[Professor B. Jigmed's conception on the division of stages of history of Mongolian medicine].

PubMed

Wang, X H; Bao, L

2017-03-28

The division of stages on the formation and development of Mongolian medicine is a major issue on the history of Mongolian medicine. Based on Mongolian social, economic and cultural development and the characteristics of Mongolian medicine itself, Professor B. Jigmed creatively puts forward the three stages of development of ancient and modern times of Mongolian medicine. He also reasonably sorts out historical materials to comprehensively and systematically display the general picture of its development. This approach exerts great effect on restructuring the body of Mongolian medicine itself, unveils its rule of development, and promotes its disciplinary construction.

Mongolians core gut microbiota and its correlation with seasonal dietary changes.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiachao; Guo, Zhuang; Lim, Angela An Qi; Zheng, Yi; Koh, Eileen Y; Ho, Danliang; Qiao, Jianmin; Huo, Dongxue; Hou, Qiangchuan; Huang, Weiqiang; Wang, Lifeng; Javzandulam, Chimedsuren; Narangerel, Choijilsuren; Jirimutu; Menghebilige; Lee, Yuan-Kun; Zhang, Heping

2014-05-16

Historically, the Mongol Empire ranks among the world's largest contiguous empires, and the Mongolians developed their unique lifestyle and diet over thousands of years. In this study, the intestinal microbiota of Mongolians residing in Ulan Bator, TUW province and the Khentii pasturing area were studied using 454 pyrosequencing and q-PCR technology. We explored the impacts of lifestyle and seasonal dietary changes on the Mongolians' gut microbes. At the phylum level, the Mongolians's gut populations were marked by a dominance of Bacteroidetes (55.56%) and a low Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio (0.71). Analysis based on the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level revealed that the Mongolian core intestinal microbiota comprised the genera Prevotella, Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Subdoligranulum and Coprococcus. Urbanisation and life-style may have modified the compositions of the gut microbiota of Mongolians from Ulan Bator, TUW and Khentii. Based on a food frequency questionnaire, we found that the dietary structure was diverse and stable throughout the year in Ulan Bator and TUW, but was simple and varied during the year in Khentii. Accordingly, seasonal effects on intestinal microbiota were more distinct in Khentii residents than in TUW or Ulan Bator residents.

Mongolians core gut microbiota and its correlation with seasonal dietary changes

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jiachao; Guo, Zhuang; Lim, Angela An Qi; Zheng, Yi; Koh, Eileen Y.; Ho, Danliang; Qiao, Jianmin; Huo, Dongxue; Hou, Qiangchuan; Huang, Weiqiang; Wang, Lifeng; Javzandulam, Chimedsuren; Narangerel, Choijilsuren; Jirimutu; Menghebilige; Lee, Yuan-Kun; Zhang, Heping

2014-01-01

Historically, the Mongol Empire ranks among the world's largest contiguous empires, and the Mongolians developed their unique lifestyle and diet over thousands of years. In this study, the intestinal microbiota of Mongolians residing in Ulan Bator, TUW province and the Khentii pasturing area were studied using 454 pyrosequencing and q-PCR technology. We explored the impacts of lifestyle and seasonal dietary changes on the Mongolians' gut microbes. At the phylum level, the Mongolians's gut populations were marked by a dominance of Bacteroidetes (55.56%) and a low Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio (0.71). Analysis based on the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level revealed that the Mongolian core intestinal microbiota comprised the genera Prevotella, Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Subdoligranulum and Coprococcus. Urbanisation and life-style may have modified the compositions of the gut microbiota of Mongolians from Ulan Bator, TUW and Khentii. Based on a food frequency questionnaire, we found that the dietary structure was diverse and stable throughout the year in Ulan Bator and TUW, but was simple and varied during the year in Khentii. Accordingly, seasonal effects on intestinal microbiota were more distinct in Khentii residents than in TUW or Ulan Bator residents. PMID:24833488

Genetic diversity and population structure of Mongolian domestic Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus).

PubMed

Chuluunbat, B; Charruau, P; Silbermayr, K; Khorloojav, T; Burger, P A

2014-08-01

The tradition of animal husbandry in the context of a nomadic lifestyle has been of great significance in the Mongolian society. Both Bactrian camels and horses have been invaluable for the survival and development of human activities in the harsh arid environment of the Mongolian steppe. As camels offer unique and sustainable opportunities for livestock production in marginal agro-ecological zones, we investigated the current genetic diversity of three local Mongolian camel breeds and compared their levels of variation with common native Mongolian camels distributed throughout the country. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers, we found levels of genetic diversity in Mongolian populations similar to that reported for Chinese Bactrian camels and for dromedaries. Little differentiation was detected between single breeds, except for a small group originating from the northwestern Mongolian Altai. We found neither high inbreeding levels in the different breeds nor evidence for a population decline. Although the Mongolian camel census size has severely declined over the past 20 years, our analyses suggest that there still exists a stable population with adequate genetic variation for continued sustainable utilization. © 2014 The Authors. Animal Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Research on the Ancient Mongolian Place-Name Along the Silk Road

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nashunwuritu; Baiyinbateer; Duoxi

2016-06-01

"Silk Road" is an ancient commercial trade channel connecting China with Asia, Africa and Europe and a major link of the economy, politics and culture of the East and West as well. In the 13th Century, with the westward expedition of Mongolian, the communication and integration of culture among different countries was accelerated, which led to many Mongolian place-names scattered in the countries along the silk-road, such as Khwarezmia, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Kipchak, Persian, involving today's Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Serbia, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India and many other countries and regions. The place-name is a kind of important factor that can represent the changes of culture, economic in history. We analyzed the current place-names in different countries or regions with different language to find out ancient Mongolian place-names, and marked the names on the digital map. Through the changes and transition of the place-name, we explored the development of Mongolian language changes itself, Mongolian blends with other languages, and furtherly reveal information of culture exchange.

Gastric mucosa in Mongolian and Japanese patients with gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori infection

PubMed Central

Matsuhisa, Takeshi; Yamaoka, Yoshio; Uchida, Tomohisa; Duger, Davaadorj; Adiyasuren, Battulga; Khasag, Oyuntsetseg; Tegshee, Tserentogtokh; Tsogt-Ochir, Byambajav

2015-01-01

AIM: To investigate the characteristics of gastric cancer and gastric mucosa in a Mongolian population by comparison with a Japanese population. METHODS: A total of 484 Mongolian patients with gastric cancer were enrolled to study gastric cancer characteristics in Mongolians. In addition, a total of 208 Mongolian and 3205 Japanese consecutive outpatients who underwent endoscopy, had abdominal complaints, no history of gastric operation or Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment, and no use of gastric secretion inhibitors such as histamine H2-receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors were enrolled. This study was conducted with the approval of the ethics committees of all hospitals. The triple-site biopsy method was used for the histologic diagnosis of gastritis and H. pylori infection in all Mongolian and Japanese cases. The infection rate of H. pylori and the status of gastric mucosa in H. pylori-infected patients were compared between Mongolian and Japanese subjects. Age (± 5 years), sex, and endoscopic diagnosis were matched between the two countries. RESULTS: Approximately 70% of Mongolian patients with gastric cancer were 50-79 years of age, and approximately half of the cancers were located in the upper part of the stomach. Histologically, 65.7% of early cancers exhibited differentiated adenocarcinoma, whereas 73.9% of advanced cancers displayed undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. The infection rate of H. pylori was higher in Mongolian than Japanese patients (75.9% vs 48.3%, P < 0.0001). When stratified by age, the prevalence was highest among young patients, and tended to decrease in patients aged 50 years or older. The anti-East-Asian CagA-specific antibody was negative in 99.4% of H. pylori-positive Mongolian patients. Chronic inflammation, neutrophil activity, glandular atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia scores were significantly lower in Mongolian compared to Japanese H. pylori-positive patients (P < 0.0001), with the exception of the intestinal

Gastric mucosa in Mongolian and Japanese patients with gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori infection.

