Post-menopausal women are disproportionately affected by osteoarthritis (OA). As such, the purpose of this study was to (1) summarize the state-of-the-science aimed at understanding the effects of ...menopause on OA in animal models and (2) investigate how dosage and timing of initiation of estrogen treatment affect cartilage degeneration.
A systematic review identified articles studying menopausal effects on cartilage in preclinical models. A meta-analysis was performed using overlapping cartilage outcomes in conjunction with a rigor and reproducibility analysis. Ordinary differential equation models were used to determine if a relationship exists between cartilage degeneration and the timing of initiation or dosage of estrogen treatment.
Thirty-eight manuscripts were eligible for inclusion. The most common menopause model used was ovariectomy (92%), and most animals were young at the time of menopause induction (86%). Most studies did not report inclusion criteria, animal monitoring, protocol registration, or data accessibility. Cartilage outcomes were worse in post-menopausal animals compared to age-matched, non-menopausal animals, as evidenced by cartilage histological scoring 0.75, 1.72, cartilage thickness −4.96, −0.96, type II collagen −4.87, −0.56, and c-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) 2.43, 5.79 (95% CI of Effect Size (+greater in menopause, −greater in non-menopause)). Moreover, modeling suggests that cartilage health may be improved with early initiation and higher doses of estrogen treatment.
To improve translatability, animal models that consider aging and natural menopause should be utilized, and more attention to rigor and reproducibility is needed. Timing of initiation and dosage may be important factors modulating therapeutic effects of estrogen on cartilage.
Life‐history characteristics of six tropical Lethrinus species sampled from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area were compared. Two species groups were identified based on fork length (LF): ...large species with maximum LF > 640 mm (longface emperor Lethrinus olivaceus, yellowlip emperor Lethrinus xanthochilus and spangled emperor Lethrinus nebulosus) and small species with maximum LF < 480 mm (Pacific yellowtail emperor Lethrinus atkinsoni, pink ear emperor Lethrinus lentjan and ornate emperor Lethrinus ornatus). Lifespan was not correlated with LF. Early growth for all species was rapid and similar during the first few years of life, but coefficients of the von Bertalanffy growth function varied considerably among species. Growth also differed between sexes for L. atkinsoni. Reproductive characteristics varied among species, with peak periods of spawning occurring in November to December for L. atkinsoni, July to August for L. nebulous, September to October for L. olivaceus and a protracted season for L. lentjan, although fewer samples were available for the last two species. Sex‐specific LF and age distributions and gonad histology of L. lentjan were suggestive of a functional protogynous reproductive pattern, as observed in other lethrinids. Gonad histology indicated non‐functional protogynous hermaphroditism for L. atkinsoni and L. nebulosus. The diversity of life histories among these closely related species emphasizes the difficulty in devising single management strategies appropriate for multi‐species fisheries and illustrates the importance of understanding species‐specific life histories to infer responses to exploitation.
Molecular diagnosis for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DMD/BMD) involves a two‐tiered approach for detection of deletions/duplications using MLPA or array CGH, followed by sequencing of ...coding and flanking intronic regions to detect sequence variants, which is time‐consuming and expensive. We have developed a comprehensive next‐generation sequencing (NGS)‐based single‐step assay to sequence the entire 2.2 Mb of the DMD gene to detect all copy number and sequence variants in both index males and carrier females. Assay validation was 100% concordant with other methodologies. A total of 772 samples have been tested, of which 62% (N = 480) were index cases with a clinical suspicion of DMD. Carrier testing females account for 38% (N = 292). Molecular diagnosis was confirmed in 86% (N = 413) of the index cases. Intragenic deletions and duplications (single‐exon or multi‐exon) were detected in 60% (N = 247) and 14% (N = 58) of the index cases, respectively. Full‐sequence analysis of the entire gene allows for detection of deep intronic pathogenic variants and accurate breakpoint detection of CNVs involving similar exons, which could have an impact on the outcome of clinical trials. This comprehensive assay is highly sensitive for diagnostic testing for DMD and is also suitable for confirmatory testing for newborn screening for DMD.
The comprehensive NGS‐based assay interrogates entire DMD gene including the coding 79 exons as well as noncoding introns and promoter regions, leading to single‐step detection of deletions, duplications, single‐nucleotide variants, and deep intronic variants in the DMD gene.
Previous studies have shown that the outcomes of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) vary significantly between patients, but few studies have identified prognostic indicators. The aim of this ...study was to determine whether psychological factors are associated with recovery from recently onset CRPS amongst patients followed prospectively for 1 year. Sixty-six patients with CRPS (type 1) were recruited within 12 weeks of symptom onset and assessed immediately and at 6 and 12 months, during which time they received treatment as usual. At each assessment, the following were measured: signs and symptoms of CRPS, pain, disability, depression, anxiety, stress, pain-related fear, pain catastrophising, laterality task performance, body perception disturbance, and perceived ownership of the limb. Mixed-effects models for repeated measures were conducted to identify baseline variables associated with CRPS severity, pain, and disability over the 12 months. Results showed that scores for all 3 outcome variables improved over the study period. Males and those with lower levels of baseline pain and disability experienced the lowest CRPS severity scores over 12 months. Those with lower baseline anxiety and disability had the lowest pain intensity over the study period, and those with lower baseline pain and pain-related fear experienced the least disability over the 12 months. This suggests that anxiety, pain-related fear, and disability are associated with poorer outcomes in CRPS and could be considered as target variables for early treatment. The findings support the theory that CRPS represents an aberrant protective response to perceived threat of tissue injury.
