Sex differences in the influence of type 2 diabetes (T2D)-related genes, parental history of T2D, and obesity on T2D development: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the effect of sex and age at type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis on the influence of T2D-related genes, parental history of T2D, and obesity on T2D development.

METHODS

In this case-control study, 1012 T2D cases and 1008 healthy subjects were selected from the Diabetes in Mexico Study database. Participants were stratified by sex and age at T2D diagnosis (early, ≤ 45 years; late, ≥ 46 years). Sixty-nine T2D-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms were explored and the percentage contribution (R²) of T2D-related genes, parental history of T2D, and obesity (body mass index [BMI] and waist-hip ratio [WHR]) on T2D development was calculated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS

T2D-related genes influenced T2D development most in males who were diagnosed early (R² = 23.5%; females, R² = 13.5%; males and females diagnosed late, R² = 11.9% and R² = 7.3%, respectively). With an early diagnosis, insulin production-related genes were more influential in males (76.0% of R²) while peripheral insulin resistance-associated genes were more influential in females (52.3% of R²). With a late diagnosis, insulin production-related genes from chromosome region 11p15.5 notably influenced males while peripheral insulin resistance and genes associated with inflammation and other processes notably influenced females. Influence of parental history was higher among those diagnosed early (males, 19.9%; females, 17.5%) versus late (males, 6.4%; females, 5,3%). Unilateral maternal T2D history was more influential than paternal T2D history. BMI influenced T2D development for all, while WHR exclusively influenced males.

CONCLUSIONS

The influence of T2D-related genes, maternal T2D history, and fat distribution on T2D development was greater in males than females.

Biological and molecular characterization of a resistance-breaking isolate of citrus tristeza virus from Uruguay and its effects on Poncirus trifoliata growth performance

Resistance-breaking (RB) isolates of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) can replicate and move systemically in Poncirus trifoliata, a rootstock widely used for management of decline caused by CTV and other purposes. In Uruguay, severe CTV isolates are prevalent, and an RB isolate (designated as RB-UY1) was identified. In order to predict the implications of this genotype circulating in citrus crops grafted on trifoliate rootstocks, the aim of this work was to determine the biological and molecular characteristics of this isolate, the efficiency of its transmission by Toxoptera citricida, and its effects on plant growth performance of P. trifoliata. Our results show that RB-UY1 can be classified as a mild isolate, that it is phylogenetically associated with the RB1 group, and that it is efficiently transmitted by T. citrida. They also suggest that the RB-UY1 isolate should not affect the performance of citrus crops grafted on trifoliate rootstocks, although some growth parameters of P. trifoliata seedlings were affected four years after inoculation.

Predicting Mandarin Fruit Acceptability: From High-Field to Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy

Recent advances in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have led to the development of low-field benchtop NMR systems with improved sensitivity and resolution suitable for use in research and quality-control laboratories. Compared to their high-resolution counterparts, their lower purchase and running costs make them a good alternative for routine use. In this article, we show the adaptation of a method for predicting the consumer acceptability of mandarins, originally reported using a high-field 400 MHz NMR spectrometer, to benchtop 60 MHz NMR systems. Our findings reveal that both instruments yield comparable results regarding sugar and citric acid levels, leading to the development of virtually identical predictive linear models. However, the lower cost of benchtop NMR systems would allow cultivators to implement this chemometric-based method as an additional tool for the selection of new cultivars.

Abstract 4226: Effect of HDAC6 inhibition on the expression of immunomodulator genes in colorectal cancer cells

Cancer is one of the most frequent disease worldwide and currently, treatment failures are caused by pharmacological resistance or low success rate of conventional approaches. In particular, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant neoplasm in Chile and according to the WHO, represents the second cause of death from tumors in the world, which is why there is a need to study new strategies for future therapies, like the immunotherapy aimed at inhibiting the immune checkpoints, as Programmed Death 1 (PD-1) receptor in T-cell, that interact with his ligand (PD-L1) in the tumor. However, there is a percentage of patients who don't respond to this therapy, making it necessary to search for alternative or adjuvant treatments. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), a mainly cytoplasmic protein, is involved in several cellular processes including the immune response, being involve in tumor progression. Specifically, it has been observed that HDAC6 stimulates STAT3 activity, a transcription factor involved in immunogenicity, which plays a role as a transcriptional inducer of different genes in these pathways, as PD-L1 (programmed death ligand 1). The over-expression of PD-L1 on some cancer cells promotes inhibition of T lymphocyte activation which reduces the immune response. Therefore, we will focus on pharmacological inhibition of HDAC6 in CRC cell due to its potential as adjuvants to avoid immunotolerance in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we investigate whether HDAC6 affects STAT3 activation in CRC cells, through treatments with Nexturastat A (NextA), a specific HDAC6 inhibitor, that indirectly, decreases the levels of activating post-translational modifications on STAT3 analyzed by Western blot and flow cytometry. In the same context, we analyze by RT-qPCR the decrease in the expression of IL-10 and PD-L1 after NextA treatment. Then to emulate an inflammatory environment, we treat the cells with Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and then with NextA, observing the changes described above over the STAT3 modification and activity. Finally, through a RNAseq assay with the last conditions, showed a reduced the expression of other genes involved in immunomodulatory pathways. These results suggest that treatments with specific HDAC6 inhibitors would reduce the functionality of STAT3 in CRC cells, impacting the expression of immunomodulator genes involved in the immune response, as IL-10, PD-L1 and others. Therefore, the use of specific HDAC6 inhibitors may be a reasonable and an interesting adjuvant strategy for help in checkpoint inhibitors immunotherapy, since HDAC6 inhibitors would indirectly decrease PD-L1 expression, one of the checkpoint inhibitors of immune system.

