Rapid evolution of mammalian X-linked testis microRNAs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are small, non-coding RNAs approximately 21-nucleotides in length, have become a major focus of research in molecular biology. Mammalian miRNAs are proposed to regulate approximately 30% of all protein-coding genes. Previous studies have focused on highly conserved miRNAs, but nonconserved miRNAs represent a potentially important source of novel functionalities during evolution.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An analysis of the chromosome distribution of miRNAs showed higher densities of miRNAs on the X chromosome compared to the average densities on autosomes in all eight mammalian species analyzed. The distribution pattern did not, however, apply well to species beyond mammals. In addition, by comparing orthologous human and mouse miRNAs, we found that X-linked miRNAs had higher substitution rates than autosomal miRNAs. Since the highest proportion of X-linked miRNAs were found in mouse testis, we tested the hypothesis that testis miRNAs are evolving faster on the X chromosome than on autosomes. Mature X-linked testis miRNAs had an average substitution rate between mouse and human that was almost 25-fold higher than mature testis miRNAs on autosomes. In contrast, for mature miRNAs with precursors not expressed in testis, no significant difference in the substitution rate between the X chromosome and autosomes was found. Among mammals, the rapid evolution of X-linked testis miRNAs was also observed in rodents and primates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The rapid evolution of X-linked testis miRNAs implies possible important male reproductive functions and may contribute to speciation in mammals.</p

Periodontal health and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

SummaryObjectiveTo evaluate the association of periodontal health and parameters of quality of life assessed in 306 Chinese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsPeriodontal status and respiratory function in 306 COPD patients were clinically evaluated and their quality of life was assessed using the standardized St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ).ResultsThe SGRQ scores were all significantly correlated with major lung function parameters (r2 = −0.37 to −0.28; all p < 0.0001) and Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale (r2 = 0.23 to 0.30; all p < 0.0001). The SGRQ scores also correlated with the 6-min walk test (r2 = −0.15 to −0.13; all p < 0.05). Of periodontal health parameters, missing tooth number and plaque index appeared to be related to the scores of quality of life. The age- and gender-adjusted Pearson’s correlation coefficients between missing teeth and total score, symptoms score, and activity score were 0.09, 0.12, and 0.12, respectively (all p < 0.05). The Pearson’s correlation coefficients between plaque index and symptoms score and activity score were 0.09 and 0.09 (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, and smoking status, missing teeth remained significantly associated with symptom score (p = 0.030) and activity score (p = 0.033) while plaque index was significantly associated with symptom score (p = 0.007).ConclusionsPoor periodontal health as reflected by missing teeth and plaque index was significantly associated with lower quality of life in COPD patients. Our findings indicate the importance of promoting dental care in current public health strategies to improve the quality of life in COPD patients

Efficacy of Er:YAG laser on periodontitis as an adjunctive non‐surgical treatment: A split‐mouth randomized controlled study

Aim To evaluate the adjunctive efficacy of Er:YAG laser use with mechanical scaling and root planing (SRP ) for non‐surgical treatment of periodontitis. Materials and Methods In a randomized, single‐blinded, controlled trial, 27 patients were recruited. Using a split‐mouth design, two quadrants were randomly allocated into either a test group or a control group. The test quadrants received Er:YAG laser (ERL ; 100 mJ /pulse; 15 Hz to hard tissue and 50 mJ /pulse; 30 Hz to soft tissue) plus SRP treatment, while the control quadrants received SRP only. We evaluated periodontal indexes, including probing depth (PD ), clinical attachment level (CAL ), bleeding index (BI ), and plaque index (PLI ) at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Results The PD and CAL means in the ERL + SRP group were significantly lower than those in the SRP group at 3‐month follow‐up (PD : 2.98 ± 0.38 mm vs. 3.09 ± 0.35 mm; CAL : 4.51 ± 0.69 mm vs. 4.72 ± 0.67 mm) and 6‐month follow‐up (PD : 2.91 ± 0.31 mm vs. 3.02 ± 0.30 mm; CAL : 4.52 ± 0.65 mm vs. 4.72 ± 0.66 mm; p = 0.03 for both PD and CAL ). There were no significant differences in BI and PLI between two groups. Conclusions The Er:YAG laser treatment combined with conventional SRP significantly improved PD and CAL compared to SRP therapy alone; however, these differences were very small and, as a result, the adjunctive effect of Er:YAG laser is likely to be minimal clinically important

