Molecular mapping in tropical maize (Zea mays L.) using microsatellite markers. 1. Map construction and localization of loci showing distorted segregation

Microsatellites have become the most important class of markers for mapping procedures. Primarily based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers, several molecular genetic maps of maize have been developed, mainly using temperate inbred maize lines. To characterize the level of polymorphism of microsatellite loci and construct a genetic map in tropical maize, two elite inbred lines, L-08-05F and L-14-4B, were crossed to produce 400 F-2 individuals that were used as a mapping population. A survey of 859 primer pair sequences of microsatellites was used. The polymorphism screens of each microsatellite and genotype assignment were performed using high-resolution agarose gels. About 54 % of the primer sets gave clearly scorable amplification products, 13 % did not amplify and 33% could not be scored on agarose gels. A total of 213 polymorphic markers were identified and used to genotype the mapping population. Among the polymorphic markers, 40 showed loci deviating from expected Mendelian ratios and clusters of deviating markers were located in three chromosome regions. Non-Mendelian scoring was present in 19 markers. The final genetic map with 117 markers spanned 1634 cM in length with an average interval of 14 cM between adjacent markers.13929610

Sex-specific genetic effects in physical activity: results from a quantitative genetic analysis

Background: The objective of this study is to present a model to estimate sex-specific genetic effects on physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) using three generation families. Methods: The sample consisted of 100 families covering three generations from Portugal. PA and SB were assessed via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). Sex-specific effects were assessed by genotype-by-sex interaction (GSI) models and sex-specific heritabilities. GSI effects and heterogeneity were tested in the residual environmental variance. SPSS 17 and SOLAR v. 4.1 were used in all computations. Results: The genetic component for PA and SB domains varied from low to moderate (11 % to 46 %), when analyzing both genders combined. We found GSI effects for vigorous PA (p = 0.02) and time spent watching television (WT) (p \u3c 0.001) that showed significantly higher additive genetic variance estimates in males. The heterogeneity in the residual environmental variance was significant for moderate PA (p = 0.02), vigorous PA (p = 0.006) and total PA (p = 0.001). Sex-specific heritability estimates were significantly higher in males only for WT, with a male-to-female difference in heritability of 42.5 (95 % confidence interval: 6.4, 70.4). Conclusions: Low to moderate genetic effects on PA and SB traits were found. Results from the GSI model show that there are sex-specific effects in two phenotypes, VPA and WT with a stronger genetic influence in males

Synergistic Effect of Co and Mn Co-Doping on SnO2 Lithium-Ion Anodes

The incorporation of transition metals (TMs) such as Co, Fe, and Mn into SnO2 substantially improves the reversibility of the conversion and the alloying reaction when used as a negative electrode active material in lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, it was shown that the specific benefits of different TM dopants can be combined when introducing more than one dopant into the SnO2 lattice. Herein, a careful characterization of Co and Mn co-doped SnO2 via transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction including Rietveld refinement is reported. Based on this in-depth investigation of the crystal structure and the distribution of the two TM dopants within the lattice, an ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy were performed to better understand the de-/lithiation mechanism and the synergistic impact of the Co and Mn co-doping. The results specifically suggest that the antithetical redox behaviour of the two dopants might play a decisive role for the enhanced reversibility of the de-/lithiation reaction

RUNX1 regulates a transcription program that affects the dynamics of cell cycle entry of naive resting B cells

