Contents
Vitrification has been shown to decrease the developmental capacity of mammalian oocytes, and this is closely associated with the abnormal mRNA expressions of vitrified oocytes. However, the ...effect of vitrification on transcriptional machinery of oocytes examined by RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) has yet to be defined. In the present study, the mRNA transcriptomes of fresh and vitrified bovine oocytes were analysed by Smart‐seq2 with the differently expressed genes determined by DEseq2 (an adjusted p‐value of .05 and a minimum fold change of 2). The differentially expressed mRNAs were then searched against the Gene Ontology (GO) and Genomes (KEGG) database. Finally, the mRNA expressions of 10 candidate genes were validated using quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). Approximately 12,000 genes were detected in each sample of fresh or vitrified oocytes. Of these, the expression levels of 102 genes differed significantly in vitrified groups: 12 genes mainly involved in cell cycle, fertilization and glucose metabolism were upregulated, and 90 genes mainly involved in mitochondria, ribosomal protein, cytoskeleton, transmembrane protein, cell cycle and calcium ions were downregulated. GO analysis showed that these genes were mainly enriched in terms of membrane‐bounded organelles, macromolecular complex, and intracellular part. The mRNA expression levels of 10 candidate genes selected randomly were in agreement with the results of the RNA‐seq. In conclusion, our results showed that vitrification affected the mRNA transcriptome of bovine oocytes by downregulating genes, which contributed to the decreased developmental capacity of vitrified oocytes. Our findings will be useful in determining approaches to improve the efficiency of vitrified oocytes.
Abstract Anxiety disorders are among the most common and well studied psychiatric disorders in humans. A number of animal models have been established to study the mechanisms of anxiety and to test ...putative anxiolytic drugs. Gpr26 belongs to the G-protein-coupled receptor family and is exclusively expressed in brain tissue. To investigate the biological function of Gpr26 in vivo , we have generated Gpr26 knockout mice. The mutant mice grew and developed normally but displayed increased levels of anxiety-like behaviors in the open field and elevated plus maze tests, as well as a higher level of depression-like behaviors in the forced-swim and tail-suspension tests. Meanwhile, no significant alteration in spatial learning and memory abilities were found for Gpr26 -deficient mice in the Morris water maze test. Previous studies demonstrated that lower protein kinase A (PKA)–cAMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB)–neuropeptide Y (NPY) signaling in the amygdala is linked to higher anxiety and excessive alcohol-drinking behaviors in rats. Therefore, we further examined the phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) and CREB levels in the brains of Gpr26 -deficient mice. Reduced pCREB levels were observed in the central amygdala but not in the other regions, while total CREB levels remained comparable between wild-type and mutant mice. Combined, our data indicate that Gpr26 is important for emotion regulation in mice, a function probably mediated by the phosphorylation of CREB in the central amygdala.
Recently, a triple-network model suggested the abnormal interactions between the executive-control network (ECN), default-mode network (DMN) and salience network (SN) are important characteristics of ...addiction, in which the SN plays a critical role in allocating attentional resources toward the ECN and DMN. Although increasing studies have reported dysfunctions in these brain networks in Internet gaming disorder (IGD), interactions between these networks, particularly in the context of the triple-network model, have not been investigated in IGD. Thus, we aimed to assess alterations in the inter-network interactions of these large-scale networks in IGD, and to associate the alterations with IGD-related behaviors.
DMN, ECN and SN were identified using group-level independent component analysis (gICA) in 39 individuals with IGD and 34 age and gender matched healthy controls (HCs). Then alterations in the SN-ECN and SN-DMN connectivity, as well as in the modulation of ECN versus DMN by SN, using a resource allocation index (RAI) developed and validated previously in nicotine addiction, were assessed. Further, associations between these altered network coupling and clinical assessments were also examined.
Compared with HCs, IGD had significantly increased SN-DMN connectivity and decreased RAI in right hemisphere (rRAI), and the rRAI in IGD was negatively associated with their scores of craving.
These findings suggest that the deficient modulation of ECN versus DMN by SN might provide a mechanistic framework to better understand the neural basis of IGD and might provide novel evidence for the triple-network model in IGD.
•An integrated temperature-dependent phase-field Li-dendrite model is presented.•The presented model is validated by using the published experimental data.•The effects of temperature on the shape and ...size of the dendrites are investigated.•The effects of the ambient temperature on dendritic morphologies are discussed.•The influence of the internal heat on Li dendrites is discussed in detail.
