The possible role of chromosome X variability in hypertensive familiarity

Familiarity participates in the pathogenesis of hypertension, although only recently, whole genome studies have proposed regions of the human genome possibly involved in the transmission of the hypertensive phenotype. Although studies have mainly focused on autosome, hitherto the influence of sex on familial transmission of hypertension has not been considered. We analysed the database of the Campania Salute Network of Hypertension center of the Federico II University Hospital of Naples (Italy), using dichotomous variables for paternal and maternal familiarity and gender (male and female) of 12 504 hypertensive patients (6868 males and 5636 females) and 6352 controls (3484 males and 2868 females), totaling 18 856 subjects. In the hypertensive group, familiarity was present in 75% of cases with odds of 3.77 and in only 26% of the normotensives with odds of 0.94. The odds ratio (OR) indicated that familiarity increases the risk of developing hypertension by 2.91 (95% confidence interval (CI)=2.67–3.17, P<0.001) times. Additionally, maternal familiarity was 37% (OR=3.01, 95% CI=2.66–3.41, P<0.001), paternal familiarity was 21% (OR=2.31, 95% CI=2.01–2.68, P<0.001) and the double familiarity was 17% (OR=3.45, 95% CI=2.87–4.01, P<0.001), thus suggesting a plausible association between maternal familiarity and development of hypertension; this finding was observed both in male and in female patients, although the phenomenon was larger in males. Given the dominance of maternal transmission in males, by genome-wide analysis of the X chromosome, we found two regions that were differently distributed in male hypertensives with maternal hypertension. Our data highlight the importance of genetic variants in the X chromosome to the maternal transmission of the hypertensive phenotype

Glacial vicariance drives phylogeographic diversification in the amphi-boreal kelp Saccharina latissima

Glacial vicariance is regarded as one of the most prevalent drivers of phylogeographic structure and speciation among high-latitude organisms, but direct links between ice advances and range fragmentation have been more difficult to establish in marine than in terrestrial systems. Here we investigate the evolution of largely disjunct (and potentially reproductively isolated) phylogeographic lineages within the amphi-boreal kelp Saccharina latissima s.l. Using molecular data (COI, microsatellites) we confirm that S. latissima comprises also the NE Pacific S. cichorioides complex and is composed of divergent lineages with limited range overlap and genetic admixture. Only a few genetic hybrids were detected throughout a Canadian Arctic/NW Greenland contact zone. The degree of genetic differentiation and sympatric isolation of phylogroups suggest that S. latissima s.l. represents a complex of incipient species. Phylogroup distributions compared with paleo-environmental reconstructions of the cryosphere further suggest that diversification within S. latissima results from chronic glacial isolation in disjunct persistence areas intercalated with ephemeral interglacial poleward expansions and admixture at high-latitude (Arctic) contact zones. This study thus supports a role for glaciations not just in redistributing pre-existing marine lineages but also as a speciation pump across multi-glacial cycles for marine organisms otherwise exhibiting cosmopolite amphi-boreal distributions.Pew Foundation (USA); Portuguese FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia) through program GENEKELP [PTDC/MAR-EST/6053/2014]; Portuguese FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia) through program MARFOR [Biodiversa/0004/2015]; Portuguese FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia) [UID/Multi/04326/2013, SFRH/BPD/88935/2012, SFRH/BPD/111003/2015]; NSERC; FRQNT; Canada Foundation for Innovation; New Brunswick Innovation Foundation; European Union's Seventh Framework Programme [226248]; Danish Environmental Protection Agency within the Danish Cooperation for Environment in the Arctic (DANCEA)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

By crossing Brachionus plicatilis s.s. NH1L strain and German strain, we obtained two types of hybrids, NH1L female × German male designated as NXG and German female × NH1L male designated as GXN. To confirm the crossing of the two hybrid strains at the genetic level, random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) analysis using 10 kinds of primers (10 and 12 mers) was carried out. Some amplified DNA fragments from RAPD of the hybrid strain showed mixed patterns of both parental strains, thus confirming that both hybrids were crossbreeds of the NH1L and German strains. Using these hybrids, we investigated the mode of mitochondrial inheritance in B. plicatilis. Full length mtDNA of the four strains was amplified by PCR, and digested with restriction enzymes to obtain restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns. Both hybrid strains had the same RFLP patterns as their female parents. This result shows that mitochondrial inheritance in rotifers is maternal

Relapsing polychondritis with different types of ocular inflammations

Nana Furuya, Toshiyuki Oshitari, Jiro Yotsukura, Takayuki Baba, Shuichi Yamamoto Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Chiba University, Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan Abstract: We were presented with two cases of relapsing polychondritis (RP) associated with different types of ocular inflammation. The first case was a 35-year-old man who had bilateral hyperemic conjunctiva and ocular pain, and was referred to Chiba University Hospital with a diagnosis of episcleritis refractory. He was treated with dexamethasone eye drops. He developed tinnitus, deafness in both ears, and left auriculitis. A left auricular biopsy showed an infiltration of lymphocytes surrounding the cartilage. He was diagnosed with RP and treated with 30 mg/day oral prednisolone. After tapering the prednisolone, the scleritis in both eyes improved. The second case was a 71-year-old man who was deaf in both ears and had bilateral scleritis. At the first visit to our hospital, his left eyelid and right auricula were reddish and swollen, and he reported some pain. He was treated with intravenous antibiotics, and the left orbital cellulitis quickly improved. However, he developed right scleritis and left gonitis. Magnetic resonance imaging showed bilateral posterior scleritis and right auricular perichondritis. Auricular biopsy showed an infiltration of lymphocytes into the periauricular tissue. He was diagnosed with RP, and 40 mg/day oral prednisolone was given and his symptoms improved. Although RP is rare, it is a life-threatening disease. Thus, ophthalmologists should consider RP in patients with both ocular and auricular inflammation. Keywords: relapsing polychondritis, scleritis, oral prednisolone, ocular celluliti

Colpomenia borea sp. nov. (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) from Japan and Far East Russia

Colpomenia borea sp. nov. is described from Hokkaido, Japan and Magadan, Far East Russia based on morphological observations and molecular analyses using mitochondrial cox3 and chloroplast rbcL genes. This new species is distinguished from other Colpomenia by its small globular to ovoidal thallus up to 5 cm in diameter, and thin thallus membrane composed of a cortex of one to two-cell layers and a colorless medulla of up to three layers. This species is epiphytic on the brown alga Stephanocystis in areas protected against waves. The life history in culture of C. borea was investigated and the observed life history pattern was similar to those reported in C. peregrina and C. sinuosa. Our phylogenetic analyses supported that C. borea is a distinct species, yet it is more related to C. peregrina than C. sinuosa

Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4183

From purpose and scope: The purpose of this report is to develop and test steady-state method for the measurement of propane-gas desorption coefficients in a natural channel flow as the first phase of the field assessments of hydrocarbon gas tracer method for reaeration coefficients. Three field tests were conducted in a straight 5.2 km reach of the Cowaselon Creek near Canastota, New York in June, July, and October, 1981