Estimation of the heritability of hair and eye color

In the present study the colours of hair are regarded as quantitative genetic characters. The genetic and environmental components of the total variance of the characters are determined by analysis of correlation between parents and children as well as full sibs. An analysis of correlation coefficients makes it possible to further examine whether autosomal dominance or X-linked factors play a role in the inheritance. The correlations between the parents make the genetical analysis more complicated as they raise the correlation coefficients between relatives. The estimates of heritability are 0.61 (hair-colour) and 0.80 (eye-colour). These estimates may serve as preliminary values of orientation. Only further studies will show whether the relative large part of the variance caused by the environment can be confirmed. Dominance may play a small role in the case of hair colour, while it seems to be absent in eye-colour. There are no sufficient indications of X-linked factors for both characters.     

The paradoxical effect of fatty acid on steroid-albumin interaction.

Careful investigation of the influence of palmitic and lauric acid on the interaction of progesterone and testosterone with several batches of untreated and defatted bovine and human serum albumins have revealed that, by contrast with published data for studies with progesterone as well as nonsteroid ligands, there is a surprising stimulation rather than inhibition of binding, albeit with a reduction of the apparent number of binding sites in almost all instances. Furthermore, fatty acid tends to minimize or eliminate the well-known differences in affinity between bovine and human albumin for interactions with these two steroids. The values for binding affinity in the interaction of testosterone with these batches of human serum albumin are significantly higher than those previously published by us and other authors and the value for progesterone-bovine albumin interaction is not in accordance with the "polarity rule". Studies of these same interactions by ultraviolet difference spectroscopy give further evidence of the augmentation in binding but, in the case of defatted bovine albumin only, the aromatic difference troughs are indicative of tyrosine perturbation whereas refatted bovine albumin, defatted and refatted human albumin manifest tryptophan perturbation. Quantitative correlation of perturbation with level of bound steroid suggests that fatty acid alters the ratio (possibly hydrogen-bonded to non hydrogen-bonded) of two forms of bound steroid. There is also further evidence that the binding sites for testosterone and progesterone are not identical.     

Effect of the wingless (wg1) mutation on wing and haltere development in Drosophila melanogaster

Genetic and developmental studies of wingless (wg¹), a new second chromosome recessive mutation in Drosophila melanogaster, have shown that it affects not only wing and haltere development (giving rise to wingless and/or halterless flies), but also results in various abnormalities of the mesothorax. The larvae destined to develop into wingless and/or halterless flies possessed underdeveloped mesothoracic and/or metathoracic imaginal discs.     

Design of a New Peptide Substrate Probe of the Putative Biomarker Legumain with Potential Application in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Ex Vivo

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - The lysosomal endoprotease legumain (asparaginyl endoprotease) has been proposed as a putative biomarker in prostate tumours, in which...     

Intraspecific competition and aggression for shells in the hermit crab Pagurus samuel1s

Many studies have investigated shell‐related behaviour in hermit crabs. Few studies, however, have focused specifically on the intraspecies aggression associated with shell competition. We examined intraspecies aggression in hermit crab (Pagurus samuelis) pairs as it relates to competition for a limiting resource, gastropod shells. Pairs of hermit crabs were observed in the laboratory in four different treatments that varied the presence or absence of shells for one or both of the crabs. Measurements of the latency to respond, the number of bouts, and the fight durations were recorded. There was a significant difference among treatments for all three measurements, and naked hermit crabs were much more aggressive than housed hermit crabs. There was no significant difference in aggression between males and females in any of the three treatments. The heightened aggression observed in naked P. samuelis is likely in service of acquiring a protective shell.     

Microarray analysis of miRNA expression profiles following whole body irradiation in a mouse model

Abstract

Context: Accidental exposure to life-threatening radiation in a nuclear event is a major concern; there is an enormous need for identifying biomarkers for radiation biodosimetry to triage populations and treat critically exposed individuals.

Objective: To identify dose-differentiating miRNA signatures from whole blood samples of whole body irradiated mice.

Methods: Mice were whole body irradiated with X-rays (2?Gy–15?Gy); blood was collected at various time-points post-exposure; total RNA was isolated; miRNA microarrays were performed; miRNAs differentially expressed in irradiated vs. unirradiated controls were identified; feature extraction and classification models were applied to predict dose-differentiating miRNA signature.

Results: We observed a time and dose responsive alteration in the expression levels of miRNAs. Maximum number of miRNAs were altered at 24-h and 48-h time-points post-irradiation. A 23-miRNA signature was identified using feature selection algorithms and classifier models. An inverse correlation in the expression level changes of miR-17 members, and their targets were observed in whole body irradiated mice and non-human primates.

Conclusion: Whole blood-based miRNA expression signatures might be used for predicting radiation exposures in a mass casualty nuclear incident.     

Immunomodulatory Effects in a Phase II Study of Lenalidomide Combined with Cetuximab in Refractory KRAS-Mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients

This study assessed the immunomodulatory effects in previously treated KRAS-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer patients participating in a phase II multicenter, open-label clinical trial receiving lenalidomide alone or lenalidomide plus cetuximab. The main findings show the T cell immunostimulatory properties of lenalidomide as the drug induced a decrease in the percentage CD45RA⁺ naïve T cells 3-fold while increasing the percentage HLA-DR⁺ activated T helper cells and percentage total CD45RO⁺ CD8⁺ memory T cytotoxic cells, 2.6- and 2.1-fold respectively (p<0.0001). In addition, lenalidomide decreased the percentage of circulating CD19⁺ B cells 2.6-fold (p<0.0001). Lenalidomide increased a modest, yet significant, 1.4-fold change in the percentage of circulating natural killer cells. Our findings indicate that lenalidomide significantly activates T cells, suggestive of an immunotherapeutic role for this drug in settings of maintenance therapy and tumor immunity. Furthermore, reported for the first time is the effect of lenalidomide in combination with cetuximab on T cell function, including increases in circulating naïve and central memory T cells. In summary, lenalidomide and cetuximab have significant effects on circulating immune cells in patients with colorectal carcinoma.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01032291","term_id":"NCT01032291"}}NCT01032291