Effects of assisted reproductive technology on gene expression in heart and spleen tissues of adult offspring mouse

ObjectivesAssisted reproductive technology (ART) is an important part of reproductive medicine, whose possible effects on offspring’s health have drawn widespread attention in recent years. However, relevant studies are limited to postnatal short-term follow-up and lack of diverse sample sources analysis other than blood.MethodsIn this study, a mouse model was used to explore the effects of ART on fetal development and gene expression in the organs of offspring in the adulthood using next-generation sequencing. The sequencing results were then analyzed.ResultsThe results showed that it caused abnormal expression in 1060 genes and 179 genes in the heart and spleen, respectively. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the heart are mainly enriched in RNA synthesis and processing, and the cardiovascular system development also shows enrichment. STRING analysis identified Ccl2, Ptgs2, Rock1, Mapk14, Agt, and Wnt5a as the core interacting factors. DEGs in the spleen are significantly enriched in anti-infection and immune responses, which include the core factors Fos, Jun and Il1r2. Further exploration revealed the abnormal expression of 42 and 5 epigenetic modifiers in the heart and spleen, respectively. The expression of the imprinted genes Dhcr7, Igf2, Mest and Smoc1 decreased in the hearts of ART offspring, and the DNA methylation levels of Igf2- and Mest-imprinting control regions (ICRs) increased abnormally.ConclusionIn the mouse model, ART can interfere with the gene expression pattern in the heart and spleen of the adult offspring and that these changes are related to the aberrant expression of epigenetic regulators

An analysis of farmers' perception of the new cooperative medical system in Liaoning Province, China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since 2003, the number of pilot areas of the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) has increased in rural China. And the major efforts have been concentrated on the enrollment of prospective members. In this study, we examined the satisfaction of the rural residents with the NRCMS as well as factors affecting their attitudes towards the NRCMS.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The data for this study were collected from a survey involving twenty counties in Liaoning Province. Interviews and focus groups were conducted between 10^thJanuary and 20^thAugust 2008. A total of 2,780 people aged 18-72 were randomly selected and interviewed. Data were evaluated by nonparametric tests and ordinal regression models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>71.6% of the study subjects were satisfied with the NRCMS. Single factor analysis showed that attitudes towards the NRCMS were influenced by gender, age, marital status, and self-rated health status. In the ordinal regression analysis, gender, age, and self-rated health status affect satisfaction (P < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We found that a considerable proportion of farmers were satisfied with the NRCMS. Gender, age, and self-rated health status had significant effects on farmers' attitudes towards the NRCMS. The Chinese Central Government attempted to adopt active measures in the future to continuously improve the NRCMS, including initiating educational programs, building new medical facilities and increasing financial investment.</p

Long Cycle Life Lithium Metal Batteries Enabled with Upright Lithium Anode

The lithium metal anode is the holy grail of the battery field due to its lowest reduction potential and high specific capacity; however, its application is hindered by severe safety hazards and inferior cyclic stability due to dendrites and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Aiming at these problems, a coiled Li anode with a unique upright structure is proposed. The upright structure endows coiled Li anode with abundant inner reaction interface/space/mass for lithium deposit/storage/transport, which can induce the inner growth of Li dendrites and SEI. The Li+ transport/deposit behavior and mechanism of coiled Li anode are clarified via in situ observation and numerical simulation. Benefiting from the small volume expansion and sufficient Li+ transport, the coiled Li anodes combined with Li4Ti5O12 cathodes achieve a long life of over 2000 cycles at 5C with a reversible capacity of 129 mAh g(-1) and 100% Coulombic efficiency

Design, Catalyst-Free Synthesis of New Novel &alpha;-Trifluoromethylated Tertiary Alcohols Bearing Coumarins as Potential Antifungal Agents

A new method for the synthesis of &alpha;-trifluoromethylated tertiary alcohols bearing coumarins is described. The reaction of 3-(trifluoroacetyl)coumarin and pyrrole provided the target compounds with high yields under catalyst-free, mild conditions. The crystal structure of compound 3fa was investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis. The biological activities, such as in vitro antifungal activity of the &alpha;-trifluoromethylated tertiary alcohols against Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium moniliforme, Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, and Phytophthora parasitica var nicotianae, were investigated. The bioassay results indicated that compounds 3ad, 3gd, and 3hd showed broad-spectrum antifungal activity in vitro. Compound 3cd exhibited excellent fungicidal activity against Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, with an EC50 value of 10.9 &mu;g/mL, which was comparable to that of commercial fungicidal triadimefon (EC50 = 6.1 &mu;g/mL). Furthermore, molecular docking study suggested that 3cd had high binding affinities with 1W9U, like argifin