Proteomic-based identification of maternal proteins in mature mouse oocytes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mature mouse oocyte contains the full complement of maternal proteins required for fertilization, reprogramming, zygotic gene activation (ZGA), and the early stages of embryogenesis. However, due to limitations of traditional proteomics strategies, only a few abundantly expressed proteins have yet been identified. Our laboratory applied a more effective strategy: one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D SDS-PAGE) and reverse-phase liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (RP-LC-MS/MS) were employed to analyze the mature oocyte proteome in depth.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using this high-performance proteomic approach, we successfully identified 625 different proteins from 2700 mature mouse oocytes lacking zona pellucidae. This is the largest catalog of mature mouse oocyte proteins compiled to date. According to their pattern of expression, we screened 76 maternal proteins with high levels of mRNA expression both in oocytes and fertilized eggs. Many well-known maternal effect proteins were included in this subset, including MATER and NPM2. In addition, our mouse oocyte proteome was compared with a recently published mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) proteome and 371 overlapping proteins were identified.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This proteomics analysis will be a valuable resource to aid in the characterization of important maternal proteins involved in oogenesis, fertilization, early embryonic development and in revealing their mechanisms of action.</p

Pseudogenization of Mc1r gene associated with transcriptional changes related to melanogensis explains leucistic phenotypes in Oreonectes cavefish (Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae)

Organisms that have colonized underground caves encounter vastly different selective pressures than their relatives in above‐ground habitats. While disruption of certain pigmentation genes has been documented in various cave‐dwelling taxa, little is known about wider impacts across pigmentation and other gene pathways. We here study the timeframe and transcriptional landscape of a leucistic and blind cypriniform fish (Oreonectes daqikongensis, Nemacheilidae) that inhabits karst caves in Guizhou, China. Based on data from the mitochondrial ND4, ND5, and Cytb genes, we show that the divergence between O. daqikongensis and its most closely related pigmented species occurred ca. 6.82 million years ago (95% HPD, 5.12–9.01), providing ample time for widespread phenotypic change. Indeed, we found that the DNA sequence of Mc1r (melanocortin‐1 receptor), a key gene regulating the biosynthesis of melanin in most vertebrates, is pseudogenized in O. daqikongensis, caused by a 29 bp deletion in the protein‐coding region. Furthermore, 99,305 unigenes were annotated based on the transcriptome of skin tissue of Oreonectes fish. Among the differentially expressed unigenes, 7,326 (7.4% of the total unigenes) had decreased expression and 2,530 (2.5% of the total unigenes) had increased expression in O. daqikongensis skin. As predicted, the expression of Mc1r and 18 additional genes associated with melanin biosynthesis was significantly downregulated in the skin tissue of O. daqikongensis, but not in its congener. Our results, integrating with other studies on cavefishes, suggest that loss of pigmentation was caused by coding region loss‐of‐function mutations along with widespread transcriptional changes, resulting from extended evolutionary time as a cave‐dwelling form

Periodontal health: A national cross‐sectional study of knowledge, attitudes and practices for the public oral health strategy in China

Aim To assess the status of periodontal health knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among Chinese adults. Materials and Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted in a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 50,991) aged 20 years or older from ten provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. Percentages of Chinese adults with correct periodontal knowledge, positive periodontal attitudes, and practices were estimated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the related factors. Results Less than 20% of Chinese adults were knowledgeable about periodontal disease. Very few (2.6%) of Chinese adults use dental floss ≥once a day and undergo scaling ≥once a year and visit a dentist (6.4%) in the case of gingival bleeding. Periodontal health KAP was associated with gender, age, body mass index, marital status, place of residence, education level, income, smoking status, and history of periodontal disease. Conclusions Periodontal health KAP are generally poor among the Chinese adult population. Community‐based health strategies to improve periodontal health KAP need to be implemented. Increasing knowledge of periodontal disease, the cultivation of correct practices in response to gingival bleeding, and the development of good habits concerning the use of dental floss and regular scaling should be public oral health priorities