Abstract
CASA, the Common Astronomy Software Applications, is the primary data processing software for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array ...(VLA), and is frequently used also for other radio telescopes. The CASA software can handle data from single-dish, aperture-synthesis, and Very Long Baseline Interferometery (VLBI) telescopes. One of its core functionalities is to support the calibration and imaging pipelines for ALMA, VLA, VLA Sky Survey, and the Nobeyama 45 m telescope. This paper presents a high-level overview of the basic structure of the CASA software, as well as procedures for calibrating and imaging astronomical radio data in CASA. CASA is being developed by an international consortium of scientists and software engineers based at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the European Southern Observatory, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and the Joint Institute for VLBI European Research Infrastructure Consortium (JIV-ERIC), under the guidance of NRAO.
ABSTRACT
Abundances of light elements in dwarf stars of different ages are important constraints for stellar yields, Galactic chemical evolution and exoplanet chemical composition studies. We have ...measured C and N abundances and 12C/13C ratios for a sample of 63 solar twins spanning a wide range in age, based on spectral synthesis of a comprehensive list of CH A-X and CN B-X features using HARPS spectra. The analysis of 55 thin disc solar twins confirms the dependences of C/Fe and N/Fe on Fe/H. N/Fe is investigated as a function of Fe/H and age for the first time for these stars. Our derived correlation C/Fe–age agrees with works for solar-type stars and solar twins, but the N/Fe–age correlation does not. The relations C,N/Fe–Fe/H and C,N/Fe–age for the solar twins lay under solar. 12C/13C is found correlated with Fe/H and seems to have decreased along the evolution of the local thin disc. Predictions from chemical evolution models for the solar vicinity corroborate the relations C,N/Fe–Fe/H, 12C/13C–age, and N/O–O/H, but do not for the 12C/13C–Fe/H and C/O–O/H relations. The N/O ratio in the Sun is placed at the high end of the homogeneous distribution of solar twins, which suggests uniformity in the N–O budget for the formation of icy planetesimals, watery superearths, and giant planets. C and N had different nucleosynthetic origins along the thin disc evolution, as shown by the relations of C/N, C/O, and N/O against O/H and age. C/N and C/O are particularly observed increasing in time for solar twins younger than the Sun.
Abstract
Introduction
Evidence from both experimental and daily-diary studies suggests that a single night of sleep restriction leads to higher levels of anxiety the following day. Depressive ...symptoms also increase the next day in healthy populations, although sleep restriction has demonstrated short-term antidepressant properties in depressed populations. Relatively little research has examined symptoms of anxiety and depression separately on days following naturally-occurring sleep restriction and whether any change from the previous day might be moderated by baseline levels of anxiety or depression.
Methods
Undergraduates completed electronic daily diaries twice per day for 14 days (N = 96). Upon waking, participants answered questions assessing their sleep, and every evening, before going to bed, completed the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire - Short Form to assess daily levels of general distress, anxious arousal, and anhedonic depression. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - State and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale provided baseline measures of anxiety and depression, respectively. A night of sleep restriction was operationally defined as one for which participants reported obtaining 4 hours of sleep or less.
Results
Multilevel modeling revealed that anxious arousal was higher following sleep restriction (β =.92, z=2.40, p=.017). This was moderated by baseline anxiety (β =.09, z=2.89, p=.004) and baseline depression (β =.09, z=3.39, p=.001) so that anxious arousal was even higher the next day for individuals reporting a high number of anxious and depressive symptoms. These effects remained significant after controlling for lagged anxious arousal, gender, baseline anxiety and depression, substance use, and napping. Conversely, no significant results were found when next-day general distress or anhedonic depression were examined.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that naturally-occurring sleep restriction is accompanied by increases in anxiety, but not depressive symptoms, the following day. This effect is heightened in individuals with higher baseline levels of anxiety and depression.
Support
N/A
Tissue engineering can be a boon in treating lesions of the disc in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Unfortunately, little is known about its biochemical content, so we analysed the discs of six ...slaughtered pigs. We measured the content and distribution of total DNA, glycosaminoglycan, and collagen. The mean (S.D.) content of DNA was 0.14% (0.08%) of the dry weight, of glycosaminoglycan 0.96% (0.39%), and of collagen 68.2% (14.5%). There were no significant differences from top to bottom, but from front to back the smallest concentration of glycosaminoglycan was in the posterior band, and the highest concentration of collagen was in the intermediate zone. The concentrations of DNA and glycosaminoglycan were higher in the medial than in the lateral area of the disc.
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