A novel KIT deletion variant in a German Riding Pony with white-spotting coat colour phenotype.

White spotting phenotypes in horses may be caused by developmental alterations impairing melanoblast differentiation, survival, migration and/or proliferation. Candidate genes for white-spotting phenotypes in horses include EDNRB, KIT, MITF, PAX3 and TRPM1. We investigated a German Riding Pony with a sabino-like phenotype involving extensive white spots on the body together with large white markings on the head and almost completely white legs. We obtained whole genome sequence data from this horse. The analysis revealed a heterozygous 1273-bp deletion spanning parts of intron 2 and exon 3 of the equine KIT gene (Chr3: 79 579 925-79 581 197). We confirmed the breakpoints of the deletion by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Knowledge of the functional impact of similar KIT variants in horses and other species suggests that this deletion represents a plausible candidate causative variant for the white-spotting phenotype. We propose the designation W28 for the mutant allele.

Whole genome sequencing reveals a novel deletion variant in the KIT gene in horses with white spotted coat colour phenotypes.

White spotting phenotypes in horses can range in severity from the common white markings up to completely white horses. EDNRB, KIT, MITF, PAX3 and TRPM1 represent known candidate genes for such phenotypes in horses. For the present study, we re-investigated a large horse family segregating a variable white spotting phenotype, for which conventional Sanger sequencing of the candidate genes' individual exons had failed to reveal the causative variant. We obtained whole genome sequence data from an affected horse and specifically searched for structural variants in the known candidate genes. This analysis revealed a heterozygous ~1.9-kb deletion spanning exons 10-13 of the KIT gene (chr3:77,740,239_77,742,136del1898insTATAT). In continuity with previously named equine KIT variants we propose to designate the newly identified deletion variant W22. We had access to 21 horses carrying the W22 allele. Four of them were compound heterozygous W20/W22 and had a completely white phenotype. Our data suggest that W22 represents a true null allele of the KIT gene, whereas the previously identified W20 leads to a partial loss of function. These findings will enable more precise genetic testing for depigmentation phenotypes in horses.

Wildlife Refuges Support High Bee Diversity on the Southern Great Plains.

The native prairie of the southern Great Plains has been especially modified by two related forces: conversion of native prairie to agricultural forms of land use and removal of black-tailed prairie dogs (Rodentia: Sciuridae, Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815)) that act as ecosystem engineers via their burrowing and grazing activities. It is unknown how these changes have affected the native bee community. We surveyed the bee communities in relatively intact native prairie at two National Wildlife Refuges in Texas, quantifying bee community structure as a function of the presence/absence of grazing by prairie dogs. Over a 5-mo sampling period in spring-summer 2013, we found high overall bee diversity (180 species, mostly solitary ground-nesters), with differences detected in diversity between Muleshoe and Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuges as well as on and off prairie dog colonies. Although the same three species dominated the bee community at both refuges, most species were represented by relatively few individuals, leading to overall differences in diversity (richness, evenness, and effective number of species) by refuge. Bee diversity differed between sites on and off prairie dog colonies, but in trends that differed by refuge and by index, suggesting that location was more important than prairie dog presence. These results represent a reference fauna against which other regional bee communities in other land-cover types can be compared, but the high spatial heterogeneity we found indicates that detecting effects of landscape change on native bees will be challenging.

Inhibition of RANKL blocks skeletal tumor progression and improves survival in a mouse model of breast cancer bone metastasis.