Microinjection Manipulation Resulted in the Increased Apoptosis of Spermatocytes in Testes from Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Derived Mice

The invention of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has possibly been the most important development in reproductive medicine, one that has given hope to thousands of infertile couples worldwide. However, concerns remain regarding the safety of this method since it is a more invasive procedure than in vitro fertilization (IVF), since a spermatozoon is injected into the oocyte cytoplasm. Using mice derived from IVF technology as a control, we assessed the influence of invasive microinjection in the process of transferring sperm into oocyte cytoplasm in ICSI procedure on the development and physiologic function of resultant offspring. Our results demonstrated that mice produced from ICSI and IVF had no significant difference in phenotypic indices including body weight, forelimb physiology, and learning and memory ability. However, increased spermatocyte apoptosis was observed in the testis of adult ICSI mice, when compared with IVF mice. And, decreased testis weight and marked damage of spermatogenic epithelia were found in aged ICSI mice. Furthermore, proteomic analysis verified that most of the differentiated proteins in testes between adult ICSI and IVF mice were those involved in regulation of apoptosis pathways. Our results demonstrated that the microinjection manipulation used in the ICSI procedure might pose potential risks to the fertility of male offspring. The changed expression of a series of proteins relating to apoptosis or proliferation might contribute to it. Further studies are necessary to better understand all the risks of ICSI

MODELING AND SIMULATION OF FUEL CELL ELEVATOR BACKUP POWER SYSTEMS USING ADVANCED VEHICLE SIMULATOR

ABSTRACT With limited available space in the city and increasing land cost, multi-storey and high-rise buildings now dominate most urban areas of the world. The irresistible trend to build taller and taller buildings to leverage increasing land cost turns elevator from a tool of convenience to a necessity of life. This dependence of elevator further requires its continuous function in spite of power failure caused by a variety of reasons. Reliable and effective elevator power backup system becomes an urgent need today. In this work, advanced electric power backup technologies, including battery, ultracapacitor and hydrogen fuel cells, are examined. To design a functional elevator backup power system, and to assess the feasibility of a batteryultracapacitor -fuel cell hybrid elevator backup power system with superior performance, the modeling and simulation of an elevator and its backup power system are carried out. Based on its resemblance to an electric vehicle traveling vertically, the elevator, its power need and performance are modeled using the MatLab/Simulink based hybrid vehicle design and analysis tool, ADvanced VehIcle SimulatOR (ADVISOR). The modeling and simulation provide guidelines for selecting and sizing energy storage and conversion devices. More importantly, the quantitative analysis allows complex battery -ultracapacitorfuel cell hybrid backup power system to be optimized to reach the best potential of each components for a given elevator usage cycle. To explore the feasibility of wide commercial applications of this technology, the initial cost, maintain costs and reliability of the battery -ultracapacitor -fuel cell hybrid elevator backup power system are also discussed

Comparative proteomics analysis of placenta from pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) usually occurs in the third trimester and associated with increased risks in fetal complications. Currently, the exact cause of this disease is unknown. In this study we aim to investigate the potential proteins in placenta, which may participate in the molecular mechanisms of ICP-related fetal complications using iTRAQ-based proteomics approach. METHODS: The iTRAQ analysis combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed to separate differentially expressed placental proteins from 4 pregnant women with ICP and 4 healthy pregnant women. Bioinformatics analysis was used to find the relative processes that these differentially expressed proteins were involved in. Three apoptosis related proteins ERp29, PRDX6 and MPO that resulted from iTRAQ-based proteomics were further verified in placenta by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Placental apoptosis was also detected by TUNEL assay. RESULTS: Proteomics results showed there were 38 differentially expressed proteins from pregnant women with ICP and healthy pregnant women, 29 were upregulated and 9 were downregulated in placenta from pregnant women with ICP. Bioinformatics analysis showed most of the identified proteins was functionally related to specific cell processes, including apoptosis, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism. The expression levels of ERp29, PRDX6 and MPO were consistent with the proteomics data. The apoptosis index in placenta from ICP patients was significantly increased. CONCLUSION: This preliminary work provides a better understanding of the proteomic alterations of placenta from pregnant women with ICP and may provide us some new insights into the pathophysiology and potential novel treatment targets for ICP