Phase analysis of circadian-related genes in two tissues

BACKGROUND: Recent circadian clock studies using gene expression microarray in two different tissues of mouse have revealed not all circadian-related genes are synchronized in phase or peak expression times across tissues in vivo. Instead, some circadian-related genes may be delayed by 4–8 hrs in peak expression in one tissue relative to the other. These interesting biological observations prompt a statistical question regarding how to distinguish the synchronized genes from genes that are systematically lagged in phase/peak expression time across two tissues. RESULTS: We propose a set of techniques from circular statistics to analyze phase angles of circadian-related genes in two tissues. We first estimate the phases of a cycling gene separately in each tissue, which are then used to estimate the paired angular difference of the phase angles of the gene in the two tissues. These differences are modeled as a mixture of two von Mises distributions which enables us to cluster genes into two groups; one group having synchronized transcripts with the same phase in the two tissues, the other containing transcripts with a discrepancy in phase between the two tissues. For each cluster of genes we assess the association of phases across the tissue types using circular-circular regression. We also develop a bootstrap methodology based on a circular-circular regression model to evaluate the improvement in fit provided by allowing two components versus a one-component von-Mises model. CONCLUSION: We applied our proposed methodologies to the circadian-related genes common to heart and liver tissues in Storch et al. [2], and found that an estimated 80% of circadian-related transcripts common to heart and liver tissues were synchronized in phase, and the other 20% of transcripts were lagged about 8 hours in liver relative to heart. The bootstrap p-value for being one cluster is 0.063, which suggests the possibility of two clusters. Our methodologies can be extended to analyze peak expression times of circadian-related genes across more than two tissues, for example, kidney, heart, liver, and the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus

Tawney and the third way

From the 1920s to the 1950s R. H. Tawney was the most influential socialist thinker in Britain. He articulated an ethical socialism at odds with powerful statist and mechanistic traditions in British socialist thinking. Tawney's work is thus an important antecedent to third way thinking. Tawney's religiously-based critique of the morality of capitalism was combined with a concern for detailed institutional reform, challenging simple dichotomies between public and private ownership. He began a debate about democratizing the enterprise and corporate governance though his efforts fell on stony ground. Conversely, Tawney's moralism informed a whole-hearted condemnation of market forces in tension with both his concern with institutional reform and modern third way thought. Unfortunately, he refused to engage seriously with emergent welfare economics which for many social democrats promised a more nuanced understanding of the limits of market forces. Tawney's legacy is a complex one, whose various elements form a vital part of the intellectual background to current third way thinking

A Treatment with a Protease Inhibitor Recombinant from the Cattle Tick (Rhipicephalus Boophilus microplus) Ameliorates Emphysema in Mice

Aims: To determine whether a serine protease inhibitor treatment can prevent or minimize emphysema in mice.Methods: C57BL/6 mice were subjected to porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) nasal instillation to induce emphysema and were treated with a serine protease inhibitor (rBmTI-A) before (Protocol 1) and after (Protocol 2) emphysema development. in both protocols, we evaluated lung function to evaluate the airway resistance (Raw), tissue damping (Gtis) and tissue elastance (Htis). the inflammatory profile was analyzed in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) and through the use of morphometry; we measured the mean linear intercept (Lm) (to verify alveolar enlargement), the volume proportion of collagen and elastic fibers, and the numbers of macrophages and metalloprotease 12 (MMP-12) positive cells in the parenchyma. We showed that at both time points, even after the emphysema was established, the rBmTI-A treatment was sufficient to reverse the loss of elastic recoil measured by Htis, the alveolar enlargement and the increase in the total number of cells in the BALF, with a primary decrease in the number of macrophages. Although, the treatment did not control the increase in macrophages in the lung parenchyma, it was sufficient to decrease the number of positive cells for MMP-12 and reduce the volume of collagen fibers, which was increased in PPE groups. These findings attest to the importance of MMP-12 in PPE-induced emphysema and suggest that this metalloprotease could be an effective therapeutic target.Laboratorios de Investigacao Medica do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (LIM/HC)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Univ São Paulo, Dept Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP EPM, Dept Bioquim, São Paulo, BrazilUFABC, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanas, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP EPM, Dept Bioquim, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Redistribution of Aluminum Ions During Processing of Sialon Ceramics

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65916/1/j.1151-2916.1986.tb04820.x.pd

Thermal simulation software outputs: a conceptual data model of information presentation for building design decision-making

Building simulation outputs are inherently complex and numerous. Extracting meaningful information from them requires knowledge which mainly resides only in the hands of experts. Initiatives to address this problem tend either to provide very constrained output data interfaces or leave it to the user to customize data organisation and query. This work proposes a conceptual data model from which meaningful dynamic thermal simulation information for building design decision-making may be constructed and presented to the user. It describes how the model was generated and can become operational, with examples of its applications to practical problems. The paper therefore contains useful information for software developers to help in specifying and designing simulation outputs which better respond to building designers’ needs

Multiple post-domestication origins of kabuli chickpea through allelic variation in a diversification-associated transcription factor