PubMed

Matsuhisa, Takeshi; Yamaoka, Yoshio; Uchida, Tomohisa; Duger, Davaadorj; Adiyasuren, Battulga; Khasag, Oyuntsetseg; Tegshee, Tserentogtokh; Tsogt-Ochir, Byambajav

2015-07-21

To investigate the characteristics of gastric cancer and gastric mucosa in a Mongolian population by comparison with a Japanese population. A total of 484 Mongolian patients with gastric cancer were enrolled to study gastric cancer characteristics in Mongolians. In addition, a total of 208 Mongolian and 3205 Japanese consecutive outpatients who underwent endoscopy, had abdominal complaints, no history of gastric operation or Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment, and no use of gastric secretion inhibitors such as histamine H2-receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors were enrolled. This study was conducted with the approval of the ethics committees of all hospitals. The triple-site biopsy method was used for the histologic diagnosis of gastritis and H. pylori infection in all Mongolian and Japanese cases. The infection rate of H. pylori and the status of gastric mucosa in H. pylori-infected patients were compared between Mongolian and Japanese subjects. Age (± 5 years), sex, and endoscopic diagnosis were matched between the two countries. Approximately 70% of Mongolian patients with gastric cancer were 50-79 years of age, and approximately half of the cancers were located in the upper part of the stomach. Histologically, 65.7% of early cancers exhibited differentiated adenocarcinoma, whereas 73.9% of advanced cancers displayed undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. The infection rate of H. pylori was higher in Mongolian than Japanese patients (75.9% vs 48.3%, P < 0.0001). When stratified by age, the prevalence was highest among young patients, and tended to decrease in patients aged 50 years or older. The anti-East-Asian CagA-specific antibody was negative in 99.4% of H. pylori-positive Mongolian patients. Chronic inflammation, neutrophil activity, glandular atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia scores were significantly lower in Mongolian compared to Japanese H. pylori-positive patients (P < 0.0001), with the exception of the intestinal metaplasia score of

The recent glacier changes in Mongolian Altai Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yabuki, H.; Ohata, T.

2009-12-01

In the 4th IPCC report (AR-4) is reported that global warming in recent years is a clear thing. Shrinkage of the mountain glacier and two poles is reporting as an observation fact as the actual condition of the cryosphere by warming. There are mass balance reports of the glacier of 80 of world by WGMS (World Glacier Monitoring Service) as a report of the actual condition of glacier mass balance change, and the actual condition of the glacier mass change in world is clarified. In the report of WGMS, after 1980’s the glacier mass balance, in the Europe Alps and the Alaska region are decreases, and in Scandinavia region are increases. On the other hand, the glacier mass balance in the Russia Altai Mountains located in Central Asia has the little change after 1980’s. These are research using the long-term observational data of Russian region of western part of Altai Mountains. The Altai Mountains including Russia, China, and Mongolia Kazakhstan, and there are description to a World Glacier Inventory (WGI) about the glaciers of Russia, China and Kazakhstan area, but the glaciers of a Mongolian area, there are no description to the WGI. There is almost no information on the glacier of a Mongolian Altai region, and there are many unknown points about glacier change of the whole Altai Mountain region. In this research, while research clarified the present condition of glacier distribution of the Mongolia Altai region, the actual condition of a glacier change in recent years was clarified by comparison with the past topographical map. In this research, the glacier area was distinguished based on the satellite image of the Mongolian glacier regions. The used satellite image were 17 Landsat 7 ETM+ in 1999 to 2002. The glacier distinguishes using NDSI (Normalized Difference Snow Index) indexusing Band5 and Band2. The topographical map of the Mongolian area was got based on the distribution information on this satellite glacier area. The topographical map is 1/100,000 which

Spontaneous Osteoblastic Osteosarcoma in a Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

PubMed Central

Salyards, Gregory W; Blas-Machado, Uriel; Mishra, Sasmita; Harvey, Stephen B; Butler, Abigail M

2013-01-01

Spontaneous neoplasms in Mongolian gerbils have an incidence of 20% to 26.8%, but osteosarcomas occur at a much lower rate. Here we report a 1-y-old Mongolian gerbil with a spontaneous osteosarcoma at the level of the proximal tibia, with metastases to the pectoral muscles and lungs. Grossly, the tibial mass obliterated the tibia and adjacent muscles, and an axillary mass with a bloody, cavitary center expanded the pectoral muscles. Microscopically, the tibial mass was an infiltrative, osteoblastic mesenchymal neoplasm, and the axillary mass was an anaplastic mesenchymal neoplasm with hemorrhage. The lung contained multiple metastatic foci. Immunohistochemistry for osteonectin was strongly positive in the tibial, axillary, and pulmonary metastases. Although osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone neoplasm that occurs spontaneously in all laboratory and domestic animal species and humans, it arises less frequently than does other neoplasms. The current case of spontaneous osteoblastic osteosarcoma of the proximal tibia and metastases to the pectoral muscles and lung in a Mongolian gerbil is similar in presentation, histology, and predilection site of both osteoblastic and telangiectatic osteosarcomas in humans. In addition, this case is an unusual manifestation of osteosarcoma in the appendicular skeleton of a Mongolian gerbil. PMID:23561939

When and how did Bos indicus introgress into Mongolian cattle?

PubMed

Yue, Xiangpeng; Li, Ran; Liu, Li; Zhang, Yunsheng; Huang, Jieping; Chang, Zhenhua; Dang, Ruihua; Lan, Xianyong; Chen, Hong; Lei, Chuzhao

2014-03-10

The Mongolian cattle are one of the most widespread breeds with strictly Bos taurus morphological features in northern China. In our current study, we presented a diversity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region and Y chromosome SNP markers in 25 male and 8 female samples of Mongolian cattle from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Western China, and detected 21 B. taurus and four Bos indicus (zebu) mtDNA haplotypes. Among four B. indicus mtDNA haplotypes, two haplotypes belonged to I1 haplogroup and the remaining two haplotypes belonged to I2 haplogroup. In contrast, all 25 male Mongolian cattle samples revealed B. taurus Y chromosome haplotype and no B. indicus haplotypes were found. Historical and archeological records indicate that B. taurus was introduced to Xinjiang during the second millennium BC and B. indicus appeared in this region by the second century AD. The two types of cattle coexisted for many centuries in Xinjiang, as depicted in clay and wooden figurines unearthed in the Astana cemetery in Turfan (3rd-8th century AD). Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the earliest B. indicus introgression in the Mongolian cattle may have occurred during the 2nd-7th centuries AD through the Silk Road around the Xinjiang region. This conclusion differs from the previous hypothesis that zebu introgression to Mongolian cattle happened during the Mongol Empire era in the 13th century. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The consumption of more vegetables and less meat is associated with higher levels of acculturation among Mongolians in South Korea.

