Molecular diversity of 23-YSTR markers in Iraqi populations.

Iraq is home to the ancient civilization, of Mesopotamia. The population genetics of Iraqis is important due to their ethnic diversity. This study aimed to analyze is to analyze the distribution of Y chromosome haplotypes in a sample of 680 native Iraqi males from regions of Iraq and compare it to previously published Y chromosome haplotype data from some neighboring Arab populations.In this study, A total of 680 unrelated samples (not belonging to the same nuclear family) of healthy males were sampled for the Y-STR analysis from the Iraqi populations in Baghdad. blood samples were collected at the ministry of health/medical legal Directorate/paternity and Baghdad from 2018 to 2020. Allele frequency and gene diversity were calculated. The Iraqi population data were compared with the neighboring populations using pairwise genetic distances using the Y Chromosome Haplotype Reference Database Website (YHRD) software.The discrimination capacity 23 STR loci provide was (0.92). The number of haplotypes observed in 680 samples, was 616 haplotypes (568 unique and 48 shared haplotypes). Haplogroup prediction suggests that haplogroup J1 is the most common in the Iraqi population, followed by J2. According to AMOVA and MD, showed high similarities with neighboring countries. We can conclude that there is no genetic structure among the populations and their data could be added to reference the Iraqi database.

L-Lactate Regulates the Expression of Synaptic Plasticity and Neuroprotection Genes in Cortical Neurons: A Transcriptome Analysis.

Lactate, a product of aerobic glycolysis in astrocytes, is required for memory formation and consolidation, and has recently emerged as a signaling molecule for neurons and various cell types in peripheral tissues. In particular lactate stimulates mRNA expression of a few plasticity-related genes. Here, we describe a RNA-seq study that unravels genome-wide transcriptomic responses to this energy metabolite in cortical neurons. Our results show that mRNA expression of 20 immediate-early genes involved in the MAPK signaling pathway and in synaptic plasticity were increased by more than twofold following 1 h of lactate stimulation. This effect was dependent on NMDA receptor (NMDAR) activity since it was prevented by pre-treatment with MK-801. Comparison with published datasets showed that a significant proportion of genes modulated by lactate were similarly regulated by a stimulation protocol activating specifically synaptic NMDARs known to result in upregulation of pro-survival and downregulation of pro-death genes. Remarkably, transcriptional responses to lactate were reproduced by NADH (for 74 of the 113 genes, FDR < 0.05), suggesting a redox-dependent mechanism of action. Longer-term gene expression changes observed after 6 h of lactate treatment affected genes involved in regulating neuronal excitability and genes coding for proteins localized at synapses. Gene set enrichment analyses performed with ranked lists of expressed genes revealed effects on molecular functions involved in epigenetic modulation, and on processes relevant to sleep physiology and behavioral phenotypes such as anxiety and hyperactivity. Overall, these results strengthen the notion that lactate effectively regulates activity-dependent and synaptic genes, and highlight new signaling effects of lactate in plasticity and neuroprotection.

Complete genome sequence of Mycobacterium fortuitum subsp. fortuitum type strain DSM46621.

Mycobacterium fortuitum is a member of the rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). It is ubiquitous in water and soil habitats, including hospital environments. M. fortuitum is increasingly recognized as an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen causing disseminated infection. Here we report the genome sequence of M. fortuitum subsp. fortuitum type strain DSM46621.

The value of quantitative uptake of (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO white blood cells in detecting osteomyelitis in violated peripheral bones.

UNLABELLED: Our objective in this study was to evaluate whether measurement of quantitative uptake of (99m)Tc-methylene diphosphate (MDP) and (99m)Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) white blood cells (WBCs) is useful in detecting osteomyelitis in peripheral bony lesions. METHODS: Twenty-four patients (12 men and 12 women; age range, 25-72 y) were referred for imaging because of clinically suspected osteomyelitis. They had a traumatic fracture (n = 10), knee prosthesis (n = 5), hip prosthesis (n = 2), diabetic foot (n = 4), or chronic osteomyelitis (n = 3). Three-phase bone scanning and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC studies were performed on all patients within the same week. Regions of interest were drawn over the abnormal bony sites and the contralateral normal sites, and the abnormal-to-normal uptake ratios (A/N ratios) were obtained for both studies. RESULTS: All patients had abnormal findings on 3-phase bone scanning, whereas 17 (71%) had abnormal findings on (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC studies, of which 15 were confirmed to be true-positive. In those 15 patients, the mean A/N ratios for (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC were 3.0 +/- 1.6 (range, 1.3-6.2) and 1.8 +/- 0.3 (range, 1.4-2.2), respectively. In the other 9 patients, whose scan results were clinically confirmed to be true-negative, the mean A/N ratios for (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC were 2.1 +/- 1.2 and 1.2 +/- 0.2, respectively. In the group with a (99m)Tc-MDP A/N ratio greater than 2 (n = 15), 87% (13/15) had a high (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC A/N ratio (>1.5), including 2 that were false-positive. In the remaining 2 patients, one with chronic osteomyelitis and the other with a recent hip prosthesis, (99m)Tc-HMPAO WBC ratios were normal. In the group with a bone A/N ratio of less than 2 (n = 9), only 4 patients (44%) were true-positive for acute osteomyelitis. CONCLUSION: (99m)Tc-MDP bone scanning alone, with an A/N ratio of more than 2, is useful in detecting osteomyelitis in violated bone except in the case of a recent hip prosthesis or chronic osteomyelitis.