Old/New Effect of Digital Memory Retrieval in Chinese Dyscalculia

This study reports the neurophysiological and behavioral correlates of digital memory retrieval features in Chinese individuals with and without dyscalculia. A total of 18 children with dyscalculia (ages 11.5-13.5) and 18 controls were tested, and their event-related potentials were digitally recorded simultaneously with behavior measurement. Behavioral data showed that the dyscalculia group had lower hit rates and higher false rates than the control group. The electroencephalography results showed that both groups had a significant old/new effect and that this effect was greater in the control group. In the 300 to 400 ms processing stages, both groups showed significant differences in digital memory retrieval in the frontal regions. In the 400 to 500 and 500 to 600 ms epochs, the old/new effect in the control group was significantly greater than it was in the dyscalculia group at the frontal, central, and parietal regions. In the 600 to 700 ms processing stages, both groups showed significant differences in digital memory retrieval in the frontal, central, parietal, and occipital regions. These results suggest that individuals with dyscalculia exhibit impaired digital memory retrieval. Extraction failure may be an important cause of calculation difficulties.

Microarray expression profiling of dysregulated long non-coding RNAs in Hirschsprung's disease reveals their potential role in molecular diagnosis

BACKGROUND

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is one of the common digestive disorders in the new born. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in various biological processes. However, knowledge on lncRNAs in HSCR is limited.

METHODS

The expression profile of lncRNAs in HSCR was obtained using microarray. A total of 2078 differentially expressed lncRNAs were detected by microarray in HSCR tissues compared with matched normal colon tissues (fold change ≥2, p < 0.05). Candidate biomarkers were selected from these differentially expressed lncRNAs based on artificial criterion (raw signal intensity ≥50; fold change ≥8) and then validated in 80 pairs of HSCR and normal tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, the computational analysis was used to evaluate the lncRNA-microRNA and lncRNA-protein relationships.

KEY RESULTS

A panel of 5-lncRNAs was identified to distinguish HSCR from normal tissues with remarkable sensitivity and specificity. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for HSCR identification in the validation set was 0.875. The bioinformatics analysis reveals that these dysregulated lncRNAs are mainly involved in RNA-protein relationships, including RNA splicing, binding, transport, processing, and localization.

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

Our results are the first to report the expression profile of dysregulated lncRNAs in HSCR and infer that lncRNAs may serve as novel diagnostic biomarkers for HSCR.

Reconstruction of bone defect with autograft fibula and retained part of tibia after marginal resection of periosteal osteosarcoma: a case report

Periosteal osteosarcoma is a rare subtype of osteosarcoma. Wide surgical removal is the commonly used treatment-method algorithm. However, the limb-salvage procedure of periosteal osteosarcoma in the distal tibia is a technical challenge to orthopedic surgeons because of the scarcity of soft tissue and subcutaneous nature in the anteromedial aspect. We encountered a 16-year-old female patient with periosteal osteosarcoma in the distal half of the left tibia diagnosed preoperatively based upon the CT images and a needle biopsy. A unique identical surgical technique was applied in the case, including marginal resection of the periosteal osteosarcoma with part of the tibia retained at the same level of bone defect and reconstruction using the autologous fibula graft. A combination of cisplatin and doxorubicin was received as chemotherapy after the operation. Postoperative incisional biopsy was performed, and the hematoxylin-eosin-stained results confirmed the diagnosis of periosteal osteosarcoma. The patient was followed up for 11 years. Radiological and clinical evaluation was performed at each follow-up. The retained tibia incorporated well with the fibula autograft, and excellent limb functional recovery was achieved. The patient was free from neoplastic disease at the latest follow-up. In conclusion, young patients with periosteal osteosarcoma without intramedullary involvement can be treated by marginal resection of the lesion with part of the tibia retained at the level of bone defect and reconstructed using a long autologous fibula graft. Subsequent chemotherapy with administration of cisplatin and doxorubicin is recommended.

Increased serum ADAMTS-4 in knee osteoarthritis: a potential indicator for the diagnosis of osteoarthritis in early stages

We compared serum levels of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS)-4, ADAMTS-5, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and MMP-3 in patients with different stages of knee osteoarthritis (OA), and investigated the clinical significance of diagnosing OA in early stages. OA patients were divided into 2 groups: early OA group (44 cases), intermediate and advanced OA group (26 cases). The healthy control group included 30 samples. ADAMTS-4, ADAMTS-5, MMP-1, and MMP-3 levels in the serum were tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed by seeding the significantly expressed marker, followed by Gene Ontology enrichment analyses using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. ADAMTS-4 levels were significantly higher in patients at early stages of OA compared to intermediate or advanced OA and healthy controls. ADAMTS-5, MMP-1, and MMP-3 levels in intermediate and advanced-stage OA patients were significantly higher than those in early-stage OA patients and healthy controls. The protein-protein interaction network showed that ADAMTS-4 participates in 67 interactions. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis validated that genes associated with ADAMTS-4 participate in collagen metabolism and OA. ADAMTS-4 is a potential biomarker as an early diagnostic indicator of OA.

