Satellite DNA repeat sequence variation is low in three species of burying beetles in the genus Nicrophorus (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

Three satellite DNA families were identified in three species of burying beetles, Nicrophorus orbicollis, N. marginatus, and N. americanus. Southern hybridization and nucleotide sequence analysis of individual randomly cloned repeats shows that these satellite DNA families are highly abundant in the genome, are composed of unique repeats, and are species-specific. The repeats do not have identifiable core elements or substructures that are similar in all three families, and most interspecific sequence similarity is confined to homopolymeric runs of A and T. Satellite DNA from N. marginatus and N. americanus show single-base-pair indels among repeats, but single-nucleotide substitutions characterize most of the repeat variability. Although the repeat units are of similar lengths (342, 350, and 354 bp) and A + T composition (65%, 71%, and 71%, respectively), the average nucleotide divergence among sequenced repeats is very low (0.18%, 1.22%, and 0.71%, respectively). Transition/transversion ratios from the consensus sequence are 0.20, 0.69, and 0.70, respectively.      

Differential responsiveness to immunoablative therapy in refractory rheumatoid arthritis is associated with level and avidity of anti-cyclic citrullinated protein autoantibodies: a case study

In order to identify pathogenic correlates of refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA), antibodies against anti-cyclic citrullinated protein (ACPAs) were investigated in RA patients in whom the dysregulated immune system had been ablated by high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Six patients with refractory RA were extensively characterized in terms of levels of total immunoglobulins, RA-specific autoantibodies (ACPAs and rheumatoid factor) and antibodies against rubella, tetanus toxoid (TT) and phosphorylcholine before and after HDC plus HSCT. Additionally, the avidity of ACPAs was measured before and after treatment and compared with the avidity of TT antibodies following repeated immunizations. Synovial biopsies were obtained by arthroscopy before HDC plus HSCT, and analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In the three patients with clinically long-lasting responses to HDC plus HSCT (median 423 days), significant reductions in ACPA-IgG levels after therapy were observed (median level dropped from 215 to 34 arbitrary units/ml; P = 0.05). In contrast, stable ACPA-IgG levels were observed in three patients who relapsed shortly after HDC plus HSCT (median of 67 days). Clinical responders had ACPA-IgG of lower avidity (r = 0.75; P = 0.08) and higher degree of inflammation histologically (r = 0.73; P = 0.09). Relapse (after 38 to 530 days) in all patients was preceded by rising levels of low avidity ACPA-IgG (after 30 to 388 days), in contrast to the stable titres of high avidity TT antibodies. In conclusion, humoral autoimmune responses were differentially modulated by immunoablative therapy in patients with synovial inflammation and low avidity ACPA-IgG autoantibodies as compared with patients with high levels of high avidity ACPA-IgG. The distinct clinical disease course after immunoablative therapy based on levels and avidity of ACPA-IgG indicates that refractory RA is not a single disease entity.     

Polarized light based scheme to monitor column performance in a continuous foam fractionation column

Background  

A polarized light scattering technique was used to monitor the performance of a continuously operated foam fractionation process. The S ₁₁ and S ₁₂ parameters, elements of the light scattering matrix, combined together (S ₁₁ +S ₁₂) have been correlated with the bubble size and liquid content for the case of a freely draining foam. The performance of a foam fractionation column is known to have a strong dependence on the bubble size distribution and liquid hold up in foam. In this study the enrichment is used as a metric, representative of foam properties and column performance, and correlated to the S ₁₁ +S ₁₂ parameter.     

Assessment of post extraction complications in Indians

Extraction is one of the commonest procedures in dentistry. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the post extraction complications in patients undergoing extractions of permanent teeth. A total of 70 adult patients who had undergone dental extractions and presented with post -operative complications were included in the study and evaluated. Data collected was statistically analyzed using SPSS software and results obtained. Most of the patients with post extraction complications were in the age group of 31-40 years (21.6%), followed by 21-30 (20.2%) and 61-70 years (20.2%). Dry socket (39.19%) was the common post extraction complication in our study especially in the age group of 31-40 years. There was a statistically significant association between age of the patients and the post extraction complications (p<0.001). In our study, post extraction complications were commonly observed in age group of 31-40 years with a predilection for males. Dry socket was the most common post extraction complication. Age of the patient has a significant effect on post extraction complications. However, gender, smoking habits and systemic diseases have no influence on post extraction complications.     

Prevalence of systemic diseases in patients undergoing minor oral surgeries

It is of interest to evaluate the prevalence of systemic disorders in patients undergoing minor oral surgeries at a dental hospital. This will help to take necessary precautions prior to oral surgeries. We used the digital case records of 1288 patients who underwent minor oral surgeries in a hospital. Demographic details and systemic diseases of the patients were recorded from digital case records. Data shows that 103 patients (7.9%) of the total number of patients undergoing minor oral surgeries had systemic diseases with 3.8% of patients diagnosed with diabetes. Statistically significant associations were found between type of minor oral surgery and the type of systemic disease (p<0.001); age of patients and type of minor oral surgery (p<0.001); age and type of systemic diseases (p<0.001) and gender of patient and type of minor oral surgery (p = 0.005). Thus, data shows the prevalence of systemic diseases in patients undergoing minor oral surgeries was 7.9%.     

Contributions of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">DAT1</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">DRD2</Emphasis> genes to serious and violent delinquency among adolescents and young adults

As far as we know, this is the first national study that reports compelling evidence for the main effects of genetic variants on serious and violent delinquency among adolescents and young adults. This study investigated the association between the self-reported serious and violent delinquency and the TaqI polymorphism in the DRD2 gene and the 40-bp VNTR in the DAT1 gene. The study was based on a cohort of more than 2,500 adolescents and young adults in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in the United States. The trajectories of serious delinquency for the DAT1*10R/10R and DAT1*10R/9R genotypes are about twice as high as that for the DAT1*9R/9R genotype (LR test, P = 0.018, 2 df). For DRD2, the trajectory of serious delinquency for the heterozygotes (A1/A2) is about 20% higher than the A2/A2 genotype and about twice as high as the A1/A1 genotype, a phenomenon sometimes described as heterosis (LR test, P = 0.005, 2 df). The findings on violent delinquency closely resemble those on serious delinquency. The trajectories of violent delinquency for the DAT1*10R/9R and DAT1*10R/10R genotype are again about twice as high as that for DAT1*9R/9R (LR test, P = 0.021, 2 df). The two homozygotes of DRD2*A1/A1 and DRD2*A2/A2 scored lower (LR test, P = 0.0016, 2 df) than the heterozygotes. The findings in the models that consider DAT1 and DRD2 jointly (serious delinquency P = 0.0016, 4 df; violent delinquency P = 0.0006, 4 df) are essentially the same as those in the single-gene models, suggesting the absence of a significant correlation between the two genetic variants. These results only apply to males. Neither variant is associated with delinquency among females.