Fertility preferences among Malaysian women: an analysis of responses to the new population policy

About 10% of 3887 ever-married women included in the 1984-85 Malaysian Population and Family Survey revealed that they were influenced by the new population policy to desire more children than they had originally wanted. These women were more likely to be rural Malays from the lower socioeconomic class. Ideal family size was more than four children. Children are desired for economic benefits and emotional support. The natality of the Malays has risen since 1980: their total fertility rate has increased while their contraceptive prevalence rate has dropped sharply. Coupled with a decline in the crude death rate, the present fertility preferences and behaviour of the Malays will render the target of the population policy more attainable than is reflected by the survey data.     

Alginate-chitosan coacervation in production of artificial seeds

Survival of secondary embryoids of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera cv. Primor) has been used as an assay for the development of artificial seeds involving complex coacervation of alginate (polyanion) with chitosan (polycation). Germination frequency of 100% was achieved for encapsulated embryoids when alginate formed the inner matrix and chitosan the outer layer. When the matrix makeup was reversed, there was no germination of embryoids. The artificial seeds produced were hardened in dilute alkaline solutions of NaOH and Ca(OH)(2). An optimum setting time could be selected based on a quantitative measurement of resistance of hardened capsules to compression and the germination frequency of the encapsulated embryoids. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Deep Whole-Genome Sequencing of 100 Southeast Asian Malays

Whole-genome sequencing across multiple samples in a population provides an unprecedented opportunity for comprehensively characterizing the polymorphic variants in the population. Although the 1000 Genomes Project (1KGP) has offered brief insights into the value of population-level sequencing, the low coverage has compromised the ability to confidently detect rare and low-frequency variants. In addition, the composition of populations in the 1KGP is not complete, despite the fact that the study design has been extended to more than 2,500 samples from more than 20 population groups. The Malays are one of the Austronesian groups predominantly present in Southeast Asia and Oceania, and the Singapore Sequencing Malay Project (SSMP) aims to perform deep whole-genome sequencing of 100 healthy Malays. By sequencing at a minimum of 30× coverage, we have illustrated the higher sensitivity at detecting low-frequency and rare variants and the ability to investigate the presence of hotspots of functional mutations. Compared to the low-pass sequencing in the 1KGP, the deeper coverage allows more functional variants to be identified for each person. A comparison of the fidelity of genotype imputation of Malays indicated that a population-specific reference panel, such as the SSMP, outperforms a cosmopolitan panel with larger number of individuals for common SNPs. For lower-frequency (<5%) markers, a larger number of individuals might have to be whole-genome sequenced so that the accuracy currently afforded by the 1KGP can be achieved. The SSMP data are expected to be the benchmark for evaluating the value of deep population-level sequencing versus low-pass sequencing, especially in populations that are poorly represented in population-genetics studies.     

Genome-wide association study of idiopathic hypersomnia in a Japanese population

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is a rare sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, great difficulty upon awakening, and prolonged sleep time. In...     

Concurrent production of chitin from shrimp shells and fungi

Crustacean shells constitute the traditional and current commercial source of chitin. Conversely, the control of fungal fermentation processes to produce quality chitin makes fungal mycelia an attractive alternative source. Therefore, the exploitation of both of these sources to produce chitin in a concurrent process should be advantageous and is reported here. Three proteolytic Aspergillus niger (strains 0576, 0307 and 0474) were selected from a screening for protease activity from among 34 zygomycete and deuteromycete strains. When fungi and shrimp shell powder were combined in a single reactor, the release of protease by the fungi facilitated the deproteinization of shrimp-shell powder and the release of hydrolyzed proteins. The hydrolyzed proteins in turn were utilized as a nitrogen source for fungal growth, leading to a lowering of the pH of the fermentation medium, thereby further enhancing the demineralization of the shrimp-shell powder. The shrimp-shell powders and fungal mycelia were separated after fermentation and extracted for chitin with 5% LiCl/DMAc solvent. Chitin isolates from the shells were found to have a protein content of less than 5%, while chitin isolates from the three fungal mycelia strains had protein content in the range of 10-15%. The relative molecular weights as estimated by GPC for all chitin samples were in the 10(5) dalton range. All samples displayed characteristic profiles for chitin in their FTIR and solid-state NMR spectra. All chitin samples evaluated with MTT and Neutral Red assays with three commercial cell lines did not display cytotoxic effects.     

