PwRn1, a novel Ty3/gypsy-like retrotransposon of Paragonimus westermani: molecular characters and its differentially preserved mobile potential according to host chromosomal polyploidy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Retrotransposons have been known to involve in the remodeling and evolution of host genome. These reverse transcribing elements, which show a complex evolutionary pathway with diverse intermediate forms, have been comprehensively analyzed from a wide range of host genomes, while the information remains limited to only a few species in the phylum Platyhelminthes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A LTR retrotransposon and its homologs with a strong phylogenetic affinity toward <it>CsRn1 </it>of <it>Clonorchis sinensis </it>were isolated from a trematode parasite <it>Paragonimus westermani </it>via a degenerate PCR method and from an insect species <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>by <it>in silico </it>analysis of the whole mosquito genome, respectively. These elements, designated <it>PwRn1 </it>and <it>AgCR-1 </it>– <it>AgCR-14 </it>conserved unique features including a t-RNA^Trpprimer binding site and the unusual CHCC signature of Gag proteins. Their flanking LTRs displayed >97% nucleotide identities and thus, these elements were likely to have expanded recently in the trematode and insect genomes. They evolved heterogeneous expression strategies: a single fused ORF, two separate ORFs with an identical reading frame and two ORFs overlapped by -1 frameshifting. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that the elements with the separate ORFs had evolved from an ancestral form(s) with the overlapped ORFs. The mobile potential of <it>PwRn1 </it>was likely to be maintained differentially in association with the karyotype of host genomes, as was examined by the presence/absence of intergenomic polymorphism and mRNA transcripts.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results on the structural diversity of <it>CsRn1</it>-like elements can provide a molecular tool to dissect a more detailed evolutionary episode of LTR retrotransposons. The <it>PwRn1</it>-associated genomic polymorphism, which is substantial in diploids, will also be informative in addressing genomic diversification following inter-/intra-specific hybridization in <it>P. westermani </it>populations.</p

A study on Korean nursing students' educational outcomes

The purpose of this study was to describe outcome indicators of nursing education including critical thinking, professionalism, leadership, and communication and to evaluate differences among nursing programs and academic years. A descriptive research design was employed. A total of 454 students from four year baccalaureate (BS) nursing programs and two three-year associate degree (AD) programs consented to complete self-administered questionnaires. The variables were critical thinking, professionalism, leadership and communication. Descriptive statistics, χ2-test, t-tests, ANOVA, and the Tukey test were utilized for the data analysis. All the mean scores of the variables were above average for the test instruments utilized. Among the BS students, those in the upper classes tended to attain higher scores, but this tendency was not identified in AD students. There were significant differences between BS students and AD students for the mean scores of leadership and communication. These findings suggested the need for further research to define properties of nursing educational outcomes, and to develop standardized instruments for research replication and verification

Additional lesions seen in magnetic resonance imaging of breast cancer patients: the role of second-look ultrasound and imaging-guided interventions

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the final outcomes of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-identified additional lesions (MRALs) in breast cancer patients and the role of second-look ultrasound (SLUS) and imaging-guided interventions. Methods We analyzed breast cancer patients with MRALs on preoperative MRI between January and June 2012. MRALs were defined as additional lesions suspected on MRI but not suspected on mammograms or ultrasound. The malignancy rate of MRALs, MRI-based Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System (BI-RADS) category, positional relationship with the index cancer, MRI-concordant lesion visibility on SLUS, performance of imaging-guided interventions, and total mastectomy (TM) rates were evaluated for the confirmed lesions. Results Among the 119 confirmed lesions, SLUS and imaging-guided interventions were performed in 94 (79.0%) and 82 cases (68.9%), respectively. The malignancy rate was 68.1% (81 of 119), and was significantly higher in BI-RADS 4C-5 lesions than in 4A-4B lesions (94.6% vs. 56.1%, P<0.01) and in ipsilateral same-quadrant lesions than in contralateral lesions (84.2% vs. 33.3%, P<0.01). The lesion visibility rate on SLUS was 90.4%. The malignancy rate was not significantly different according to lesion visibility on SLUS. The TM rate in the 98 cases with ipsilateral MRALs was 37.8%, while it was significantly lower in patients who underwent an imaging-guided intervention than in those who did not (27.9% vs. 54.1%, P=0.017). Conclusion MRALs show a high probability of malignancy, especially if they are ipsilateral. SLUS and imaging-guided interventions can eliminate many unnecessary TMs

β-Caryophyllene attenuates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice via modulation of gene expression associated mainly with colon inflammation

AbstractWe examined the modulatory activity of β-caryophyllene (CA) and gene expression in colitic colon tissues in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model. Experimental colitis was induced by exposing male BALB/c mice to 5% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. CA (30 or 300mg/kg) was administered orally once a day together with DSS. CA administration attenuated the increases in the disease activity index, colon weight/length ratio, inflammation score, and myeloperoxidase activity in DSS-treated mice. Microarray analysis showed that CA administration regulated the expression in colon tissue of inflammation-related genes including those for cytokines and chemokines (Ccl2, Ccl7, Ccl11, Ifitm3, IL-1β, IL-28, Tnfrsf1b, Tnfrsf12a); acute-phase proteins (S100a8, Saa3, Hp); adhesion molecules (Cd14, Cd55, Cd68, Mmp3, Mmp10, Sema6b, Sema7a, Anax13); and signal regulatory proteins induced by DSS. CA significantly suppressed NF-κB activity, which mediates the expression of a different set of genes. These results suggest that CA attenuates DSS-induced colitis, possibly by modulating the expression of genes associated mainly with colon inflammation through inhibition of DSS-induced NF-κB activity