This paper aims to computationally investigate the thermal effect, combining the internal heat and the ambient temperature, on the lithium (Li) dendrite growth process. To achieve this, the recently developed phase-field Li-dendrite model is further extended by coupling with a heat transfer model. The two models are linked via a temperature-dependent ion diffusion coefficient to investigate the evolution of the morphology and size of dendrites. Three levels of cases are used to progressively investigate the thermal effect on Li dendrites: (1) uniform ambient temperature, (2) temperature gradient along the charging direction, and (3) internal heat-induced spatially distributed temperature. The results show that the normalized dendrite length decreases as the ambient temperature increases, which agrees well with the published experimental measurements. The temperature gradient is applied in the 2-D system showing that the formation of lateral branches can be prevented with the presence of the temperature gradient. The third case shows that the temperature significantly increases at the dendrite-electrolyte interface, and the dendrite deviates from the tree-type shape to a nearly rhombic shape. The simulation results provide valuable bases for the future comprehensive studies of the temperature-dependent Li dendrite growth process.
The effect of transport stress on blood metabolism, glycolytic potential, and meat quality in broilers was investigated. Arbor Acres chicks (n = 360, 1 d old, males) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 ...treatments: unstressed control, 45-min (short-term) transport with 45-min (short-term) recovery, 45-min transport with 3-h (long-term) recovery; 3 h (long-term) transport with 45-min recovery, and 3-h transport with 3-h recovery. Each treatment consisted of 6 replicates with 12 birds each. On d 46, all birds (except the control group) were transported according to a designed protocol. Transport time affected plasma glucose level (P < 0.05) and glycogen level (P = 0.06) in breast muscle as well as the area (P < 0.01) and density (P < 0.01) of IIa fibers. Glucose concentration increased slightly during the first 45 min of transport and then decreased dramatically in the long-term transported broilers (P < 0.05). Long-term transport decreased the concentration of breast glycogen (P = 0.06) and affected the size of IIa fibers in tibialis anterior by decreasing the area (P < 0.01) with an increase in density (P < 0.01). However, a long-term recovery after transport contributed to the homeostasis of blood corticosterone (CORT, P = 0.05) and low levels of glycogen (P < 0.05), lactate (P < 0.01), and glycolytic potential (P < 0.01) in thigh muscles. Interactions existed between transport and recovery time on area (P < 0.05) and density (P < 0.01) of IIa fibers. Furthermore, plasma nonesterified fatty acids increased significantly in the 3-h transport with 3-h recovery group (P < 0.05) in comparison with the control. These results suggested that transport induced the release of plasma CORT and glycopenia, which affected the contractive status of muscle fibers by changing their area and density, and enhanced glycolysis and even lipolysis. A long-term recovery after transport was beneficial in lowering plasma CORT levels and reducing muscle glycolysis, which might improve broiler meat quality.
Measuring Filial Piety in the 21st Century Lum, Terry Y. S.; Yan, Elsie C. W.; Ho, Andy H. Y. ...
Journal of applied gerontology,
11/2016, Letnik:
35, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The experience and practice of filial piety have evolved in modern Chinese societies, and existing measures fail to capture these important changes. Based on a conceptual analysis on current ...literature, 42 items were initially compiled to form a Contemporary Filial Piety Scale (CFPS), and 1,080 individuals from a representative sample in Hong Kong were surveyed. Principal component analysis generated a 16-item three-factor model: Pragmatic Obligations (Factor 1; 10 items), Compassionate Reverence (Factor 2; 4 items), and Family Continuity (Factor 3; 2 items). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed strong factor loadings for Factors 1 and 2, while removing Factor 3 and conceptually duplicated items increased total variance explained from 58.02% to 60.09% and internal consistency from .84 to .88. A final 10-item two-factor structure model was adopted with a goodness of fit of 0.95. The CFPS-10 is a data-driven, simple, and efficient instrument with strong psychometric properties for assessing contemporary filial piety.
The human reference genome is used extensively in modern biological research. However, a single consensus representation is inadequate to provide a universal reference structure because it is a ...haplotype among many in the human population. Using 10× Genomics (10×G) "Linked-Read" technology, we perform whole genome sequencing (WGS) and de novo assembly on 17 individuals across five populations. We identify 1842 breakpoint-resolved non-reference unique insertions (NUIs) that, in aggregate, add up to 2.1 Mb of so far undescribed genomic content. Among these, 64% are considered ancestral to humans since they are found in non-human primate genomes. Furthermore, 37% of the NUIs can be found in the human transcriptome and 14% likely arose from Alu-recombination-mediated deletion. Our results underline the need of a set of human reference genomes that includes a comprehensive list of alternative haplotypes to depict the complete spectrum of genetic diversity across populations.
This paper reports three-dimensional atom probe tomography results from a γ/γ′ based Co–Al–W alloy and two quaternary variants of this alloy highlighting the following salient features: (i) ...sub-nanometer-scale solute partitioning across the γ/γ′ interface as well as solute pile-up at this interface; (ii) the site preference of quaternary elements in γ′ precipitates, Co3(Al, W); and (iii) formation of multiple generations of γ′ precipitates in one of the alloys.
PDF