PubMed

Tserendejid, Zuunnast; Hwang, Jinah; Lee, Jounghee; Park, Haeryun

2013-12-01

Although Mongolian immigrants are a rapidly growing population in South Korea, the 2 countries have distinct diets because of climatic and geographical differences. The Mongolian diet is mostly animal-based with few vegetables and fruits, whereas the Korean diet is largely plant based. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between acculturation and dietary intakes among Mongolians living in South Korea. We hypothesized that higher levels of acculturation would be associated with higher vegetable, fruit, and plant-based food intakes among Mongolian immigrants. A total of 500 Mongolian immigrants participated in this study conducted between December 2010 and May 2011. To measure the acculturation level, we developed an acculturation scale based on the Suinn-Lew Asian self-identity acculturation scale. Dietary intakes were assessed using the 24-hour dietary recall method. Associations between acculturation and dietary intakes were investigated using a general linear model adjusted for demographic characteristics. The participants were grouped into either a low-acculturation group or a high-acculturation group. The high-acculturation group reported significantly higher consumption of vegetables and rice and significantly lower consumption of meat, potatoes, and flour products compared with their low-acculturation counterparts. However, a higher level of acculturation was also significantly related to a higher intake of sodium. These findings could be used to tailor nutrition programs to different acculturation levels. 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ideas, properties, and standards of fracture repositioning with osteopathy in traditional Mongolian medicine in China.

PubMed

Wang, Mei; Wang, Hongxia; Zhao, Namula

2015-02-01

To explore the unique ideas, properties, and standards of fracture repositioning with osteopathy in traditional Mongolian medicine in China. Based on the natural life concept of "integration of universe and man", osteopathy in traditional Mongolian medicine in China uses the modern principles and methods of physiology, psychology, and biomechanics. Against this background, we explored the unique ideas, properties, and stan- dards of fracture repositioning in traditional Mongolian medicine. Fracture treatment with osteopathy in traditional Mongolian medicine in China is based on (a) the ideas of natural, sealed, self and dynamic repositioning of fractures; (b) the properties of structural continuity and functional completeness; (c) the standards of "integration of movement and stillness" and "force to force". The unique ideas, properties, and standards of fracture repositioning with osteopathy in traditional Mongolian medicine in China have resulted in the widespread use of such techniques and represents the future direction of the development of fracture repositioning.

Sentential Negative Markers as Pro-Forms of Negative Sentences in Modern Mongolian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dagvasumberel, Enkhjargal

2015-01-01

Negation in modern Mongolian was analyzed by scholars namely: Luvsanvandan Sh (1968, 2000), Wonsoo Yu (1991), Mönkh-Amgalan Yu (1998), Purev-Ochir B. (1998, 2001), Byambasan P. (2006), Kunihiko Hasimoto (2008), BatIreedui J.(2009), Ravdan E. (2009), Mönkh-Amgalan Yu & Kan Shin (2014). Sentential negation in modern Mongolian is not sufficiently…

DAGUR MONGOLIAN GRAMMAR, TEXTS, AND LEXICON. URALIC AND ALTAIC SERIES, VOLUME 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MARTIN, SAMUEL E.

THIS DESCRIPTION OF DAGUR, A MONGOLIAN LANGUAGE, IS BASED ON THE DIALECT OF A SPEAKER BORN IN INNER MONGOLIA IN NORTHWEST MANCHURIA. SECTION I OF THIS MANUAL DESCRIBES OTHER WORKS PUBLISHED IN MONGOLIAN LINGUISTICS WHICH HAVE USED THE SAME INFORMANT, AND PRESENTS THE AUTHOR'S APPROACH, IN TERMS OF A PHRASE-STRUCTURE GRAMMAR. SECTION II PRESENTS…

Evidence for Very Recent Positive Selection in Mongolians.

PubMed

Nakayama, Kazuhiro; Ohashi, Jun; Watanabe, Kazuhisa; Munkhtulga, Lkagvasuren; Iwamoto, Sadahiko

2017-08-01

Mongols, the founders of the largest continental empire in history, successfully adapted to the harsh environments of Inner Asia through nomadic pastoralism. Considerable interest exists in ascertaining whether genetic adaptation also contributed to the Mongols' success, and dissecting the genome diversity of present-day populations in Mongolia can help address this question. To this end, we determined the genotypes of nearly 2.4 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 96 unrelated Mongolian individuals in Ulaanbaatar city, and performed genome-wide scans for population-specific positive selection. We discovered signatures of Mongolian-specific positive selection at the chromosomal region 3p12.1, in which hits in genome-wide association studies were reported for medical and biological traits related to energy metabolism and reproduction. The top SNP, rs117799927, showed a distinctive geographic distribution: the frequency of the derived allele, rs117799927 G, was extremely low among worldwide populations (0.005) but exceptionally high in Mongolians (0.247). Approximate Bayesian computation-based age estimation showed that the rs117799927 G allele emerged or positive selection began to operate 50 generations before the present, near the age of the climate anomaly named Late Antique Little Ice Age. Furthermore, rs117799927 showed significant associations with multiple adiposity-related traits in Mongolians and allelic difference in enhancer activity in cells of adipocyte lineage, suggesting that positive selection at 3p12.1 might be related to adaptation in the energy metabolism system. These findings provide novel evidence for a very recent positive-selection event in Homo sapiens and offer insights into the roles of genes in 3p12.1 in the adaptive evolution of our species. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Depression in Mongolian women over the first 2 months after childbirth: prevalence and risk factors.

PubMed

Pollock, J I; Manaseki-Holland, S; Patel, V

2009-07-01

Social, political and economic changes in Mongolia have followed post-Soviet style government policies and contributed to both increased liberalisation and reduced security in employment and family finances. This is the first study to attempt to assess the prevalence of depression in a population of Mongolian women in the post-partum period and assess risk factors, including financial position, associated with the condition. A total of 1044 women who had delivered healthy babies in Ulaanbaatar between October and December 2002 were screened for depression using the WHO Self Reporting Questionnaire between 5 and 9 weeks post-partum. Further details on the mother, her family and social and economic circumstances were simultaneously collected. Analysis of risk factors for probable depression was undertaken using multiple logistic regression techniques. The prevalence of depression was 9.1% (95% CLs 7.5%-11.1%). Variables significantly and independently associated with risk of probable maternal depression included economic factors, mother being subject to physical abuse, dissatisfied with the pregnancy, concerned about her baby's behaviour, and her own health problems. The sample was drawn from a population of mothers all of whom had healthy, full-term babies of normal birth weight. Clinical confirmation of diagnosis was not established. Mongolian women with young infants in Ulaanbaatar probably experience depression at rates comparable with other cultures. Factors associated with probable depression were dominated by health, relationships and financial position.

Association between maternal education and malocclusion in Mongolian adolescents: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Tumurkhuu, Tsasan; Fujiwara, Takeo; Komazaki, Yuko; Kawaguchi, Yoko; Inazawa, Johji; Ganburged, Ganjargal; Bazar, Amarsaikhan; Ogawa, Takuya; Moriyama, Keiji

2016-01-01

Objective Malocclusion is a highly prevalent condition, affecting 20–60% of adolescents worldwide. Although its treatment is often expensive and unaffordable for disadvantaged individuals, few studies have examined the relationship between malocclusion and socioeconomic status. We investigated the prevalence of malocclusion among Mongolian adolescents and its association with maternal education in a community-based sample in Mongolia. Design Cross-sectional study. Settings 2 large secondary schools with different backgrounds in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Participants Complete dental casts of 557 randomly recruited Mongolian schoolchildren aged 11–16 years were evaluated using the Dental Health Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need to dichotomise orthodontic treatment requirements. Exclusion criteria were the presence of orthodontic treatment history and absence of maternal educational status. Questionnaires were administered to caregivers to assess socioeconomic status. Poisson regression analysis was performed to examine the association between malocclusion and maternal educational status. Results The prevalence of malocclusion requiring orthodontic treatment among all adolescents was 35.2% (95% CI 31.2 to 39.2). In the unadjusted analysis, the prevalence ratio (PR) for malocclusion was higher (PR=1.46; 95% CI 0.96 to 2.20) among adolescents of mothers with a high educational background than among those of mothers with a low educational background. After adjusting for covariates, the PR remained significantly higher (PR=1.72; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.82) among adolescents of mothers with a high educational background. Other socioeconomic status variables, including family income and the educational level of the father, showed no association with malocclusion. Conclusions These findings suggest that malocclusion requiring orthodontic treatment in adolescents is more prevalent among children of mothers with high levels of education. Further studies are

Orography and the Boreal Winter Stratosphere: The Importance of the Mongolian Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, R. H.; Battisti, D. S.; Sheshadri, A.

