4,690 research outputs found
Sympathetic-transduction in untreated hypertension
Transduction of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) into vascular tone varies with age and sex. Older normotensive men have reduced sympathetic transduction so that a given level of MSNA causes less arteriole vasoconstriction. Whether sympathetic transduction is altered in hypertension (HTN) is not known. We investigated whether sympathetic transduction is impaired in untreated hypertensive men compared to normotensive controls. Eight untreated hypertensive men and 10 normotensive men (age 50 ± 15 years vs. 45 ± 12 years (mean ± SD); p = 0.19, body mass index (BMI) 24.7 ± 2.7 kg/m(2) vs. 26.0 ± 4.2 kg/m(2); p = 0.21) were recruited. MSNA was recorded from the peroneal nerve using microneurography; beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP; Finapres) and heart rate (ECG) were recorded simultaneously at rest for 10 min. Sympathetic-transduction was quantified using a previously described method. The relationship between MSNA burst area and subsequent diastolic BP was measured for each participant with the slope of the regression indicating sympathetic transduction. MSNA was higher in the hypertensive group compared to normotensives (73 ± 17 bursts/100 heartbeats vs. 49 ± 19 bursts/100 heart bursts; p = 0.007). Sympathetic-transduction was lower in the hypertensive versus normotensive group (0.04%/mmHg/s vs. 0.11%/mmHg/s, respectively; R = 0.622; p = 0.006). In summary, hypertensive men had lower sympathetic transduction compared to normotensive individuals suggesting that higher levels of MSNA are needed to cause the same level of vasoconstrictor tone
A Copy Number Variant on Chromosome 20q13.3 Implicated in Thinness and Severe Obesity
Background/Objectives. To identify copy number variants (CNVs) which are associated with body mass index (BMI). Subjects/Methods. CNVs were identified using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) on members of pedigrees ascertained through severely obese (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) sib pairs (86 pedigrees) and thin (BMI ≤ 23 kg/m2) probands (3 pedigrees). Association was inferred through pleiotropy of BMI with CNV log2 intensity ratio. Results. A 77-kilobase CNV on chromosome 20q13.3, confirmed by real-time qPCR, exhibited deletions in the obese subjects and duplications in the thin subjects (P=2.2×10-6). Further support for the presence of a deletion derived from inference by likelihood analysis of null alleles for SNPs residing in the region. Conclusions. One or more of 7 genes residing in a chromosome 20q13.3 CNV region appears to influence BMI. The strongest candidate is ARFRP1, which affects glucose metabolism in mice
Sheep Updates 2005 - Part 3
This session covers seven papers from different authors: CUSTOMER 1. Benefits VIAscanR to producers and WAMMCO, Rob Davidson, Supply Development Manager, David Pethick, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Studies, Murdock University. 2. Healthy fats in lamb: how WA lambs compare with others, C. F. Engelke Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, bCSIRO Livestock Industries, Western Australia B.D. Siebert, Department of Animal Science, University of Adelaide, South Australia, K. Gregg, Centre for High-Throughput Agricultural Genetic Analysis, Murdoch University, Western Australia. A-D.G. Wright CSIRO Livestock Industries, Western Australia, P.E Vercoe Animal Biology, University of Western Australia 3. Shelf life of fresh lamb meat: lamb age & electrical stimulation, Dr Robin Jacob, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia 4. Pastures from space - An evaluation of adoption of by Australian woolgrowers, Russell Barnett, Australian Venture Consultants, Joanne Sneddon, University of Western Australia 5. Your clients can learn from ASHEEP\u27s example, Sandra Brown Department of Agriculture Western Australia 6. Lifetime Wool - Farmers attitudes affect their adoption of recommended ewe management, G. Rose Department of Agriculture Western Australia, C. Kabore, Kazresearch, Lower Templestowe Vic, J. Dart, Clear Horizons, Hastings Vic 7. Sustainable certification of Australian Merino, what will customers be looking for? Stuart Adams, i-merino / iZWool International Pty Lt
NDM-5 and OXA-181 Beta-Lactamases, a Significant Threat Continues To Spread in the Americas
ABSTRACT Among Gram-negative bacteria, carbapenem-resistant infections pose a serious and life-threatening challenge. Here, the CRACKLE network reports a sentinel detection and characterization of a carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ST147 isolate harboring bla NDM-5 and bla OXA-181 from a young man who underwent abdominal surgery in India. bla NDM-5 was located on an IncFII plasmid of ≈90 kb, whereas bla OXA-181 was chromosomally encoded. Resistome and genome analysis demonstrated multiple copies of the transposable element IS 26 and a “hot-spot region” in the IncFII plasmid
Is High Blood Pressure Self-Protection for the Brain?
