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1. Quantification of naproxen in equine plasma for doping control in horse racing using strong anion exchange solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography with UV detection

   Ogunleye, T.; Chao, M.; Song, L. (April 2019, 111th Illinois State Academy of Science Annual Meeting)

   A method using strong anion exchange solid phase extraction (SAX-SPE) followed by liquid chromatography ultraviolet detection (LC-UV) for the analysis of flunixin in equine plasma for doping control in horse racing has been developed. By using SAX-SPE, commonly regulated non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), i.e. PBZ, OPBZ, diclofenac, flunixin, ketoprofen, meclofenamic acid and naproxen, and an internal standard, i.e. flurbiprofen, were first selectively extracted. Then, baseline separation of flunixin from other NSAIDs, the internal standard, and residual components of equine plasma was achieved using LC-UV. Finally, flunixin in equine plasma was quantified after an internal calibration curve was created. 

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2. Quantification of phenylbutazone in equine plasma for doping control in horse racing using strong anion exchange solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography with UV detection

   Lin, F.; Heiser, N.; Song, L. (April 2019, 111th Illinois State Academy of Science Annual Meeting)

   A method using strong anion exchange solid phase extraction (SAX-SPE) followed by liquid chromatography ultraviolet detection (LC-UV) for the analysis of phenylbutazone (PBZ) and its metabolite oxyphenbutazone (OPBZ) in equine plasma for doping control in horse racing has been developed. By using SAX-SPE, commonly regulated non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), i.e. PBZ, OPBZ, diclofenac, flunixin, ketoprofen, meclofenamic acid and naproxen, and an internal standard, i.e. tolfenamic acid, were first selectively extracted. Then, baseline separation of PBZ, OPBZ from other NSAIDs, internal standard, and residual components of equine plasma was achieved using LC-UV. Finally, PBZ and OPBZ in equine plasma were quantified after an internal calibration curve was created. 

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3. Single Cell RNA Sequencing Provides Clues for the Developmental Genetic Basis of Syngnathidae’s Evolutionary Adaptations

   https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.97764.1  

   Healey, Hope M; Penn, Hayden B; Small, Clayton M; Bassham, Susan; Goyal, Vithika; Woods, Micah A; Cresko, William A (June 2024, eLife)

   Seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons are fishes from the family Syngnathidae that have evolved extraordinary traits including male pregnancy, elongated snouts, loss of teeth, and dermal bony armor. The developmental genetic and cellular changes that led to the evolution of these traits are largely unknown. Recent syngnathid genomes revealed suggestive gene content differences and provide the opportunity for detailed genetic analyses. We created a single cell RNA sequencing atlas of Gulf pipefish embryos to understand the developmental basis of four traits: derived head shape, toothlessness, dermal armor, and male pregnancy. We completed marker gene analyses, built genetic networks, and examined spatial expression of select genes. We identified osteochondrogenic mesenchymal cells in the elongating face that express regulatory genes bmp4, sfrp1a, and prdm16. We found no evidence for tooth primordia cells, and we observed re-deployment of osteoblast genetic networks in developing dermal armor.Finally, we found that epidermal cells expressed nutrient processing and environmental sensing genes, potentially relevant for the brooding environment. The examined pipefish evolutionary innovations are composed of recognizable cell types, suggesting derived features originate from changes within existing gene networks. Future work addressing syngnathid gene networks across multiple stages and species is essential for understanding how their novelties evolved. 

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4. Maternal glucocorticoids have minimal effects on HPA axis activity and behavior of juvenile wild North American red squirrels

   https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.236620  

   Westrick, Sarah E.; van Kesteren, Freya; Boutin, Stan; Lane, Jeffrey E.; McAdam, Andrew G.; Dantzer, Ben (May 2021, Journal of Experimental Biology)

   ABSTRACT As a response to environmental cues, maternal glucocorticoids (GCs) may trigger adaptive developmental plasticity in the physiology and behavior of offspring. In North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), mothers exhibit increased GCs when conspecific density is elevated, and selection favors more aggressive and perhaps more active mothers under these conditions. We tested the hypothesis that elevated maternal GCs cause shifts in offspring behavior that may prepare them for high-density conditions. We experimentally elevated maternal GCs during gestation or early lactation. We measured two behavioral traits (activity and aggression) in weaned offspring using standardized behavioral assays. Because maternal GCs may influence offspring hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis dynamics, which may in turn affect behavior, we also measured the impact of our treatments on offspring HPA axis dynamics (adrenal reactivity and negative feedback), and the association between offspring HPA axis dynamics and behavior. Increased maternal GCs during lactation, but not gestation, slightly elevated activity levels in offspring. Offspring aggression and adrenal reactivity did not differ between treatment groups. Male, but not female, offspring from mothers treated with GCs during pregnancy exhibited stronger negative feedback compared with those from control mothers, but there were no differences in negative feedback between lactation treatment groups. Offspring with higher adrenal reactivity from mothers treated during pregnancy (both controls and GC-treated) exhibited lower aggression and activity. These results suggest that maternal GCs during gestation or early lactation alone may not be a sufficient cue to produce substantial changes in behavioral and physiological stress responses in offspring in natural populations. 

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5. Pregnant in a Pandemic: Connecting Perceptions of Uplifts and Hassles to Mental Health

   https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053221120115  

   Reich, Stephanie M.; Tulagan, Nestor; Dahlin, Melissa; Labaff, Sina; Dutt, Nikil; Rahmani, Amir (August 2022, Journal of Health Psychology)

   How women experience pregnancy as uplifting or a hassle is related to their mental and physical health and birth outcomes. Pregnancy during a pandemic introduces new hassles, but may offer benefits that could affect how women perceive their pregnancy. Surveying 118 ethnically and racially diverse pregnant women, we explore (1) women’s traditional and pandemic-related pregnancy uplifts and hassles and (2) how these experiences of pregnancy relate to their feelings of loneliness, positivity, depression, and anxiety. Regressions show that women who experience more intense feelings of uplifts than hassles also feel more positive, less lonely, and have better mental health. Findings suggest that focusing on positive aspects of being pregnant, in general and during a pandemic, might be beneficial for pregnant women’s mental health. 

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