2018-02-01

The impact of mountains on stratospheric circulation is explored using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model. The "Mongolian mountains" decrease the boreal winter stratospheric jet strength by ˜1/3 and increase the frequency of major sudden stratospheric warmings from 0.08 year-1 to the observed 0.60 year-1. These changes are twice the magnitude of the impacts of the Tibetan plateau and Himalayas. Consistent with the decrease in the zonal jet, there is enhanced Eliassen-Palm flux convergence; this is predominantly from changes in wave propagation pathways through changes to the upper troposphere circulation, not from an increased amplitude of planetary waves reaching the stratosphere. The Mongolian mountains have the greater impact on upper tropospheric circulation due to their meridional location. The Rocky Mountains have no significant impact on the stratospheric jet. Changes in wave propagation in response to the Mongolian mountains are similar to those associated with major sudden stratospheric warming events in observations.

Epidemiologic features of metabolic syndrome in a general Mongolian population.

PubMed

Enkh-Oyun, Tsogzolbaatar; Kotani, Kazuhiko; Davaalkham, Dambadarjaa; Davaa, Gombojav; Ganchimeg, Ulziibayar; Angarmurun, Dayan; Khuderchuluun, Nanjid; Batzorig, Bayartsogt; Tsuboi, Satoshi; Ae, Ryusuke; Aoyama, Yasuko; Nakamura, Yosikazu

2015-05-01

Although cardiovascular health is a crucial problem for Mongolian people, little information about metabolic syndrome, which is well known to be associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, is available in Mongolia. The aim of this study was to observe the epidemiological features of metabolic syndrome in a general Mongolian population. This cross-sectional study was performed in 1911 general Mongolian subjects (717 men, 1194 women), who were ≥40 years old and free of ischemic heart disease, by using a dataset from a nationwide population-based cohort study in Mongolia. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, as defined by International Diabetes Federation criteria, was determined. Alcohol consumption, smoking habits, and physical activity were evaluated. Education, marital status, income, and occupation were also examined as factors of socioeconomic status (SES). Their association with metabolic syndrome was determined by logistic regression models. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in women (n=488, 40.6%) than in men (n=138, 19.4%). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was high, especially in the Khangai region, in women. Moderate-to-high alcohol consumption was a significantly positively associated factor of metabolic syndrome in men [odds ratio (OR)=2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-3.51; adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.41; 95% CI 1.31-4.44] and widowed status was a significantly positively associated factor of metabolic syndrome in women (OR=1.61, 95% CI 1.18-2.18; AOR=1.49, 95% CI 1.07-2.08). Metabolic syndrome was prevalent in women compared with men among Mongolian adults. Preventive strategies aimed at men with a higher alcohol consumption and women with widowed status may help reduce metabolic syndrome, thereby improving cardiovascular health conditions in Mongolia.

Association between maternal education and malocclusion in Mongolian adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Tumurkhuu, Tsasan; Fujiwara, Takeo; Komazaki, Yuko; Kawaguchi, Yoko; Tanaka, Toshihiro; Inazawa, Johji; Ganburged, Ganjargal; Bazar, Amarsaikhan; Ogawa, Takuya; Moriyama, Keiji

2016-11-01

Malocclusion is a highly prevalent condition, affecting 20-60% of adolescents worldwide. Although its treatment is often expensive and unaffordable for disadvantaged individuals, few studies have examined the relationship between malocclusion and socioeconomic status. We investigated the prevalence of malocclusion among Mongolian adolescents and its association with maternal education in a community-based sample in Mongolia. Cross-sectional study. 2 large secondary schools with different backgrounds in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Complete dental casts of 557 randomly recruited Mongolian schoolchildren aged 11-16 years were evaluated using the Dental Health Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need to dichotomise orthodontic treatment requirements. Exclusion criteria were the presence of orthodontic treatment history and absence of maternal educational status. Questionnaires were administered to caregivers to assess socioeconomic status. Poisson regression analysis was performed to examine the association between malocclusion and maternal educational status. The prevalence of malocclusion requiring orthodontic treatment among all adolescents was 35.2% (95% CI 31.2 to 39.2). In the unadjusted analysis, the prevalence ratio (PR) for malocclusion was higher (PR=1.46; 95% CI 0.96 to 2.20) among adolescents of mothers with a high educational background than among those of mothers with a low educational background. After adjusting for covariates, the PR remained significantly higher (PR=1.72; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.82) among adolescents of mothers with a high educational background. Other socioeconomic status variables, including family income and the educational level of the father, showed no association with malocclusion. These findings suggest that malocclusion requiring orthodontic treatment in adolescents is more prevalent among children of mothers with high levels of education. Further studies are needed to clarify the behavioural factors and environmental

A stochastic model of tree architecture and biomass partitioning: application to Mongolian Scots pines.

PubMed

Wang, Feng; Kang, Mengzhen; Lu, Qi; Letort, Véronique; Han, Hui; Guo, Yan; de Reffye, Philippe; Li, Baoguo

2011-04-01

Mongolian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) is one of the principal species used for windbreak and sand stabilization in arid and semi-arid areas in northern China. A model-assisted analysis of its canopy architectural development and functions is valuable for better understanding its behaviour and roles in fragile ecosystems. However, due to the intrinsic complexity and variability of trees, the parametric identification of such models is currently a major obstacle to their evaluation and their validation with respect to real data. The aim of this paper was to present the mathematical framework of a stochastic functional-structural model (GL2) and its parameterization for Mongolian Scots pines, taking into account inter-plant variability in terms of topological development and biomass partitioning. In GL2, plant organogenesis is determined by the realization of random variables representing the behaviour of axillary or apical buds. The associated probabilities are calibrated for Mongolian Scots pines using experimental data including means and variances of the numbers of organs per plant in each order-based class. The functional part of the model relies on the principles of source-sink regulation and is parameterized by direct observations of living trees and the inversion method using measured data for organ mass and dimensions. The final calibration accuracy satisfies both organogenetic and morphogenetic processes. Our hypothesis for the number of organs following a binomial distribution is found to be consistent with the real data. Based on the calibrated parameters, stochastic simulations of the growth of Mongolian Scots pines in plantations are generated by the Monte Carlo method, allowing analysis of the inter-individual variability of the number of organs and biomass partitioning. Three-dimensional (3D) architectures of young Mongolian Scots pines were simulated for 4-, 6- and 8-year-old trees. This work provides a new method for characterizing

Risk factors for the development of essential hypertension in a Mongolian population of China: a case-control study.

