PLOS One | Jotup

How a teenager helped identify a new species of giant marine reptile

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Histology, Swimming, Ruby, Light, Research, PLOS One, University, Hope, Death, Shastasauridae, Carbon, Skull, Skeleton

A strange and enormous jawbone was discovered on the English coastline eight years ago, but my team was hesitant to identify it as a new species until more specimens came to light.

Key Points:

A strange and enormous jawbone was discovered on the English coastline eight years ago, but my team was hesitant to identify it as a new species until more specimens came to light.
Now, with the discovery of a second giant jawbone several years later, we have named a new species of ichthyosaur, an ancient marine reptile.
In 2016, prolific fossil hunter Paul de la Salle, unearthed a giant jawbone on the beach at Lilstock in Somerset.
My team, including De la Salle, studied this discovery and published our findings in 2018 in the journal PLOS One.

The preservation and fine detail provided new information that also helped us to better reinterpret De la Salle’s original bone.
We therefore erected a new genus (taxonomic rank) and species of giant ichthyosaur that we called Ichthyotitan severnensis, meaning “giant fish lizard of the Severn”.

Blue whale-sized giants

Using a basic formula called a simple scaling factor, we can estimate that our ichthyosaur was up to 26 metres long, about the size of a blue whale.
Comparisons with the same bone in other ichthyosaurs suggests that Ichthyotitan was between 20 and 26 metres in length.
We have to be careful with such estimations due to differences among species, such as those with long or short snouts.
At 202 million years old, the fossils narrowly predate a global extinction event that eradicated these giants – and marine reptiles would never reach such a size again.

Anyone can make a contribution

I asked them whether they would like to join my team to study this fossil and they agreed.
Ruby Reynolds is now a published scientist who not only found but also helped to name a gigantic prehistoric reptile.
Palaeontology is one of those sciences where anybody can make a significant contribution.

Dean Lomax worked with Paul de la Salle, Marcello Perillo, Justin and Ruby Reynolds and Jimmy Waldron of the Dinosaurs Will Always Be Awesome Museum on the referenced research. He dedicates the work to Paul de la Salle who found the first surangular in 2016.

ACTREC Researchers Show Cancer Treatments May be Promoting its Spread

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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Research, Education, ACTREC, Glomus tumor, Neoplasm, DNA, Mouse, PLOS One, Radiation, Protein, Treatment, PLOS, Blood, Lymphatic system, Metastasis

MUMBAI, India, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer spreads from its primary tumor to other parts of the body via blood or the lymphatic system in a process termed 'metastasis'. This usually represents an advanced stage in the disease's progression and tends to be fatal. Therefore, preventing metastasis remains a major goal in oncology.

Key Points:

In a step towards these efforts, Prof. Indraneel Mittra from the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), India, has shed light on what causes metastasis.
Their findings, published in PLOS One result from experiments in mice grafted with human breast cancer cells (xenografts) to induce cancer.
Prof. Mittra concludes,"Future long-term experiments should explore whether cfChP-deactivating agents given concurrently with anti-cancer treatments could help prevent metastatic spread.
When used as adjuncts to cancer treatment, these agents would have the added advantage of preventing some of the toxic side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy."

ACTREC Researchers Show Cancer Treatments May be Promoting its Spread

Retrieved on:

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Research, Education, ACTREC, Glomus tumor, Neoplasm, DNA, Mouse, PLOS One, Radiation, Protein, Treatment, PLOS, Blood, Lymphatic system, Metastasis

MUMBAI, India, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer spreads from its primary tumor to other parts of the body via blood or the lymphatic system in a process termed 'metastasis'. This usually represents an advanced stage in the disease's progression and tends to be fatal. Therefore, preventing metastasis remains a major goal in oncology.

Key Points:

In a step towards these efforts, Prof. Indraneel Mittra from the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), India, has shed light on what causes metastasis.
Their findings, published in PLOS One result from experiments in mice grafted with human breast cancer cells (xenografts) to induce cancer.
Prof. Mittra concludes,"Future long-term experiments should explore whether cfChP-deactivating agents given concurrently with anti-cancer treatments could help prevent metastatic spread.
When used as adjuncts to cancer treatment, these agents would have the added advantage of preventing some of the toxic side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy."

Reflection paper on investigation of pharmacokinetics in the obese population - Scientific guideline