Bone metastases cause severe skeletal morbidity including fractures and hypercalcemia. Tumor cells in bone induce activation of osteoclasts, which mediate bone resorption and release of growth factors from bone matrix, resulting in a "vicious cycle" of bone breakdown and tumor proliferation. Receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) is an essential mediator of osteoclast formation, function, and survival, and is blocked by a soluble decoy receptor, osteoprotegerin (OPG). In human malignancies that metastasize to bone, dysregulation of the RANK/RANKL/OPG pathway can increase the RANKL:OPG ratio, a condition which favors excessive osteolysis. In a mouse model of bone metastasis, RANKL protein levels in MDA-MB-231 (MDA-231) tumor-bearing bones were significantly higher than tumor-free bones. The resulting tumor-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteolysis was dose-dependently inhibited by recombinant OPG-Fc treatment, supporting the essential role for RANKL in this process. Using bioluminescence imaging in a mouse model of metastasis, we monitored the anti-tumor efficacy of RANKL inhibition on MDA-231 human breast cancer cells in a temporal manner. Treatment with OPG-Fc in vivo inhibited growth of MDA-231 tumor cells in bony sites when given both as a preventative (dosed day 0) and as a therapeutic agent for established bone metastases (dosed day 7). One mechanism by which RANKL inhibition reduced tumor burden appears to be indirect through inhibition of the "vicious cycle" and involved an increase in tumor cell apoptosis, as measured by active caspase-3. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that OPG-Fc treatment of mice with established bone metastases resulted in an overall improvement in survival.

An equine chromosome 3 inversion is associated with the tobiano spotting pattern in German horse breeds.

The tobiano white-spotting pattern is one of several known depigmentation phenotypes in horses and is desired by many horse breeders and owners. The tobiano spotting phenotype is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Horses that are heterozygous or homozygous for the tobiano allele (To) are phenotypically indistinguishable. A SNP associated with To had previously been identified in intron 13 of the equine KIT gene and was used for an indirect gene test. The test was useful in several horse breeds. However, genotyping this sequence variant in the Lewitzer horse breed revealed that 14% of horses with the tobiano pattern did not show the polymorphism in intron 13 and consequently the test was not useful to identify putative homozygotes for To within this breed. Speculations were raised that an independent mutation might cause the tobiano spotting pattern in this breed. Recently, the putative causative mutation for To was described as a large chromosomal inversion on equine chromosome 3. One of the inversion breakpoints is approximately 70 kb downstream of the KIT gene and probably disrupts a regulatory element of the KIT gene. We obtained genotypes for the intron 13 SNP and the chromosomal inversion for 204 tobiano spotted horses and 24 control animals of several breeds. The genotyping data confirmed that the chromosomal inversion was perfectly associated with the To allele in all investigated horses. Therefore, the new test is suitable to discriminate heterozygous To/+ and homozygous To/To horses in the investigated breeds.

Conserved microRNA characteristics in mammals.

Short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) probably enter different stages of the microRNA (miRNA) pathway for depletion of mRNA and suppression of protein translation. Primary and secondary structural characteristics that are shared between endogenous primary miRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs) may contribute toward efficient biogenesis and potent silencing. This study investigates known miRNA transcripts for characteristics that are conserved between miRNAs and that distinguish them from random hairpins with similar lengths. The primary structure is conserved, as demonstrated by a significant presence or absence of certain bases at specific positions in the miRNA precursors and their flanking regions. The secondary structure is also conserved between miRNAs, as internal loops and bulges commonly appear in specific positions in the miRNA stem. The conservation of base-pairing continues past the mature duplex and 13 bases into the primary stem, with no detectable conservation of secondary structure beyond this region. Based on these observations, we have designed a hairpin construct that incorporates the most important characteristics present in endogenous miRNAs. Preliminary experiments suggest that this construct may rescue the efficacy of shRNA triggers that cannot be used with a miR-30-based hairpin, and vice versa.

Incentivizing health care behaviors in emerging adults: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: For emerging adults with chronic medical diseases, the transition from pediatric to adult health care is often a time of great upheaval, commonly associated with unhealthy self-management choices, loss to follow-up, and adverse outcomes. We conducted a systematic review to examine the use of incentive strategies to promote positive health-related behaviors in young adults with chronic medical diseases. METHODS: The Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, and Cochrane databases were searched through June 2014. Studies of any design where an incentive was used to achieve a target behavior or outcome in a pediatric or emerging adult population (age <30 years) with chronic medical conditions including addictions, were included. RESULTS: A total of 26 studies comprising 10,880 patients met our inclusion criteria after screening 10,305 abstracts and 301 full-text articles. Of these studies, 20 examined the effects of behavioral incentives on cigarette smoking or substance abuse, including alcohol; four studies explored behavioral incentives in the setting of HIV or sexual health; and two articles studied individuals with other chronic medical conditions. Seventeen articles reported a statistically significant benefit of the behavioral incentive on one or more outcomes, although only half reported follow-up after the incentive period was terminated. CONCLUSION: While the majority of studies reported positive outcomes, these studies focused on promoting the cessation of adverse behaviors rather than promoting positive behaviors. In addition, conclusions were limited by the high risk of bias present in the majority of studies, as well as lack of follow-up after the incentive period. Whether behavioral incentives facilitate the adoption of positive health choices in this population remains to be determined.