PubMed

Dalai, N; Cui, H; Yan, M; Rile, G; Li, S; Su, X

2014-04-29

Lifestyle, habits, diet, and genetics are all important factors associated with the prevalence of hypertension. Many association studies have been performed in the Chinese Han population, whereas data explaining the high prevalence of hypertension in the Mongolian population remain scarce. In the present study, we aimed to determine the factors associated with the development of essential hypertension in Mongolians. A total of 194 hypertensive cases and 201 controls from Dongwu County were enrolled in the study. Demographics, anthropometric and blood biochemical parameters, food intake, lifestyle, habits, education, occupation, and family history were recorded for each subject. Genotype and allele frequencies of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the kallikrein 1 (KLK1) gene were also examined. Mean body mass index, waistline, hipline, blood sugar, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein levels were all significantly higher in the hypertensive group (P<0.01). Hypertensives consumed less milk, vegetables, and fruits, and had higher cigarette, alcohol, and salt intake (P<0.05). There were also less regular physical exercisers and manual workers among the hypertensive group (P<0.05). The mean inheritance rank of the hypertensive group was higher than that of controls (P<0.05). There were no differences in the distribution of genotype and allele frequencies of the six SNPs between the hypertensive and control groups (P>0.05). These results suggest that dietary history and habits have the most important influence on the development of essential hypertension in the Mongolian population.

Portrayal of tobacco in Mongolian language YouTube videos: policy gaps.

PubMed

Tsai, Feng-Jen; Sainbayar, Bolor

2016-07-01

This study examined how effectively current policy measures control depictions of tobacco in Mongolian language YouTube videos. A search of YouTube videos using the Mongolian term for 'tobacco', and employing 'relevance' and 'view count' criteria, resulted in a total sample of 120 videos, from which 38 unique videos were coded and analysed. Most videos were antismoking public service announcements; however, analyses of viewing patterns showed that pro-smoking videos accounted for about two-thirds of all views. Pro-smoking videos were also perceived more positively and had a like:dislike ratio of 4.6 compared with 3.5 and 1.5, respectively, for the magic trick and antismoking videos. Although Mongolia prohibits tobacco advertising, 3 of the pro-smoking videos were made by a tobacco company; additionally, 1 pro-smoking video promoted electronic cigarettes. Given the popularity of Mongolian YouTube videos that promote smoking, policy changes are urgently required to control this medium, and more effectively protect youth and young adults from insidious tobacco marketing. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Patterns and drivers of soil microbial communities in temperate grasslands on the Mongolian plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Hu, H.; Hao, B.; Liu, Y.; Chen, Y.; Ma, W.

2016-12-01

Soil microorganisms play key roles in regulating many important ecosystem processes. However, our understanding of the patterns and drivers of soil microbial communities at the regional scale remains limited. In this study, on the basis of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, we investigated large-scale patterns and drivers of soil microbial communities using data from 78 sites between two depths (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm) within three major grassland types (desert steppe, typical steppe, and meadow steppe) on the Mongolian Plateau. Our findings demonstrated that, at the regional scale, the total soil microbial biomass, fungal biomass, bacterial biomass, and actinomycete biomass in Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands were all positively associated with mean annual precipitation (MAP), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN), C:N ratio, plant aboveground biomass (AGB), and plant species richness (SR), but negatively correlated with mean annual temperature (MAT), soil bulk density (BD), and soil pH in both depths, except actinomycete biomass with MAP and BD in 10-20 cm. A stepwise regression analysis revealed that soil microbial community variations in Inner Mongolian temperate grasslands were mainly explained by C : N ratio in 0-10 cm, but by SR (total soil microbial biomass, fungal biomass, and actinomycete biomass) and MAT (bacterial biomass) in 10-20 cm. Our findings strongly indicate that the dominant drivers of spatial variations in soil microbial communities between 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm in the Inner Mongolia grasslands are significantly different, with edaphic factors (e.g., C: N ratio) in 0-10 cm but climatic (e.g, MAT) and/or biotic (e.g, SR) in 10-20 cm.

Analysis of the microflora in the stomach of Mongolian gerbils infected with Helicobacter pylori.

PubMed

Zaman, Cynthia; Osaki, Takako; Hanawa, Tomoko; Yonezawa, Hideo; Kurata, Satoshi; Kamiya, Shigeru

2010-05-01

Mongolian gerbils are frequently used to study Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis and its consequences. The presence of some gastric flora with a suppressive effect on H. pylori suggests inhibitory microflora against H. pylori infection. The aim of the present study was to analyze the microflora in the stomach of Mongolian gerbils with H. pylori infection. H. pylori ureA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the fecal samples of infected Mongolian gerbils. H. pylori was isolated from the gastric mucosa of the gerbils by microaerophilic cultivation. Gastric microflora were isolated by aerobic and anaerobic culture, and the identification of gastric bacterial species was performed by API20E and API20A. Oral administration of H. pylori TK1402 induced colonization and gastric inflammation of the stomach of the Mongolian gerbils. According to the frequency of detection of H. pylori ureA in fecal samples, the gerbils were divided into three groups (frequently detected, moderately detected and infrequently detected). According to the analysis of the gastric microflora in the frequently and infrequently detected groups, Lactobacillus spp. and Eubacterium limosum were isolated from the former and latter group, respectively. Some gastric flora, such as Lactobacillus spp., may inhibit colonization by H. pylori.

Development of the nasolacrimal apparatus in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), with notes on network topology and function.

PubMed

Rehorek, Susan J; Cunningham, Jayna; Bruening, Amanda E; Johnson, Jessica L; Bhatnagar, Kunwar P; Smith, Timothy D; Hillenius, Willem J

2015-09-01

The nasolacrimal apparatus (NLA) is a multicomponent functional system comprised of multiple orbital glands (up to four larger multicellular exocrine structures), a nasal chemosensory structure (vomeronasal organ: VNO), and a connecting duct (nasolacrimal duct: NLD). Although this system has been described in all tetrapod vertebrate lineages, albeit not always with all three main components present, considerably less is known about its ontogeny. The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is a common lab rodent in which the individual components of the adult NLA have been well studied, but as yet nothing is known about the ontogeny of the NLA. In this study, serial sections of 15 fetal and three adult Mongolian gerbil heads show that the development of the NLA falls into three fetal stages: inception (origin of all features), elongation (lengthening of all features), and expansion (widening of all features). No postnatal or juvenile specimens were observed in this study, but considerable growth evidently occurs before the final adult condition is reached. The development of the orbital glands and the VNO in the Mongolian gerbil is largely consistent with those in other mammals, despite a slight nomenclatural conundrum for the anterior orbital glands. However, the Mongolian gerbil NLD follows a more circuitous route than in other tetrapods, due mainly to the convoluted arrangement of the narial cartilages, the development of a pair of enlarged incisors as well as an enlarged infraorbital foramen. The impact of these associated features on the ontogeny and phylogeny of the NLA could be examined through the approach of network science. This approach allows for the incorporation of adaptations to specific lifestyles as potential explanations for the variation observed in the NLA across different tetrapod clades. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Case Markers in Mongolian: A Means for Encoding Null Constituents in Noun Phrase and Relative Clause

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otgonsuren, Tseden

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the capacity of the case markers in the Mongolian language, as a relative element, to generate any finite noun phrase or relative clause based on their syntactic function or relationship. In Mongolian, there are two different approaches to generate noun phrases: parataxis and hypotaxis. According to my early observation, if…

Association between HLA-A and -B polymorphisms and susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura in Han and Mongolian children from Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Ren, S M; Yang, G L; Liu, C Z; Zhang, C X; Shou, Q H; Yu, S F; Li, W C; Su, X L

