Improper hydration induces global gene expression changes associated with renal development in infant mice

Abstract Background The kidney is a major organ in which fluid balance and waste excretion is regulated. For the kidney to achieve maturity with functions, normal renal developmental processes need to occur. Comprehensive genetic programs underlying renal development during the prenatal period have been widely studied. However, postnatal renal development, from infancy to the juvenile period, has not been studied yet. Here, we investigated whether structural and functional kidney development was still ongoing in early life by analyzing the renal transcriptional networks of infant (4 weeks old) and juvenile (7 weeks old) mice. We further examined the effects of dehydration on kidney development to unravel the mechanistic bases underlying deteriorative impact of pediatric dehydration on renal development. Methods 3-week-old infant mice that just finished weaning period were provided limited access to a water for fifteen minutes per day for one week (RES 1W) and four weeks (RES 4W) to induce dehydration while control group consumed water ad libitum with free access to the water bottle. Transcriptome analysis was conducted to understand physiological changes during postnatal renal development and dehydration. Results Kidneys in 4-week- and 7-week-old mice showed significantly distinctive functional gene networks. Gene sets related to cell cycle regulators, fetal kidney patterning molecules, and immature basement membrane integrity were upregulated in infantile kidneys while heightened expressions of genes associated with ion transport and drug metabolism were observed in juvenile kidneys. Dehydration during infancy suppressed renal growth by interrupting the SHH signaling pathway, which targets cell cycle regulators. Importantly, it is likely that disruption of the developmental program ultimately led to a decline in gene expression associated with basement membrane integrity. Conclusions Altogether, we demonstrate transcriptional events during renal development in infancy and show that the impacts of inadequate water intake in the early postnatal state heavily rely on the impairment of normal renal development. Here, we provide a meaningful perspective of renal development in infancy with a molecular and physiological explanation of why infants are more vulnerable to dehydration than adults. These results provide new insights into the molecular effects of dehydration on renal physiology and indicate that optimal nutritional interventions are necessary for pediatric renal development

Men on the road: beggars and vagrants in early modern drama (William Shakespeare, John Fletcher, and Richard Brome)

This dissertation examines beggars, gypsies, rogues, and vagrants presented in early modern English drama, with the discussion of how these peripatetic characters represent the discourses of vagrancy of the period. The first chapter introduces Tudor and early Stuart governments' legislation and proclamations on vagabondage and discusses these governmental policies in their social and economic contexts. The chapter also deals with the literature of roguery to point out that the literature (especially in the Elizabethan era) disseminated such a negative image of beggars as impostors and established the antagonistic atmosphere against the wandering poor. The second chapter explores the anti-theatrical aspect of the discourses of vagrancy. Along with the discussion of early playing companies' traveling convention, this chapter investigates how the long-held association of players with beggars is addressed in the plays that are dated from the early 1570s to the closing of the playhouses in 1642. In the third chapter I read Shakespeare's King Lear with the focus on its critical allusions to the discourses of vagrancy and interpret King Lear's symbolic experience of vagrancy in that context. The chapter demonstrates that King Lear represents the spatial politics embedded in the discourses of vagrancy and evokes a sympathetic understanding of the wandering poor. Chapter IV focuses on Beggars' Bush and analyzes the beggars' utopian community in the play. By juxtaposing the play with a variety of documents relating to the vagrancy issue in the early seventeen century, I contend that Beggars' Bush reflects the cultural aspirations for colonial enterprises in the early Stuart age. Chapter V examines John Taylor's conceptualization of vagrancy as a trope of travel and free mobility, and discusses the "wanderlust" represented in A Jovial Crew: Merry Beggars as an exemplary anecdote showing the mid seventeenth century's perceptions on vagrancy and spatial mobility. Thus, by exploring diverse associations and investments regarding vagrants, this study demonstrates that the early modern discourses of vagrancy have been informed and inflected by shifting economic, socio-historical, and national interests and demands

Evaluation of canine teeth crown reduction technique in macaques

Background The reduction of canine teeth in adult males in whom permanent canine teeth eruption occurs should be considered due to the safety of humans or other monkeys. The objective of this study was to evaluate the complications of canine teeth reduction in macaques. Case presentation: Canine teeth reductions were performed in 8 rhesus and 2 cynomolgus macaques. Complications related to canine teeth reduction were evaluated at one to three week intervals during the experimental period by gross examination, CBC, and monitoring of appetite. One monkey showed a fistula due to periapical abscess and neutrophilia more than 2 years after canine teeth reduction, and extraction of the diseased canine tooth was performed; the other 9 monkeys showed no complications during the observation period. This report shows the effectiveness of canine teeth reduction with few complications. Conclusion Canine teeth reduction in male macaques is an acceptable procedure for reducing the severity of injury to humans or other monkeys.This work was carried out with the support of Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development (Project No.PJ01345302) Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea

New Tubulocentric Insights for Diabetic Nephropathy: From Pathophysiology to Treatment

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, and one of the most important complications, diabetic nephropathy, constitutes a significant global health care and socioeconomic burden. Glomerular dysfunction is a major factor in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. However, emerging evidence suggests that tubular damage also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. This tubulocentric view shifts the focus markedly from glomeruli to proximal tubules, which might have an important role as a trigger or a driver in the early development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Accordingly, numerous studies have focused on several different tubular damage markers that are clinically indicated as potential biomarkers for the early detection of diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, these findings are relevant for identifying therapeutics for diabetic nephropathy that target the proximal tubules. This review outlines new tubulocentric insights into diabetic nephropathy, from pathophysiological mechanisms to diagnostic and therapeutic approaches

Shear-solvo defect annihilation of diblock copolymer thin films over a large area

Achieving defect-free block copolymer (BCP) nanopatterns with a long-ranged orientation over a large area remains a persistent challenge, impeding the successful and widespread application of BCP self-assembly. Here, we demonstrate a new experimental strategy for defect annihilation while conserving structural order and enhancing uniformity of nanopatterns. Sequential shear alignment and solvent vapor annealing generate perfectly aligned nanopatterns with a low defect density over centimeter-scale areas, outperforming previous single or sequential combinations of annealing. The enhanced order quality and pattern uniformity were characterized in unprecedented detail via scattering analysis and incorporating new mathematical indices using elaborate image processing algorithms. In addition, using an advanced sampling method combined with a coarse-grained molecular simulation, we found that domain swelling is the driving force for enhanced defect annihilation. The superior quality of large-scale nanopatterns was further confirmed with diffraction and optical properties after metallized patterns, suggesting strong potential for application in optoelectrical devices

Molecular characterization of the Tobacco rattle virus RNA2 genome isolated from Gladiolus

Tobacco rattle virus (TRV-K) was first identified in a symptomatic Gladiolus plant cultivated in Korea. We analyzed the TRV-K genome and compared its phylogeny with other TRV isolates. After constructing of a full-length genomic RNA2 strand clone, a complete sequence was generated from several overlapping clones. The cloned genome was 3261 bases in length, identical to TRV-K, and had three open reading frames. TRV-K had the highest sequence identity with the American isolate TRV-ORY. Sequence analysis of the RNA2 genome showed that TRV-K contains an intact 2a, 2b, and 2c coding sequence and an RNA1-related 3′ terminus, which is typical of TRV RNA2. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that TRV-K is in the same cluster as the American isolates and another Korean isolate, TRV-SK; however, it was in a different cluster than the European isolates