Systematic review and assessment of systematic reviews examining the effect of periodontal treatment on glycemic control in patients with diabetes

There have been several systematic reviews(SRs) on whether periodontal treatment for an individual with both periodontal disease and diabetes can improve diabetes outcomes. The purpose of this investigation was to conduct a systematic review (SR) of previous meta-analyses, and to assess the methodological quality of the SRs examining the effects of periodontal treatment and diabetes. (PROSPERO Registration # CRD 42015023470). We searched five electronic databases and identified previous meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials published through July 2015. In cases where the meta-analysis did not meet our criteria, the meta-analyses were recalculated. General characteristics of each included trial were abstracted, analyzed, and compared. The mean difference, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and the I2 statistic were abstracted or recalculated. The Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews Instrument (AMSTAR) was used to assess methodological quality. Of the 475 citations screened, nine systematic reviews were included. In total, 13 meta-analyses included in nine SRs were examined. In comparability analyses, meta-analyses in four SRs did not meet our criteria, and were recalcuated. Of these 13 meta-analyses, 10 suggested significant effects of periodontal treatment on HbA1c improvement. Mean differences found in the 13 meta-analyses ranged from -0.93 to 0.13. AMSTAR assessment revealed six SRs with moderate and three with high overall quality. We can conclude that there is a significant effect of periodontal treatment on improvement of HbA1c in diabetes patients, although the effect size is extremely small. In addition to the small effect size, not all SRs could be considered of high quality

Evaluation of supercurrent distribution in High-TC superconductor by Scanning SQUID Microscopy

Scanning SQUID Microscope (SSM) is a powerful tool for observing small magnetic flux. It measures the z-component signal of flux density, but it is also available for observation of current distribution by inverting the Biot-Savart law. We report the two dimensional (2D) vector mapping of current distributions in high-TC superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−y (YBCO) thin films obtained by converting magnetic-field data measured by SSM. The current distribution contains those from both transport supercurrent and vortex current. The transport supercurrent is found to flow mainly along the edge of a stripline. The results are in good qualitative agreement with the calculated results based on simple London model. The YBCO films with an artificial grain boundary, i.e. Josephson boundary are also observed. The transport current seems to flows with avoiding the vortices, and an irregular vortex is observed at a point of grain boundary

Green fluorescence from cnidarian hosts attracts symbiotic algae

Reef-building corals thrive in nutrient-poor marine environments because of an obligate symbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagel-lates of the genus Symbiodinium. Symbiosis is established in most corals through the uptake of Symbiodinium from the environment. Corals are sessile for most of their life history, whereas free-living Symbiodinium are motile; hence, a mechanism to attract Symbiodinium would greatly increase the probability of encounter between host and symbiont. Here, we examined whether corals can attract free-living motile Symbiodinium by their green fluorescence, emitted by the excitation of endogenous GFP by purple-blue light. We found that Symbiodinium have positive and negative phototaxis toward weak green and strong purpleblue light, respectively. Under light conditions that cause corals to emit green fluorescence, (e.g., strong blue light), Symbiodinium were attracted toward live coral fragments. Symbiodinium were also attracted toward an artificial green fluorescence dye with similar excitation and emission spectra to coral-GFP. In the field, more Symbiodinium were found in traps painted with a green fluorescence dye than in controls. Our results revealed a biological signaling mechanism between the coral host and its potential symbionts

Sox genes in the coral Acropora millepora: divergent expression patterns reflect differences in developmental mechanisms within the Anthozoa

Background: Sox genes encode transcription factors that function in a wide range of developmental processes across the animal kingdom. To better understand both the evolution of the Sox family and the roles of these genes in cnidarians, we are studying the Sox gene complement of the coral, Acropora millepora (Class Anthozoa).\ud \ud Results: Based on overall domain structures and HMG box sequences, the Acropora Sox genes considered here clearly fall into four of the five major Sox classes. AmSoxC is expressed in the ectoderm during development, in cells whose morphology is consistent with their assignment as sensory neurons. The expression pattern of the Nematostella ortholog of this gene is broadly similar to that of AmSoxC, but there are subtle differences – for example, expression begins significantly earlier in Acropora than in Nematostella. During gastrulation, AmSoxBb and AmSoxB1 transcripts are detected only in the presumptive ectoderm while AmSoxE1 transcription is restricted to the presumptive endoderm, suggesting that these Sox genes might play roles in germ layer specification. A third type B Sox gene, AmSoxBa, and a Sox F gene AmSoxF also have complex and specific expression patterns during early development. Each of these genes has a clear Nematostella ortholog, but in several cases the expression pattern observed in Acropora differs significantly from that reported in Nematostella.\ud \ud Conclusion: These differences in expression patterns between Acropora and Nematostella largely reflect fundamental differences in developmental processes, underscoring the diversity of mechanisms within the anthozoan Sub-Class Hexacorallia (Zoantharia)

