Mouse Gestation Length Is Genetically Determined

Background: Preterm birth is an enormous public health problem, affecting over 12 % of live births and costing over $26 billion in the United States alone. The causes are complex, but twin studies support the role of genetics in determining gestation length. Despite widespread use of the mouse in studies of the genetics of preterm birth, there have been few studies that actually address the precise natural gestation length of the mouse, and to what degree the timing of labor and birth is genetically determined. Methodology/Principal Findings: To further develop the mouse as a genetic model of preterm birth, we developed a highthroughput monitoring system and measured the gestation length in 15 inbred strains. Our results show an unexpectedly wide variation in overall gestation length between strains that approaches two full days, while intra-strain variation is quite low. Although litter size shows a strong inverse correlation with gestation length, genetic difference alone accounts for a significant portion of the variation. In addition, ovarian transplant experiments support a primary role of maternal genetics in the determination of gestation length. Preliminary analysis of gestation length in the C57BL/6J-Chr # A/J /NaJ chromosome substitution strain (B.A CSS) panel suggests complex genetic control of gestation length. Conclusions/Significance: Together, these data support the role of genetics in regulating gestation length and present th

Design of a Bovine Low-Density SNP Array Optimized for Imputation

The Illumina BovineLD BeadChip was designed to support imputation to higher density genotypes in dairy and beef breeds by including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that had a high minor allele frequency as well as uniform spacing across the genome except at the ends of the chromosome where densities were increased. The chip also includes SNPs on the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA loci that are useful for determining subspecies classification and certain paternal and maternal breed lineages. The total number of SNPs was 6,909. Accuracy of imputation to Illumina BovineSNP50 genotypes using the BovineLD chip was over 97% for most dairy and beef populations. The BovineLD imputations were about 3 percentage points more accurate than those from the Illumina GoldenGate Bovine3K BeadChip across multiple populations. The improvement was greatest when neither parent was genotyped. The minor allele frequencies were similar across taurine beef and dairy breeds as was the proportion of SNPs that were polymorphic. The new BovineLD chip should facilitate low-cost genomic selection in taurine beef and dairy cattle

Measurement of high-p_T Single Electrons from Heavy-Flavor Decays in p+p Collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV

The momentum distribution of electrons from decays of heavy flavor (charm and beauty) for midrapidity |y| < 0.35 in p+p collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV has been measured by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) over the transverse momentum range 0.3 < p_T < 9 GeV/c. Two independent methods have been used to determine the heavy flavor yields, and the results are in good agreement with each other. A fixed-order-plus-next-to-leading-log pQCD calculation agrees with the data within the theoretical and experimental uncertainties, with the data/theory ratio of 1.72 +/- 0.02^stat +/- 0.19^sys for 0.3 < p_T < 9 GeV/c. The total charm production cross section at this energy has also been deduced to be sigma_(c c^bar) = 567 +/- 57^stat +/- 224^sys micro barns.Comment: 375 authors from 57 institutions, 6 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Physical Review Letters. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

No effect of auditory–visual spatial disparity on temporal recalibration

It is known that the brain adaptively recalibrates itself to small (∼100 ms) auditory–visual (AV) temporal asynchronies so as to maintain intersensory temporal coherence. Here we explored whether spatial disparity between a sound and light affects AV temporal recalibration. Participants were exposed to a train of asynchronous AV stimulus pairs (sound-first or light-first) with sounds and lights emanating from either the same or a different location. Following a short exposure phase, participants were tested on an AV temporal order judgement (TOJ) task. Temporal recalibration manifested itself as a shift of subjective simultaneity in the direction of the adapted audiovisual lag. The shift was equally big when exposure and test stimuli were presented from the same or different locations. These results provide strong evidence for the idea that spatial co-localisation is not a necessary constraint for intersensory pairing to occur

Left Hemisphere Specialization for Oro-Facial Movements of Learned Vocal Signals by Captive Chimpanzees

