High throughput mating tests in Neurospora crassa

Mating type tests in Neurospora crassa can be laborious and tedious. Since we were arraying mutants for distribution, we have developed a method to carry out mating type tests in 96-well plates. This technique is highly efficient and reproducible and gives results in three to four days

Complementation of un-16 and the development of a selectable marker for transformation of Neurospora crassa

Although nearly sixty temperature-sensitive lesions have been mapped in Neurospora crassa, most of their functions have not been identified. These loci are called unknown (un). As part of an effort to identify the open reading frame associated with one of these, we undertook to walk to un-16 using the complementation of temperature-sensitivity as a selection. Cosmids complementing un-16 were identified and the un-16 gene was subcloned. DNA sequence analysis of un-16 revealed that it encodes the highly conserved S9 protein of the 40S ribosomal subunit. This gene has proven useful as a selectable marker and may provide a simple mechanism for the controlled alteration of protein synthesis in N. crassa

Distinguishing Type 2 Diabetes from Type 1 Diabetes in African American and Hispanic American Pediatric Patients

To test the hypothesis that clinical observations made at patient presentation can distinguish type 2 diabetes (T2D) from type 1 diabetes (T1D) in pediatric patients aged 2 to 18.Medical records of 227 African American and 112 Hispanic American pediatric patients diagnosed as T1D or T2D were examined to compare parameters in the two diseases. Age at presentation, BMI z-score, and gender were the variables used in logistic regression analysis to create models for T2D prediction.The regression-based model created from African American data had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 89%; testing of a replication cohort showed 91% sensitivity and 93% specificity. A model based on the Hispanic American data showed 92% sensitivity and 90% specificity. Similarities between African American and Hispanic American patients include: (1) age at onset for both T1D and T2D decreased from the 1980s to the 2000s; (2) risk of T2D increased markedly with obesity. Racial/ethnic-specific observations included: (1) in African American patients, the proportion of females was significantly higher than that of males for T2D compared to T1D (p<0.0001); (2) in Hispanic Americans, the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was significantly higher in T1D than in T2D (p<0.002) at presentation; (3) the strongest contributor to T2D risk was female gender in African Americans, while the strongest contributor to T2D risk was BMI z-score in Hispanic Americans.Distinction of T2D from T1D at patient presentation was possible with good sensitivity and specificity using only three easily-assessed variables: age, gender, and BMI z-score. In African American pediatric diabetes patients, gender was the strongest predictor of T2D, while in Hispanic patients, BMI z-score was the strongest predictor. This suggests that race/ethnic specific models may be useful to optimize distinction of T1D from T2D at presentation

Distinguishing type 2 diabetes from type 1 diabetes in African American and Hispanic American pediatric patients.

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that clinical observations made at patient presentation can distinguish type 2 diabetes (T2D) from type 1 diabetes (T1D) in pediatric patients aged 2 to 18.Subjects and methodsMedical records of 227 African American and 112 Hispanic American pediatric patients diagnosed as T1D or T2D were examined to compare parameters in the two diseases. Age at presentation, BMI z-score, and gender were the variables used in logistic regression analysis to create models for T2D prediction.ResultsThe regression-based model created from African American data had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 89%; testing of a replication cohort showed 91% sensitivity and 93% specificity. A model based on the Hispanic American data showed 92% sensitivity and 90% specificity. Similarities between African American and Hispanic American patients include: (1) age at onset for both T1D and T2D decreased from the 1980s to the 2000s; (2) risk of T2D increased markedly with obesity. Racial/ethnic-specific observations included: (1) in African American patients, the proportion of females was significantly higher than that of males for T2D compared to T1D (p&lt;0.0001); (2) in Hispanic Americans, the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was significantly higher in T1D than in T2D (p&lt;0.002) at presentation; (3) the strongest contributor to T2D risk was female gender in African Americans, while the strongest contributor to T2D risk was BMI z-score in Hispanic Americans.ConclusionsDistinction of T2D from T1D at patient presentation was possible with good sensitivity and specificity using only three easily-assessed variables: age, gender, and BMI z-score. In African American pediatric diabetes patients, gender was the strongest predictor of T2D, while in Hispanic patients, BMI z-score was the strongest predictor. This suggests that race/ethnic specific models may be useful to optimize distinction of T1D from T2D at presentation

Glycated hemoglobin at onset of diabetes.

*<p>mean T1D vs. mean T2D.</p

Number of patients per age at presentation.

<p>Age at presentation of T2D began to overlap age at presentation of T2D at age 8 or 9. (•) T1D, (o) T2D.</p

T2D Odd Ratios (95% confidence limits).

<p>T2D Odd Ratios (95% confidence limits).</p