Citation Format: Constanza Mardones, Camila Navarrete, Estrella Armijo, Fernando Rivas, Matias Ignacio Hepp. Effect of HDAC6 inhibition on the expression of immunomodulator genes in colorectal cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 4226.

Entropy of Badminton Strike Positions

The aim of the current study was twofold: (i) to investigate the distribution of the strike positions of badminton players while quantifying the corresponding standard entropy and using an alternative metric (spatial entropy) related to winning and losing points and random positions; and (ii) to evaluate the standard entropy of the receiving positions. With the datasets of 259 badminton matches, we focused on the positions of players’ strokes and the outcome of each point. First, we identified those regions of the court from which hits were most likely to be struck. Second, we computed the standard entropy of stroke positions, and then the spatial entropy, which also considers the order and clustering of the hitting locations in a two-dimensional Euclidean space. Both entropy quantifiers revealed high uncertainty in the striking position; however, specific court locations (i.e., the four corners) are preferred over the rest. When the outcome of each point was taken into account, we observed that the hitting patterns with lower entropy were associated with higher probabilities of winning points. On the contrary, players striking from more random positions were more prone to losing the points.

Sensor Noise in LISA Pathfinder: In-Flight Performance of the Optical Test Mass Readout

We report on the first subpicometer interferometer flown in space. It was part of ESA's Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Pathfinder mission and performed the fundamental measurement of the positional and angular motion of two free-falling test masses. The interferometer worked immediately, stably, and reliably from switch on until the end of the mission with exceptionally low residual noise of 32.0_{-1.7}^{+2.4}  fm/sqrt[Hz], significantly better than required. We present an upper limit for the sensor performance at millihertz frequencies and a model for the measured sensitivity above 200 mHz.

Analysis of the accuracy of actuation electronics in the laser interferometer space antenna pathfinder

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna Pathfinder (LPF) main observable, labeled Δg, is the differential force per unit mass acting on the two test masses under free fall conditions after the contribution of all non-gravitational forces has been compensated. At low frequencies, the differential force is compensated by an applied electrostatic actuation force, which then must be subtracted from the measured acceleration to obtain Δg. Any inaccuracy in the actuation force contaminates the residual acceleration. This study investigates the accuracy of the electrostatic actuation system and its impact on the LPF main observable. It is shown that the inaccuracy is mainly caused by the rounding errors in the waveform processing and also by the random error caused by the analog to digital converter random noise in the control loop. Both errors are one order of magnitude smaller than the resolution of the commanded voltages. We developed a simulator based on the LPF design to compute the close-to-reality actuation voltages and, consequently, the resulting actuation forces. The simulator is applied during post-processing the LPF data.

Long rallies and next rally performances in elite men's and women's badminton

The aim of the present study was twofold: (i) to identify contextual variables associated with the occurrence of long rallies while investigating time-related and technical parameters; and (ii) to identify performance differences between long rallies and the subsequent rally when accounting for match-context and the players’ sex. The sample included 60 men’s (n = 4,475 rallies) and 60 women’s (n = 4,490 rallies) matches randomly selected from the 2015 World Badminton Super Series and World Championship (the final sample included long rallies that had an immediate next point played: n = 1,734 and n = 1,644 rallies for male and female players, respectively). The long rallies represented 19.4% (n = 867) and 16.5% (n = 822) of total rallies for male and female players, respectively. Long rallies were established using a two-step cluster model based on rally time and number of strokes for male (13-79s, 14–72 strokes) and female players (11-56s, 11–52 strokes). The variables collected were point outcome (when serving and receiving, winner, forced-error and unforced-error), number of strokes per rally, rally time, rest time, density, and time between strokes. The rallies were classified into different contexts (clusters) according to influencing factors with eight clusters for male players and three clusters for female players identified. Comparisons among clusters were conducted using Kruskal Wallis and one-way ANOVAs. Comparisons between long and immediate next points were conducted using the Wilcoxon tests for most variables and Crosstabs Command for point outcome and rallies (long and immediate next). Statistically significant differences were identified for both sexes among clusters only for time-related variables (i.e., rally time, rest time, density and time between strokes). In addition, a greater number of strokes, longer rally, rest time, and higher density were identified during long rallies compared with the immediate next rally for both men’s and women’s matches (p<0.05). The time between strokes during long rallies was significantly greater for male players during clusters 3, 5, 6, and 7 (p<0.05) and significantly lower for female players during all clusters (p<0.05). Significant relationships were identified between winning point outcome, and more unforced errors when serving during the immediate next rally (men’s cluster 5 and women’s cluster 2), and more winners when serving during the immediate next rally (men’s cluster 6). The current study identified and characterised long rallies in elite men´s and women´s badminton matches highlighting the importance of sex and contextual factors on time-related and technical demands. Information obtained from these unique sequences of play (i.e., long and immediate next rallies) will assist coaches when modelling and simulating players’ performances (i.e., physiologically and cognitively) during athlete preparation/competition.

