Notes

Mitochondrial genome associated with Geomydoecus aurei, the pocket-gopher louse.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a small but significant part of the human genome, whose applicability potential has gradually increased with the advent of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technology. Knowledge of the particular workflow, equipment, and reagents used, along with extensive usage of negative controls to monitor all preparation steps constitute the prerequisites for confident reporting of results. In this study, we performed an assessment of Illumina® Human mtDNA Genome assay on MiSeq FGx™ instrument. Through analysis of several types of negative controls, as well as mtDNA positive controls, we established thresholds for data analysis and interpretation, consisting of several components minimum read depth (220 reads), minimum quality score (41), percentage of minor allele sufficient for analysis (3.0%), percentage of minor allele sufficient for interpretation (6.0%), and percentage of major allele sufficient for homoplasmic variant call (97.0%). Based on these criteria, we defined internal guidelines for analysis and interpretation of mtDNA results obtained by MPS. Our study shows that the whole mtDNA assay on MiSeq FGx™ produces repeatable and reproducible results, independent of the analyst, which are also concordant with Sanger-type sequencing results for mtDNA control region, as well as with MPS results produced by NextSeq®. Overall, established thresholds and interpretation guidelines were successfully applied for the sequencing of complete mitochondrial genomes from high-quality samples. The underlying principles and proposed methodology on the definition of internal laboratory guidelines for analysis and interpretation of MPS results may be applicable to similar MPS workflows, e.g. targeting good-quality samples in forensic genetics and molecular diagnostics.
Elevated whole-blood serotonin (5-HT) is a robust biomarker in ~ 30% of patients with autism spectrum disorders, in which repetitive behavior is a core symptom. Furthermore, elevated whole-blood 5-HT has also been described in patients with pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. The 5-HT
receptor is associated with repetitive behaviors seen in both disorders. Chronic blockade of serotonin transporter (SERT) reduces 5-HT
receptor levels in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and attenuates the sensorimotor deficits and hyperactivity seen with the 5-HT
agonist RU24969. We hypothesized that enhanced SERT function would increase 5-HT
receptor levels in OFC and enhance sensorimotor deficits and hyperactivity induced by RU24969.

We examined the impact of the SERT Ala56 mutation, which leads to enhanced SERT function, on 5-HT
receptor binding and 5-HT
-mediated sensorimotor deficits.

Specific binding to 5-HT
receptors was measured in OFC and striatum of naïve SERT Ala56 or wild-type mice. The impact of the 5-HT
receptor agonist RU24969 on prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle, hyperactivity, and expression of cFos was examined.

While enhanced SERT function increased 5-HT
receptor levels in OFC of Ala56 mice, RU24969-induced PPI deficits and hyperlocomotion were not different between genotypes. Baseline levels of cFos expression were not different between groups. RU24969 increased cFos expression in OFC of wild-types and decreased cFos in the striatum.

While reducing 5-HT
receptors may attenuate sensorimotor gating deficits, increased 5-HT
levels in SERT Ala56 mice do not necessarily exacerbate these deficits, potentially due to compensations during neural circuit development in this model system.
While reducing 5-HT1B receptors may attenuate sensorimotor gating deficits, increased 5-HT1B levels in SERT Ala56 mice do not necessarily exacerbate these deficits, potentially due to compensations during neural circuit development in this model system.A 76-year old African American female with a history of arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) secondary to biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) presented with unilateral vision loss in her contralateral eye despite high-dose oral steroid treatment. Dilated fundus examination revealed three cotton wool spots. Fluorescein angiography showed slowed arteriolar filling with late staining of small peripheral arteries, consistent with small vessel arteritis. Laboratory tests for alternative vasculitides were negative. Review of her temporal artery biopsy specimen confirmed lymphoplasmacytic inflammation around small adventitial vessels with no destructive granulomatous or leukocytoclastic small vessel vasculitis, consistent with GCA. Our unique case demonstrates peripheral small vessel retinal arteriolar leakage in GCA, which is a rare finding. This association is of interest because GCA is commonly associated with medium to large vessel pathology without small vessel involvement.
The anal position index (API) was described in 1984 by Reisner et al. Since then, it has been measured in different ethnic populations and its utility in various medical conditions have been explored. We aimed to review the literature regarding the various values reported analytically.

A Pubmed Search was carried out with the terms Anal Position Index. There were 158 articles hit by the search. The description of the API was uniform in all studies, described as ratio of anus-fourchette distance in girls and anus-scrotum distance in boys to the distance between coccyx and fourchette/scrotum. 18 relevant studies were included describing the values in different ethnic groups and describing its utility. click here One study was excluded from statistics due to different landmark for measurement. The studies were grouped into 4. Group ABCD comprised of NewbornsInfantsAll age groupsConstipated children. We carried out meta-analysis to estimate effect size (mean difference) using STATA software version 16.0.

