A Developmental Bias in Reading Frame Usage by Human Fetal Thymic TCRBDJ Transcripts is not Present in Genomic TCRBDJ Rearrangements

We have previously reported that reading-frame usage and functional diversification is developmentally regulated, with virtually all TCRB DJ mRNA transcripts using a single reading frame at 8 weeks of gestational age, tapering to 50% by adult life. We used the polymerase chain reaction to create genomic libraries of DJ rearrangements in the TCRB locus from thymuses at 7.7, 10, and 16 weeks of gestational age, and from adult thymuses. Clones were randomly picked and sequenced to determine junctional sequences and reading-frame utilization. The resulting data address the hypothesis that cells bearing genomic joints in reading frame one are preferentially selected during fetal life. This hypothesis predicts that reading- frame bias would also be observed among genomic DJ joints. Instead, we observed random utilization of the three possible D-region reading frames among genomic D1s1 => J1s1 joints during fetal life. Similar results were obtained at 7.7 weeks of gestational age in a second thymus in which both RNA and DNA were simultaneously isolated and used to create libraries of TCRBDJ transcripts or rearrangements. We conclude that reading-frame utilization is random among genomic D1s1-JB1s1 rearrangements and that the preferential usage of a single reading frame among mRNA transcripts of TCRB DJ transcripts is the result of preferential transcription of genomic TCRB DJ joints in a single reading frame, or that TCRB DJ transcripts have a longer half-life than transcripts in reading frames two or three

Exploring stable-based behaviour and behaviour switching for the detection of bilateral pain in equines

Efficient and sensitive animal pain detection approaches are increasingly studied with the goal of improving animal welfare and monitoring the efficacy of treatment and rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to determine the potential of various behaviours as sensitive indicators of subtle inflammation states in equines. The long-term goal of this research is to understand how to objectively and remotely classify behaviours that are associated with inflammation using wearable inertial sensor technologies. This study represents a proof-of concept investigation to ascertain what behavioural indices might be important in long-term monitoring of mild bilateral inflammation and recovery with a view to translating the approach to a technology-enabled remote monitoring paradigm. Bilateral synovitis of the intercarpal joints was induced in seven equines using lipopoly saccharide (0.25 ng) at time zero. The horses were confined to stables and monitored intermittently over seven days by stable-fixed video cameras. White blood cell count, carpal circumference and food availability were recorded across the study. An ethogram was created to manually annotate behaviours from video footage following lameness induction at seven different timepoints across a 1-week period. Behaviour data were processed extracting the duration, frequency and variability of behaviours. One-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant time effect for white blood cell count and behaviour switching. There were no significant changes in carpal circumferences and heart rate measures over the sampling period. Food availability appears to be an important contextual factor that should be considered in pain-related behavioural studies. We conclude that behaviour variability may be a promising indicator of subtle bilateral inflammation which should be further explored in larger controlled trials and different pain presentations. Future work will seek to optimise grouping of behaviours associated with inflammation that can be detected using wearable technologies for future remote monitoring protocols

Mundos mesclados, espaços segregados: cultura material, mestiçagem e segmentação no sítio Aldeia em Santarém (PA)

This article discusses the processes of cultural exchange between Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazilian, Amerindians, and mestizos based on the analysis of the material culture from households of Santarém (PA), occupied during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,. Although these social groups manipulated material culture aiming to express different values, related to hierarchy, social segmentation, and affirmation of identities, ambiguity also characterizes these assemblages. This material ambiguity informs about the mixtures of both practices and cultural references that brought about the building of a mestizo society.Com base na análise da cultura material proveniente de unidades domésticas do núcleo urbano de Santarém (PA), ocupadas nos séculos XVIII e XIX, o presente artigo discute os processos de trocas culturais entre portugueses, luso-brasileiros, indígenas e mestiços. Embora esses grupos sociais tenham manipulado a cultura material visando expressar diferentes valores, relacionados à hierarquia, segmentação social e afirmação de identidades, a ambigüidade é uma característica das amostras analisadas, informando sobre as misturas de práticas e de referenciais culturais que levaram à construção de uma sociedade mestiça

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Allergic rhinitis in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

BACKGROUND: Both allergic rhinitis and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common pediatric conditions associated with learning difficulties and sleep disturbances. There are conflicting research data regarding the association between ADHD and atopic disorders. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in patients with physician-diagnosed ADHD. METHODS: Patients 5 to 18 years of age who presented with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition diagnosis of ADHD to an outpatient pediatric psychiatry clinic were screened for allergic rhinitis with focused history, physical examination, and skin prick testing to common aeroallergens. RESULTS: Thirty patients were interviewed, with 23 of these undergoing physical examination and skin prick testing. Eighty percent reported allergic rhinitis symptoms, whereas 61% had at least 1 positive prick skin test result. Forty-three percent showed typical physical signs of allergic rhinitis, 100% had a positive atopic family history, and 53% had other associated atopic disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Most children with ADHD displayed symptoms and skin prick test results consistent with allergic rhinitis. Nasal obstruction and other symptoms of allergic rhinitis could explain some of the cognitive patterns observed in ADHD, which might result from sleep disturbance known to occur with allergic rhinitis. Therefore, evaluation and treatment of allergic rhinitis could benefit patients with ADHD

The Feasibility of Equine Field-Based Postural Sway Analysis Using a Single Inertial Sensor

(1) Background: Postural sway is frequently used to quantify human postural control, balance, injury, and neurological deficits. However, there is considerably less research investigating the value of the metric in horses. Much of the existing equine postural sway research uses force or pressure plates to examine the centre of pressure, inferring change at the centre of mass (COM). This study looks at the inverse, using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the withers to investigate change at the COM, exploring the potential of postural sway evaluation in the applied domain. (2) Methods: The lipopolysaccharide model was used to induce transient bilateral lameness in seven equines. Horses were monitored intermittently by a withers fixed IMU over seven days. (3) Results: There was a significant effect of time on total protein, carpal circumference, and white blood cell count in the horses, indicating the presence of, and recovery from, inflammation. There was a greater amplitude of displacement in the craniocaudal (CC) versus the mediolateral (ML) direction. A significant difference was observed in the amplitude of displacement in the ML direction between 4–12 h and 168 h. (4) Conclusions: The significant reduction in ML displacement during the acute inflammation period alongside greater overall CC displacement may be a compensatory behaviour for bilateral lameness

The Feasibility of Equine Field-Based Postural Sway Analysis Using a Single Inertial Sensor

(1) Background: Postural sway is frequently used to quantify human postural control, balance, injury, and neurological deficits. However, there is considerably less research investigating the value of the metric in horses. Much of the existing equine postural sway research uses force or pressure plates to examine the centre of pressure, inferring change at the centre of mass (COM). This study looks at the inverse, using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the withers to investigate change at the COM, exploring the potential of postural sway evaluation in the applied domain. (2) Methods: The lipopolysaccharide model was used to induce transient bilateral lameness in seven equines. Horses were monitored intermittently by a withers fixed IMU over seven days. (3) Results: There was a significant effect of time on total protein, carpal circumference, and white blood cell count in the horses, indicating the presence of, and recovery from, inflammation. There was a greater amplitude of displacement in the craniocaudal (CC) versus the mediolateral (ML) direction. A significant difference was observed in the amplitude of displacement in the ML direction between 4–12 h and 168 h. (4) Conclusions: The significant reduction in ML displacement during the acute inflammation period alongside greater overall CC displacement may be a compensatory behaviour for bilateral lameness