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Leptin, PD, Metabolism, Toxicity, Body composition, Ciprofloxacin, Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Water, LBW, Perfusion, LBM, Canadian International Council, AUC, PLOS One, Bariatric surgery, Clopidogrel, CYP, Breast, Health, DNA-binding protein, BMC Public Health, Pharmacology, BMI, CRP, Pharmaceutical Research (journal), Organ, Draft, Guideline, Bypass surgery, WHO, Ageing, INT, Pharmacokinetics, Liver, Bioavailability, Chronic liver disease, Human, Incidence, Committee, Absorption, TBW, Cardiovascular disease, Anatomy, CYP2C19, PBPK, Cmax, Factorization of polynomials, European, Lancet, CHMP, Journal, NASH, Pharmacotherapy, Adipose tissue, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Medication package insert, Overweight, NPS MedicineWise, Permeability, Benzodiazepine, Meta-analysis, Liver disease, Half-life, Acetylcholine, Ciclosporin, AAG, Kinetics, Midazolam, Kidney, Safety, Biomarker, Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Peptide, Classification, Hypertension, Metabolic syndrome, Acute coronary syndrome, Insulin resistance, Fatty liver disease, CYP2E1, Lithium, Body mass index, Reproduction, EMA, IBW, Injection, Anker, NCA, Enzyme, Inflammation, Cancer, Weight loss, Gastrointestinal tract, Cardiac output, Public health, Adipokine, CYP2C9, E pluribus unum, Physiology, Agency, Risk, Steroid, Lymph, CYP2D6, BSA, GI, Cytokine, Systematic review, Vaccine

Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in

Key Points:

Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in
the obese population
Table of contents
1.
References .............................................................................................. 9
Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in the obese population
EMA/CHMP/535116/2016

Page 2/12

1.
This is considered
a shortcoming that is potentially compounded by obese patients often being poorly represented in
clinical studies.
The specific aims of this reflection paper are to:
?
describe how the effects of obesity can be investigated during clinical medicinal product
development.
?
provide recommendations on when investigations of the effect of obesity on the PK of a
medicinal product should be particularly considered.
Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in the obese population
EMA/CHMP/535116/2016
Page 3/12

?

discuss how to reflect PK (and/or PK/PD) findings in weight/weight-based dosing
recommendations.
Absorption
Reduced rate of absorption linked to locally reduced blood flow (8) is reported for the subcutaneous
and transdermal routes in obese subjects.
Distribution
The distribution of medicinal products is driven by body composition, regional blood flow and binding to
tissue and plasma proteins.
Obese subjects have a larger absolute lean body weight (LBW) as well as fat mass.
The physicochemical properties of a medicinal product (lipophilicity, polarity, molecular size, and
degree of ionization) influence its distribution in the body.
In BMI class III obese
subjects, the blood flow per gram of fat is significantly lower than that observed in class I obese or
lean subjects (4).
Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in the obese population
EMA/CHMP/535116/2016
Page 4/12

An increased amount of alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein (AAG), linked to a chronic inflammatory state, is
reported in obese individuals.
Fatty infiltrations are present in the liver for 90% of obese subjects, with the extent of the infiltrations
being proportional to the degree of obesity.
In some cases, in particular for CYP3A4 metabolized medicinal products,
bodyweight normalized clearance can be lower in obese patients (23).
Based on presently available data, it has been suggested that uptake transporters
Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in the obese population
EMA/CHMP/535116/2016

Page 5/12

are downregulated while efflux transporters may be upregulated (31).
Platelet hyper-reactivity is also observed,
which can impair the response to anti-platelet medicinal products in obese patients (42, 43).
Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in the obese population
EMA/CHMP/535116/2016
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3.

the medicinal product properties and scientific literature indicate that obesity may lead to a
marked effect on elimination and/or distribution or on the PK/PD relationship.
These
models may aid in extrapolating the known efficacy and safety in the non-obese population to the
obese population.
The Pharmacokinetics of the CYP3A Substrate Midazolam in Morbidly Obese Patients
Before and One Year After Bariatric Surgery.
Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in the obese population
EMA/CHMP/535116/2016
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41.
Reflection paper on investigations of pharmacokinetics in the obese population
EMA/CHMP/535116/2016
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Do one in six Indians over 59 really have a mild brain disorder, as a new study suggests?

Retrieved on:

Thursday, February 8, 2024

A new study, published in PLOS One, suggests that the prevalence of dementia in India is higher than previously thought.

Key Points:

A new study, published in PLOS One, suggests that the prevalence of dementia in India is higher than previously thought.
Dementia is considered a major neurocognitive disorder, while mild cognitive impairment, a common early stage of dementia, a minor neurocognitive disorder.
The study results showed that nearly one-sixth (17.6%) of people over 59 in India have a mild neurocognitive disorder, while 7.2% have a major neurocognitive disorder.
Mild cognitive impairment and dementia are commonly based on performance on cognitive tests and whether cognitive changes affect everyday activities.
For mild cognitive impairment, people will have mild cognitive changes, but they do not affect their everyday activities.

Shortcomings

Despite cognition and everyday activity being key to dementia diagnostics worldwide, they have significant shortcomings, in particular for assessments in developing countries, such as India.
For the current study, nearly half of their participants had either no formal education or were illiterate.
But what else can we do to determine if someone is either at risk or has dementia?
Read more:
Playing a musical instrument or singing in a choir may boost your brain – new study

Michael Hornberger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

New Publication Identifies Key Proteins Involved in Amyloid Oligomer Binding and Supports Mechanism of CT1812

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

PLOS One, SNAP, Synapse, CMO, Cognition, Microscopy, FRET, University, Protein, PLOS, Therapy, Brain, Biology, Prion, Translational Neurodegeneration, TMEM97, Doctor of Philosophy, Medical imaging

Results detected TMEM97, a protein component of the σ-2 receptor complex, in close proximity to cellular prion protein (PrPc) on Alzheimer’s brain synapses.