Unexpected diversity of cnidarian integrins: expression during coral gastrulation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adhesion mediated through the integrin family of cell surface receptors is central to early development throughout the Metazoa, playing key roles in cell-extra cellular matrix adhesion and modulation of cadherin activity during the convergence and extension movements of gastrulation. It has been suggested that <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it>, which has a single β and two α integrins, might reflect the ancestral integrin complement. Investigation of the integrin repertoire of anthozoan cnidarians such as the coral <it>Acropora millepora </it>is required to test this hypothesis and may provide insights into the original roles of these molecules.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two novel integrins were identified in <it>Acropora</it>. AmItgα1 shows features characteristic of α integrins lacking an I-domain, but phylogenetic analysis gives no clear indication of its likely binding specificity. AmItgβ2 lacks consensus cysteine residues at positions 8 and 9, but is otherwise a typical β integrin. In situ hybridization revealed that AmItgα1, AmItgβ1, and AmItgβ2 are expressed in the presumptive endoderm during gastrulation. A second anthozoan, the sea anemone <it>Nematostella vectensis</it>, has at least four β integrins, two resembling AmItgβ1 and two like AmItgβ2, and at least three α integrins, based on its genomic sequence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In two respects, the cnidarian data do not fit expectations. First, the cnidarian integrin repertoire is more complex than predicted: at least two βs in <it>Acropora</it>, and at least three αs and four βs in <it>Nematostella</it>. Second, whereas the bilaterian αs resolve into well-supported groups corresponding to those specific for RGD-containing or laminin-type ligands, the known cnidarian αs are distinct from these. During early development in <it>Acropora</it>, the expression patterns of the three known integrins parallel those of amphibian and echinoderm integrins.</p

Panel‑based next‑generation sequencing facilitates the characterization of childhood acute myeloid leukemia in clinical settings

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for ~20% of pediatric leukemia cases. The prognosis of pediatric AML has been improved in recent decades, but it trails that of most other types of pediatric cancer, with mortality rates of 30‑40%. Consequently, newer more targeted drugs are required for incorporation into treatment plans. These newer drugs selectively target AML cells with specific gene alterations. However, there are significant differences in genetic alterations between adult and pediatric patients with AML. In the present study, inexpensive and rapid next‑generation sequencing (NGS) of >150 cancer‑related genes was performed for matched diagnostic, remission and relapse (if any) samples from 27 pediatric patients with AML. In this analysis, seven genes were recurrently mutated. KRAS was mutated in seven patients, NRAS was mutated in three patients, and KIT, GATA1, WT1, PTPN11, JAK3 and FLT3 were each mutated in two patients. Among patients with relapsed AML, six harbored KRAS mutations at diagnosis; however, four of these patients lost these mutations at relapse. Additionally, two genetic alterations (FLT3‑ITD and TP53 alterations) were detected among patients who eventually relapsed, and these mutations are reported to be adverse prognostic factors for adult patients with AML. This panel‑based, targeted sequencing approach may be useful in determining the genetic background of pediatric AML and improving the prediction of treatment response and detection of potentially targetable gene alterations. RAS pathway mutations were highly unstable at relapse; therefore, these mutations should be chosen as a target with caution. Incorporating this panel‑based NGS approach into the clinical setting may allow for a patient‑oriented strategy of precision treatment for childhood AML

Elucidating the multiple genetic lineages and population genetic structure of the brooding coral Seriatopora (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae) in the Ryukyu Archipelago

The elucidation of species diversity and connectivity is essential for conserving coral reef communities and for understanding the characteristics of coral populations. To assess the species diversity, intraspecific genetic diversity, and genetic differentiation among populations of the brooding coral Seriatopora spp., we conducted phylogenetic and population genetic analyses using a mitochondrial DNA control region and microsatellites at ten sites in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. At least three genetic lineages of Seriatopora (Seriatopora-A, -B, and -C) were detected in our specimens. We collected colonies morphologically similar to Seriatopora hystrix, but these may have included multiple, genetically distinct species. Although sexual reproduction maintains the populations of all the genetic lineages, Seriatopora-A and Seriatopora-C had lower genetic diversity than Seriatopora-B. We detected significant genetic differentiation in Seriatopora-B among the three populations as follows: pairwise F (ST) = 0.064-0.116 (all P = 0.001), pairwise G\u27\u27(ST) = 0.107-0.209 (all P = 0.001). Additionally, only one migrant from an unsampled population was genetically identified within Seriatopora-B. Because the peak of the settlement of Seriatopora larvae is within 1 d and almost all larvae are settled within 5 d of spawning, our observations may be related to low dispersal ability. Populations of Seriatopora in the Ryukyu Archipelago will probably not recover unless there is substantial new recruitment from distant populations

Images of interlayer vortices and c-axis penetration depth of high-Tc YBa2Cu3O7–y superconductor

The measurements on the magnetic image of interlayer vortices are performed for the high- Tc YBa2 Cu3 O7-y (110) thin film using a high sensitive scanning SQUID microscopy. Clear images of aligned giant interlayer vortices are observable. For the majority of vortices, using the London model, the c -axis penetration depth is estimated to be about 20 μm at 3 K. The temperature dependence of λc is obtained from the observed vortex images at different temperatures, whose behavior is in good agreement with those of the microwave cavity measurement