Rationale: Data from animal models of hypertension indicate that high blood pressure may develop as a vital mechanism to maintain adequate blood flow to the brain. We propose that congenital vascular abnormalities of the posterior cerebral circulation and cerebral hypoperfusion could partially explain the etiology of essential hypertension, which remains enigmatic in 95% of patients. Objective: To evaluate the role of the cerebral circulation in the pathophysiology of hypertension. Methods and Results: We completed a series of retrospective and mechanistic case-control magnetic resonance imaging and physiological studies, in normotensive and hypertensive humans (n=259). Interestingly, in humans with hypertension, we report a higher prevalence of congenital cerebrovascular variants; vertebral artery hypoplasia and an incomplete posterior circle of Willis, which were coupled with increased cerebral vascular resistance, reduced cerebral blood flow and a higher incidence of lacunar type infarcts. Causally, cerebral vascular resistance was elevated before the onset of hypertension and elevated sympathetic nerve activity (n=126). Interestingly, untreated hypertensive patients (n=20) had a cerebral blood flow similar to age-matched controls (n=28). However, participants receiving anti-hypertensive therapy (with blood pressure controlled below target levels) had reduced cerebral perfusion (n=19). Finally, elevated cerebral vascular resistance was a predictor of hypertension suggesting it may be a novel prognostic and/or diagnostic marker (n=126). < Conclusions: Our data indicate that congenital cerebrovascular variants in the posterior circulation and the associated cerebral hypoperfusion may be a factor in triggering hypertension. Therefore lowering blood pressure may worsen cerebral perfusion in susceptible individuals
Cross-site comparison of ribosomal depletion kits for Illumina RNAseq library construction
Background
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) comprises at least 90% of total RNA extracted from mammalian tissue or cell line samples. Informative transcriptional profiling using massively parallel sequencing technologies requires either enrichment of mature poly-adenylated transcripts or targeted depletion of the rRNA fraction. The latter method is of particular interest because it is compatible with degraded samples such as those extracted from FFPE and also captures transcripts that are not poly-adenylated such as some non-coding RNAs. Here we provide a cross-site study that evaluates the performance of ribosomal RNA removal kits from Illumina, Takara/Clontech, Kapa Biosystems, Lexogen, New England Biolabs and Qiagen on intact and degraded RNA samples.
Results
We find that all of the kits are capable of performing significant ribosomal depletion, though there are differences in their ease of use. All kits were able to remove ribosomal RNA to below 20% with intact RNA and identify ~ 14,000 protein coding genes from the Universal Human Reference RNA sample at >1FPKM. Analysis of differentially detected genes between kits suggests that transcript length may be a key factor in library production efficiency.
Conclusions
These results provide a roadmap for labs on the strengths of each of these methods and how best to utilize them. Keywords: RNAseqr; RNA depletion; Illumina; NGS; ABRF; TranscriptomicsNational Cancer Institute (U.S.) (Grant P30-CA14051)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Grant P30-ES002109
The Lantern Vol. 27, No. 2, Spring 1959
• The Case for a Stratified Society • Education Courses • Some Thoughts for God\u27s Thinking Creatures • Sawdust to the Oats? • To Change the Things I Can... • Vignette • I Meet Goliath • Reverie and Reminiscence • On Flight • In Defense of Jazz • A Description • Line of Retreat • Alan Lomax and the American Folk Song • Dawn Stillness • Seasons • Two Poems • Despair • Too Late • Education • For All Practical Purposes He Was Bald • Contrast • I Belong to the Sea • Waves • Love • The Glory and the Dreamhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1077/thumbnail.jp
A Phylogenomic Study of the Genus Alphavirus Employing Whole Genome Comparison
The phylogenetics of the genus Alphavirus have historically been characterized using
partial gene, single gene or partial proteomic data. We have mined cDNA and
amino acid sequences from GenBank for all fully sequenced and some partially
sequenced alphaviruses and generated phylogenomic analyses of the genus Alphavirus
genus, employing capsid encoding structural regions, non-structural coding regions
and complete viral genomes. Our studies support the presence of the previously
reported recombination event that produced the Western Equine Encephalitis clade,
and confirm many of the patterns of geographic radiation and divergence of the
multiple species. Our data suggest that the Salmon Pancreatic Disease Virus and
Sleeping Disease Virus are sufficiently divergent to form a separate clade from
the other alphaviruses. Also, unlike previously reported studies employing limited
sequence data for correlation of phylogeny, our results indicate that the Barmah
Forest Virus and Middelburg Virus appear to be members of the Semliki Forest
clade. Additionally, our analysis indicates that the Southern Elephant Seal Virus
is part of the Semliki Forest clade, although still phylogenetically distant from all
known members of the genus Alphavirus. Finally, we demonstrate that the whole
Rubella viral genome provides an ideal outgroup for phylogenomic studies of the
genus Alphavirus
Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes that frequently colonise the human nasopharynx are common recipients of penicillin-binding protein gene fragments from Streptococcus mitis
Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important global pathogen that causes bacterial pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. Beta-lactam antibiotics are the first-line treatment for pneumococcal disease, however, their effectiveness is hampered by beta-lactam resistance facilitated by horizontal genetic transfer (HGT) with closely related species. Although interspecies HGT is known to occur among the species of the genus Streptococcus, the rates and effects of HGT between Streptococcus pneumoniae and its close relatives involving the penicillin binding protein (pbp) genes remain poorly understood. Here we applied the fastGEAR tool to investigate interspecies HGT in pbp genes using a global collection of whole-genome sequences of Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis and S. pneumoniae. With these data, we established that pneumococcal serotypes 6A, 13, 14, 16F, 19A, 19F, 23F and 35B were the highest-ranking serotypes with acquired pbp fragments. S. mitis was a more frequent pneumococcal donor of pbp fragments and a source of higher pbp nucleotide diversity when compared with S. oralis. Pneumococci that acquired pbp fragments were associated with a higher minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for penicillin compared with pneumococci without acquired fragments. Together these data indicate that S. mitis contributes to reduced β-lactam susceptibility among commonly carried pneumococcal serotypes that are associated with long carriage duration and high recombination frequencies. As pneumococcal vaccine programmes mature, placing increasing pressure on the pneumococcal population structure, it will be important to monitor the influence of antimicrobial resistance HGT from commensal streptococci such as S. mitis
Search for New Physics with Jets and Missing Transverse Momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
A search for new physics is presented based on an event signature of at least
three jets accompanied by large missing transverse momentum, using a data
sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns
collected in proton--proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV with the CMS detector
at the LHC. No excess of events is observed above the expected standard model
backgrounds, which are all estimated from the data. Exclusion limits are
presented for the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard
model. Cross section limits are also presented using simplified models with new
particles decaying to an undetected particle and one or two jets
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