Genetic Dissection of Sympatric Populations of Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), Using DALP-PCR Molecular Markers

Direct amplified length polymorphism (DALP) combines the advantages of a high-resolution fingerprint method and also characterizing the genetic polymorphisms. This molecular method was also found to be useful in brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens species complex for the analysis of genetic polymorphisms. A total of 11 populations of Nilaparvata spp. were collected from 6 locations from Malaysia. Two sympatric populations of brown planthopper, N. lugens, one from rice and the other from a weed grass (Leersia hexandra), were collected from each of five locations. N. bakeri was used as an out group. Three oligonucleotide primer pairs, DALP231/DALPR′5, DALP234/DALPR′5, and DALP235/DALPR′5 were applied in this study. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram based on genetic distances for the 11 populations of Nilaparvata spp. revealed that populations belonging to the same species and the same host type clustered together irrespective of their geographical localities of capture. The populations of N. lugens formed into two distinct clusters, one was insects with high esterase activities usually captured from rice and the other was with low esterase activities usually captured from L. hexandra. N. bakeri, an out group, was the most isolated group. Analyses of principal components, molecular variance, and robustness also supported greatly to the findings of cluster analysis

Isolation, Characterization and Application of DNA Microsatellite Markers in Mungbean (Vigna Radiata L. Wilczek) and Other Selected Legumes

Mungbean (subgenus Ceratotropis) is an important food source in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia and Southeast Asia. It is an important source of plant protein and calcium, and is a good substitute for meat. Although it is an important crop, little is known about its genetic background. DNA markers, in particular micro satellites, are able to provide insights regarding the genetic structure and background of populations and thus would be of great benefit in mungbean improvement programs. Three techniques were used to isolate micro satellite loci in mungbean, namely direct amplification of length polymorphism (DALP), 5' anchored PCR and random hybridizing micro satellites (RAHM). A total of 107 repeat sequences were identified of which 80% were micro satellite loci and 20% were cryptic simple regions. The majority of micro satellites were found using the 5' anchored PCR procedure which proved to be the most efficient technique in the present study, while DALP did not produce any microsatellite

Cytogenetics of Premature Ovarian Failure: An Investigation on 269 Affected Women

The importance of X chromosome in the aetiology of premature ovarian failure (POF) is well-known but in many cases POF still remains idiopathic. Chromosome aneuploidy increase is a physiological phenomenon related to aging, but the role of low-level sex chromosome mosaicism in ovarian function is still undiscovered. Standard cytogenetic analysis was carried out in a total of 269 patients affected by POF: 27 chromosomal abnormalities were identified, including X chromosome and autosomal structural and numerical abnormalities. In 47 patients with 46,XX karyotype we performed interphase FISH using X alpha-satellite probe in order to identify X chromosome mosaicism rate. Aneuploidy rate in the patient group was significantly higher than the general population group. These findings underline the importance of X chromosome in the aetiology of POF and highlight the potential role of low-level sex chromosome mosaicism in ovarian aging that may lead to a premature onset of menopause

Génétique des populations de Beryx splendens de la zone économique de la Nouvelle-Calédonie : distribution des haplotypes du gène du cytochrome b de l'ADN mitochondrial et analyse phylogénétique de leurs séquences

La délimitation géographique des populations, établie sur les bases biologiques, est nécessaire à toute gestion rationnelle des pêcheries. Tel est le cas pour #Beryx splendens, ressource pour laquelle la mise en évidence de différentes populations dans la zone économique (ZE) de Nouvelle-Calédonie serait essentielle pour en éviter la surexploitation. L'ADN mitochondrial a été choisi comme marqueur génétique de la structure géographique de #B. splendens sur les monts sous-marins de la ZE de Nouvelle-Calédonie. (D'après résumé d'auteur

Carcass and meat parameters in Cornigliese sheep breed as affected by sex and age-class

