Quantification and characterization of plastics in near-shore surface waters of Atlantic Canada.

Plastics are a ubiquitous pollutant in the marine environment. Despite growing concerns, quantitative and qualitative data on microplastics in aquatic and marine environments of Atlantic Canada is just emerging. Surface water plastics were measured and categorized by morphology (thread, microfibre, fragment, foam, film, pellet, and microbead) in two locations in Nova Scotia and one in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Deletion of in mouse lung epithelium unveils molecular mechanisms governing pleuropulmonary blastoma pathogenesis.

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a very rare pediatric lung disease. It can progress from abnormal epithelial cysts to an aggressive sarcoma with poor survival. PPB is difficult to diagnose as it can be confounded with other cystic lung disorders, such as congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM).

Low incidence of plastic ingestion among three fish species significant for human consumption on the island of Newfoundland, Canada.

This study reports the first baselines of plastic ingestion for three fish species that are common commercial and sustenance food fish in Newfoundland. Species collections occurred between 2015 and 2016 for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and capelin (Mallotus villosus). The frequency of occurrence (%FO) of plastic ingestion for both Atlantic salmon (n = 69) and capelin (n = 350) was 0%.

mice recapitulate aspects of human cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome.

The RAS/MAPK signaling pathway is one of the most investigated pathways, owing to its established role in numerous cellular processes and implication in cancer. Germline mutations in genes encoding members of the RAS/MAPK pathway also cause severe developmental syndromes collectively known as RASopathies. These syndromes share overlapping characteristics, including craniofacial dysmorphology, cardiac malformations, cutaneous abnormalities and developmental delay.

Stoichiometric distribution models: ecological stoichiometry at the landscape extent.

Human activities are altering the fundamental geography of biogeochemicals. Yet we lack an understanding of how the spatial patterns in organismal stoichiometry affect biogeochemical processes and the tools to predict the impacts of global changes on biogeochemical processes. In this contribution we develop stoichiometric distribution models (StDMs), which allow us to map spatial structure in resource elemental composition across a landscape and evaluate spatial responses of consumers.

Microplastic sampling with the AVANI trawl compared to two neuston trawls in the Bay of Bengal and South Pacific.

Many typical neuston trawls can only be used during relatively calm sea states and slow tow speeds. During two expeditions to the Bay of Bengal and the eastern South Pacific we investigated whether the new, high-speed AVANI trawl (All-purpose Velocity Accelerated Net Instrument) collects similar amounts and types of microplastics as two established scientific trawl designs, the manta trawl and the DiSalvo neuston net. Using a 335 μm net, the AVANI trawl can collect microplastics from the sea surface at speeds up to 8 knots as it "skis" across the surface, whereas the manta and DiSalvo neuston trawls must be towed slowly in a less turbulent sea state and often represent shorter tow lengths.