83 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Erratum: Author Correction: Identification of genes required for eye development by high-throughput screening of mouse knockouts.
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0226-0.]
Are Nested Networks More Robust to Disturbance? A Test Using Epiphyte-Tree, Comensalistic Networks
Recent research on ecological networks suggests that mutualistic networks are
more nested than antagonistic ones and, as a result, they are more robust
against chains of extinctions caused by disturbances. We evaluate whether
mutualistic networks are more nested than comensalistic and antagonistic
networks, and whether highly nested, host-epiphyte comensalistic networks fit
the prediction of high robustness against disturbance. A review of 59 networks
including mutualistic, antagonistic and comensalistic relationships showed that
comensalistic networks are significantly more nested than antagonistic and
mutualistic networks, which did not differ between themselves. Epiphyte-host
networks from old-growth forests differed from those from disturbed forest in
several topological parameters based on both qualitative and quantitative
matrices. Network robustness increased with network size, but the slope of this
relationship varied with nestedness and connectance. Our results indicate that
interaction networks show complex responses to disturbances, which influence
their topology and indirectly affect their robustness against species
extinctions
Discovery of Novel Human Breast Cancer MicroRNAs from Deep Sequencing Data by Analysis of Pri-MicroRNA Secondary Structures
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression and contribute to a
variety of biological processes. Abnormal miRNA expression has been reported in
various diseases including pathophysiology of breast cancer, where they regulate
protumorigenic processes including vascular invasiveness, estrogen receptor
status, chemotherapy resistance, invasion and metastasis. The miRBase sequence
database, a public repository for newly discovered miRNAs, has grown rapidly
with approximately >10,000 entries to date. Despite this rapid growth, many
miRNAs have not yet been validated, and several others are yet to be identified.
A lack of a full complement of miRNAs has imposed limitations on recognizing
their important roles in cancer, including breast cancer. Using deep sequencing
technology, we have identified 189 candidate novel microRNAs in human breast
cancer cell lines with diverse tumorigenic potential. We further show that
analysis of 500-nucleotide pri-microRNA secondary structure constitutes a
reliable method to predict bona fide miRNAs as judged by experimental
validation. Candidate novel breast cancer miRNAs with stem lengths of greater
than 30 bp resulted in the generation of precursor and mature sequences
in vivo. On the other hand, candidates with stem length
less than 30 bp were less efficient in producing mature miRNA. This approach may
be used to predict which candidate novel miRNA would qualify as bona fide miRNAs
from deep sequencing data with approximately 90% accuracy
Factors associated with the opposition to COVID-19 vaccination certificates: A multi-country observational study from Asia.
BACKGROUND: There are ongoing calls to harmonise and increase the use of COVID-19 vaccination certificates (CVCs) in Asia. Identifying groups in Asian societies who oppose CVCs and understanding their reasons can help formulate an effective CVCs policy in the region. However, no formal studies have explored this issue in Asia. METHOD: The COVID-19 Vaccination Policy Research and Decision-Support Initiative in Asia (CORESIA) was established to address policy questions related to CVCs. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to October 2021 in nine Asian countries. Multivariable logistical regression analyses were performed to identify potential opposers of CVCs. RESULTS: Six groups were identified as potential opposers of CVCs: (i) unvaccinated (Odd Ratio (OR): 2.01, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.65-2.46); vaccine hesitant and those without access to COVID-19 vaccines; (ii) those not wanting existing NPIs to continue (OR: 2.97, 95% CI: 2.51-3.53); (iii) those with low level of trust in governments (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.02-2.52); (iv) those without travel plans (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.31-1.90); (v) those expecting no financial gains from CVCs (OR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.98-2.78); and (vi) those disagreeing to use CVCs for employment, education, events, hospitality, and domestic travel. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing recurring public health bottlenecks such as vaccine hesitancy and equitable access, adherence to policies, public trust, and changing the narrative from 'societal-benefit' to 'personal-benefit' may be necessary and may help increase wider adoption of CVCs in Asia
Prevalence of sexual dimorphism in mammalian phenotypic traits.
The role of sex in biomedical studies has often been overlooked, despite evidence of sexually dimorphic effects in some biological studies. Here, we used high-throughput phenotype data from 14,250 wildtype and 40,192 mutant mice (representing 2,186 knockout lines), analysed for up to 234 traits, and found a large proportion of mammalian traits both in wildtype and mutants are influenced by sex. This result has implications for interpreting disease phenotypes in animal models and humans
A large scale hearing loss screen reveals an extensive unexplored genetic landscape for auditory dysfunction.
The developmental and physiological complexity of the auditory system is likely reflected in the underlying set of genes involved in auditory function. In humans, over 150 non-syndromic loci have been identified, and there are more than 400 human genetic syndromes with a hearing loss component. Over 100 non-syndromic hearing loss genes have been identified in mouse and human, but we remain ignorant of the full extent of the genetic landscape involved in auditory dysfunction. As part of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, we undertook a hearing loss screen in a cohort of 3006 mouse knockout strains. In total, we identify 67 candidate hearing loss genes. We detect known hearing loss genes, but the vast majority, 52, of the candidate genes were novel. Our analysis reveals a large and unexplored genetic landscape involved with auditory function.The full extent of the genetic basis for hearing impairment is unknown. Here, as part of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, the authors perform a hearing loss screen in 3006 mouse knockout strains and identify 52 new candidate genes for genetic hearing loss
- …