Target-selective GABAergic control of entorhinal cortex output.

The medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) is a major center for spatial navigation and memory. We found that cannabinoid type 1 receptor-expressing GABAergic basket cells selectively innervated principal cells in layer II of the rat MEC that projected outside the hippocampus but avoided neighboring cells that give rise to the perforant pathway to the dentate gyrus. These results indicate that the organization of GABAergic microcircuits reflects the long-distance axonal targets of principal neurons

Chili pepper preference development and its impact on dietary intake: A narrative review

A preference for chili pepper can be an acquired taste. The contrast between a chili lover and a hater illustrates the complexities involved in forming an appreciation for food that evokes a fiery pain sensation. This narrative review aims to understand the factors behind chili pepper preference formation across the life course and how individual chili pepper preferences can impact eating behaviors and dietary intake. This review was conducted using three databases, yielding 38 included articles. Results suggest five determinants of chili pepper preferences: culture, exposure, gender, genetics, and personality. Collective findings indicate that the strongest influences on preference acquisition include the individual environment from childhood to adulthood and repeated exposure to spicy flavors. With frequent exposure to spicy food, the perceived burn becomes less intense. Culture also influences exposure to chili peppers, with the highest consumption patterns seen within Mexico and some Asia countries. Additionally, males reported having a stronger preference for spicy foods than females. Twin studies illustrated that genetics influenced spicy taste preferences, underscoring the complexity of developing individual taste preferences. As for the impact of capsaicin-containing food on individual eating behaviors and dietary behaviors, appetite effects depend on the dose of capsaicin consumed, but three studies found a change in sensory desires for sweet and fatty foods after finishing a capsaicin-containing dish. Inconsistent results were reported for chili pepper's effects on hunger and satiety after consumption, but changes in specific food desires were observed. The impact of chili pepper on appetite and calories consumed was inconsistent, but the greater amount of capsaicin ingested, the greater the effect. Capsaicin's potential to be used for weight control needs to be further reviewed. In conclusion, evidence suggests that chili pepper preferences may be linked to innate and environmental aspects such as an individual's culture, gender, and genetics. Extrinsic factors like repeated exposure may increase the liking for spicy foods

Studying cancer immunotherapy using patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) in humanized mice.

Cancer immunotherapy is a promising way to eliminate tumor cells by using the patient\u27s own immune system. Selecting the appropriate animal models to develop or validate preclinical immunotherapeutic trials is now an important aspect of many cancer research programs. Here we discuss the advantages and limitations of using genetically engineered immunodeficient mouse models, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), and humanized mouse models for developing and testing immunotherapeutic strategies

Exclusive Use of Air as Gas Tamponade in Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

Purpose. To investigate outcomes of vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) using air exclusively as the gas tamponade. Methods. This retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series involved reviewing medical records of patients that underwent vitrectomy and gas tamponade for RRD between January 2013 and December 2015. Patients whose eyes were treated exclusively with air tamponade since July 2014 were assigned to the air group, while those treated with heterogeneous gas agents before June 2014 were assigned to the control group. The primary outcome was the primary reattachment rate. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and duration to detect redetachments were assigned as the secondary outcomes. Results. The air group and the control group included 71 and 72 eyes, respectively. The primary reattachment rate was 94.4% in the air group and there was no significant difference with 94.4% in the control group (p=0.951). BCVA was significantly better in the air group at 1 month (p=0.021) but not at 3 months postoperatively (p=0.561). Redetachments were recognized earlier in the air group (9.3 ± 0.5 days) compared with those in the control group (21.3 ± 7.4 days) (p=0.041). Conclusions. In cases of simple RRD with sufficient removal of subretinal fluid, air could be considered for use as gas tamponade. This trial is registered with KCT0002358

Imaging findings in coronavirus infections : SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2

During the first two decades of the 21st century, there have been three coronavirus infection outbreaks raising global health concerns by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and the SARS-CoV-2. Although the reported imaging findings of coronavirus infection are variable and non-specific, the most common initial chest radiograph (CXR) and CT findings are ground-glass opacities and consolidation with peripheral predominance and eventually spread to involve both lungs as the disease progresses. These findings can be explained by the immune pathogenesis of coronavirus infection causing diffuse alveolar damage. Although it is insensitive in mild or early coronavirus infection, the CXR remains as the first-line and the most commonly used imaging modality. That is because it is rapid and easily accessible and helpful for monitoring patient progress during treatment. CT is more sensitive to detect early parenchymal lung abnormalities and disease progression, and can provide an alternative diagnosis. In this pictorial review, various coronavirus infection cases are presented to provide imaging spectrums of coronavirus infection and present differences in imaging among them or from other viral infections, and to discuss the role of imaging in viral infection outbreaks

De novo copy number variations in cloned dogs from the same nuclear donor

BACKGROUND: Somatic mosaicism of copy number variants (CNVs) in human body organs and de novo CNV event in monozygotic twins suggest that de novo CNVs can occur during mitotic recombination. These de novo CNV events are important for understanding genetic background of evolution and diverse phenotypes. In this study, we explored de novo CNV event in cloned dogs with identical genetic background. RESULTS: We analyzed CNVs in seven cloned dogs using the nuclear donor genome as reference by array-CGH, and identified five de novo CNVs in two of the seven clones. Genomic qPCR, dye-swap array-CGH analysis and B-allele profile analysis were used for their validation. Two larger de novo CNVs (5.2 Mb and 338 Kb) on chromosomes X and 19 in clone-3 were consistently validated by all three experiments. The other three smaller CNVs (sized from 36.1 to76.4 Kb) on chromosomes 2, 15 and 32 in clone-3 and clone-6 were verified by at least one of the three validations. In addition to the de novo CNVs, we identified a 37 Mb-sized copy neutral de novo loss of heterozygosity event on chromosome 2 in clone-6. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of de novo CNVs in the cloned dogs which were generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer technology. To study de novo genetic events in cloned animals can help understand formation mechanisms of genetic variants and their biological implications

DiGeorge syndrome who developed lymphoproliferative mediastinal mass

DiGeorge syndrome is an immunodeficient disease associated with abnormal development of 3rd and 4th pharyngeal pouches. As a hemizygous deletion of chromosome 22q11.2 occurs, various clinical phenotypes are shown with a broad spectrum. Conotruncal cardiac anomalies, hypoplastic thymus, and hypocalcemia are the classic triad of DiGeorge syndrome. As this syndrome is characterized by hypoplastic or aplastic thymus, there are missing thymic shadow on their plain chest x-ray. Immunodeficient patients are traditionally known to be at an increased risk for malignancy, especially lymphoma. We experienced a 7-year-old DiGeorge syndrome patient with mediastinal mass shadow on her plain chest x-ray. She visited Severance Children's Hospital hospital with recurrent pneumonia, and throughout her repeated chest x-ray, there was a mass like shadow on anterior mediastinal area. We did full evaluation including chest computed tomography, chest ultrasonography, and chest magnetic resonance imaging. To rule out malignancy, video assisted thoracoscopic surgery was done. Final diagnosis of the mass which was thought to be malignancy, was lymphoproliferative lesion