2012-02-03

We examined a possible association between HLA-A and -B polymorphisms and susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in Han and Mongolian children in Inner Mongolia, through a case-control study. Two hundred and sixty-eight unrelated children were enrolled, including 56 Mongolian and 50 Han children with HSP, 66 healthy Mongolian and 96 healthy Han children as a control group. HLA-A and -B alleles were indentified by PCR-sequence-specific oligonucleotide analysis and were further analyzed by PCR-sequencing-based typing (SBT). Frequencies of HLA-A*11, HLA-B*15 in Mongolian patients and HLA-A*26, HLA-B*35, HLA-B*52 in Han patients were higher than those in the corresponding control group (P < 0.05), while frequencies of HLA-B*07 and -B*40 in Mongolian HSP patients were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Further analysis using PCR-SBT showed that all HLA-A*11 were HLA-A*1101, and most HLA-B*15 were HLA-B*1501 in Mongolian HSP patients. All HLA-A*26 were HLA-A*2601 and HLA-B*35 were mostly HLA-B*3503 in Han patients. There were more Han patients with severe manifestations than Mongolian patients (P < 0.05). Frequencies of HLA-A*26, HLA-B*35 and HLA-B*52 in Han patients were higher than in Mongolian patients (P < 0.05). We conclude that HLA-A*11(*1101) and -B*15(*1501) are associated with susceptibility to HSP in Mongolian children and HLA-A*26(*2601), HLA-B*35(*3503) and HLA-B*52 are associated with susceptibility to HSP in Han children. HLA-B*07 and -B*40 may be protective genes in Mongolian children. The different frequencies of HLA-A and -B in Mongolian and Han children may be responsible for the different manifestations in these two ethnic groups.

Neoproterozoic-Early Paleozoic Peri-Pacific Accretionary Evolution of the Mongolian Collage System: Insights From Geochemical and U-Pb Zircon Data From the Ordovician Sedimentary Wedge in the Mongolian Altai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Y. D.; Schulmann, K.; Kröner, A.; Sun, M.; Lexa, O.; Janoušek, V.; Buriánek, D.; Yuan, C.; Hanžl, P.

2017-11-01

Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic accretionary processes of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt have been evaluated so far mainly using the geology of ophiolites and/or magmatic arcs. Thus, the knowledge of the nature and evolution of associated sedimentary prisms remains fragmentary. We carried out an integrated geological, geochemical, and zircon U-Pb geochronological study on a giant Ordovician metasedimentary succession of the Mongolian Altai Mountains. This succession is characterized by dominant terrigenous components mixed with volcanogenic material. It is chemically immature, compositionally analogous to graywacke, and marked by significant input of felsic to intermediate arc components, pointing to an active continental margin depositional setting. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages suggest a source dominated by products of early Paleozoic magmatism prevailing during the Cambrian-Ordovician and culminating at circa 500 Ma. We propose that the Ordovician succession forms an "Altai sedimentary wedge," the evolution of which can be linked to the geodynamics of the margins of the Mongolian Precambrian Zavhan-Baydrag blocks. This involved subduction reversal from southward subduction of a passive continental margin (Early Cambrian) to the development of the "Ikh-Mongol Magmatic Arc System" and the giant Altai sedimentary wedge above a north dipping subduction zone (Late Cambrian-Ordovician). Such a dynamic process resembles the tectonic evolution of the peri-Pacific accretionary Terra Australis Orogen. A new model reconciling the Baikalian metamorphic belt along the southern Siberian Craton with peri-Pacific Altai accretionary systems fringing the Mongolian microcontinents is proposed to explain the Cambro-Ordovician geodynamic evolution of the Mongolian collage system.

A stochastic model of tree architecture and biomass partitioning: application to Mongolian Scots pines

PubMed Central

Wang, Feng; Kang, Mengzhen; Lu, Qi; Letort, Véronique; Han, Hui; Guo, Yan; de Reffye, Philippe; Li, Baoguo

2011-01-01

Background and Aims Mongolian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) is one of the principal species used for windbreak and sand stabilization in arid and semi-arid areas in northern China. A model-assisted analysis of its canopy architectural development and functions is valuable for better understanding its behaviour and roles in fragile ecosystems. However, due to the intrinsic complexity and variability of trees, the parametric identification of such models is currently a major obstacle to their evaluation and their validation with respect to real data. The aim of this paper was to present the mathematical framework of a stochastic functional–structural model (GL2) and its parameterization for Mongolian Scots pines, taking into account inter-plant variability in terms of topological development and biomass partitioning. Methods In GL2, plant organogenesis is determined by the realization of random variables representing the behaviour of axillary or apical buds. The associated probabilities are calibrated for Mongolian Scots pines using experimental data including means and variances of the numbers of organs per plant in each order-based class. The functional part of the model relies on the principles of source–sink regulation and is parameterized by direct observations of living trees and the inversion method using measured data for organ mass and dimensions. Key Results The final calibration accuracy satisfies both organogenetic and morphogenetic processes. Our hypothesis for the number of organs following a binomial distribution is found to be consistent with the real data. Based on the calibrated parameters, stochastic simulations of the growth of Mongolian Scots pines in plantations are generated by the Monte Carlo method, allowing analysis of the inter-individual variability of the number of organs and biomass partitioning. Three-dimensional (3D) architectures of young Mongolian Scots pines were simulated for 4-, 6- and 8-year-old trees

Apigenin has anti-atrophic gastritis and anti-gastric cancer progression effects in Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Kuo, Chao-Hung; Weng, Bi-Chuang; Wu, Chun-Chieh; Yang, Sheau-Fang; Wu, Deng-Chang; Wang, Yuan-Chuen

2014-02-12

Apigenin, one of the most common flavonoids, is abundant in celery, parsley, chamomile, passionflower, and other vegetables and fruits. Celery is recognized as a medicinal vegetable in Oriental countries to traditionally treat inflammation, swelling, blood pressure, serum lipid, and toothache. In this study, we investigated apigenin treatment effects on Helicobacter pylori-induced atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer progression in Mongolian gerbils. Five to eight-week-old Mongolian gerbils were inoculated with Helicobacter pylori for four weeks without (atrophic gastritis group) or with N'-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitroso-guanidine (MNNG) (gastric cancer group) in drinking water, and were then rested for two weeks. During the 7th-32th (atrophic gastritis group) or the 7th-52th (gastric cancer group) weeks, they were given various doses (0-60 mg/kgbw/day) of apigenin. At the end of the 32th (atrophic gastritis group) or the 52th (atrophic gastritis group) week, all Mongolian gerbils were sacrificed using the CO2 asphyxia method. The histological changes of Helicobacter pylori colonization, neutrophil and monocyte infiltrations, and atrophic gastritis in both atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer Mongolian gerbils were examined using immunohistochemistry stain and Sydney System scoring. Apigenin treatments (30-60 mg/kgbw/day) effectively decreased atrophic gastritis (atrophic gastritis group) and dysplasia/gastric cancer (gastric cancer group) rates in Mongolian gerbils. Apigenin treatment (60 mg/kgbw/day) significantly decreased Helicobacter pylori colonization and Helicobacter pylori-induced histological changes of neutrophil and monocyte infiltrations and atrophic gastritis in both atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer Mongolian gerbils. Apigenin has the remarkable ability to inhibit Helicobacter pylori-induced atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer progression as well as possessing potent anti-gastric cancer activity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

Connectivity of the Asiatic wild ass population in the Mongolian Gobi

PubMed Central

Kaczensky, Petra; Kuehn, Ralph; Lhagvasuren, Badamjav; Pietsch, Stephanie; Yang, Weikang; Walzer, Chris

2011-01-01

Long-distance migrations of wildlife have been identified as important biological phenomena, but their conservation remains a major challenge. The Mongolian Gobi is one of the last refuges for the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) and other threatened migratory mammals. Using historic and current distribution ranges, population genetics, and telemetry data we assessed the connectivity of the wild ass population in the context of natural and anthropogenic landscape features and the existing network of protected areas. In the Mongolian Gobi mean biomass production is highly correlated with human and livestock density and seems to predict wild ass occurrence at the upper level. The current wild ass distribution range largely falls into areas below the 250 gC/m2/year productivity isoline, suggesting that under the present land use more productive areas have become unavailable for wild asses. Population genetics results identified two subpopulations and delineated a genetic boundary between the Dzungarian and Transaltai Gobi for which the most likely explanation are the mountain ranges separating the two areas. Home ranges and locations of 19 radiomarked wild asses support the assumed restricting effects of more productive habitats and mountain ranges and additionally point towards a barrier effect of fences. Furthermore, telemetry data shows that in the Dzungarian and Transaltai Gobi individual wild ass rarely ventured outside of the protected areas, whereas in the southeast Gobi asses only spend a small fraction of their time within the protected area network. Conserving the continuity of the wild ass population will need a landscape level approach, also including multi-use landscapes outside of protected areas, particularly in the southeast Gobi. In the southwest Gobi, allowing for openings in the border fence to China and managing the border area as an ecological corridor would connect three large protected areas together covering over 70,000 km2 of wild ass

Connectivity of the Asiatic wild ass population in the Mongolian Gobi.

