关键词： alternative splicing   epigenetic   MicroRNA   RNAseq   diabetes   beta-cell failure  

摘要： Dysfunctional islets of Langerhans are a hallmark of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We hypothesize that differences in islet gene expression alternative splicing which can contribute to altered protein function also participate in islet dysfunction. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data from islets of obese diabetes-resistant and diabetes-susceptible mice were analyzed for alternative splicing and its putative genetic and epigenetic modulators. We focused on the expression levels of chromatin modifiers and SNPs in regulatory sequences. We identified alternative splicing events in islets of diabetes-susceptible mice amongst others in genes linked to insulin secretion, endocytosis or ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis pathways. The expression pattern of 54 histones and chromatin modifiers, which may modulate splicing, were markedly downregulated in islets of diabetic animals. Furthermore, diabetes-susceptible mice carry SNPs in RNA-binding protein motifs and in splice sites potentially responsible for alternative splicing events. They also exhibit a larger exon skipping rate, e.g., in the diabetes gene Abcc8, which might affect protein function. Expression of the neuronal splicing factor Srrm4 which mediates inclusion of microexons in mRNA transcripts was markedly lower in islets of diabetes-prone compared to diabetes-resistant mice, correlating with a preferential skipping of SRRM4 target exons. The repression of Srrm4 expression is presumably mediated via a higher expression of miR-326-3p and miR-3547-3p in islets of diabetic mice. Thus, our study suggests that an altered splicing pattern in islets of diabetes-susceptible mice may contribute to an elevated T2D risk.

关键词： Chronic toxicity   Lotic macroinvertebrates   Stonefly larvae   Protonemura   Stream conditions   Imidacloprid  

摘要： There are currently few suitable test systems for the chronic toxicity testing of aquatic macroinvertebrates under stream conditions. Therefore, a new test system mimicking running water conditions was developed for testing with lotic insects. This system uses small test cages, with 10 of these suspended inside each 25-L container and rotating at 0.1 m/s, to create a water flow for the individual organism inside each cage. To test the performance of the new exposure system, chronic effects (21 d) of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid were investigated with field-collected larvae of the stonefly Protonemura sp. Endpoints were survival, growth, and/or emergence (depending on the developmental stage of the larvae at the start of the exposure). Two experiments conducted 1 yr apart showed good reproducibility: growth 10% effect concentration (EC10) values were 15.3 and 18.5 mu g/L and no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) values were 30.3 and 21.5 mu g/L. A third experiment, performed with further-developed larval instars, showed a significant effect of imidacloprid on emergence (with EC10 of 5.97 mu g/L and NOEC of 2.89 mu g/L) and a significant effect on survival (with median lethal concentration of 44.7 mu g/L). The results of the present study show that the newly developed test system provides a suitable approach for toxicity testing with stonefly larvae and potentially for other lotic macroinvertebrate species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;00:1-11. (c) 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

摘要： BACKGROUND Despite reported superior intubation outcomes associated with Parker Flex-Tip (PFT) tubes compared with those associated with standard polyvinylchloride tubes, the efficacy and safety of PFT tubes remain uncertain. OBJECTIVES To compare the intubation outcomes between PFT and conventional standard polyvinylchloride tubes. DESIGN Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. DATA SOURCES Embase, Medline, Google Scholar, PubMed and the Cochrane controlled trials register from inception until 3 January 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA All randomised trials comparing intubation outcomes between PFT (PFT group) and standard polyvinylchloride (standard polyvinylchloride group) tubes. RESULTS Analysis of the 13 eligible trials showed no significant difference in successful first-attempt intubation rate [risk ratio (RR) 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99 to 1.44] (6 trials, 568 participants), trauma risk (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.03) (5 trials, 501 participants) as well as the overall risks of epistaxis (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.31) (3 trials, 262 participants), sore throat (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.17) (4 trials, 451 participants) and hoarseness (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.14) (4 trials, 451 participants) between the two groups. However, the intubation time was slightly shorter (weighted mean difference -4.2 s, 95% CI -7.4 to -1.0 s) (8 trials, 759 participants) and the risks of severe epistaxis (RR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.84) (3 trials, 262 participants) and overall difficulty in airway manipulation (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.80) (8 trials, 647 participants) were lower in the PFT group than those in the standard polyvinylchloride group. Trial sequential analysis conclusively confirmed a shorter intubation time with PFT tubes than with standard polyvinylchloride tubes, whereas other intubation outcomes were inconclusive. CONCLUSION The use of PFT tubes for airway manipulation was associated with a shorter intubation time compared with the standard polyvinylchlo