Intraocular gene transfer of ciliary neurotrophic factor rescues photoreceptor degeneration in RCS rats

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is known as an important factor in the regulation of retinal cell growth. We used both recombinant CNTF and an adenovirus carrying the CNTF gene to regulate retinal photoreceptor expression in a retinal degenerative animal, Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats. Cells in the outer nuclear layer of the retinae from recombinant-CNTF-treated, adenoviral-CNTF-treated, saline-operated, and contralateral untreated preparations were examined for those exhibiting CNTF photoreceptor protective effects. Cell apoptosis in the outer nuclear layer of the retinae was also detected. It was found that CNTF had a potent effect on delaying the photoreceptor degeneration process in RCS rats. Furthermore, adenovirus CNTF gene transfer was proven to be better at rescuing photoreceptors than that when using recombinant CNTF, since adenoviral CNTF prolonged the photoreceptor protection effect. The function of the photoreceptors was also examined by taking electroretinograms of different animals. Adenoviral-CNTF-treated eyes showed better retinal function than did the contralateral control eyes. This study indicates that adenoviral CNTF effectively rescues degenerating photoreceptors in RCS rats.S.-P.H. and P.-K.L. contributed equally to this work.     

A synthesis of the phenolic lipid, 3-[(Z)-pentadec-8-enyl] catechol, (15:1)-urushiol

A synthesis of (15:1)-urushiol, urushiol monoene, 3-[(Z)-pentadec-8-enyl] catechol, 1,2-dihydroxy-3-[(Z)-pentadec-8-enyl] benzene, one of the toxic principles of Rhus toxicodendron and of Rhus vernicifera is described. 6-Chlorohexan-1-ol protected at the OH group with ethyl vinyl ether reacted with 2,3-dimethoxybenzaldehyde in the presence of lithium to give, after removal of the protective group with methanolic 4-toluenesulphonic acid, 1-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl) heptane-1,7-diol. Catalytic hydrogenolysis in ethanol with palladium–carbon selectively afforded 7-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)heptane-1-ol accompanied by a small proportion of the 7-(3-methoxyphenyl)heptane-1-diol, formed by demethoxylation. Reaction of the dimethoxy compound with boron tribromide resulted in both bromination and demethylation to give 7-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl) heptylbromide. This bromide in tetrahydrofuran (THF) containing hexamethylphosphoric triamide reacted with excess lithium oct-1-yne to give 3-(pentadec-8-enyl)catechol which, by catalytic hydrogenation in ethyl acetate containing quinoline, selectively formed the required cis product, 3-[(Z)-pentadec-8-enyl]catechol which was identical chromatographically and spectroscopically with urushiol monoene separated from the natural product.     

Response of cells on surface-induced nanopatterns: fibroblasts and mesenchymal progenitor cells

Ultrathin films of a poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyrindine) diblock copolymer (PS-b-P2VP) and poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyrindine) diblock copolymer (PS-b-P4VP) were used to form surface-induced nanopattern (SINPAT) on mica. Surface interaction controlled microphase separation led to the formation of chemically heterogeneous surface nanopatterns on dry ultrathin films. Two distinct nanopatterned surfaces, namely, wormlike and dotlike patterns, were used to investigate the influence of topography in the nanometer range on cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration. Atomic force microscopy was used to confirm that SINPAT was stable under cell culture conditions. Fibroblasts and mesenchymal progenitor cells were cultured on the nanopatterned surfaces. Phase contrast and confocal laser microscopy showed that fibroblasts and mesenchymal progenitor cells preferred the densely spaced wormlike patterns. Atomic force microscopy showed that the cells remodelled the extracellular matrix differently as they migrate over the two distinctly different nanopatterns.     

Revealing the molecular signatures of host-pathogen interactions

Advances in sequencing technology and genome-wide association studies are now revealing the complex interactions between hosts and pathogen through genomic variation signatures, which arise from evolutionary co-existence.     

Large scale international replication and meta-analysis study confirms association of the 15q14 locus with myopia. The CREAM consortium

Myopia is a complex genetic disorder and a common cause of visual impairment among working age adults. Genome-wide association studies have identified susceptibility loci on chromosomes 15q14 and 15q25 in Caucasian populations of European ancestry. Here, we present a confirmation and meta-analysis study in which we assessed whether these two loci are also associated with myopia in other populations. The study population comprised 31 cohorts from the Consortium of Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM) representing 4 different continents with 55,177 individuals; 42,845 Caucasians and 12,332 Asians. We performed a meta-analysis of 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on 15q14 and 5 SNPs on 15q25 using linear regression analysis with spherical equivalent as a quantitative outcome, adjusted for age and sex. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) of myopia versus hyperopia for carriers of the top-SNP alleles using a fixed effects meta-analysis. At locus 15q14, all SNPs were significantly replicated, with the lowest P value 3.87?×?10(-12) for SNP rs634990 in Caucasians, and 9.65?×?10(-4) for rs8032019 in Asians. The overall meta-analysis provided P value 9.20?×?10(-23) for the top SNP rs634990. The risk of myopia versus hyperopia was OR 1.88 (95?% CI 1.64, 2.16, P?相似文献