RNA deep sequencing reveals differential MicroRNA expression during development of sea urchin and sea star

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small (20-23 nt), non-coding single stranded RNA molecules that act as post-transcriptional regulators of mRNA gene expression. They have been implicated in regulation of developmental processes in diverse organisms. The echinoderms, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (sea urchin) and Patiria miniata (sea star) are excellent model organisms for studying development with well-characterized transcriptional networks. However, to date, nothing is known about the role of miRNAs during development in these organisms, except that the genes that are involved in the miRNA biogenesis pathway are expressed during their developmental stages. In this paper, we used Illumina Genome Analyzer (Illumina, Inc.) to sequence small RNA libraries in mixed stage population of embryos from one to three days after fertilization of sea urchin and sea star (total of 22,670,000 reads). Analysis of these data revealed the miRNA populations in these two species. We found that 47 and 38 known miRNAs are expressed in sea urchin and sea star, respectively, during early development (32 in common). We also found 13 potentially novel miRNAs in the sea urchin embryonic library. miRNA expression is generally conserved between the two species during development, but 7 miRNAs are highly expressed in only one species. We expect that our two datasets will be a valuable resource for everyone working in the field of developmental biology and the regulatory networks that affect it. The computational pipeline to analyze Illumina reads is available at http://www.benoslab.pitt.edu/services.html. © 2011 Kadri et al

Foot posture in people with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Foot posture has long been considered to contribute to the development of lower limb musculoskeletal conditions as it may alter the mechanical alignment and dynamic function of the lower limb. This study compared foot posture in people with and without medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) using a range of clinical foot measures. The reliability of the foot measures was also assessed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The foot posture of 32 patients with clinically and radiographically-confirmed OA predominantly in the medial compartment of the knee and 28 asymptomatic age-matched healthy controls was investigated using the foot posture index (FPI), vertical navicular height and drop, and the arch index. Independent t tests and effect size (Cohen's d) were used to investigate the differences between the groups in the foot posture measurements.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Significant differences were found between the control and the knee OA groups in relation to the FPI (1.35 ± 1.43 vs. 2.46 ± 2.18, p = 0.02; <it>d </it>= 0.61, medium effect size), navicular drop (0.02 ± 0.01 vs. 0.03 ± 0.01, p = 0.01; <it>d </it>= 1.02, large effect size) and the arch index (0.22 ± 0.04 vs. 0.26 ± 0.04, p = 0.04; <it>d </it>= 1.02, large effect size). No significant difference was found for vertical navicular height (0.24 ± 0.03 vs. 0.23 ± 0.03, p = 0.54; <it>d </it>= 0.04, negligible effect size).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>People with medial compartment knee OA exhibit a more pronated foot type compared to controls. It is therefore recommended that the assessment of patients with knee OA in clinical practice should include simple foot measures, and that the potential influence of foot structure and function on the efficacy of foot orthoses in the management of medial compartment knee OA be further investigated.</p

A treatment applying a biomechanical device to the feet of patients with knee osteoarthritis results in reduced pain and improved function: a prospective controlled study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study examined the effect of treatment with a novel biomechanical device on the level of pain and function in patients with knee OA.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients with bilateral knee OA were enrolled to active and control groups. Patients were evaluated at baseline, at 4 weeks and at the 8-week endpoint. A novel biomechanical device was individually calibrated to patients from the active group. Patients from the control group received an identical foot-worn platform without the biomechanical elements. Primary outcomes were the WOMAC Index and ALF assessments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no baseline differences between the groups. At 8 weeks, the active group showed a mean improvement of 64.8% on the WOMAC pain scale, a mean improvement of 62.7% on the WOMAC function scale, and a mean improvement of 31.4% on the ALF scale. The control group demonstrated no improvement in the above parameters. Significant differences were found between the active and control groups in all the parameters of assessment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The biomechanical device and treatment methodology is effective in significantly reducing pain and improving function in knee OA patients.</p> <p>The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT00457132, <url>http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00457132?order=1</url></p