A case report. Ectopic molars that cause osteomeatal complex obstruction.

During a routine dental examination, a general dentist noticed facial asymmetry in a 42-year-old man. Dental radiography suggested a pathological condition in the sinuses. The dentist referred the patient to a head and neck surgeon for further examination. Computed tomography demonstrated ectopic molars in the maxillary sinuses blocking drainage of the sinuses.

Comparison of dental water quality management procedures.

The effectiveness of ADA-recommended approaches for reducing dental unit waterline, or DUWL, contamination was investigated using newly installed dental units. Over a 2-month period, the authors studied independent water reservoirs, a sodium hypochlorite disinfection regimen, daily draining and purging of DUWLs and point-of-use filters by assessing microbial contamination and biofilm development using scanning electron microscopy. The findings demonstrate that DUWL contamination can be controlled when dental personnel use available technologies and adhere to recommended maintenance protocols.

Intensity-dependent exciton dynamics of (6,5) single-walled carbon nanotubes: momentum selection rules, diffusion, and nonlinear interactions.

The exciton dynamics for an ensemble of individual, suspended (6,5), single-walled carbon nanotubes revealed by single color E(22) resonant pump-probe spectroscopy for a wide range of pump fluences are reported. The optically excited initial exciton population ranges from approximately 5 to 120 excitons per ∼725 nm nanotube. At the higher fluences of this range, the pump-probe signals are no longer linearly dependent on the pump intensity. A single, predictive model is described that fits all data for two decades of pump fluences and three decades of delay times. The model introduces population loss from the optically active zero momentum E(22) state to the rest of the E(22) subband, which is dark due to momentum selection rules. In the single exciton limit, the E(11) dynamics are well described by a stretched exponential, which is a direct consequence of diffusion quenching from an ensemble of nanotubes of different lengths. The observed change in population relaxation dynamics as a function of increasing pump intensity is attributed to exciton-exciton Auger de-excitation in the E(11) subband and, to a lesser extent, in the E(22) subband. From the fit to the model, an average defect density 1/ρ = 150 nm and diffusion constants D(11) = 4 cm(2)/s and D(22) = 0.2 cm(2)/s are determined.

A polymorphism within the equine CRISP3 gene is associated with stallion fertility in Hanoverian warmblood horses.

Fertility of stallions is of high economic importance, especially for large breeding organisations and studs. Breeding schemes with respect to fertility traits and selection of stallions at an early stage may be improved by including molecular genetic markers associated with traits. The genes coding for equine cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs) are promising candidate genes because previous studies have shown that CRISPs play a role in the fertilising ability of male animals. We have previously characterised the three equine CRISP genes and identified a non-synonymous polymorphism in the CRISP1 gene. In this study, we report one non-synonymous polymorphism in the CRISP2 gene and four non-synonymous polymorphisms in the CRISP3 gene. All six CRISP polymorphisms were genotyped in 107 Hanoverian breeding stallions. Insemination records of stallions were used to analyse the association between CRISP polymorphisms and fertility traits. Three statistical models were used to evaluate the influence of single mutations, genotypes and haplotypes of the polymorphisms. The CRISP3 AJ459965:c.+622G>A SNP leading to the amino acid substitution E208K was significantly associated with the fertility of stallions. Stallions heterozygous for the CRISP3 c.+622G>A SNP had lower fertility than homozygous stallions (P = 0.0234). The pregnancy rate per cycle in these stallions was estimated to be approximately 7% lower than in stallions homozygous at this position.