RUNX1 is a transcription factor that plays key roles in hematopoietic development and in hematopoiesis and lymphopoiesis. In this article, we report that RUNX1 regulates a gene expression program in naive mouse B cells that affects the dynamics of cell cycle entry in response to stimulation of the BCR. Conditional knockout of Runx1 in mouse resting B cells resulted in accelerated entry into S-phase after BCR engagement. Our results indicate that Runx1 regulates the cyclin D2 (Ccnd2) gene, the immediate early genes Fosl2, Atf3, and Egr2, and the Notch pathway gene Rbpj in mouse B cells, reducing the rate at which transcription of these genes increases after BCR stimulation. RUNX1 interacts with the chromatin remodeler SNF-2-related CREB-binding protein activator protein (SRCAP), recruiting it to promoter and enhancer regions of the Ccnd2 gene. BCR-mediated activation triggers switching between binding of RUNX1 and its paralog RUNX3 and between SRCAP and the switch/SNF remodeling complex member BRG1. Binding of BRG1 is increased at the Ccnd2 and Rbpj promoters in the Runx1 knockout cells after BCR stimulation. We also find that RUNX1 exerts positive or negative effects on a number of genes that affect the activation response of mouse resting B cells. These include Cd22 and Bank1, which act as negative regulators of the BCR, and the IFN receptor subunit gene Ifnar1 The hyperresponsiveness of the Runx1 knockout B cells to BCR stimulation and its role in regulating genes that are associated with immune regulation suggest that RUNX1 could be involved in regulating B cell tolerance

INTERPRETANDO O LÍQUOR – COMO DADOS EPIDEMIOLÓGICOS PODEM AJUDAR NO RACIOCÍNIO CLÍNICO

Introdução: A meningite bacteriana sofreu grandes mudanças epidemiológicas após a introdução dos antibióticos e vacinas, passando de uma condição letal para tratável e prevenível. Compreender essas mudanças no perfil epidemiológico em nível local permitem planejar estratégias de terapia empírica. As alterações de líquor possuem papel fundamental nessa avaliação. Metodologia: Foi realizado um estudo transversal dos casos notificados de meningite entre janeiro de 2010 e junho de 2015 no Complexo Hospital de Clínicas – Universidade Federal do Paraná. Foram analisados a celularidade e citologia do líquor e os agentes etiológicos. Para as etiologias bacterianas, foi avaliado dados epidemiológicos. Resultados: Foram notificados 504 casos de meningite no período avaliado. A meningite asséptica foi a classificação epidemiológica mais comum. As meningites bacterianas com confirmação etiológica causadas por Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae ou Haemophilus influenzae ocorreram em 8,7% dos casos notificados, sendo que 30% delas ocorreram em menores de 1 ano. A N. meningitidis correspondeu a 61% desses casos, enquanto que S. pneumoniae a 34%. As meningites neutrofílicas com mais de 75% de neutrófilos são causadas por tais bactérias em mais da metade (53%). A meningite asséptica é a segunda principal etiologia (20%) seguida de perto pela meningite tuberculosa (17%). Os casos de meningite meningocócica se concentram em crianças até 1 ano (56% dos casos), a meningite pneumocócica se concentra nos adultos entre 18 e 50 anos (46%) e idosos (27%). Conclusões: O conhecimento da epidemiologia local através da interpretação do líquor, somada à avaliação da faixa etária são importantes aliados da avaliação clínica para determinação do agente etiológico mais provável e podem ajudar na decisão terapêutica

Using interpretative phenomenological analysis to inform physiotherapy practice: An introduction with reference to the lived experience of cerebellar ataxia

The attached file is a pre-published version of the full and final paper which can be found at the link below.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Qualitative research methods that focus on the lived experience of people with health conditions are relatively underutilised in physiotherapy research. This article aims to introduce interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), a research methodology oriented toward exploring and understanding the experience of a particular phenomenon (e.g., living with spinal cord injury or chronic pain, or being the carer of someone with a particular health condition). Researchers using IPA try to find out how people make sense of their experiences and the meanings they attach to them. The findings from IPA research are highly nuanced and offer a fine grained understanding that can be used to contextualise existing quantitative research, to inform understanding of novel or underresearched topics or, in their own right, to provoke a reappraisal of what is considered known about a specified phenomenon. We advocate IPA as a useful and accessible approach to qualitative research that can be used in the clinical setting to inform physiotherapy practice and the development of services from the perspective of individuals with particular health conditions.This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund