Salmonids (e.g. Atlantic salmon, Pacific salmon, and trouts) have a long legacy of genome duplication. In addition to three ancient genome duplications that all teleosts are thought to share, ...salmonids have had one additional genome duplication. We explored a methodology for untangling these duplications from each other to better understand them in Atlantic salmon. In this methodology, homeologous regions (paralogous/duplicated genomic regions originating from a whole genome duplication) from the most recent genome duplication were assumed to have duplicated genes at greater density and have greater sequence similarity. This assumption was used to differentiate duplicated gene pairs in Atlantic salmon that are either from the most recent genome duplication or from earlier duplications. From a comparison with multiple vertebrate species, it is clear that Atlantic salmon have retained more duplicated genes from ancient genome duplications than other vertebrates--often at higher density in the genome and containing fewer synonymous mutations. It may be that polysomic inheritance is the mechanism responsible for maintaining ancient gene duplicates in salmonids. Polysomic inheritance (when multiple chromosomes pair during meiosis) is thought to be relatively common in salmonids compared to other vertebrate species. These findings illuminate how genome duplications may not only increase the number of duplicated genes, but may also be involved in the maintenance of them from previous genome duplications as well.
•Respiratory illness can cause significant morbidity.•Gargle samples are easy to take and sample the same area as a throat swab.•Assessed utility of gargles for the molecular detection of respiratory ...infections.•Data suggests that gargle samples are a more sensitive sample type than THS.•Recommend other testing sites consider gargle samples for respiratory diagnosis.
Respiratory illness causes significant morbidity especially in children, the elderly and the immunocompromised. The sample type taken and the quality of that sample are of great significance in providing an accurate diagnosis. Gargle samples are easy to take and sample the same area as a throat swab (THS). In this study, we assessed the utility of gargle samples for the molecular detection of common respiratory infections. Paired gargle and THS samples collected on the same day from the same patient were compared. We also included in our analysis paired THS and gargle samples that were collected within three days of each other as these samples are likely to have been taken during the same illness. Overall the data suggests that gargle samples are a more sensitive sample type than THS samples as overall the diagnostic yield was higher in the gargle samples and the Ct value of the gargle samples was stronger for the majority of samples in comparison to THS samples. Similar data was seen in the paired samples collected within one to three days of each other, as although the diagnostic yield between the sample types was similar (similar discrepant results), the majority of gargles had stronger Ct values than THS samples. This paper highlights the usefulness of gargle samples as non-invasive sensitive respiratory sample in comparison to THS samples. We recommend that other testing sites should consider using gargle samples for respiratory diagnosis as it will bring benefits in terms of sensitivity and sampling ease of use.
The authors investigated the distinctiveness and interrelationships among visuospatial and verbal memory processes in short-term, working, and long-term memories in 345 adults. Beginning in the 20s, ...a continuous, regular decline occurs for processing-intensive tasks (e.g., speed of processing, working memory, and long-term memory), whereas verbal knowledge increases across the life span. There is little differentiation in the cognitive architecture of memory across the life span. Visuospatial and verbal working memory are distinct but highly interrelated systems with domain-specific short-term memory subsystems. In contrast to recent neuroimaging data, there is little evidence for dedifferentiation of function at the behavioral level in old compared with young adults. The authors conclude that efforts to connect behavioral and brain data yield a more complete understanding of the aging mind.
The opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) at the time of myocardial reperfusion is a critical determinant of cell death. Emerging studies suggest that suppression of mPTP ...opening may underlie the cardioprotection elicited by both ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and postconditioning (IPost). To further evaluate the role of the mPTP in cardioprotection, we hypothesized that hearts deficient in cyclophilin-D (CYP-D-/-), a key component of the mPTP, will be resistant to cardioprotection conferred by ischemic and pharmacological preconditioning and postconditioning.
Male/female wild type or CYP-D-/- mice were subjected to 30 min of ischemia and 120 min of reperfusion. In wild type mice subjected to in vivo myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, a significant reduction in myocardial infarct size was observed with the following treatments (n>/=6/group; P<0.05): (1) IPC (28+/-4% vs. 46.2+/-4% in control); (2) Diazoxide (5 mg/kg) pre-treatment (26.4+/-3% vs. 54+/-10% in vehicle control); (3) IPost-1 or IPost-2, three or six 10-s cycles of ischemia-reperfusion (27.2+/-3% and 32+/-4%, respectively vs. 46.2+/-4% in control); (4) Bradykinin (40 mug/kg) (28.3+/-1% vs. 48+/-4% in vehicle control); (5) cyclosporin-A (10 mg/kg) (32.3+/-3% vs. 48+/-4% in vehicle control) (6) sanglifehrin-A (25 mg/kg) (29.3+/-3% vs. 48+/-4% in vehicle control). Interestingly, however, no infarct-limiting effects were demonstrated in CYP-D-/- mice with the same treatment protocols: (27.9+/-5% in control vs. 31.2+/-7% with IPC, 30.2+/-5% with IPost-1, 24.7+/-8% with IPost-2; 30.1+/-4% in vehicle control vs. 26.4+/-7% with diazoxide; 24.6+/-4% in vehicle control vs. 24.9+/-5% with bradykinin, 26.8+/-7% with cyclosporin-A, 32.5+/-6% with sanglifehrin-A: n>/=6/group: P>0.05).
This study demonstrates that the mPTP plays a critical role in the cardioprotection elicited by ischemic and pharmacological preconditioning and postconditioning.
In the 30 years since the original description of ischaemic preconditioning, understanding of the pathophysiology of ischaemia/reperfusion injury and concepts of cardioprotection have been ...revolutionised. In the same period of time, management of patients with coronary artery disease has also been transformed: coronary artery and valve surgery are now deemed routine with generally excellent outcomes, and the management of acute coronary syndromes has seen decade on decade reductions in cardiovascular mortality. Nonetheless, despite these improvements, cardiovascular disease and ischaemic heart disease in particular, remain the leading cause of death and a significant cause of long-term morbidity (with a concomitant increase in the incidence of heart failure) worldwide. The need for effective cardioprotective strategies has never been so pressing. However, despite unequivocal evidence of the existence of ischaemia/reperfusion in animal models providing a robust rationale for study in man, recent phase 3 clinical trials studying a variety of cardioprotective strategies in cardiac surgery and acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction have provided mixed results. The investigators meeting at the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute workshop describe the challenge of translating strong pre-clinical data into effective clinical intervention strategies in patients in whom effective medical therapy is already altering the pathophysiology of ischaemia/reperfusion injury—and lay out a clearly defined framework for future basic and clinical research to improve the chances of successful translation of strong pre-clinical interventions in man.
Polymeric films can be grown by a sequential, self-limiting surface chemistry process known as molecular layer deposition (MLD). The MLD reactants are typically bifunctional monomers for stepwise ...condensation polymerization and can yield completely organic films. The MLD of organic–inorganic hybrid polymers can also be accomplished using a bifunctional organic monomer and a multifunctional inorganic monomer. In this work, the growth of a poly(aluminum ethylene glycol) polymer is demonstrated using the sequential exposures of trimethylaluminum (TMA) and ethylene glycol (EG). These hybrid polymers, known as alucones, were grown over a wide range of temperatures from 85 to 175 °C. In situ quartz crystal microbalance and ex situ X-ray reflectivity experiments confirmed linear growth of the alucone film versus number of TMA/EG reaction cycles at all temperatures. The alucone growth rates decreased at higher temperatures. Growth rates varied from 4.0 Å per cycle at 85 °C to 0.4 Å per cycle at 175 °C. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to monitor the surface reactions during alucone MLD. Ex situ FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray reflectivity measurements were also employed to determine the chemical composition, thickness, and density of the alucone films. These ex situ studies revealed that the alucone films grown on Al2O3 ALD surfaces evolved under ambient conditions before reaching a stable state. Alucone films capped with rapid SiO2 ALD displayed much more stability than alucone films grown on Al2O3 ALD surfaces. These results indicated that H2O may facilitate the chemical transformation of the alucone MLD films. The alucone films represent a new class of organic–inorganic hybrid polymers. Modification of this basic alucone MLD chemistry with use of other diols or other bifunctional monomers can produce different alucone polymers with variable properties.
To examine the effects of cochlear implant (CI) interval (time between CI surgeries) on receptive vocabulary and receptive language skills for children with bilateral CIs.
A prospective ...cross-sectional study design.
Participants were recruited from, and tested at, oral schools for the deaf and pediatric audiology clinics across the United States.
Eighty-eight children, 4 to 9 years of age, with bilateral CIs and known hearing histories. Twenty-three participants received CIs simultaneously and 65 received CIs sequentially. Of those implanted sequentially, 86% wore a hearing aid (HA) on the non-implanted ear during the CI interval.
Bilateral cochlear implantation.
Receptive vocabulary was measured via the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). Receptive language skills were measured via the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF).
Multiple linear regression models indicate better receptive vocabulary and receptive language skills are associated with earlier ages at first CI (CI 1), but not with shorter CI intervals.
Early cochlear implantation (i.e., age at CI 1) is critical for better receptive vocabulary and receptive language skills. Shorter CI intervals are not associated with better receptive vocabulary and receptive language skills for these 88 children, who nearly all used bimodal hearing during the interval. Use of a HA at the non-implanted ear, before receipt of a second CI (CI 2), may mitigate the effects of early bilateral auditory deprivation.
Many chronic liver disorders are characterized by dysregulated immune responses and hepatocyte death. We used an in vivo model to study the immune response to necrotic liver injury and found that ...necrotic liver cells induced eosinophil recruitment. Necrotic liver induced eosinophil IL-1β and IL-18 secretion, degranulation, and cell death. Caspase-1 inhibitors blocked all of these responses. Caspase-1-mediated cell death with accompanying cytokine release is the hallmark of a novel form of cell death termed pyroptosis. To confirm this response in a disease model, we isolated eosinophils from the livers of
-infected mice.
eggs lodge in the hepatic sinusoids of infected mice, resulting in hepatocyte death, inflammation, and progressive liver fibrosis. This response is typified by massive eosinophilia, and we were able to confirm pyroptosis in the infiltrating eosinophils. This demonstrated that pyroptosis is a cellular pathway used by eosinophils in response to large-scale hepatic cell death.
Alcohol misuse affects 15 million people in the United States. Compared to White men, Latino men have disproportionately higher rates of both alcohol misuse and negative alcohol-related consequences ...(e.g. drunk driving, liver disease, alcohol dependence, HIV/AIDS). This cross sectional study examined how cultural stressors immigration stress and negative context of reception (NCR) coupled with traditional Latino male gender norms (machismo and caballerismo) influences alcohol use severity (AUS) among adult Latino immigrant men. Data for the present study was collected between 2017 and 2018 from 279 Cuban, Central American, and South American adult Latino men who immigrated to the US approximately 10 years prior. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed higher levels of perceived NCR (β = 0.15, p = .01), and machismo (β = 0.16, p = .02) were associated with greater AUS. Significant interaction effects were found between both cultural stressors and machismo immigration stress x machismo (β = 0.22, p < .001); NCR x machismo (β = 0.22, p < .001) whereby higher levels of machismo strengthened the association between cultural stress and AUS. Findings from the present study can inform culturally appropriate interventions aimed at mitigating alcohol use among Latino immigrant men.
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