Genes related to emphysema are enriched for ubiquitination pathways

BACKGROUND: Increased small airway resistance and decreased lung elasticity contribute to the airflow limitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The lesion that corresponds to loss of lung elasticity is emphysema; the small airway obstruction is due to inflammatory narrowing and obliteration. Despite their convergence in altered physiology, different mechanisms contribute to these processes. The relationships between gene expression and these specific phenotypes may be more revealing than comparison with lung function. METHODS: We measured the ratio of alveolar surface area to lung volume (SA/V) in lung tissue from 43 smokers. Two samples from 21 subjects, in which SA/V differed by >49 cm(2)/mL were profiled to select genes whose expression correlated with SA/V. Significant genes were tested for replication in the 22 remaining subjects. RESULTS: The level of expression of 181 transcripts was related to SA/V ( p < 0.05). When these genes were tested in the 22 remaining subjects as a replication, thirty of the 181 genes remained significantly associated with SA/V (P < 0.05) and the direction of association was the same in 164/181. Pathway and network analysis revealed enrichment of genes involved in protein ubiquitination, and western blotting showed altered expression of genes involved in protein ubiquitination in obstructed individuals. CONCLUSION: This study implicates modified protein ubiquitination and degradation as a potentially important pathway in the pathogenesis of emphysema. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2466-14-187) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Opportunities to Learn Mathematics Pedagogy and Connect Classroom Learning to Practice: A Study of Future Teachers in the United States and Singapore

In this study, we conducted secondary analyses using the TEDS-M database to explore future mathematics specialists teachers’ opportunities to learn (OTL) how to teach mathematics. We applied latent class analysis techniques to differentiate among groups of prospective mathematics specialists with potentially different OTL mathematics pedagogy within the United States and Singapore. Within the United States, three subgroups were identified: (a) Comprehensive OTL, (b) Limited OTL, and (c) OTL Mathematics Pedagogy. Within Singapore, four subgroups were identified: (a) Comprehensive OTL, (b) Limited Opportunities to Connect Classroom Learning with Practice, (c) OTL Mathematics Pedagogy, and (d) Basic OTL. Understanding the opportunities different prospective teachers had to learn from and their experiences with different components of instructional practice in university and practicum settings has implications for teacher preparation programs

The Drosophila Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase cDNA sequence: Nucleic Acids Res.

NRC publication: Ye

Physiological mouse brain Abeta levels are not related to the phosphorylation state of threonine-668 of Alzheimer's APP.

Amyloid-beta peptide species ending at positions 40 and 42 (Abeta40, Abeta42) are generated by the proteolytic processing of the Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein (APP). Abeta peptides accumulate in the brain early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially Abeta42. The cytoplasmic domain of APP regulates intracellular trafficking and metabolism of APP and its carboxyl-terminal fragments (CTFalpha, CTFbeta). The role of protein phosphorylation in general, and that of the phosphorylation state of APP at threonine-668 (Thr668) in particular, has been investigated in detail by several laboratories (including our own). Some investigators have recently proposed that the phosphorylation state of Thr668 plays a pivotal role in governing brain Abeta levels, prompting the current study

Satellite imagery technology in public health: analysis of site catchment areas for assessment of poliovirus circulation in Nigeria and Niger

Environmental surveillance supplements the surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis by monitoring wastewater for poliovirus circulation. Building on previous work, we analysed wastewater flow to optimise selection and placement of sampling sites with higher digital surface model (DSM) resolution. The newly developed 5-m mesh DSM from the panchromatic, remote-sensing instruments for stereo mapping on-board the Japanese advanced land observing satellite was used to estimate catchment areas and flow of sewage water based on terrain topography. Optimal sampling sites for environmental surveillance were identified to maximise sensitivity to poliovirus circulation. Population data were overlaid to prioritise selection of catchment areas with dense populations. The results for Kano City, Nigeria were compared with an analysis based on existing 30- and 90-m mesh digital elevation model (DEM). Analysis based on 5-m mesh DSM was also conducted for three cities in Niger to prioritise the selection of new sites. The analysis demonstrated the feasibility of using DSMs to estimate catchment areas and population size for programme planning and outbreak response with respect to polio. Alternative sampling points in Kano City that would cover a greater population size have been identified and potential sampling sites in Niger are proposed. Comparison with lower-resolution DEMs suggests that the use of a 5-m mesh DSMs would be useful where the terrain is flat or includes small-scale topographic changes not captured by 30-m data searches