A total of 72 animals from Cornigliese sheep breed were reared under homogeneous conditions, with the aim to assess the effect of sex (males, females) and age-class (heavy lambs, adults) on carcass and meat parameters. A model with fixed effects of herd, sex, slaughtering session, age-class and interaction (sex*age-class) was used; for slaughter data, the carcass weight was used as a covariate. The age-class effect was significant for most of the carcass measurements, indicating a late development in animals. Also, slaughter performance was significantly affected by age-class, with higher values (p<0.05) of hot carcass yield shown by heavy lambs than by adults. Carcass compactness index was lower in heavy lambs than in adults (p<0.001), and the lowest value (0.283; p<0.05) appeared in female heavy lambs. The percentage of fat trimmings in carcass and the tissue composition of sample cut were influenced by a significant interaction between age-class and sex (p<0.05): in males the age-class never affected the tissue composition of sample cut, as in females the muscle and fat percentages increased with age while the bone percentage decreased. The fat content of loin meat increased with age in females (p < 0.05) and decreased in males (p < 0.05). The poly-unsaturated fatty acids (FA) content of loin meat was higher in males than in females (p < 0.001), with saturated FA and mono-unsaturated FA revealing significant interactions between age-class and sex (p < 0.05). In conclusion, future implementation of genetic selection, oriented towards the improvement of meat production characteristics that are potentially present in the breed, is important

Tax efficient supply chain

This case started with the following question: How supply chains and tax policy interact? This question was the starting point for this study and was developed under the areas of Logistics and International Tax Policy. In order to support this study, the adopted methodology was the selection of a Multinational company – LPR Portugal – which has the transportation and distribution in the European Union as a scope of service and the customer satisfaction as the main value. LPR is a market leader, with business in 12 countries of European Union and also has subsidiaries in 8 countries. It is established in the market for more than 15 years, with a good market consolidation and high reputation. The study of LPR, as a case study, will allow a better understanding of the situation of an international company in terms of logistics and international policy. During this study, qualitative data were used and obtained through LPR Portugal and EY Portugal. The results from the data shows that supply chain management and international tax policy are not a well developed topic. As short, this study requires a reflection about how logistic and tax policy interacts, taking into consideration the international perspective. This study presents as a useful and practical tool by collecting questions that will allow a better understanding and analyzis of the problem.O presente caso de estudo teve como ponto de partida a seguinte questão: Como é que cadeia de abastecimento e a fiscal interagem? Esta questão serviu como ponto de partida à elaboração deste estudo e foi desenvolvida no âmbito da Fiscalidade e da Logística. A metodologia adoptada baseou-se na selecção de uma multinacional portuguesa, a LPR, que exerce uma actividade na área de transporte e de distribuição em toda a União Europeia, e que tem como principal valor, a satisfação do cliente. A LPR é uma empresa líder de mercado, está presente em mais de 12 países e têm filiais espalhadas por 8 países. Está presente no mercado há mais de 15 anos, uma boa consolidação de mercado e uma elevada notoriedade. O estudo da LPR, irá permitir uma maior compreensão da realidade de uma empresa internacional e os seus problemas em termos fiscais e logísticos. A análise do presente estudo integrou dados qualitativos, que foram obtidos através da LPR Portugal e da EY Portugal. Os resultados dos dados demonstram que a implementação de uma cadeia de abastecimento que tenha em consideração a política fiscal internacional ainda se encontra numa fase embrionária. Em suma, o estudo apresentado exige uma reflecção sobre a forma como as áreas de logística e fiscalidade estão relacionadas, tendo em conta, a realidade internacional. Este estudo apresenta-se assim como um instrumento útil e prático, sistematizando questões que permitam a consolidação dos conhecimentos e o desenvolvimento da capacidade de análise

Update on the Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics of Skull Base Chordoma