Serving Patterns of Women's Badminton Medalists in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

The aim of the present study was to describe and identify the serving performance profiles of medalists during an elite women’s badminton tournament taking notational and temporal variables into account. The sample was composed of the 14 matches (n = 1,052 rallies) played by the three medalists during the 2016 women’s singles Olympic Games badminton event (Rio, Brazil). The independent variable studied was serving player (medalist/opponent); while the dependent variables were related to notational analysis: serve type, set, and point won by the server/receiver; and the time-related variables: number of strokes per rally, rally time, rest time, and frequency of strokes. The main results showed that: (i) temporal parameters were similar for total match duration but shorter for rally time, and longer for rest time and with more strokes per rally than found in previous research; (ii) the serve effectiveness showed neutral values when analyzing serving by all the players, medalists, and opponents (around 50%); (iii) the two-step cluster analysis identified how successful players used the serve when playing short rallies with backhand short and flick serves (cluster 1), and forehand long serves (cluster 2); and during long rallies with the use of the backhand short serve, forehand short serve and forehand long serve (cluster 3). On the other hand, medalists and their opponents used forehand long serves during set 1 with durations of 8.80 s (cluster 5); and the opponents showed an independent performance using the forehand short serve during sets 1 and 2 (cluster 4); and (iv) the classification tree analysis (Exhaustive CHAID) identified the importance of different serving patterns with the gold medal player using more backhand and forehand flick serves, and the main use of backhand short serves during sets 1 and 2 in all the tournament stages. The bronze medalist used more forehand long serves during all sets, and the silver medalist showed a mixed performance of serves using the forehand short serve, the backhand short serve and the forehand long serve. The current findings may help coaches and players to manage different serving and playing patterns during training and matches according to the serve and rally requirements.

Contralateral sensorineural hearing loss after vestibular schwannoma surgery

INTRODUCTION

Contralateral sensorineural hearing loss (CSNHL) after vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a severe complication, especially in those cases in which hearing preservation in the operated side was not possible. There are several theories that attempt to explain this issue, but there is no established guideline of treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We report 4 patients treated in our institution who developed a severe CSNHL after surgery.

RESULTS

Of the 185 cases of VS treated with surgery, 4 patients (2.2%) developed a CSNHL after VS surgery. After medical treatment, partial recovery of hearing occurred in one patient the other 3 patients presented a well-established severe SNHL.

CONCLUSIONS

Established treatment guidelines do not exist, but the use of high doses of corticosteroids has been recommended and cochlear implant in cases with no recovery and complete hearing loss may be useful.

Performance Differences of Temporal Parameters and Point Outcome between Elite Men's and Women's Badminton Players According to Match-Related Contexts

Background: the aim of the present study was to identify the temporal and notational performance differences between elite men’s and women’s badminton players according to match type and set. Methods: the sample was composed of 60 men’s and 60 women’s matches classified by match type or duration: short (lower quartile), long (upper quartile) and regular matches (interquartile range). Temporal and notational variables were analysed for each match and compared between sexes accounting for match duration. Results: greater intensity for most variables (i.e., rally time, rest time, density, and strokes per match/rally) was exhibited in men’s matches compared with women’s matches (i.e., higher frequency between strokes). In addition, the greater intensity for men compared to women was more pertinent during long matches (13 significant variables) and less evident during short matches (six significant variables). Point outcome displayed similar trends for each sex during matches with more winners for men’s players when serving and more unforced errors for women’s players. Lastly, based on each match type, fewer sex differences were noted during sets 2 and 3, as the match progressed. Conclusion: men’s players performed at a greater intensity than women’s players for different match and set contexts, with this sex difference enhanced when controlling for match type and set. The development of sex- and match-specific scenarios will assist coaches and trainers in the design of specific training drills to enhance the athletic performance of elite badminton players.

LISA Pathfinder Performance Confirmed in an Open-Loop Configuration: Results from the Free-Fall Actuation Mode

We report on the results of the LISA Pathfinder (LPF) free-fall mode experiment, in which the control force needed to compensate the quasistatic differential force acting on two test masses is applied intermittently as a series of "impulse" forces lasting a few seconds and separated by roughly 350 s periods of true free fall. This represents an alternative to the normal LPF mode of operation in which this balancing force is applied continuously, with the advantage that the acceleration noise during free fall is measured in the absence of the actuation force, thus eliminating associated noise and force calibration errors. The differential acceleration noise measurement presented here with the free-fall mode agrees with noise measured with the continuous actuation scheme, representing an important and independent confirmation of the LPF result. An additional measurement with larger actuation forces also shows that the technique can be used to eliminate actuation noise when this is a dominant factor.

Beyond the Required LISA Free-Fall Performance: New LISA Pathfinder Results down to 20 μHz

In the months since the publication of the first results, the noise performance of LISA Pathfinder has improved because of reduced Brownian noise due to the continued decrease in pressure around the test masses, from a better correction of noninertial effects, and from a better calibration of the electrostatic force actuation. In addition, the availability of numerous long noise measurement runs, during which no perturbation is purposely applied to the test masses, has allowed the measurement of noise with good statistics down to 20  μHz. The Letter presents the measured differential acceleration noise figure, which is at (1.74±0.05)  fm s^{-2}/sqrt[Hz] above 2 mHz and (6±1)×10  fm s^{-2}/sqrt[Hz] at 20  μHz, and discusses the physical sources for the measured noise. This performance provides an experimental benchmark demonstrating the ability to realize the low-frequency science potential of the LISA mission, recently selected by the European Space Agency.

Disturbance of serotonin 5HT2 receptors in remitted patients suffering from hereditary depressive disorder

Aim: The characteristics of 5HT2 receptor binding were investigated in major depression in vivo using positron emission tomography and the radioligand F-l 8-altanserin. Methods: Twelve patients from families with high loading of depression living in a geographically restricted region were examined and compared with normal control subjects. At the time of the PET measurement all patients were remitted; in some of them remission was sustained by antidepressive medication. Binding potential was assessed by Logan’s graphical analysis method. Results: The binding of F-l 8-altanserin was about 38% lower in patients than in healthy controls (p <0.00D. A multiple regression analysis revealed that this difference was mainly induced by depression rather than by medication. Conclusions: The data suggest that 5HT2 receptors are altered in depression. We present evidence for a reduction of the receptor density, which might be usable as trait marker of subjects susceptible for depressive illness.