Stimulant-induced dopamine increases are markedly blunted in active cocaine abusers

Dopamine signaling in nucleus accumbens is essential for cocaine reward. Interestingly, imaging studies have reported blunted dopamine increases in striatum (assessed as reduced binding of [(11)C]raclopride to D2/D3 receptors) in detoxified cocaine abusers. Here, we evaluate whether the blunted dopamine response reflected the effects of detoxification and the lack of cocaine-cues during stimulant exposure. For this purpose we studied 62 participants (43 non-detoxified cocaine abusers and 19 controls) using positron emission tomography and [(11)C]raclopride (radioligand sensitive to endogenous dopamine) to measure dopamine increases induced by intravenous methylphenidate and in 24 of the cocaine abusers, we also compared dopamine increases when methylphenidate was administered concomitantly with a cocaine cue-video versus a neutral-video. In controls, methylphenidate increased dopamine in dorsal (effect size 1.4; P<0.001) and ventral striatum (location of accumbens) (effect size 0.89; P<0.001), but in cocaine abusers methylphenidate's effects did not differ from placebo and were similar whether cocaine-cues were present or not. In cocaine abusers despite the markedly attenuated dopaminergic effects, the methylphenidate-induced changes in ventral striatum were associated with intense drug craving. Our findings are consistent with markedly reduced signaling through D2 receptors during intoxication in active cocaine abusers regardless of cues exposure, which might contribute to compulsive drug use.

Biomechanical effects of vertebroplasty on thoracolumbar burst fracture with transpedicular fixation: a finite element model analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the biomechanical effects of augmentation of the fractured vertebrae after posterior instrumentation.

METHODS

By simulating internal fixation plus augmentation with cement, eight tridimensional, anatomically detailed finite element models of the T11-L1 functional spinal junction were developed. Two kinds of models for mimicking different severity of the fracture were established according to the Denis' classification. Augmentation with cement was conducted after reduction with posterior fixation using a universal spine system. These models assumed a three-column loading configuration as follows: compression, anteflexion, extension, lateroflexion and axial rotation. Stress of the implants and spine was evaluated.

RESULTS

Data showed that for severely fractured models, augmentation apparently decreased the von Mises stresses by 50% for the rods and 40% for the screws, about 40% for the inferior endplate of T11, and 50% for the superior endplate of L1 in vertical compression and other load situations.

CONCLUSION

We should only apply vertebroplasty to prevent correction loss and implants failure based on the fact that it could significantly decrease stress of the instrumentations and spine when the vertebrae are severely fractured.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, biomechanical study.

Identification of conserved and novel microRNAs in cashmere goat skin by deep sequencing

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that play significant roles in regulating the expression of the post-transcriptional skin and hair follicle gene. In recent years, extensive studies on these microRNAs have been carried out in mammals such as mice, rats, pigs and cattle. By comparison, the number of microRNAs that have been identified in goats is relatively low; and in particular, the miRNAs associated with the processes of skin and hair follicle development remain largely unknown. In this study, areas of skin where the cashmere grows in anagen were sampled. A total of 10,943,292 reads were obtained using Solexa sequencing, a high-throughput sequencing technology. From 10,644,467 reads, we identified 3,381 distinct reads and after applying the classification statistics we obtained 316 miRNAs. Among them, using conservative identification, we found that 68 miRNAs (55 of these are confirmed to match known sheep and goat miRNAs in miRBase ) are conserved in goat and have been reported in NCBI; the remaining 248 miRNA were conserved in other species but have not been reported in goat. Furthermore, we identified 22 novel miRNAs. Both the known and novel miRNAs were confirmed by a second sequencing using the same method as was used in the first. This study confirmed the authenticity of 316 known miRNAs and the discovery of 22 novel miRNAs in goat. We found that the miRNAs that were co-expressed in goat and sheep were located in the same region of the respective chromosomes and may play an essential role in skin and follicle development. Identificaton of novel miRNAs resulted in significant enrichment of the repertoire of goat miRNAs.

Modulation of ovine SBD-1 expression by 17beta-estradiol in ovine oviduct epithelial cells

Background

Mucosal epithelia, including those of the oviduct, secrete antimicrobial innate immune molecules (AIIMS). These have bactericidal/bacteriostatic functions against a variety of pathogens. Among the AIIMs, sheep β-defensin-1 (SBD-1) is one of the most potent. Even though the SBD-1 is an important AIIM and it is regulated closely by estrogenic hormone, the regulation mechanism of 17β-estradiol has not been clearly established. We investigated the effects of E₂ and agonist or inhibitor on ovine oviduct epithelial cells in regard to SBD-1 expression using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). In addition, three different pathways were inhibited separately or simultaneously to confirm the effect of different inhibitors in the regulation mechanism.

