Ascl1 Balances Neuronal versus Ependymal Fate in the Spinal Cord Central Canal

Generation of neuronal types at the right time, location, and number is essential for building a functional nervous system. Significant progress has been reached in understanding the mechanisms that govern neuronal diversity. Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs), an intriguing spinal cord central canal population, are produced during advanced developmental stages, simultaneous with glial and ependymal cells. It is unknown how CSF-cNs are specified after the neurogenesis-to-gliogenesis switch. Here, we identify delayed Ascl1 expression in mouse spinal progenitors during the gliogenic phase as key in CSF-cN differentiation. With fate mappings and time-controlled deletions, we demonstrate that CSF-cNs derive from Ascl1-expressing cells and that Ascl1 triggers late neurogenesis in the amniote spinal cord. Ascl1 abrogation transforms prospective CSF-cN progenitors into ependymocytes. These results demonstrate that late spinal progenitors have the potential to produce neurons and that Ascl1 initiates CSF-cN differentiation, controlling the precise neuronal and nonneuronal composition of the spinal central canal.Fil: Di Bella, Daniela Jesica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación Instituto Leloir; ArgentinaFil: Carcagno, Abel Luis. Fundación Instituto Leloir; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bartolomeu, M. Lucía. Fundación Instituto Leloir; ArgentinaFil: Pardi, Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires - Instituto Partner de la Sociedad Max Planck; ArgentinaFil: Löhr, Heiko. University of Cologne; AlemaniaFil: Siegel, Nicole. Fundación Instituto Leloir; ArgentinaFil: Hammerschmidt, Matthias. University of Cologne; AlemaniaFil: Marin Burgin, Antonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires - Instituto Partner de la Sociedad Max Planck; ArgentinaFil: Lanuza, Guillermo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación Instituto Leloir; Argentin

Prevalence of hypospadias in Italy according to severity, gestational age and birthweight: an epidemiological study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hypospadias is a congenital displacement of the urethral meatus in male newborns, being either an isolated defect at birth or a sign of sexual development disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of hypospadias in different Districts of Italy, in order to make a comparison with other countries all over the world.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We reviewed all the newborns file records (years 2001–2004) in 15 Italian Hospitals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found an overall hypospadias prevalence rate of 3.066 ± 0.99 per 1000 live births (82.48% mild hypospadias, 17.52% moderate-severe). In newborns Small for Gestational Age (birthweight < 10^thpercentile) of any gestational age the prevalence rate of hypospadias was 6.25 per 1000 live births. Performing multivariate logistic regression analysis for different degrees of hypospadias according to severity, being born SGA remained the only risk factor for moderate-severe hypospadias (p = 0.00898) but not for mild forms (p > 0.1).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In our sample the prevalence of hypospadias results as high as reported in previous European and American studies (3–4 per 1000 live births). Pathogenesis of isolated hypospadias is multifactorial (genetic, endocrine and environmental factors): however, the prevalence rate of hypospadias is higher in infants born small for gestational age than in newborns with normal birth weight.</p

A Novel Mutation in the Upstream Open Reading Frame of the CDKN1B Gene Causes a MEN4 Phenotype

PubMed ID: 23555276This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Influence of Micronutrient Intake, Sociodemographic, and Behavioral Factors on Periodontal Status of Adults Assisted by a Public Health Care System in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Multivariate Analysis

The lack of access to a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, can predispose people to inflammatory diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and periodontitis. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between micronutrient intake, sociodemographic behavioral characteristics, and periodontal health in adults assisted by a public health care system. Participants (n = 450) answered a food frequency questionnaire and were submitted to anthropometric and oral clinical examinations. Principal component analysis was used to summarize the number of components emerging from 17-micronutrient intake. Subsequently, cluster analysis was employed. The prevalence of at least one periodontal pocket ≥ 4 mm was 67.4%. Three clusters were identified according to periodontal status. Cluster 1 “poor periodontal status” was characterized by older individuals (n = 202; 85% females) with poor periodontal status, lower education level, mainly smokers with non-transmissible chronic diseases (NTCD), with lower energy, omega-3, fiber, Zn, K, Cu, and vitamin C intake. Cluster 3 “healthy periodontal status” included younger individuals (n = 54) with the healthiest periodontal status, a higher education level, without NTCD, and with higher energy, omega-3, fiber, Zn, calcium, retinol, and riboflavin intake. Cluster 2 was labeled as “intermediate periodontal status”. Micronutrient ingestion was associated with periodontal status and may be considered in health promotion actions for low-income populations

Conservare mantenere e valorizzare il paesaggio. Contributi di cultura tecnologica

