceptibility locus for meningioma at 10p12.31 (MLLT10, rs11012732, odds ratio = 1.46, P(combined) = 1.88 × 10(-14)). This finding advances our understanding of the genetic basis of meningioma development.     

Distribution records and comments on fleas in southwestern South Dakota

From October 2003 through April 2006, we collected 565 fleas incidental to a distribution survey of mammals in southwestern South Dakota. Sixty-one specimens, representing 18 species of mammals, possessed 20 species of fleas. The geographic distributions of these flea species revealed 8 new records for the Black Hills and its adjacent grasslands. Four species— Megarthroglossus divisus, Stenoponia americana, Odontopsyllus dentatus, and Amaradix euphorbi —constitute new records for South Dakota, thus increasing the state’s known flea fauna to 42 species. Hunters, trappers, and field biologists should be aware that serosurveillance during the 1990s revealed the presence of sylvatic plague and tularemia in the Black Hills area. Desde octubre de 2003 hasta abril de 2006, colectamos 565 pulgas de manera incidental durante un estudio de la distribución de mamíferos en el suroeste del estado de Dakota del Sur. Los 61 especímenes, que representaban 18 especies de mamíferos, albergaban 20 especies de pulgas. Sus distribuciones geográficas revelaron 8 nuevos registros para las Colinas Negras (Black Hills) y las praderas adyacentes. Cuatro de estas especies ( Megarthroglossus divisus, Stenoponia americana, Odontopsyllus dentatus y Amaradix euphorbi ) constituyen nuevos registros para Dakota del Sur. Esto aumenta el número de especies de pulgas conocidas del estado a 42 especies. Los cazadores, tramperos y biólogos de campo deben estar conscientes de que la vigilancia serológica durante la década de los 1990 reveló la presencia de la plaga silvática y la tularemia en el área de las Colinas Negras.     

Least Bell's Vireo breeding records in the Central Valley following decades of extirpation

The Least Bell’s Vireo ( Vireo bellii pusillus ) was listed as state endangered in 1980 and federally endangered in 1986 in response to a sharp population decline and range reduction. This vireo commonly bred in riparian forests throughout the Central Valley of California, but prior to 2005, no nesting pairs had been confirmed in the region in over 50 years. On 29 June 2005, a Least Bell’s Vireo nest was located in a 3-year-old riparian restoration site at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge in Stanislaus County, California. In 2006, a Least Bell’s Vireo pair returned to the refuge to successfully breed, followed by an unsuccessful attempt in 2007 by an unpaired female. These records are approximately 350 km from the nearest known breeding population and appear to be part of a growing number of sightings outside of the species’ current southern California breeding range. These nesting attempts lend credence to the idea that extirpated species can recolonize restored habitat by long-distance dispersal.     

Cartilage biology, pathology, and repair

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of musculoskeletal disease and the most prominent type of arthritis encountered in all countries. Although great efforts have been made to investigate cartilage biology and osteoarthritis pathology, the treatment has lagged behind that of other arthritides, as there is a lack of effective disease-modifying therapies. Numerous approaches for dealing with cartilage degradation have been tried, but enjoyed very little success to develop approved OA treatments with not only symptomatic improvement but also structure-modifying effect. In this review we discuss the most recent findings regarding the regulation of cartilage biology and pathology and highlight their potential therapeutic values.