Key Points:

Results detected TMEM97, a protein component of the σ-2 receptor complex, in close proximity to cellular prion protein (PrPc) on Alzheimer’s brain synapses.
These findings support the hypothesis that these receptor proteins may form a complex on the synapse surface with Aβ oligomers binding to one or both proteins.
“Previous work indicated that Aβ oligomers damage synapses, but until now it was not possible to know which proteins bind toxic forms of Aβ in human synapses.
Importantly, this FRET signal is reduced in CT1812-treated mice, suggesting that CT1812 caused the release of Aβ oligomers from their binding site and prevented them from re-binding.

Biophilic Designer Susie Frazier Collaborates with Global Law Firm Squire Patton Boggs

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Susie Frazier , a biophilic artist, WELL Faculty member and WELL Accredited Professional with the International WELL Building Institute, has created a mixed media art installation for global law firm Squire Patton Boggs.

Key Points:

Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Susie Frazier , a biophilic artist, WELL Faculty member and WELL Accredited Professional with the International WELL Building Institute, has created a mixed media art installation for global law firm Squire Patton Boggs.
*
Frazier is a prominent advocate for including natural patterns, earth materials, and biophilic philosophies into any built environment.
These elements and concepts have been incorporated into a mixed media biophilic art installation by Frazier for global law firm Squire Patton Boggs , symbolizing its foundational life force.
“For over a century, the collaborative culture of our partnership and tradition of entrepreneurialism has propelled us to become the international law firm we are today,” says Michele Connell, Global Managing Partner, Squire Patton Boggs.

Biophilic Designer Susie Frazier Collaborates with Global Law Firm Squire Patton Boggs

Retrieved on:

Thursday, November 23, 2023

These elements and concepts have been incorporated into a mixed media biophilic art installation by Frazier for global law firm Squire Patton Boggs , symbolizing its foundational life force.

Key Points:

These elements and concepts have been incorporated into a mixed media biophilic art installation by Frazier for global law firm Squire Patton Boggs , symbolizing its foundational life force.
Frazier has been working with representatives of the firm on the project since June 2022, and it was carefully installed at their headquarters this fall.
“For over a century, the collaborative culture of our partnership and tradition of entrepreneurialism has propelled us to become the international law firm we are today,” says Michele Connell, Global Managing Partner, Squire Patton Boggs.
Susie’s creativity brought the project to life, and we were so grateful to work with her.”
FLOW by Susie Frazier is a mixed-media biophilic art installation.

Fortetropin Identified as Potential Solution for Muscle Loss Linked to Popular Weight Loss Products

Retrieved on:

Thursday, October 19, 2023

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J., Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --

Key Points:

Preliminary observations by esteemed experts suggest that Fortetropin might be a promising solution to the muscle deterioration linked with certain mainstream weight loss products.
However, like many weight loss products, it can lead to muscle loss.
By combining a muscle health product like Fortetropin with a weight loss product, users should enjoy the weight loss benefits without the same degree of muscle depletion.
This suggests that Fortetropin supplementation can favor a conducive environment for muscle growth and as well as attenuate muscle loss.

New species of cobra-like snake discovered – but it may already be extinct

Retrieved on:

Monday, October 2, 2023

However, recent advances in DNA extraction techniques mean that biologists can study the genetic code of old museum specimens, which include extremely rare or even recently extinct species.

Key Points:

However, recent advances in DNA extraction techniques mean that biologists can study the genetic code of old museum specimens, which include extremely rare or even recently extinct species.
We harnessed this new technology to study a snake from the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe that was run over in 1982, and discovered it was a new species.
This snake had unusual markings with red skin between its scales, creating the effect of black dots on a red background when its hood is extended.

A rare find

A handful of specimens were observed and measured in later years, but the landscape has been drastically altered by forestry.
The rinkhals from Zimbabwe has not been seen in the wild since 1988 and is feared to be extinct.
This population lives 700km away from other, more southerly populations, which made us suspect it may be a separate species.

New technology

Our study showed they represent a long-isolated population, highly distinct from the southern rinkhals populations.
Based on their genetic divergence from the other rinkhals, we estimate that the snakes in Zimbabwe diverged from their southern relatives 7-14 million years ago.
Hemachatus nyangensis has fangs modified to spit venom, although the behaviour was not reported from the few recorded interactions with humans.

A connection between human and snake evolution

Similarly, the venom spitting in Asian cobras is thought to have emerged around 2.5 million years ago, which is around the time the extinct human species Homo erectus would have become a threat to those species.
Our study of Nyanga rinkhals suggests that the third time venom spitting evolved independently in snakes may also have coincided with the origin of upright-walking hominins.
Technological advances may be giving us incredible insights into ancient animal lineages but they can’t make up for an extinction.
The possible relationship between venom spitting and our early ancestors is a reminder that we are part of the Earth’s ecosystem.