The differenturgical intervention.Although studies of musical emotion often focus on the role of the composer and performer, the communicative process is also influenced by the listener's musical background or experience. Given the equivocal nature of evidence regarding the effects of musical training, the role of listener expertise in conveyed musical emotion remains opaque. Here we examine emotional responses of musically trained listeners across two experiments using (1) eight measure excerpts, (2) musically resolved excerpts and compare them to responses collected from untrained listeners in Battcock and Schutz (2019). In each experiment 30 participants with six or more years of music training rated perceived emotion for 48 excerpts from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier (WTC) using scales of valence and arousal. Models of listener ratings predict more variance in trained vs. untrained listeners across both experiments. More importantly however, we observe a shift in cue weights related to training. Using commonality analysis and Fischer Z score comparisons as well as margin of error calculations, we show that timing and mode affect untrained listeners equally, whereas mode plays a significantly stronger role than timing for trained listeners. This is not to say the emotional messages are less well recognized by untrained listeners-simply that training appears to shift the relative weight of cues used in making evaluations. These results clarify music training's potential impact on the specific effects of cues in conveying musical emotion.Fractal dimension (FD) calculated on oral radiographs has been proposed as a useful tool to screen for osteoporosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis firstly aimed at assessing the reliability of FD measures in distinguishing osteoporotic patients (OP) from healthy controls (HC), and secondly, to identify a standardized procedure of FD calculation in dental radiographs for the possible use as a surrogate measure of osteoporosis. A comprehensive search was conducted up to September 2020 using PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed. Meta-analysis was performed on FD values calculated for HC and OP. Overall, 293 articles were identified. After a three steps screening, 19 studies were included in the qualitative appraisal and 12 were considered for meta-analysis. The methodological quality of the retrieved studies was generally low. Most of the studies included used White and Rudolph and box counting to process the images and to calculate FD, respectively. Overall, 51% of the studies found a meaningful difference between HC and OP groups. Meta-analyses showed that to date, FD measures on dental radiographs are not able to distinguish the OP from HC group significantly. From the current evidence, the use of FD for the identification of OP is not reliable, and no clear conclusion can be drawn due to the heterogeneity of studies. The present review revealed the need for further studies and provided the fundamentals to design them in order to find a standardized procedure for FD calculation (regions for FD assessment; images processing technique; methods for FD measurement). More effort should be made to identify osteoporosis using dental images which are cheap and routinely taken during periodic dental examinations.Bacterial leaf spot and bacterial leaf blight are global threats to the cultivation of cruciferous vegetables, and it is necessary to develop methods to easily detect, identify, and distinguish the causative pathogens Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola (Psm) and P. cannabina pv. alisalensis (Pca). Here, we used the sequence specificity of the exchangeable effector loci flanking the hrp gene cluster to design primers that can help detect and discriminate between Psm and Pca. Primers common to both bacteria (hrpK_fw1 and hrpK_fw2) were designed within hrpK at the end of the hrp gene cluster. Psm-specific primers (MAC_rv1 and MAC_rv2) were designed in hopPtoB1 and Pca-specific primers (ALS_rv1 and ALS_rv2) were designed in hopX1 adjacent to hrpK. PCR using hrpK_fw1 and MAC_rv1 or hrpK_fw2 and MAC_rv2 amplified DNA fragments of only Psm, P. syringae pv. tomato (causal agent of tomato bacterial speck), and P. syringae pv. spinaciae (causal agent of spinach bacterial leaf spot), among 76 strains of phytopathogenic bacteria. PCR using hrpK_fw1 and ALS_rv1 or hrpK_2 and ALS_rv2 amplified DNA fragments of only Pca. Multiplex PCR with these primers could easily distinguish Psm and Pca from bacterial colonies isolated on growth media and detect the pathogen in symptomatic leaves. Multiplex nested PCR with the primers detected contamination in one Psm- and/or one Pca-infected seeds in 1000 seeds. These results suggest that these PCR primers could help detect and discriminate Psm and Pca. KEY POINTS • We investigated Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola and P. cannabina pv. alisalensis. • Novel primers common to both bacteria were designed following genome comparison. • Multiplex PCR with new primers could discriminate Psm and Pca.Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important in food fermentation and may enhance overall host health. Previous studies to explore LAB metabolism mainly focused on the genera Lacticaseibacillus and Lactococcus. Pediococcus pentosaceus, historically recognized as an important food fermentation bacterial strain, can produce bacteriocins and occasionally demonstrated probiotic functionalities. This study thoroughly surveyed the growth kinetic of three P. pentosaceus isolates in various culture formulations, especially in fructooligosaccharide (FOS), xylooligosaccharide (XOS), or konjac mannooligosaccharide (KMOS) conditions. Results showed that P. pentosaceus effectively metabolized KMOS, the culture of which led to 23.6-fold population increase. However, FOS and XOS were less metabolized by P. pentosaceus. On functional oligosaccharide cultures, P. pentosaceus could result in higher population proliferation, more acidified fermentation environment, and higher glycoside hydrolysis activities in the culture. RNA-Seq analysis classified 1572 out of 1708 putative genes as mRNA-coding genes.
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