关键词： Aspergillus neoniger   agdA   alpha-glucosidase   Alternative splicing   Intron retention  

摘要： Aspergillus neoniger NCIM 1400 whose cell-free fraction was earlier established for transglycosylation activity conferred by alpha-glucosidase gene (agdA), was subjected to sequence analysis. Preliminary results revealed certain dynamics in the intron splicing mechanism, and to ascertain these molecular events, a detailed study was carried. The electrophoresis results from the cDNA portion (B-fragment) of agdA showed multiple bands, indicating the amplification of one or more fragments. The sequence results of cDNA cloned vector revealed the retention type of alternative splicing in the agdA. The splicing mechanism of agdA in NCIM 1400 was compared to different A. niger strains, which harbours agdA orthologues, using PCR. It was observed that effective intron splicing leads to higher alpha-glucosidase activity from these selected Aspergillus spp. To explore the dynamics of intron retention in A. neoniger NCIM 1400, time-course analysis of intron retention, enzyme activity, and sugar consumption were carried over a period of 168 h of fungal growth. RT-qPCR results revealed that introns retention was not detected during the initial growth phase when the maltose and its hydrolysed product, glucose were consumed. Here we demonstrate that exhaustion of maltose causes increase in retention of introns in the mRNA transcripts of agdA gene, and this could be the possible mode of regulating this gene. (C) 2021 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

关键词： Methanol oxidation reaction   Oxygen evolution reaction   Rock salt   Spinel   Perovskite   Composite oxides  

摘要： Methanol oxidation reaction and oxygen evolution reaction are the two fundamental and bottleneck reactions of methanol and hydrogen economy. Due to cost, slow reaction kinetics and associated poisoning issues with noble metal catalysts, a substantial amount of research have been focused on non-noble metal structured oxides, where the solid state structure coupled with its unique surface properties have demonstrated low overpotentials and high current densities with fascinating chemistry and potential to commercialization. The transition metal oxides with cubic rock salt, spinel and perovskite structures have been the interest of research for many years for methanol oxidation reaction and oxygen evolution reaction. However, in spite of significant studies, there is not a single monograph on compiling and critically comparing the mechanism and performances of these two electrocatalytic oxidation reactions over structured oxides. This review probes the mechanism and efficiency of methanol oxidation reaction and oxygen evolution reaction in light of solid state structures, anionic vacancies, corresponding surface morphologies and electronic configurations of oxide catalysts. An overall critical conclusion is drawn at the end of this article. (c) 2021 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.

关键词： Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs   Complementary and alternative medicine   Athletes   Students   Palestine  

摘要： Many athletes suffering from musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction will use some types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, awareness, and behaviors related to NSAIDs and CAM use in Palestinian student-athletes. This was a cross-sectional study that involved 227 students from the Faculty of Sports at An-Najah National University. A self-administered questionnaire was designed in Arabic;it had six sections and a number of open-ended and closed-ended questions. SPSS version 21 was used to analyze the results. Descriptive statistics (i.e., frequencies, percentages) were used to describe the results including demographic characteristics. Overall, 79.3% of the student-athletes had used NSAIDs in the past and 89.0% had used CAM. The CAM methods used by participants were: herbals (57.3%), supplements (32.2%), cupping (11.9%), acupuncture (2.2%), massage (51.5%), yoga (4.0%), praying (18.1%) and ice packs (20.7%). The herbs commonly used by participants were: sage (20.7%), Menthol (21.1%), Aniseed (10.6%), Chamomile (4.0%), Cinnamon (1.3%), Turmeric (4.0%), Ginger (35.7%), and a mixture of herbs (18.5%);Regarding the perceived advantages of CAM use, 82.2% thought that CAM is beneficial for their health, 79.7% thought CAM is safe, 71.3% used it because of the successful experience of others, and 60.9% used it because it's more available than medical therapy. Among NSAIDs users, 17.2% reported recent use of over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs, and 33.9% of users used prescribed NSAIDs within the last three months for sport-related reasons. When asked to report any side-effect of NSAIDs they knew, only 22.6% were able to list at least one side-effect. This study shows a high prevalence of NSAIDs and CAM use among student-athletes in Palestine with a low level of knowledge and awareness of their side-effects. Therefore, education strategies that focus on enhancing and