MTRR A66G, RFC1 G80A, and MTHFR C677T and A1298C Polymorphisms and Disease Activity in Mexicans with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with Methotrexate

Aim: To investigate the relationships of polymorphisms in genes whose protein products are related in the metabolic pathway of folic acid, particularly MTRR A66G, RFC1 G80A, and MTHFR C677T and A1298C, and disease activity in Mexican patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with methotrexate (MTX).

Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight patients with RA were included in the study who were being treated with MTX, either with or without other drugs. In addition to general data, disease activity was measured by the disease activity score 28 (DAS28). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyping was performed by allelic discrimination using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Differences in genotype (homozygotic or heterozygotic for each allele), allele distributions, and phenotype were not statistically different between the RA group and control populations. We did not find any association between the studied polymorphisms and disease activity nor with the intragroup variables (e.g., clinical activity, body mass index, and single- or combined-drug treatment) or between genetic markers; we also did not find any association within the RA group or between the RA group and control populations.

Conclusion: Additional studies of more polymorphisms related to this or other metabolic pathways are required to determine the influence of genetics on disease activity in RA.

Genome-wide association study of borderline personality disorder reveals genetic overlap with bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia

Borderline personality disorder (BOR) is determined by environmental and genetic factors, and characterized by affective instability and impulsivity, diagnostic symptoms also observed in manic phases of bipolar disorder (BIP). Up to 20% of BIP patients show comorbidity with BOR. This report describes the first case-control genome-wide association study (GWAS) of BOR, performed in one of the largest BOR patient samples worldwide. The focus of our analysis was (i) to detect genes and gene sets involved in BOR and (ii) to investigate the genetic overlap with BIP. As there is considerable genetic overlap between BIP, major depression (MDD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) and a high comorbidity of BOR and MDD, we also analyzed the genetic overlap of BOR with SCZ and MDD. GWAS, gene-based tests and gene-set analyses were performed in 998 BOR patients and 1545 controls. Linkage disequilibrium score regression was used to detect the genetic overlap between BOR and these disorders. Single marker analysis revealed no significant association after correction for multiple testing. Gene-based analysis yielded two significant genes: DPYD (P=4.42 × 10-7) and PKP4 (P=8.67 × 10-7); and gene-set analysis yielded a significant finding for exocytosis (GO:0006887, PFDR=0.019; FDR, false discovery rate). Prior studies have implicated DPYD, PKP4 and exocytosis in BIP and SCZ. The most notable finding of the present study was the genetic overlap of BOR with BIP (rg=0.28 [P=2.99 × 10-3]), SCZ (rg=0.34 [P=4.37 × 10-5]) and MDD (rg=0.57 [P=1.04 × 10-3]). We believe our study is the first to demonstrate that BOR overlaps with BIP, MDD and SCZ on the genetic level. Whether this is confined to transdiagnostic clinical symptoms should be examined in future studies.

Results of an early intervention programme for patients with bacteraemia: analysis of prognostic factors and mortality

Background

Bacteraemia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients admitted to hospital. The aim of this study is to analyse the results of a two-year programme for the early optimisation of antibiotic treatment in patients admitted to the Costa del Sol Hospital (Marbella. Spain).

Methods

A prospective two-year cohort study was conducted, evaluating all episodes of bacteraemia at the Costa del Sol Hospital. Epidemiological and microbiological characteristics, any modification of the initial antibiotic treatment, prognostic risk stratification, early mortality related to the episode of bacteraemia, and mortality after the seventh day, were included in the analysis.

Results

Seven hundred seventy-three episodes of bacteraemia were treated, 61.6% males and 38.4% females. The mean age was 65.2 years. The condition was most commonly acquired in the community (41.4%). The bacteraemia was most frequently urological in nature (30.5%), and E coli was the microorganism most frequently isolated (31.6%). In 51.1% of the episodes, a modification was made to optimise the treatment. In the first week, 8.2% died from bacteraemia, and 4.5% had died when they were located. The highest rates of death were associated with older patients, nosocomial acquisition, no source, McCabe score rapidly fatal, Charlson index ≥3, Pitt index ≥3 and treatment remained unmodified.

Conclusion

The existence of bacteraemia control programmes and teams composed of clinicians who are experienced in the treatment of infectious diseases, can improve the disease outcome by enabling more severe episodes of bacteraemia to be recognised and their empirical treatment optimised.

Charge-Induced Force Noise on Free-Falling Test Masses: Results from LISA Pathfinder

We report on electrostatic measurements made on board the European Space Agency mission LISA Pathfinder. Detailed measurements of the charge-induced electrostatic forces exerted on free-falling test masses (TMs) inside the capacitive gravitational reference sensor are the first made in a relevant environment for a space-based gravitational wave detector. Employing a combination of charge control and electric-field compensation, we show that the level of charge-induced acceleration noise on a single TM can be maintained at a level close to 1.0  fm s^{-2} Hz^{-1/2} across the 0.1-100 mHz frequency band that is crucial to an observatory such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Using dedicated measurements that detect these effects in the differential acceleration between the two test masses, we resolve the stochastic nature of the TM charge buildup due to interplanetary cosmic rays and the TM charge-to-force coupling through stray electric fields in the sensor. All our measurements are in good agreement with predictions based on a relatively simple electrostatic model of the LISA Pathfinder instrument.

Subcellular localisation of pMEK has a different prognosis in locally advanced head and neck cancer treated with concomitant radiochemotherapy

Background

MEK1 (MAP2K1) and MEK2 (MAP2K2) are closely related dual-specificity protein kinases which function by phosphorylating both serine/threonine and tyrosine residues of their substrates ERK1 and ERK2, controlling fundamental cellular processes that include cell growth and proliferation. To investigate the prognostic significance of pMEK expression in the nucleus and cytoplasm among patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer treated with concurrent radiochemotherapy.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was performed on the retrieved archival tissue of 96 patients to detect pMEK, p53 and Ki-67.