Effects of laterally wedged insoles on symptoms and disease progression in medial knee osteoarthritis: a protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Whilst laterally wedged insoles, worn inside the shoes, are advocated as a simple, inexpensive, non-toxic self-administered intervention for knee osteoarthritis (OA), there is currently limited evidence to support their use. The aim of this randomised, double-blind controlled trial is to determine whether laterally wedges insoles lead to greater improvements in knee pain, physical function and health-related quality of life, and slower structural disease progression as well as being more cost-effective, than control flat insoles in people with medial knee OA.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Two hundred participants with painful radiographic medial knee OA and varus malalignment will be recruited from the community and randomly allocated to lateral wedge or control insole groups using concealed allocation. Participants will be blinded as to which insole is considered therapeutic. Blinded follow up assessment will be conducted at 12 months after randomisation. The outcome measures are valid and reliable measures recommended for OA clinical trials. Questionnaires will assess changes in pain, physical function and health-related quality-of-life. Magnetic resonance imaging will measure changes in tibial cartilage volume. To evaluate cost-effectiveness, participants will record the use of all health-related treatments in a log-book returned to the assessor on a monthly basis. To test the effect of the intervention using an intention-to-treat analysis, linear regression modelling will be applied adjusting for baseline outcome values and other demographic characteristics.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Results from this trial will contribute to the evidence regarding the effectiveness of laterally wedged insoles for the management of medial knee OA.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ACTR12605000503628; NCT00415259.</p

Incorporation of lipid nanosystems containing omega‑3 fatty acids and resveratrol in textile substrates for wound healing and anti‑inflammatory applications

In the present work, lipid nanosystems containing omega-3 fatty acid (nanostructured lipid carriers, NLCs) or omega-3 fatty acid and resveratrol (liposomes) were developed to improve cotton textile substrates as dressings with anti-inflammatory properties for wound healing applications. Lipid nanosystems were incorporated into woven, non-woven and knitted cotton substrates by exhaustion and impregnation. Based on physical–chemical characterization of the textile substrates, the textile structure and type of lipid nanosystems dictated the adsorption efficiency. In the case of NLCs, the woven substrate functionalized by exhaustion had a higher omega-3 release being the most promising for wound dressing application. Whereas for liposomes, the most adequate textile was the cationized knitted fabric functionalized by impregnation, that showed a more prolonged release profile of resveratrol.This work is financed by Project UID/CTM/00264/2019 of 2C2T - Centro de Ciencia e Tecnologia Textil, funded by National Founds through FCT/MCTES. The authors also acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for financial support in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04546/2013 and UID/FIS/04650/2019 in the ambit of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-032651, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through COMPETE 2020, under Portugal 2020

Non-hispanic whites have higher risk for pulmonary impairment from pulmonary tuberculosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Disparities in outcomes associated with race and ethnicity are well documented for many diseases and patient populations. Tuberculosis (TB) disproportionately affects economically disadvantaged, racial and ethnic minority populations. Pulmonary impairment after tuberculosis (PIAT) contributes heavily to the societal burden of TB. Individual impacts associated with PIAT may vary by race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed the pulmonary function of 320 prospectively identified patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who had completed at least 20 weeks standard anti-TB regimes by directly observed therapy. We compared frequency and severity of spirometry-defined PIAT in groups stratified by demographics, pulmonary risk factors, and race/ethnicity, and examined clinical correlates to pulmonary function deficits.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Pulmonary impairment after tuberculosis was identified in 71% of non-Hispanic Whites, 58% of non-Hispanic Blacks, 49% of Asians and 32% of Hispanics (<it>p </it>< 0.001). Predictors for PIAT varied between race/ethnicity. PIAT was evenly distributed across all levels of socioeconomic status suggesting that PIAT and socioeconomic status are not related. PIAT and its severity were significantly associated with abnormal chest x-ray, <it>p </it>< 0.0001. There was no association between race/ethnicity and time to beginning TB treatment, <it>p </it>= 0.978.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Despite controlling for cigarette smoking, socioeconomic status and time to beginning TB treatment, non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity remained an independent predictor for disproportionately frequent and severe pulmonary impairment after tuberculosis relative to other race/ethnic groups. Since race/ethnicity was self reported and that race is not a biological construct: these findings must be interpreted with caution. However, because race/ethnicity is a proxy for several other unmeasured host, pathogen or environment factors that may contribute to disparate health outcomes, these results are meant to suggest hypotheses for further research.</p

A Modified Sagittal Spine Postural Classification and Its Relationship to Deformities and Spinal Mobility in a Chinese Osteoporotic Population

BACKGROUND: Abnormal posture and spinal mobility have been demonstrated to cause functional impairment in the quality of life, especially in the postmenopausal osteoporotic population. Most of the literature studies focus on either thoracic kyphosis or lumbar lordosis, but not on the change of the entire spinal alignment. Very few articles reported the spinal alignment of Chinese people. The purpose of this study was threefold: to classify the spinal curvature based on the classification system defined by Satoh consisting of the entire spine alignment; to identify the change of trunk mobility; and to relate spinal curvature to balance disorder in a Chinese population. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 450 osteoporotic volunteers were recruited for this study. Spinal range of motion and global curvature were evaluated noninvasively using the Spinal-Mouse® system and sagittal postural deformities were characterized. RESULTS: We found a new spine postural alignment consisting of an increased thoracic kyphosis and decreased lumbar lordosis which we classified as our modified round back. We did not find any of Satoh's type 5 classification in our population. Type 2 sagittal alignment was the most common spinal deformity (38.44%). In standing, thoracic kyphosis angles in types 2 (58.34°) and 3 (58.03°) were the largest and lumbar lordosis angles in types 4 (13.95°) and 5 (-8.61°) were the smallest. The range of flexion (ROF) and range of flexion-extension (ROFE) of types 2 and 3 were usually greater than types 4 and 5, with type 1 being the largest. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study classified and compared for the first time the mobility, curvature and balance in a Chinese population based on the entire spine alignment and found types 4 and 5 to present the worst balance and mobility. This study included a new spine postural alignment classification that should be considered in future population studies

Probing the Interstellar Medium in Early type galaxies with ISO observations

Four IRAS-detected early type galaxies were observed with ISO. With the exception of the 15 micron image of NGC1052, the mid-IR emission from NGC1052, NGC1155, NGC5866 and NGC6958 at 4.5, 7 and 15 microns show extended emission. Mid-IR emission from NGC1052, NGC1155, and NGC6958 follows a de Vaucouleurs profile. The ratio of 15/7 micron flux decreases with radius in these galaxies, approaching the values empirically observed for purely stellar systems. In NGC5866, the 7 and 15 micron emission is concentrated in the edge-on dust lane. All the galaxies are detected in the [CII] line, and the S0s NGC1155 and NGC5866 are detected in the [OI] line as well. The ISO-LWS observations of the [CII] line are more sensitive measures of cool, neutral ISM than HI and CO by about a factor of 10-100. Three of four early type galaxies, namely NGC1052, NGC6958 and NGC5866, have low ratio FIR/Blue and show a lower [CII]/FIR, which is due to a softer radiation field from old stellar populations. The low [CII]/CO ratio in NGC5866 ([CII]/CO(1-0) < 570) confirms this scenario. We estimate the UV radiation expected from the old stellar populations in these galaxies and compare it to that needed to heat the gas to account for the cooling observed [CII] and [OI] lines. In three out of four galaxies, NGC1052, NGC5866 and NGC6958, the predicted UV radiation falls short by a factor of 2-3. In view of the observed intrinsic scatter in the "UV-upturn" in elliptical galaxies and its great sensitivity to age and metallicity effects, this is not significant. However, the much larger difference (about a factor of 20) between the UV radiation from old stars and that needed to produce the FIR lines for NGC 1155 is strong evidence for the presence of young stars, in NGC1155.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal. Figure 1 appears as a separate jpg figur

Oestrogen is important for maintenance of cartilage and subchondral bone in a murine model of knee osteoarthritis

Introduction: Oestrogen depletion may influence onset and/or progression of osteoarthritis. We investigated in an ovariectomized mouse model the impact of oestrogen loss and oestrogen supplementation on articular cartilage and subchondral bone in tibia and patella, and assessed bone changes in osteoarthritis development.Methods: C3H/HeJ mice were divided into four groups: sham-operated, oestrogen depletion by ovariectomy (OVX), OVX with estradiol supplementation (OVX+E) and OVX with bisphosphonate (OVX+BP). Each mouse had one knee injected with low-dose iodoacetate (IA), and the contralateral knee was injected with saline. Cartilage was analysed histologically 12 weeks postsurgery; bone changes were monitored over time using in vivo micro-computed tomography.Results: In tibiae, OVX alone failed to induce cartilage damage, but OVX and IA combination significantly induced cartilage damage. In patellae, OVX alone induced significant cartilage damage, whic