关键词： milk fat   fatty acids profile   proton nuclear magnetic resonance descriptors   butyric acid   detection of adulteration  

摘要： This paper investigated the limits of the current approach for the determination of the fatty acids profile of milk fats from proton nuclear magnetic resonance data based on the hypothesis that the signal at 0.96 ppm, currently assigned in the literature as a marker for the "short chain fatty acids," is generated only by the butyric moiety (not by all of the short-chain fatty acids, which also include C6:0-caproic acid). The hypothesis was tested and experimentally confirmed. Moreover, the triplet at 0.96 ppm can also be due to n-3 fatty acids such as linolenic acid (C18:3);therefore, a previously reported methodology for the fatty acids profiling of dairy products-considered as general in the literature-cannot be used in fraud-detection approaches because it allows linolenic acid to be mistaken for butyric acid, consequently leading to misclassification of adulterated samples as nonadulterated. To support our opinion, we have applied the current literature approach for the determination of the fatty acids composition of 3 synthetic nondairy fat blends and have obtained fatty acid compositions similar to milk fats, allowing for their misclassification as genuine milk fats. However, in reality, the blends had very different compositions, as confirmed by gas chromatography. Consequently, we have highlighted the weaknesses of the existing methodology for the detection of dairy food adulteration. In return, new proton nuclear magnetic resonance descriptors based on various integral ratios of signals associated with CH2 moiety versus signals associated with butyric and n-3 fatty acids were proposed to detect adulterations.

关键词： Pythagorean set   MCDM   Fuel   Greenhouse gas emissions   DEMATEL   COPRAS  

摘要： Generation of energy is a vital process for sustenance of human life. Quality of human life is undoubtedly linked to the efficient generation and use of energy. The choice of alternative fuels is of the utmost significance due to the decline of fossil fuel reserves and their effect on global warming. One of the most important areas of research all over the world is the generation and distribution of sustainable energy. There are, in fact, many sustainable fuel resources. In this study, we describe the problem of selecting alternate fuel using novel types of hesitant multi criteria decision-making equation methods. The considered fuel systems are Electricity, natural gas, biodiesel, ethanol, and propane. In the selection of alternative fuels, quantity, quality of performance, cost, and efficiency among others, have to be taken into account. The alternatives selected should, for example, increase the speed of buses, and provide for greater mileage while and not affecting the environment. Here, the DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Model) method is used to determine the weights of the criteria and the COPRAS (Complex Proportional Assessment) method is used to calculate the ranking of the alternatives. The main objective of this research paper is to select the best alternative, based on environmental safety, CO2 emission level, technical cost, and fuel cost. Thus a better alternative is selected with the selected alternatives and criteria. The results of this research are summarized as follows. These are natural gas ( R2 ) > propane ( R5 ) > biodiesel ( R3 ) > electricity ( R1 ) > ethanol (R4 ). The numeric values of these selected alternatives are R2 = 1 > R5 = 0.5215 > R3 = 0.4904 > R1 = 0.4887 > R4 = 0.3299.

关键词： Detection   Elisa   Inflammation   Sensitivity  

摘要： Objective To assess if salivary C-reactive protein (CRP) can be detected in neonatal sepsis and correlate the levels of salivary and serum CRP. Methods This analytical cross-sectional study included all neonates <= 28 days of life with suspected sepsis or with perinatal risk factors for sepsis. Saliva was collected using an absorbent swab and analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, along with serum CRP. Results Salivary CRP was detectable in 135 subjects (99%). An increase was seen in median (IQR) levels from 0.25 (0.13,0.3) ng/mL in clinical sepsis group to 0.6 (0.3,1.4) ng/mL in screen positive/blood culture negative group, and to 1.98 (0.54, 2.95) ng/mL in blood culture positive group. There was a moderate positive correlation between salivary and serum CRP (r=0.63, P value 0.01). On receiver-operator characteristics curve, the area under the curve of salivary CRP for predicting serum CRP >= 10 mg/L was 0.861 (95% CI, 0.78 to 0.94;P < 0.001), with the optimal salivary CRP cut-off being 0.6 ng/mL. Conclusion Salivary CRP could be used as an alternative biomarker of neonatal sepsis.