Con l'entrata in vigore del "Codice Urbani-, si sono introdotte sostanziali novità, tra cui l'estensione a tutto il territorio del concetto di "paesaggio", superando le precedenti definizioni che lo limitavano ad alcune categorie di beni ritenuti di maggior valore estetico paesaggistico. Si è diffusa la consapevolez:za che la conservazione e la valorizzazione del paesaggio costituiscono un processo che non può e non deve riguardare in via esclusiva i paesaggi di maggiore valore estetico, ambientale, storico ma anche il nostro paesaggio quotidiano. Da questi presupposti, nell'ambito di settori scientifici a vario titolo coinvolti sui temi del paesaggio. nell'ultimo decennio, si è sviluppata una grande attenzione sulla necessità di nuovi studi e approfondimenti a carattere interdisciplinare per un'efficace salvaguardia e miglioramento della qualità paesaggistica. Tale interesse deriva anche dall'urgenza di determinare norme, regole e strumenti in grado di contrastare il degrado cui il paesaggio italiano è stato violentemente sottoposto dal secondo dopoguerra. a causa dei potenti processi di trasformazione socio-economica del Paese, quali l'industrializzazione, l'abbandono delle attività agricole, l'industrializzazione, la crescita dei servizi. Tutti fenomeni che, nella loro interazione, hanno condotto alla semplificazione e banalizzazione della diversità del paesaggio agricolo, al degrado degli equilibri idrogeologici, allo spopolamento e all'abbandono degli ambiti rurali. L'intervento sul paesaggio può essere attuato certamente non attraverso disposizioni isolate, ma passando con urgenza da una mera difesa selettiva di alcuni aspetti salienti o critici a una strategia di gestione dei territorio, attraverso la messa a punto di nuovi strumenti di conoscenza e decisione. Questa raccolta di saggi, articolata in due sezioni, affronta le problematiche inerenti la conservazione e la valoriznizione del paesaggio proponendo una riflessione tecnologica su due aspetti emergenti: il perseguimento della qualità e della sicurezza del territorio attraverso la diminuzione dei livelli di vulnerabilità e il potenziamento della resilienza del sistema nelle sue componenti ecologiche, culturali ed economico-sociali; la definizione di strategie di intervento per promuovere lo sviluppo della dimensione locale del paesaggio, con i suoi aspetti ambientali, storici e culturali, come presupposto necessario per il superamento delle condizioni di marginalità socioeconomica

<b>Physiological and haematological response of <em>Oreochromis niloticus</em> (Osteichthyes: Cichlidae) exposed to single and consecutive stress of capture</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v26i4.1719 <b>Resposta fisiológica e hematológica de <em>Oreochromis niloticus</em> (Osteichthyes: Cichlidae) exposto ao estresse único e consecutivo de captura</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v26i4.1719

This work is a sequence of studies on tropical fish of economic importance that evaluated the effects of two different stress of handling on the physiology and haematology of <em>Oreochromis niloticus</em> L. acclimated for 10 days before the essay. The stress consisted in net capture of all fish from each aquarium for 30s emersion. Fish exposed to single stress (SS) the samples were collected in the times 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300min. after stress. In the consecutive stress (CS) the samples were collected in the times 0; 15min. after the first stress; 15min. after the second stress; 15min. after the third stress and 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, 180 e 240min. after the fourth stress totalizing four stimuli every 60min. Fish exposed to SS showed increased cortisol and glucose concentrations at 60min. as well as in the leucocytes number and hematocrit at 50min. after stress. Cortisol did not alter in fish exposed to CS, but glucose increased 15min. after the third stress. On the other hand, CS provoked reduction in the leucocytes number and later hematocrit increasing. Neutrophilia and lymphopenia were related to SS and CS.<br>Este trabalho é seqüência de estudos com peixes tropicais de importância econômica avaliando os efeitos de dois tipos de estresse sobre a fisiologia e hematologia de <em>O. niloticus</em> L, aclimatados durante 10 dias antes do experimento. O estresse consistiu na captura de todos os peixes do aquário com rede e emersão por 30 s. Nos animais submetidos ao estímulo único de captura (EU) as amostras foram coletadas nos tempos 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 120, 180, 240 e 300min. após o estresse. No estímulo consecutivo (EC) as amostras foram coletadas nos tempos 0; 15min. após o primeiro estresse; 15min. após o segundo estresse; 15min. após o terceiro estresse e 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, 180 e 240min. após o quarto estresse totalizando quatro estímulos a cada 60min. Os peixes expostos ao EU apresentaram aumento nas concentrações de cortisol e glicose 60min., bem como no número de leucócitos e hematócrito 50min. após o estresse. Não houve alteração do cortisol nos peixes do EC, mas a glicose aumentou 15min. após o terceiro estresse. Por outro lado, o EC provocou redução no número de leucócitos e aumento tardio do hematócrito. Observou-se neutrofilia e linfopenia após o EU e EC

The c.-456_-453delCCTT affects protein translation by reducing reinitiation.

<p>Schematic representation of the <i>CDKN1B</i> 5′UTR in the wild type (A) and in the c.-456_-453delCCTT carrier (B). The uORF coding sequence is shown as grey box. Electropherograms for germline (G) and tumor (T) DNA are shown.</p

Effect of the c.-428A>T restoring mutation.

<p>In both GH3 and HeLa cell lines c.-428A>T almost restores the modulation properties of the <i>CDKN1B</i> wild type uORF (A). Panel B shows the primary sequence differences in the wild type uORF compared with the -456_-453delCCTT+c.-428A>T.</p

Constructs used in transfection experiments.

<p>(A) Either the wild type, the c.-456_-453delCCTT or the c.-469C>T containing 5′UTRs were cloned upstream the firefly luciferase gene. (B) The wild type/c.-456_-453delCCTT 5′UTR were subcloned upstream the <i>CDKN1B</i> gene. (C) The introduction of the c.-428A>T substitution in the two former plasmids reported in panel A restores uORF length and intercistonic distance. (D) Constructs reported in panel B were mutated introducing a c.-74insC leading to the translation of a chimeric protein in the double mutant.</p