Results

17beta-estradiol (E₂) induced release of SBD-1 in ovine oviduct epithelial cells. SBD-1 expression was mediated through G-protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) and Estrogen Receptors (ERs) activation in ovine oviduct epithelial cell. Inhibition of gene expression of protein kinase A (PKA), protein kinase C (PKC), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) led to a decreased SBD-1 expression.

Conclusions

Taken together, E₂-induced up-regulation of SBD-1 expressions were GPR30-dependent during prophase and ERs-dependent during later-stage in ovine oviduct epithelial cells, and we assume that the effect was completed by the PKA, PKC, and NF-κB pathways simultaneous.

Dynamic changes of the ecological environment quality in a river basin: a case study of the main stream of Songhua river basin

This paper reports the investigation and analysis of the status and dynamic changes of ecological environment quality in the main stream of Songhua river basin. The evaluation index system was established and the eco-environment quality in the year of 2000 and 2008 was studied in depth. Based on our research, the trend of dynamic changes of the eco-environment quality and its origins have been further discussed: In the year of 2000, the range of evaluation index covered from 0.31 to 0.47. Harbin and Yichun was relatively better than the rest of study areas. In the year of 2008, except districts of Daqing and Qitaihe, the environmental quality of Songhua river basin has entirely improved, wherein the evaluation index of the eco-environment covered from 0.31 to 0.57. Particularly, the eco-environment quality of Hegang and Shuangyashan has obtained significant improvement, whereas the improvement of Jiamusi was not obvious. According to the evaluation results, the environmental quality in the study area has an upward trend with the average growth rate 0.13% per year.

Fabrication of colloidal crystals with hierarchical structure and its water adhesion properties

A facile fabrication method of colloidal crystals with hierarchical structure has been presented. The colloidal crystals were assembled from latex spheres with various uneven surfaces, which were simply synthesized via emulsion polymerization by varying initiator feeding times. The as-prepared colloidal crystals demonstrated the water adhesion properties, which could be modulated by designing the hierarchical structure of latex surface. The result provided a simple fabrication method for colloidal crystals with hierarchical structure and high water adhesion force. This would greatly extend the applications of colloidal crystals to many other important fields, for instance, microfluidic device.

Comparison of Disulfide Contents and Solubility at Alkaline pH of Insecticidal and Noninsecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis Protein Crystals

We compared two insecticidal and eight noninsecticidal soil isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis with regard to the solubility of their proteinaceous crystals at alkaline pH values. The protein disulfide contents of the insecticidal and noninsecticidal crystals were equivalent. However, six of the noninsecticidal crystals were soluble only at pH values of >/=12. This lack of solubility contributed to their lack of toxicity. One crystal type which was soluble only at pH >/=12 (strain SHP 1-12) did exhibit significant toxicity to tobacco hornworm larvae when the crystals were presolubilized. In contrast, freshly prepared crystals from the highly insecticidal strain HD-1 were solubilized at pH 9.5 to 10.5, but when these crystals were denatured, by either 8 M urea or autoclave temperatures, they became nontoxic and were soluble only at pH values of >/=12. These changes in toxicity and solubility occurred even though the denatured HD-1 crystals were morphologically indistinguishable from native crystals. Our data are consistent with the view that insecticidal crystals contain distorted, destabilized disulfide bonds which allow them to be solubilized at pH values (9.5 to 10.5) characteristic of lepidopteran and dipteran larval midguts.

Bacillus thuringiensis HD-73 Spores Have Surface-Localized Cry1Ac Toxin: Physiological and Pathogenic Consequences

Spores from Cry(sup+) strains of Bacillus thuringiensis bound fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled antibodies specific for the 65-kDa activated Cry 1Ac toxin, whereas spores from Bacillus cereus and Cry(sup-) strains of B. thuringiensis did not. The Cry(sup+) spores could be activated for germination by alkaline conditions (pH 10.3), whereas Cry(sup-) spores could not. Once the surrounding exosporia had been removed or permeabilized, Cry(sup+) spores were able to bind the toxin receptor(s) from insect gut brush border membrane vesicle preparations, and their germination rates were increased ca. threefold in the presence of brush border membrane vesicles. A model is presented whereby in the soil the Cry toxins on the spore surface are protected by the exosporium while in the gut they are exposed and available for binding to the insect receptors. This model explains why the disulfide-rich C terminus of the cry genes is so highly conserved even though it is removed during the processing of the protoxin to the activated toxin. It also highlights the trade-off resulting from having Cry toxins located on the spore surface, i.e., decreased spore resistance versus enhanced insect pathogenesis.