Chordomas are rare, low-to-intermediate grade malignant tumors arising from notochordal remnants in the midline skeletal axis. They account for <1% of central nervous system tumors and <5% of all primary malignant bone tumors. It is characterized by slow growth, local recurrence, and low metastasis rates. An increasing variety of techniques is now available to detect genetic alterations in chordomas, herein, we review the current knowledge of the genetic alterations in the skull base chordomas. The distribution of copy number changes is composed by two approaches; the low-resolution banding karyotyping and high-resolution whole genome CGH approach. The mapping of candidate genes in chordoma genesis awaits the application of high resolution targeted approaches. Chromosome 1p36.13 and 7q33 represent a candidate region for a chordoma gene. In gene expression study, many genes, such as HER2/neu, epidermal growth factor receptor, c-Met, platelet-derived growth factor receptor A and B, KIT receptors, E-cadherin, neural cell adhesion molecule, progesterone receptor B, estrogen receptor alpha, transforming growth factor alpha and basic fibroblast growth factor, fibronectin, and Cathepsin K, are differentially expressed and act a potential therapeutic targetope

Clinical, humanistic, and economic burden of severe haemophilia B in adults receiving factor IX prophylaxis: findings from the CHESS II real-world burden of illness study in Europe

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2021-04-30, collection 2021-12, accepted 2021-12-06, registration 2021-12-07, pub-electronic 2021-12-20, online 2021-12-20Publication status: PublishedFunder: uniQure IncAbstract: Background: Real-world studies of the burden of severe haemophilia B in the context of recent therapeutic advances such as extended half-life (EHL) factor IX (FIX) products are limited. We analysed data from the recent CHESS II study to better understand the clinical, humanistic, and economic burden of severe haemophilia B in Europe. Data from male adults with severe haemophilia B receiving prophylaxis were analysed from the retrospective cross-sectional CHESS II study conducted in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Inhibitors were exclusionary. Patients and physicians completed questionnaires on bleeding, joint status, quality of life, and haemophilia-related direct and indirect costs (2019–2020). All outcomes were summarised using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 75 CHESS II patients were eligible and included; 40 patients (53%) provided self-reported outcomes. Mean age was 36.2 years. Approximately half the patients were receiving EHL versus standard half-life (SHL) prophylaxis (44% vs 56%). Most patients reported mild or moderate chronic pain (76%) and had ≥ 2 bleeding events per year (70%), with a mean annualised bleed rate of 2.4. Mean annual total haemophilia-related direct medical cost per patient was €235,723, driven by FIX costs (€232,328 overall, n = 40; €186,528 for SHL, €290,620 for EHL). Mean annual indirect costs (€8,973) were driven by early retirement or work stoppage due to haemophilia. Mean quality of life (EQ-5D) score was 0.67. Conclusions: These data document a substantial, persistent real-world burden of severe haemophilia B in Europe. Unmet needs persist for these patients, their caregivers, and society

Resveratrol, cancer and cancer stem cells: A review on past to future

Cancer remains to be an unresolved medical challenge despite of tremendous advancement in basic science research and clinical medicine. One of the major limitations is due to the side effects of chemotherapy which remains to be palliative without offering any permanent cure for cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the subpopulation of cells in tumors that remain viable even after surgery, chemo- and radio-therapy that eventually responsible for tumor relapse. Hence, by eliminating non-stem cancer cells and cancer stem cells from the patient, permanent cure is expected. Phytochemicals have been under the intensive study to target these CSCs effectively and permanently as they do not cause any side effects. Resveratrol (RSV) is one such compound attaining lot of interest in recent days to target CSCs either alone or in combination. RSV has been used by several researchers to target cancer cells in a variety of disease models, however its CSC targeting abilities are under intensive study at present. This review is to summarize the effects of RSV under in vitro and in vivo conditions along with advantages and disadvantages of its uses against cancer cells and cancer stem cells. From the first reports on phytochemical applications against cancer and cancer stem cells in 1997 and 2002 respectively followed by later reports, up to date observations and developments are enlisted from PubMed in this comprehensive review. RSV is shown to be a potential compound having impact on altering the signal transduction pathways in cancer cells. However, the effects are variable under in vitro and in vivo conditions, and also with its use alone or in combination with other small molecules. Past research on RSV is emphasizing the importance of in vivo experimental models and clinical trials with different prospective combinations, is a hope for future promising treatment regimen