PubMed

Kaczensky, Petra; Kuehn, Ralph; Lhagvasuren, Badamjav; Pietsch, Stephanie; Yang, Weikang; Walzer, Chris

2011-02-01

Long-distance migrations of wildlife have been identified as important biological phenomena, but their conservation remains a major challenge. The Mongolian Gobi is one of the last refuges for the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) and other threatened migratory mammals. Using historic and current distribution ranges, population genetics, and telemetry data we assessed the connectivity of the wild ass population in the context of natural and anthropogenic landscape features and the existing network of protected areas. In the Mongolian Gobi mean biomass production is highly correlated with human and livestock density and seems to predict wild ass occurrence at the upper level. The current wild ass distribution range largely falls into areas below the 250 gC/m(2)/year productivity isoline, suggesting that under the present land use more productive areas have become unavailable for wild asses. Population genetics results identified two subpopulations and delineated a genetic boundary between the Dzungarian and Transaltai Gobi for which the most likely explanation are the mountain ranges separating the two areas. Home ranges and locations of 19 radiomarked wild asses support the assumed restricting effects of more productive habitats and mountain ranges and additionally point towards a barrier effect of fences. Furthermore, telemetry data shows that in the Dzungarian and Transaltai Gobi individual wild ass rarely ventured outside of the protected areas, whereas in the southeast Gobi asses only spend a small fraction of their time within the protected area network. Conserving the continuity of the wild ass population will need a landscape level approach, also including multi-use landscapes outside of protected areas, particularly in the southeast Gobi. In the southwest Gobi, allowing for openings in the border fence to China and managing the border area as an ecological corridor would connect three large protected areas together covering over 70,000 km(2) of wild ass

Life Aspirations, Values and Moral Foundations in Mongolian Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bespalov, Alexander; Prudnikova, Marina; Nyamdorj, Bavuu; Vlasov, Mikhail

2017-01-01

Life aspirations have aroused much interest in youth studies. Yet, their psychological correlates remain unclear, especially in countries outside the US. The aim of this study was to explore associations among aspirations, values and moral foundations in 157 Mongolian youth, through questionnaires used widely around the world. Correlational and…

Acoustic Analysis on the Palatalized Vowels of Modern Mongolian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulgantamir, Sangidkhorloo

2015-01-01

In Modern Mongolian the palatalized vowels [a?, ??, ?? ] before palatalized consonants are considered as phoneme allophones according to the most scholars. Nevertheless theses palatalized vowels have the distinctive features what could be proved by the minimal pairs and nowadays this question is open and not profoundly studied. The purpose of this…

Pinky Extension as a Phonestheme in Mongolian Sign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, Christina

2011-01-01

Mongolian Sign Language (MSL) is a visual-gestural language that developed from multiple languages interacting as a result of both geographic proximity and political relations and of the natural development of a communication system by deaf community members. Similar to the phonological systems of other signed languages, MSL combines handshapes,…

Environmental metabolomics reveal geographic variation in aerobic metabolism and metabolic substrates in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed

Shi, Yao-Long; Chi, Qing-Sheng; Liu, Wei; Fu, He-Ping; Wang, De-Hua

2015-06-01

Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) have a large-scale distribution in northern China. Geographic physiological variations which related to energy and water metabolism are critical to animals' local adaptation and distribution. However, the underlying biochemical mechanism of such variation and its role in adaptation remains largely unknown. We used GC-MS metabolomics approach to investigate the biochemical adaptation of Mongolian gerbils from xeric (desert), transition (desert steppe) and mesic (typical steppe) environments. Gerbils in desert population had lower resting metabolic rate (RMR) and total evaporative water loss (TEWL) than mesic population. Serum metabolomics revealed that concentrations of five tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates (citrate, cis-aconitate, α-ketoglutarate, fumarate and malate) were lower in desert population than mesic population. Gastrocnemius metabolomics and citrate synthase activity analysis showed a lower concentration of citrate and lower citrate synthase activity in desert population. These findings suggest that desert dwelling gerbils decrease RMR and TEWL via down-regulation of aerobic respiration. Gastrocnemius metabolomics also revealed that there were higher concentrations of glucose and glycolytic intermediates, but lower concentrations of lipids, amino acids and urea in desert population than mesic population. This geographic variation in metabolic substrates may enhance metabolic water production per oxygen molecule for desert population while constraining aerobic respiration to reduce RMR and TEWL. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence, awareness, treatment, control and risk factors related to hypertension among urban adults in Inner Mongolia 2014: differences between Mongolian and Han populations.

PubMed

Li, Guoju; Wang, Hailing; Wang, Ke; Wang, Wenrui; Dong, Fen; Qian, Yonggang; Gong, Haiying; Xu, Guodong; Li, Yanlong; Pan, Li; Wang, Bin; Zhu, Guangjin; Shan, Guangliang

2016-04-01

Han and Mongolian populations constitute approximately 96% of the population of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the two ethnic groups have different genetic backgrounds and lifestyle. We aim to assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and related risk factors of hypertension among urban adults in Inner Mongolia, with the comparison of the differences between Mongolian and Han populations in this respect. Three thousand two hundred fifty-one individuals aged 20-80 years (2326 Han and 925 Mongolian) were selected using a multistage cluster sampling method from Inner Mongolia in 2014. The adjusted prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were evaluated by the Logistic regression. In addition, possible interactions were also tested. When interactions were found significant, strata-specific analysis were performed. Multivariate logistic regression was used for estimating independent associations between risk factors and hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was 27.47% for Han population, 31.46% for Mongolian population. The adjusted prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were 26.45, 65.43, 78.24 and 48.28% in Han, and 31.30, 68.22, 85.57 and 50.55% in Mongolian, respectively. There was no significant difference in the adjusted awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among Mongolian and Han adult residents (all P >0.05). Lower prevalence of hypertension was associated with younger age and healthy weight in both Mongolian and Han adults. Within Han adults, high education, moderate physical activity and non-alcohol drinkers were additionally associated with lower prevalence of hypertension, whereas within Mongolian adults, lower prevalence was associated with being female. Among residents with medium education level, nondrinkers had 0.60 times lower odds of having hypertension than current drinkers (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.44-0.82); among residents with high education level, nondrinkers has 0

[A prevalence study on mild cognitive impairment among the elderly populations of Mongolian and Han nationalities in a pastoral area of Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Hu, Riletemuer; Zhao, Shi-gang; Wang, De-sheng; Wen, Shi-rong; Niu, Guang-ming; A, Rong; Wang, Zhi-guang; Jiang, Ming-fang; Zhang, Chun-yu