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is among the founder crops domesticated in the Fertile Crescent. One of two major forms of chickpea, the so-called kabuli type, has white flowers and light-colored seed coats, properties not known to exist in the wild progenitor. The origin of the kabuli form has been enigmatic. We genotyped a collection of wild and cultivated chickpea genotypes with 538 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and examined patterns of molecular diversity relative to geographical sources and market types. In addition, we examined sequence and expression variation in candidate anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway genes. A reduction in genetic diversity and extensive genetic admixture distinguish cultivated chickpea from its wild progenitor species. Among germplasm, the kabuli form is polyphyletic. We identified a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor at chickpea\u27s B locus that conditions flower and seed colors, orthologous to Mendel\u27s A gene of garden pea, whose loss of function is associated invariantly with the kabuli type of chickpea. From the polyphyletic distribution of the kabuli form in germplasm, an absence of nested variation within the bHLH gene and invariant association of loss of function of bHLH among the kabuli type, we conclude that the kabuli form arose multiple times during the phase of phenotypic diversification after initial domestication of cultivated chickpea

Structurally Related Monoterpenes p-Cymene, Carvacrol and Thymol Isolated from Essential Oil from Leaves of Lippia sidoides Cham. (Verbenaceae) Protect Mice against Elastase-Induced Emphysema

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction and inflammation. Natural products, such as monoterpenes, displayed anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities and can be used as a source of new compounds to COPD treatment. Our aim was to evaluate, in an elastase-induced pulmonary emphysema in mice, the effects of and underlying mechanisms of three related natural monoterpenes (p-cymene, carvacrol and thymol) isolated from essential oil from leaves Lippia sidoides Cham. (Verbenaceae). Methods: Mices received porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) and were treated with p-cymene, carvacrol, thymol or vehicle 30 min later and again on 7th, 14th and 28th days. Lung inflammatory profile and histological sections were evaluated. Results: In the elastase-instilled animals, the tested monoterpenes reduced alveolar enlargement, macrophages and the levels of IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-17 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and collagen fibers, MMP-9 and p-65-NF-kappa B-positive cells in lung parenchyma (p < 0.05). All treatments attenuated levels of 8-iso-PGF2 alpha but only thymol was able to reduced exhaled nitric oxide (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Monoterpenes p-cymene, carvacrol and thymol reduced lung emphysema and inflammation in mice. No significant differences among the three monoterpenes treatments were found, suggesting that the presence of hydroxyl group in the molecular structure of thymol and carvacrol do not play a central role in the anti-inflammatory effects.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, University of Sao Paulo (LIM)Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biol Sci, BR-09913030 Diadema, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Med, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Exact Sci & Earth, BR-09913030 Diadema, BrazilFed Univ ABC, Ctr Nat Sci & Humanities, BR-09606045 Santo Andre, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biosci, Campus Baixada Santista, BR-11015020 Santos, SP, BrazilDepartment of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, BrazilDepartment of Exact Science and Earth, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, BrazilDepartment of Bioscience, Federal University of São Paulo, Campus Baixada Santista, Santos 11015-020, SP, BrazilCNPq: 300546/2012-2CNPq: 304465/2012-7CNPq: 476877/2012-1CNPq: 306278/2015-4FAPESP: 2011/51739-0FAPESP: 2013/02881-4FAPESP: 2008/55359-5FAPESP: 2015/11936-2FAPESP: 2014/25689-4LIM: LIM20Web of Scienc

Avaliação da capacidade preditiva da circunferência da cintura para obesidade global e hipertensão arterial em mulheres residentes na Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte, Brasil

Avaliou-se a capacidade que a Circunferência da Cintura (CC) tem em identificar valores de IMC ≥25 (sobrepeso) e ≥30 (obesidade) a partir de níveis de ação recomendados internacionalmente. Setecentas e noventa e uma mulheres entre 15-59 anos foram recrutadas. Foram calculadas a sensibilidade e a especificidade no diagnóstico de sobrepeso e obesidade e a sensibilidade e especificidade na predição da hipertensão, a partir de valores de CC. As associações foram testadas por análise de regressão linear e regressão logística controlando para o efeito de fatores de confusão. A CC ≥80 e ≥88cm discriminou corretamente 89,8% de mulheres com IMC ≥25 e 88,5% com IMC ≥30. A obesidade abdominal (CC ≥88cm) esteve associada significativamente com a hipertensão na análise multivariada (OR = 2,88, IC 95%: 1,77-4,67). A hipertensão foi identificada com sensibilidade de 63,8 e 42,8% e especificidade de 68,0 e 83,3% para CC ≥80 e ≥88, respectivamente. A obesidade abdominal nos pontos de corte propostos pode discriminar adequadamente indivíduos em risco de se tornarem obesos, no entanto, apresenta um poder apenas moderado para discriminar indivíduos com níveis pressóricos altos. _______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThis study examined the capacity of waist circumference (WC) to identify subjects with overweight (BMI ≥25) and obesity (BMI ≥30), in agreement with internationally recommended levels of action. Data were obtained from 791 women, 15-59 years old. After identifying overweight and obesity according to WC values, sensitivity and specificity were calculated to verify whether WC could be a good risk predictor for hypertension. Associations were tested by linear regression and logistic regression, controlling for confounding.WC cut-off points of 80cm and 88cm correctly identified 89.8% and 88.5% of women with overweight and obesity, respectively. Abdominal obesity (WC ≥88cm) was statistically associated with hypertension in the multivariate analysis (OR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.77-4.67). Hypertension was identified with a sensitivity of 63.8% and 42.8%, and with a specificity of 68.0% and 83.3%, for WC ≥80 and ≥88, respectively. The proposed cut-off points for abdominal obesity can potentially distinguish individuals at risk for future obesity, but has only moderate power to predict individuals with high blood pressure