Noodle consumption patterns of American consumers: NHANES 2001-2002

Although noodles occupy an important place in the dietary lives of Americans, up until the present time research and in-depth data on the noodle consumption patterns of the US population have been very limited. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the food consumption and diet patterns of noodle consumers and non-consumers according to age, gender, income, and ethnicity. The 2001-2002 NHANES databases were used. The NHANES 2001-2002 data showed that noodle consumers reporting noodle consumption in their 24-h recall were 2,035 individuals (23.3% of total subjects). According to the results, the mean noodle consumption was 304.1 g/day/person, with 334.3 g for males and 268.0 g for females. By age, the intake of those in the age range of 9-18 years old ranked highest at 353.0 g, followed by the order of 19-50 year-olds with 333.5 g, 51-70 year-olds with by 280.4 g, older than 71years old with 252.3 g, and 1-8 year-olds with 221.5 g. By gender, males consumed more noodles than females. Also, according to income, the intake amount for the middle-income level (PIR 1~1.85) of consumers was highest at 312.5 g. Noodle intake also showed different patterns by ethnicity in which the "other" ethnic group consumed the most noodles with 366.1 g, followed by, in order, Hispanics with 318.7 g, Whites with 298.6 g, and Blacks with 289.5 g. After comparing food consumption by dividing the subjects into noodle consumers and non-consumers, the former was more likely to consume milk, fish, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and alcoholic beverages while the latter preferred meat, poultry, bread, and non-alcohol beverages

Subconjuctival Loa loa with Calabar Swelling

Loa loa is unique among the human filariae in that adult worms are occasionally visible during subconjuntival migration. A 29-yr-old African female student, living in Korea for the past 5 yr without ever visiting her home country, presented with acute eyelid swelling and a sensation of motion on the left eyeball. Her symptoms started one day earlier and became worse over time. Examination revealed a threadlike worm beneath the left upper bulbar conjunctiva with mild eyelid swelling as well as painless swelling of the right forearm. Upon exposure to slit-lamp illumination, a sudden movement of the worm toward the fornix was noted. After surgical extraction, parasitologic analysis confirmed the worm to be a female adult Loa loa with the vulva at the extreme anterior end. On blood smear, the microfilariae had characteristic features of Loa loa, including sheath and body nuclei up to the tip of the tail. The patient also showed eosinophilia (37%) measuring 4,100/µL. She took ivermectin (200 µg/kg) as a single dose and suffered from a mild fever and chills for one day. This patient, to the best of our knowledge, is the first case of subconjunctival loiasis with Calabar swelling in Korea

Simultaneous electrochemical detection of both PSMA (+) and PSMA (-) prostate cancer cells using an RNA/peptide dual-aptamer probe

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Clinical impacts of the concomitant use of L-asparaginase and total parenteral nutrition containing L-aspartic acid in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

IntroductionL-asparaginase (ASNase) depletes L-asparagine and causes the death of leukemic cells, making it a mainstay for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, ASNase's activity can be inhibited by L-aspartic acid (Asp), which competes for the same substrate and reduces the drug's efficacy. While many commercially used total parenteral nutrition (TPN) products contain Asp, it is unclear how the concomitant use of TPNs containing Asp (Asp-TPN) affects ALL patients treated with ASNase. This propensity-matched retrospective cohort study evaluated the clinical effects of the interaction between ASNase and Asp-TPN.MethodsThe study population included newly diagnosed adult Korean ALL patients who received VPDL induction therapy consisting of vincristine, prednisolone, daunorubicin, and Escherichia coli L-asparaginase between 2004 and 2021. Patients were divided into two groups based on their exposure to Asp-TPN: (1) Asp-TPN group and (2) control group. Data, including baseline characteristics, disease information, medication information, and laboratory data, were collected retrospectively. The primary outcomes for the effectiveness were overall and complete response rates. Relapse-free survival at six months and one year of treatment were also evaluated. The safety of both TPN and ASNase was evaluated by comparing liver function test levels between groups. A 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was conducted to minimize potential selection bias.ResultsThe analysis included a total of 112 ALL patients, and 34 of whom received Asp-TPN and ASNase concomitantly. After propensity score matching, 30 patients remained in each group. The concomitant use of Asp-TPN and ASNase did not affect the overall response rate (odds ratio [OR] 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.17–1.62) or the complete response rate (OR 0.86; 95% CI = 0.29–2.59) of the ASNase-including induction therapy. The concomitant use of Asp-TPN and ASNase also did not impact relapse-free survival (RFS) at six months and one year of treatment (OR 1.00; 95% CI = 0.36–2.78 and OR 1.24; 95% CI, 0.50–3.12, respectively). The peak levels of each liver function test (LFT) and the frequency of LFT elevations were evaluated during induction therapy and showed no difference between the two groups.ConclusionThere is no clear rationale for avoiding Asp-TPN in ASNase-treated patients