Results

Sixty-six percent of patients were positive for pMEK expression in the nucleus and 41 % in cytoplasm. On univariate analysis, high nuclear pMEK was predictive of worse 5y-DFS and 5y-OS, with a trend to significance (26 % vs. 41 %, p = 0.09; 36 % vs. 47 %, p = 0.07). High cytoplasmic pMEK was predictive of better 5-y OS and 5-y DFS outcomes (61 % vs. 27 %, p = 0.01; 46 % vs. 22 %, p = 0.02). On multivariate analysis, low cytoplasmic pMEK and high nuclear pMEK predicted worse DFS and OS (p = 0.01; p = 0.04 and p = 0.02; p = 0.02 respectively).

Conclusions

Subcellular localisation of pMEK has different prognosis in locally advanced head and neck cancer treated with radiochemotherapy.

Genetic polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system in preterm delivery and premature rupture of membranes

Introduction. Premature rupture of membranes (PRM) is a late pregnancy complication commonly associated with preterm delivery (PD).Although several markers related to the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) have been evaluated in certain pregnancy complications, only the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) I/D variant has been studied in PD-PRM.The aim of this survey was to investigate the association of the polymorphisms (angiotensin II type 1 [AT1] receptor T174M and M235T, renin G2805A,ACE I/D and AT1-receptor A1166C) of the genes of RAS in women with PD-PRM.

Design. Deoxyribonucleic acid samples from 89 Mexican Mestizo women with PD and PRM and 224—288 controls were studied. Polymorphisms were analysed by polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer assays. restricted fragment length polymorphism or sequence specific prim assays.

Results. For all loci , genotype distribution was in agreement with Hardy—Weinberg expectations in the control group. Significant intergroup difference (case vs. control) was seen for angiotensinogen (AGT) M235T polymorphism, with an increased allele M235 in affected cases (50% vs. 40% in controls).Analysis of two- locus haplotype agrees with an independent segregation of physically unlinked genes. Haplotype AGT 174T-235M was also increased (50 % vs. 40% in controls).

Conclusions. Physically unlinked genes involved in RAS segregate independently. The AGT 174—235 region is associated with PD-PRM in this population.

Sub-Femto-g Free Fall for Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatories: LISA Pathfinder Results

We report the first results of the LISA Pathfinder in-flight experiment. The results demonstrate that two free-falling reference test masses, such as those needed for a space-based gravitational wave observatory like LISA, can be put in free fall with a relative acceleration noise with a square root of the power spectral density of 5.2±0.1  fm s^{-2}/sqrt[Hz], or (0.54±0.01)×10^{-15}  g/sqrt[Hz], with g the standard gravity, for frequencies between 0.7 and 20 mHz. This value is lower than the LISA Pathfinder requirement by more than a factor 5 and within a factor 1.25 of the requirement for the LISA mission, and is compatible with Brownian noise from viscous damping due to the residual gas surrounding the test masses. Above 60 mHz the acceleration noise is dominated by interferometer displacement readout noise at a level of (34.8±0.3)  fm/sqrt[Hz], about 2 orders of magnitude better than requirements. At f≤0.5  mHz we observe a low-frequency tail that stays below 12  fm s^{-2}/sqrt[Hz] down to 0.1 mHz. This performance would allow for a space-based gravitational wave observatory with a sensitivity close to what was originally foreseen for LISA.

[Analysis of Conformational Features of Watson-Crick Duplex Fragments by Molecular Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics Methods]

It is generally accepted that the important characteristic features of the Watson-Crick duplex originate from the molecular structure of its subunits. However, it still remains to elucidate what properties of each subunit are responsible for the significant characteristic features of the DNA structure. The computations of desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions using density functional theory revealed a pivotal role of DNA conformational properties of single-chain minimal fragments in the development of unique features of the Watson-Crick duplex. We found that directionality of the sugar-phosphate backbone and the preferable ranges of its torsion angles, combined with the difference between purines and pyrimidines. in ring bases, define the dependence of three-dimensional structure of the Watson-Crick duplex on nucleotide base sequence. In this work, we extended these density functional theory computations to the minimal' fragments of DNA duplex, complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions. Using several computational methods and various functionals, we performed a search for energy minima of BI-conformation for complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with different nucleoside sequences. Two sequences are optimized using ab initio method at the MP2/6-31++G** level of theory. The analysis of torsion angles, sugar ring puckering and mutual base positions of optimized structures demonstrates that the conformational characteristic features of complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions remain within BI ranges and become closer to the corresponding characteristic features of the Watson-Crick duplex crystals. Qualitatively, the main characteristic features of each studied complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complex remain invariant when different computational methods are used, although the quantitative values of some conformational parameters could vary lying within the limits typical for the corresponding family. We observe that popular functionals in density functional theory calculations lead to the overestimated distances between base pairs, while MP2 computations and the newer complex functionals produce the structures that have too close atom-atom contacts. A detailed study of some complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphate complexes with Na-ions highlights the existence of several energy minima corresponding to BI-conformations, in other words, the complexity of the relief pattern of the potential energy surface of complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphate complexes. This accounts for variability of conformational parameters of duplex fragments with the same base sequence. Popular molecular mechanics force fields AMBER and CHARMM reproduce most of the conformational characteristics of desoxydinucleoside monophosphates and their complementary complexes with Na-ions but fail to reproduce some details of the dependence of the Watson-Crick duplex conformation on the nucleotide sequence.

Prevalence of schizophrenia and related disorders in Malaga (Spain): results using multiple clinical databases

BACKGROUND

To calculate the 1-year prevalence of schizophrenia and related disorders in a catchment area of Malaga (Spain) and determine the prevalence by gender, dwelling (rural or urban) and socioeconomic area (deprived or non-deprived area).

METHOD

This cross-sectional study comprised the mental health area covered by Carlos Haya Hospital. We used multiple large clinical databases and key informants to identify cases.

RESULTS

The mean 1-year prevalence of schizophrenia and related disorders was 6.27 per 1000. It was nearly double in men (8.45 per 1000) than in women (4.26 per 1000) (p < 0.001), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.98. The rate was higher in urban (6.64 per 1000) than rural areas (3.95 per 1000) (p < 0.0001) and in socioeconomic deprived areas (7.56 per 1000) than non-deprived areas (6.12 per 1000) (p = 0.005). For the subgroup of schizophrenia, the rates were: men, 5.88 per 1000 and women, 2.2 per 1000 (p < 0.0001), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.67. The rate was also higher in urban (4.2 per 1000) than rural areas (2.49 per 1000) (p < 0.0001) and in socioeconomic deprived areas (4.49 per 1000) than non-deprived areas (3.9 per 1000) (p = 0.149).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of multiple clinical sources of information not only from mental health services, but also from emergency departments, primary care and private settings revealed high prevalence rates of schizophrenia and related disorders. This diagnosis is more common in men and in cities. Such precise estimates of the prevalence of schizophrenia have important repercussions for resource allocation and policy planning.

Genome-wide analysis implicates microRNAs and their target genes in the development of bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 1%. Molecular genetic studies have identified the first BD susceptibility genes. However, the disease pathways remain largely unknown. Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs, a class of small noncoding RNAs, contribute to basic mechanisms underlying brain development and plasticity, suggesting their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of several psychiatric disorders, including BD. In the present study, gene-based analyses were performed for all known autosomal microRNAs using the largest genome-wide association data set of BD to date (9747 patients and 14 278 controls). Associated and brain-expressed microRNAs were then investigated in target gene and pathway analyses. Functional analyses of miR-499 and miR-708 were performed in rat hippocampal neurons. Ninety-eight of the six hundred nine investigated microRNAs showed nominally significant P-values, suggesting that BD-associated microRNAs might be enriched within known microRNA loci. After correction for multiple testing, nine microRNAs showed a significant association with BD. The most promising were miR-499, miR-708 and miR-1908. Target gene and pathway analyses revealed 18 significant canonical pathways, including brain development and neuron projection. For miR-499, four Bonferroni-corrected significant target genes were identified, including the genome-wide risk gene for psychiatric disorder CACNB2. First results of functional analyses in rat hippocampal neurons neither revealed nor excluded a major contribution of miR-499 or miR-708 to dendritic spine morphogenesis. The present results suggest that research is warranted to elucidate the precise involvement of microRNAs and their downstream pathways in BD.

Degradation of imazalil, orthophenylphenol and pyrimethanil in Clementine mandarins under conventional postharvest industrial conditions at 4°C

The degradation of the postharvest fungicides imazalil, orthophenylphenol, and pyrimethanil was studied on Clementine mandarins during packinghouse storage for a 28day period at 4°C. Fruits to which orthophenylphenol was applied, were treated with imazalil and pyrimethanil at doses of 1000 and 2000mgL(-1), using cascade application for the later and cascade and wax for the former. The decay of the three fungicides was evaluated using an in-house validated analytical procedure that includes the extraction and dispersive clean up of the samples followed by the GC-MS determination of the pesticide residues. The impact of fruit storage time on pesticide residues concentration was assessed. The residues found for the different application technologies were always below the established Maximum Residue Limits by the Codex Alimentarius and the European Union (5mgkg(-1) for imazalil, 7 and 8mgkg(-1) for pyrimethanil, and 10mgkg(-1) and 5mgkg(-1) for orthophenylphenol). The fungicides dissipated differentially. Pyrimethanil showed little degradation, if any, at both tested concentrations, but the half-life of imazalil on the fruit was 15-18days, independent of the application technology. Orthophenylphenol dissipated with a half-life of 15days. The initial imazalil residue found after cascade treatment was not significantly different between the doses studied (p<0.5), whereas when the fungicide was included in wax as an emulsifiable concentrate the initial and final imazalil residues were significantly different. Final residue levels after 28days of storage were 0.12-0.24mgkg(-1) for imazalil, 0.68mgkg(-1) for 2-phenylphenol and 0.56mgkg(-1) for pyrimethanil for all the evaluated treatments.

Phylogenetic Studies of the Three RNA Silencing Suppressor Genes of South American CTV Isolates Reveal the Circulation of a Novel Genetic Lineage

Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV) is the most economically important virus of citrus worldwide. Genetic diversity and population structure of CTV isolates from all citrus growing areas from Uruguay were analyzed by RT-PCR and cloning of the three RNA silencing suppressor genes (p25, p20 and p23). Bayesian phylogenetic analysis revealed the circulation of three known genotypes (VT, T3, T36) in the country, and the presence of a new genetic lineage composed by isolates from around the world, mainly from South America. Nucleotide and amino acid identity values for this new genetic lineage were both higher than 97% for the three analyzed regions. Due to incongruent phylogenetic relationships, recombination analysis was performed using Genetic Algorithms for Recombination Detection (GARD) and SimPlot software. Recombination events between previously described CTV isolates were detected. High intra-sample variation was found, confirming the co-existence of different genotypes into the same plant. This is the first report describing: (1) the genetic diversity of Uruguayan CTV isolates circulating in the country and (2) the circulation of a novel CTV genetic lineage, highly present in the South American region. This information may provide assistance to develop an effective cross-protection program.

Delineation of a de novo 7q21.3q31.1 Deletion by CGH-SNP Arrays in a Girl with Multiple Congenital Anomalies Including Severe Glaucoma

In this study, we present a female patient with a constitutional de novo deletion in 7q21.3q31.1 as determined by G-banding and CGH-SNP arrays. She exhibited, among other features, psychomotor retardation, congenital severe bilateral glaucoma, a cleft palate, and heart defect. Microarray assay disclosed a deleted 12.5-Mb region roughly 88 kb downstream the ectrodactyly critical region; thus, the patient's final karyotype was 46,XX.arr 7q21.3q31.1(96,742,140-109,246,085)×1 dn. This girl represents the fourth patient described so far with congenital glaucoma and a deletion encompassing or overlapping the 7q21.3q31.1 region, and confirms the presence of a locus or loci related to such a clinical feature. According to our results, the proneness to ocular defects secondary to 7q intermediate deletions could be caused by co-deletion of TAC1, HBP1, and a small cluster of cytochrome P450 genes (subfamily 3A). This conclusion is supported by their functional roles and expression locations as well as because TAC1 is related to the functional pathway of the MYOC gene whose mutations are linked to glaucoma. Moreover, given that this girl is clinically reminiscent of several phenotypes related to diverse deletions within 7q21q32, our results and observations offer a general overview of the gene content of deletions/phenotypes overlapping 7q21.3q31.1 and confirm that loci distal to DLX genes including the CUX1 gene and potential regulatory elements downstream from DLX5 are unrelated to ectrodactyly.

Significance of linkage disequilibrium heterogeneous patterns in the 21q22.3 region for mapping 21 trisomy individuals

Recombination patterns can be indirectly inferred by means of linkage disequilibrium (LD) estimates, since LD is negatively correlated with genetic distance. However, LD does not necessarily have absolute correspondence with genetic distance. We estimated LD at 5 loci located in the 21q22.3 region. These STRs (D21S1440, D21S168, D21S1260, D21S1446, and D21S1411) covered 8.81 Mb of the 21q22.3 region. They were genotyped by conventional PCR. Similar size samples previously validated by sequencing were used as a genotyping control. Three hundred and sixty-nine individuals (62 families) living in Guadalajara, Mexico, were included. As an inclusion criterion, each family had a positive paternity test by autosomal markers for the CODIS core loci. Two hundred and thirty phase known haplotypes were identified by familial segregation. Only those haplotypes whose frequency was higher than 4% were taken into account for LD estimation, expressed as Lewontin's D' coefficient and Bonferroni's correction P values. For all 5 loci, the genetic distributions were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Heterozygosity and haplotype diversity were ≥ 0.69 and 99.58%, respectively. D21S1440-D21S168 (4.51 cM) and D21S1446-D21S1411 (4.58 cM) marker haplotype frequencies were significantly different from those expected by random distribution. The remaining haplotypes, including those with minimal inter-distance (D21S1260-D21S1446, 1.44 Mb), did not show LD. The 5 STRs at the 21q22.3 region in this Mexican population showed a non-homogeneous LD pattern, which demonstrates that recombination or linkage should not be assumed solely on the basis of genetic distance.

Genetic structure of Mexican Mestizos with type 2 diabetes mellitus based on three STR loci

BACKGROUND

The aims of this population genetics study were: 1) to ascertain whether Mexicans with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) were genetically homogeneous and 2) to compare the genetic structure of this selected population with the previously reported data of four random populations (Nuevo León, Hispanics, Chihuahua, and Central Region of Mexico).

METHODS

A sample of 103 unrelated individuals with DM and whose 4 grandparents were born in five zones of Mexico was interviewed in 32 Medical Units in the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). The non-coding STRs D16S539, D7S820, and D13S317 were analyzed.

RESULTS

Genotype distribution was in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg expectations for all three markers. Allele frequencies were found to be similar between the selected population and the four random populations. Gene diversity analysis suggested that more than 99.57% of the total gene diversity could be attributed to variation between individuals within the population and 0.43% between the populations.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the present and previous studies using molecular and non-molecular nuclear DNA markers not associated with any disease, the Mexican Mestizo population is found to be genetically homogeneous and therefore the genetic causes of DM are less heterogeneous, thereby simplifying genetic epidemiological studies as has been found in a previous study with the same design in Mexican women with breast cancer.

Resistance to Chalkbrood disease in Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies with different hygienic behaviour

Chalkbrood disease affects the larvae of honeybees Apis mellifera L. and is caused by the fungus Ascosphaera apis. Infected larvae die when they are stretched in the cap cell and suffer a gradual hardening that ends in a very hard structure (mummie). Several studies have demonstrated that colonies that express an efficient hygienic behaviour (uncapping of cell and subsequent removal of dead brood) exhibit a higher resistance to the disease. However, it remains unclear whether the advantage of hygienic colonies over less hygienic ones lies in the ability to remove mummies or in the early detection of infected larvae and its cannibalization before they harden. To elucidate this aspect, the hygienic behaviour of 24 colonies, which were subsequently provided with pollen cakes containig A. apis, was evaluated. The number of mummies and the number of partially cannibalized and whole larvae in uncapped cells were recorded. The most hygienic colonies controlled the disease better. These colonies also had a higher tendency to uncap cells that contained infected larvae and cannibalize them. The presence of A. apis in partially cannibalized and whole larvae in uncapped cells indicate that the advantage of hygienic colonies over less hygienic ones lies in the early detection of infected larvae death and their quick removal from the cell before they become mummies.

Renin gene haplotype diversity and linkage disequilibrium in two Mexican and one German population samples

INTRODUCTION

Renin is the main rate-limiting enzyme in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Its gene, REN, is a candidate crucial factor in essential hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate allele and haplotype distributions of REN polymorphisms, and to estimate normalised linkage disequilibrium (D') in Mexican and German populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four groups were studied for the REN single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) 1205C>T, 1303G>A, and 10607G>A, in population samples of Mexican Mestizo (n = 86), Mexican Huichol (n = 49), German (n = 39), and individuals with hypertension diagnosis (n = 66). Polymorphisms were detected by PCR-RFLP. Genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies were estimated.

RESULTS

SNP 1205C>T and 10607G>A allele and genotype distribution showed inter-group differences. The 1205T and 10607A allele showed a significance difference in hypertensive population. Haplotype analysis also showed some inter-group differences, especially in 1205C-1303G-10607G, 1205C-1303G-10607A and 1205T-1303G-10607G haplotypes. The segregation analysis disclosed complete linkage disequilibrium between 1205 and 1303 loci.

CONCLUSION

These results provide an example of genetic diversity in related populations and illustrate the convenience of increasing the number of loci in associative studies between diseases and candidate genes.

A Compact and Low-Cost MEMS Loudspeaker for Digital Hearing Aids

A microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS)-based electromagnetically actuated loudspeaker to reduce form factor, cost, and power consumption, and increase energy efficiency in hearing-aid applications is presented. The MEMS loudspeaker has multilayer copper coils, an NiFe soft magnet on a thin polyimide diaphragm, and an NdFeB permanent magnet on the perimeter. The coil impedance is measured at 1.5 Omega, and the resonant frequency of the diaphragm is located far from the audio frequency range. The device is driven by a power-scalable, 0.25-mum complementary metal-oxide semiconductor class-D SigmaDelta amplifier stage. The class-D amplifier is formed by a differential H-bridge driven by a single bit, pulse-density-modulated SigmaDelta bitstream at a 1.2-MHz clock rate. The fabricated MEMS loudspeaker generates more than 0.8-mum displacement, equivalent to 106-dB sound pressure level (SPL), with 0.13-mW power consumption. Driven by the SigmaDelta class-D amplifier, the MEMS loudspeaker achieves measured 65-dB total harmonic distortion (THD) with a measurement uncertainty of less than 10%. Energy-efficient and cost-effective advanced hearing aids would benefit from further miniaturization via MEMS technology. The results from this study appear very promising for developing a compact, mass-producible, low-power loudspeaker with sufficient sound generation for hearing-aid applications.

[Population data of five STRs from the INTERPOL series in a mestizo population of western Mexico (State of Jalisco)]

INTRODUCTION

Short tandem repeats (STRs) are the DNA polymorphisms most widely used in forensic genetics and parentage testing. Most common series of STRs are those from FBI (CODIS) and from INTERPOL. While there are data related to the first group, no studies are still known in Mexican populations in regard of the INTERPOL set.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the genetic characteristics of five INTERPOL STRs and to estimate their main forensic parameters in a population from western Mexico.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Samples from 100 random volunteers from the State of Jalisco were PCR typed for STRs F13B, D2S1338, FESFPS, Penta D and Penta E.

RESULTS

Genotype proportions in all five STRs were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg expectations (p > 0.05). Heterocygosity varied from 0.68 for FESFPS to 0.91 for Penta E markers. Power of discrimination (PD) and exclusion probability (EP) were in the 0.83-0.97 and 0.46-0.75 ranges, respectively. The five combined STRs give a PE > 0.99143 and PD > 0.99999.

CONCLUSIONS

These results contribute to establish data bases representative of western Mexico and are useful in DNA forensic and parentage studies.

Influence of cytokine and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphisms on acute rejection in pediatric renal transplantation

Immune response regulation by cytokines is a key to understanding AGR. The influence of the functional polymorphisms in genes coding for TNF-alpha (-308G > A), IL-10 (-819C > T, and -1082A > G), IFN-gamma [(CA)n], TGF-beta1 (+869T > C), and iCAM-1 (R241G and E469K), in addition to HLA and gender matching on the presentation of AGR in 51 pediatric renal recipients during a 36-month post-transplantation follow-up were analyzed. Also, donors and a control group were genotyped. All groups were within Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for all polymorphisms except IL-10-819C > T and TNF-alpha (p < 0.005 and p < 0.01, respectively) in recipients. Transplants with gender mismatch showed a higher risk for AGR than those between individuals with gender match (OR, 4.227; p = 0.010). Recipients with a high-production compared with low-production TNF-alpha allele experienced earlier AGR (p = 0.030), and those with high-production alleles of both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma showed a further increased risk (OR = 11.129, p = 0.024). These findings support the notion that a single genotype cannot by itself explain an event as complex as AGR. The sum or combination of different specific alleles of these genes could better account for the immune response to an allograft.

Five X-chromosome short tandem repeats in a Western Mexican population

BACKGROUND

X-linked microsatellites represent an efficient complement of autosomal and Y-chromosomal markers in forensic and kinship analysis.

METHODS

DXS337 (n=208), DXS101 (n=208), HPRTB (n=206), DXS8377 (n=220), and DXS7423 (n=213) were genotyped in male and female samples from a Western Mexican Mestizo population using singleplex systems and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

RESULTS

Genotype distributions did not deviate from Hardy-Weinberg expectations, and pairwise allele combination analysis was consistent with independent segregation for every marker (p>0.05). Allele frequencies were not different by gender. Differences in allele distribution with respect to Caucasian population data (DXS101, HPRTB, DXS8377, DXS7423) seem attributable to the native Mexican component. For the set of five markers, the combined power of discrimination and the probability of exclusion in paternity tests in trios were greater than 0.999.

CONCLUSIONS

The present data reveal that the panel of five X-short tandem repeats analyzed is highly informative in forensic identity and parentage studies in Western Mexico.