High-throughput sequencing of hair follicle development-related micrornas in cashmere goat at various fetal periods

Inner Mongolia cashmere goat marks a precious gerplasm genetic resource due to its excellent cashmere traits. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to investigate the cashmere development mechanism of cashmere goat and to search for the important cashmere growth-related candidate genes. Fetal skin samples at 10 different periods of cashmere goat were collected in this research. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing was conducted on RNA samples from side skin of cashmere goat fetuses collected at three critical periods of skin hair follicle initiation, growth and development (namely, 45, 55 and 65?days) after balanced mix in line with the previous research results. Meanwhile, 3 samples at corresponding periods were used as the biological duplications. Data regarding microRNA and mRNA expression in skin and hair follicles of cashmere goats at various fetal periods were obtained using the high-throughput sequencing method. The results indicated that microRNAs in the oar-let-7 and oar-miR-200 families in 55?days and 66?days of pregnancy samples had been notably up-regulated relative to those in 45?days of pregnancy samples. This revealed that they might be the critical microRNAs in hair follicle development.     

Trace element contents in hair of residents from Harbin (China), Medan (Indonesia), and Tokushima (Japan)

The concentrations of 19 trace element in hair samples from 1273 residents of Harbin (China), Medan (Indonesia), and Tokushima (Japan) were measured by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. The mean concentrations of Ba, Ca, and Se were significantly higher in the Harbin hair samples when compared to those from Medan, but Al, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, Pb, Ti, Zn, and K were significantly higher in Medan than in Harbin hair samples. The differences in the mean concentrations of As, Cr, Mg, P, Sn, and Sr between the Medan and Harbin lots were not significant. In the Tokushima hair samples, Na and K were significantly higher, but As, B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sn, Sr, and Se were significantly lower than in the Harbin hair samples. The differences in the mean concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, P, Ti, and Zn between Harbin and Tokushima were not significant. In the Medan hair samples, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sn, Sr, Ti, and Zn were significantly higher, but P and Se were significantly lower than in Tokushima hair samples. Differences in mean concentrations of Na and K between Tokushima and Medan were not significant.     

Scanning electron microscope observations of saccular ultrastructure in the mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

Summary Scanning electron microscopy revealed two types of hair cells in the sacculus of an amphibian, the mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus). Both types were surrounded by microvilli-covered sustentacular cells. The peripheral hair cells have shorter, thinner stereocilia and longer kinocilia than the hair cells in the central macula. The hair cells generally were found to be oriented with their stereocilia gradient directed toward the periphery of the macula. A nearly semicircular stria separated those directed forward and outward from those directed rearward and outward. Two basic types of otoconia were found in the otolith, and X-ray analysis revealed the entire otolith to be composed of aragonite.We would like to thank Dean E. Hillman for suggestions regarding fixation and interpretation, R. Eric Lombard for assistance with amphibian morphology and for helpful discussions during the course of this work, H. R. Wenk for performing X-ray analysis of otolith and Sister Loretta Shimondle for technical assistance. Research sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant GK-3845 and the United States Public Health Service Grant GM-17523.     

Quantitative hair form variation in seven populations

Although hair form has received much attention in the past, it has rarely been studied systematically, and never using direct curling variables. In the present study, seven groups were scored on eight variables, including four newly-devised curling variables. These data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate techniques to give information about the population relations and mechanisms of hair form. “Racial” groups were separated using a principal components analysis. African and Melanesian populations were shown to have significantly different quantitative hair form traits, especially in regard to their regularity of curvature. The physiological, environmental, and genetic factors contributing to hair form variation are discussed.     

Biochemical variation of hair keratins in man and non-human primates

Human hair from various racial groups was investigated using the following techniques: amino acid analysis, acrylamide gel electrophoresis, x-ray diffraction studies, stress-strain analysis. Each of these techniques yielded identical results for all samples, indicating that the variables producing phenotypic differences in human hair form are probably not on the level of primary or secondary biochemical structure. Hair samples of a variety of primates were examined electrophoretically, with each taxonomic family investigated exhibiting a different pattern. These biochemical results are consistent with accepted primate phylogeny.     

我国不同地区回族青年发中微量元素含量的测定和比较研究

利用等离子体发射光谱法对来自１８个省、市、自治区（县）的５２例回族青年学生的头发中６种微量元素的含量进行了测定,用方差分析法进行了差别显著性检验．考查了地区分布因素以及性别因素对回族发样中６种徽量元系的含量的影响．本文发现民族因素对回族发中６种微量元素含量的影响大于地区因素的影响．     

紫貂和水貂被毛比较形态学研究

研究表明紫貂和水貂被毛的形态高度分化,可分为针毛,中间针毛和绒毛3类。针毛笔直,远端(大约3/4处)皮质高度发育,有良好的耐磨性。中间针毛比针毛短、细,大约有3个弯曲,且髓质含量最高。绒毛最短、细,大约有5个弯曲,髓质也较发达。 扫描电镜下的毛小皮形态可归纳为波纹形,披针形,菱形和倒三角形4种。光镜下的髓质形态可归纳为单柱组型,多柱组型和网型3种。比较分析的结果表明:毛小皮和髓质形态在这两种动物间的差别较明显,具有种的特异性、可作为哺乳动物分类的参考指标。     

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis and Metabolic Syndrome

Deficiency of minerals causes functional abnormality of enzymes, frequently resulting in metabolic disturbance. We investigated possible relationship between minerals and metabolic syndrome by analysis of hair tissue minerals. We selected 848 subjects older than 20 years of age at Ajou University Hospital from May 2004 to February 2007. We excluded the subjects who had cancers, steroid and thyroid medication, and incomplete record from the study. Finally, 343 subjects were eligible. We performed cross-sectional analysis for the relationship between minerals and metabolic syndrome. The contents of calcium, magnesium, and copper in the metabolic syndrome group were significantly lower than those of the normal group, whereas the amounts of sodium, potassium, and mercury in the metabolic syndrome group were significantly higher than those of the normal group. By dividing the subjects into quartile with the level of calcium, magnesium, and mercury concentrations, we carried out logistic regression analysis to study the subjects and found that the subjects in the third quartile of calcium and magnesium concentrations had significantly lower odds ratio (OR) of the metabolic syndrome compared with that of the lowest quartile group [OR = 0.30, confidence interval (CI) = 0.10–0.89; OR = 0.189, CI = 0.063–0.566] and that the subjects in the highest mercury quartile had significantly higher OR of the metabolic syndrome compared with that of the lowest mercury quartile group (OR = 7.35, CI = 1.73–31.1). As part of the metabolic syndrome, the optimal calcium and magnesium concentrations in hair tissue may reflect decreased risk of metabolic syndrome, whereas high mercury concentration in hair tissue may indicate increased risk of metabolic syndrome.