The left hemisphere of the human brain is dominant in the production of speech and signed language. Whether similar lateralization of function for communicative signal production is present in other primates remains a topic of considerable debate. In the current study, we examined whether oro-facial movements associated with the production of learned attention-getting sounds are differentially lateralized compared to facial expressions associated with the production of species-typical emotional vocalizations in chimpanzees.Still images captured from digital video were used to quantify oro-facial asymmetries in the production of two attention-getting sounds and two species-typical vocalizations in a sample of captive chimpanzees. Comparisons of mouth asymmetries during production of these sounds revealed significant rightward biased asymmetries for the attention-getting sounds and significant leftward biased asymmetries for the species-typical sounds.These results suggest that the motor control of oro-facial movements associated with the production of learned sounds is lateralized to the left hemisphere in chimpanzees. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the antecedents for lateralization of human speech may have been present in the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans approximately 5 mya and are not unique to the human lineage

Bilateral Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus Lesions Prevent Acoustic-Trauma Induced Tinnitus in an Animal Model

Animal experiments suggest that chronic tinnitus (“ringing in the ears”) may result from processes that overcompensate for lost afferent input. Abnormally elevated spontaneous neural activity has been found in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) of animals with psychophysical evidence of tinnitus. However, it has also been reported that DCN ablation fails to reduce established tinnitus. Since other auditory areas have been implicated in tinnitus, the role of the DCN is unresolved. The apparently conflicting electrophysiological and lesion data can be reconciled if the DCN serves as a necessary trigger zone rather than a chronic generator of tinnitus. The present experiment used lesion procedures identical to those that failed to decrease pre-existing tinnitus. The exception was that lesions were done prior to tinnitus induction. Young adult rats were trained and tested using a psychophysical procedure shown to detect tinnitus. Tinnitus was induced by a single unilateral high-level noise exposure. Consistent with the trigger hypothesis, bilateral dorsal DCN lesions made before high-level noise exposure prevented the development of tinnitus. A protective effect stemming from disruption of the afferent pathway could not explain the outcome because unilateral lesions ipsilateral to the noise exposure did not prevent tinnitus and unilateral lesions contralateral to the noise exposure actually exacerbated the tinnitus. The DCN trigger mechanism may involve plastic circuits that, through loss of inhibition, or upregulation of excitation, increase spontaneous neural output to rostral areas such as the inferior colliculus. The increased drive could produce persistent pathological changes in the rostral areas, such as high-frequency bursting and decreased interspike variance, that comprise the chronic tinnitus signal

A systematic review of the role of vitamin insufficiencies and supplementation in COPD

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pulmonary inflammation, oxidants-antioxidants imbalance, as well as innate and adaptive immunity have been proposed as playing a key role in the development of COPD. The role of vitamins, as assessed either by food frequency questionnaires or measured in serum levels, have been reported to improve pulmonary function, reduce exacerbations and improve symptoms. Vitamin supplements have therefore been proposed to be a potentially useful additive to COPD therapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature review was performed on the association of vitamins and COPD. The role of vitamin supplements in COPD was then evaluated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results of this review showed that various vitamins (vitamin C, D, E, A, beta and alpha carotene) are associated with improvement in features of COPD such as symptoms, exacerbations and pulmonary function. High vitamin intake would probably reduce the annual decline of FEV1. There were no studies that showed benefit from vitamin supplementation in improved symptoms, decreased hospitalization or pulmonary function.</p

Evidence-based Kernels: Fundamental Units of Behavioral Influence

This paper describes evidence-based kernels, fundamental units of behavioral influence that appear to underlie effective prevention and treatment for children, adults, and families. A kernel is a behavior–influence procedure shown through experimental analysis to affect a specific behavior and that is indivisible in the sense that removing any of its components would render it inert. Existing evidence shows that a variety of kernels can influence behavior in context, and some evidence suggests that frequent use or sufficient use of some kernels may produce longer lasting behavioral shifts. The analysis of kernels could contribute to an empirically based theory of behavioral influence, augment existing prevention or treatment efforts, facilitate the dissemination of effective prevention and treatment practices, clarify the active ingredients in existing interventions, and contribute to efficiently developing interventions that are more effective. Kernels involve one or more of the following mechanisms of behavior influence: reinforcement, altering antecedents, changing verbal relational responding, or changing physiological states directly. The paper describes 52 of these kernels, and details practical, theoretical, and research implications, including calling for a national database of kernels that influence human behavior