2012-04-01

To understand the epidemiological characteristics and distribution of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly populations from Mongolian and Han nationalities living in the pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. According to the MCI clinical diagnostic criteria from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th revised edition (DSM-IV) by American Psychiatric Association, the individuals under study were at the age of 55 or over, with Mongolian or Han ethnicities and living in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia. The crude MCI morbidity rates of Mongolian and Han of the study populations in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was 19.48% (1782/9146) and the standardization morbidity was 18.98%. The crude MCI morbidity rates of both Mongolian and Han ethnicities were 17.46% (the standardization morbidity was 16.99%) and 20.60% (the standardization morbidity was 19.98%), respectively. There showed a significant positive correlation between the crude morbidities and age, also significantly increasing with the latter. In the Mongolian population, the morbidity increased from 12.17% at the age 55-59 to 27.78% at 85 while in the Han population, the morbidity increased from 15.50% at the age 55-59 to 23.53% at 85. In both the populations of Mongolian and Han, there was a statistically difference found between the morbidities of MCI (χ2=13.229, P=0.000). The morbidity was higher in Hans than in the Mongolians. However, there was no statistically significant difference noticed between the morbidities of MCI in the Mongolian males and females (χ2=2.376, P=0.123). There was statistically significant difference found between the morbidities of MCI in the Han males and females, with females having higher risk than males (χ2=24.470, P=0.000). The morbidity of MCI in the elderly Mongolian and Han populations from the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was considered to be quite high and

Gene mapping study for constitutive skin color in an isolated Mongolian population.

PubMed

Paik, Seung Hwan; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Son, Ho-Young; Lee, Seungbok; Im, Sun-Wha; Ju, Young Seok; Yeon, Je Ho; Jo, Seong Jin; Eun, Hee Chul; Seo, Jeong-Sun; Kwon, Oh Sang; Kim, Jong-Il

2012-03-31

To elucidate the genes responsible for constitutive human skin color, we measured the extent of skin pigmentation in the buttock, representative of lifelong non-sun-exposed skin, and conducted a gene mapping study on skin color in an isolated Mongolian population composed of 344 individuals from 59 families who lived in Dashbalbar, Mongolia. The heritability of constitutive skin color was 0.82, indicating significant genetic association on this trait. Through the linkage analysis using 1,039 short tandem repeat (STR) microsatellite markers, we identified a novel genomic region regulating constitutive skin color on 11q24.2 with an logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 3.39. In addition, we also found other candidate regions on 17q23.2, 6q25.1, and 13q33.2 (LOD ≥ 2). Family-based association tests on these regions with suggestive linkage peaks revealed ten and two significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the linkage regions of chromosome 11 and 17, respectively. We were able to discover four possible candidate genes that would be implicated to regulate human skin color: ETS1, UBASH3B, ASAM, and CLTC.

Gene mapping study for constitutive skin color in an isolated Mongolian population

PubMed Central

Paik, Seung Hwan; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Son, Ho-Young; Lee, Seungbok; Im, Sun-Wha; Ju, Young Seok; Yeon, Je Ho; Jo, Seong Jin; Eun, Hee Chul; Seo, Jeong-Sun

2012-01-01

To elucidate the genes responsible for constitutive human skin color, we measured the extent of skin pigmentation in the buttock, representative of lifelong non-sun-exposed skin, and conducted a gene mapping study on skin color in an isolated Mongolian population composed of 344 individuals from 59 families who lived in Dashbalbar, Mongolia. The heritability of constitutive skin color was 0.82, indicating significant genetic association on this trait. Through the linkage analysis using 1,039 short tandem repeat (STR) microsatellite markers, we identified a novel genomic region regulating constitutive skin color on 11q24.2 with an logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 3.39. In addition, we also found other candidate regions on 17q23.2, 6q25.1, and 13q33.2 (LOD ≥ 2). Family-based association tests on these regions with suggestive linkage peaks revealed ten and two significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the linkage regions of chromosome 11 and 17, respectively. We were able to discover four possible candidate genes that would be implicated to regulate human skin color: ETS1, UBASH3B, ASAM, and CLTC. PMID:22198297

Mongolian Oil Shale, hosted in Mesozoic Sedimentary Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bat-Orshikh, E.; Lee, I.; Norov, B.; Batsaikhan, M.

2016-12-01

Mongolia contains several Mesozoic sedimentary basins, which filled >2000 m thick non-marine successions. Late Triassic-Middle Jurassic foreland basins were formed under compression tectonic conditions, whereas Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rift valleys were formed through extension tectonics. Also, large areas of China were affected by these tectonic events. The sedimentary basins in China host prolific petroleum and oil shale resources. Similarly, Mongolian basins contain hundreds meter thick oil shale as well as oil fields. However, petroleum system and oil shale geology of Mongolia remain not well known due to lack of survey. Mongolian oil shale deposits and occurrences, hosted in Middle Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous units, are classified into thirteen oil shale-bearing basins, of which oil shale resources were estimated to be 787 Bt. Jurassic oil shale has been identified in central Mongolia, while Lower Cretaceous oil shale is distributed in eastern Mongolia. Lithologically, Jurassic and Cretaceous oil shale-bearing units (up to 700 m thick) are similar, composed mainly of alternating beds of oil shale, dolomotic marl, siltstone and sandstone, representing lacustrine facies. Both Jurassic and Cretaceous oil shales are characterized by Type I kerogen with high TOC contents, up to 35.6% and low sulfur contents ranging from 0.1% to 1.5%. Moreover, S2 values of oil shales are up to 146 kg/t. The numbers indicate that the oil shales are high quality, oil prone source rocks. The Tmax values of samples range from 410 to 447, suggesting immature to early oil window maturity levels. PI values are consistent with this interpretation, ranging from 0.01 to 0.03. According to bulk geochemistry data, Jurassic and Cretaceous oil shales are identical, high quality petroleum source rocks. However, previous studies indicate that known oil fields in Eastern Mongolia were originated from Lower Cretaceous oil shales. Thus, further detailed studies on Jurassic oil shale and its

[Tree-ring growth responses of Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) to climate change in southern northeast: a case study in Qianshan Mountains].

PubMed

Teng, Li; Xing-Yuan, He; Zhen-Ju, Chen

2014-07-01

Mongolian oak is one of the most important broad-leaved tree species in forests, Northeast China. Based on the methodology of dendrochronology, the variations of tree ring radial growth of Mongolian oak in Qianshan Mountains, south of Northeast China, were analyzed. Combined with the temperature and precipitation data from meteorological stations since 1951, the relationships between standardized tree ring width chronology and main climatic factors were analyzed. In this region, the precipitation between April and July of the current year had an significant relationship with the tree ring width of Mongolian oak, and was the main factor limiting the radial growth. The extreme maximum temperature of May was also a key factor influencing the tree ring width, which had a significant on the tree ring width of Mongolian oak. The precipitation in April had a significant and stable relationship with the growth of Mongolian oak since the 1950s. The 'divergence problem' was found in the study area, which the sensitivity of tree growth to summer temperature reduced since the 1980s. The tree growth response to temperature showed a seasonal change from summer to spring.

Acculturation and Dietary Intakes by Gender Among Mongolians in South Korea: Nutrition Education Implication for Multicultural Families.

PubMed

Park, Hae Ryun; Tserendejid, Zuunnast; Lee, Joung Hee; Lim, Young Suk

2017-10-01

We explored the relationship between acculturation and dietary intake by gender for 500 Mongolians residing in South Korea. The high acculturation (HA) group females consumed more fish and shellfish, vegetables, beans, and rice, and less meats, flours, and oil than the low acculturation (LA) group did. However, there was no statistical difference in food group intake between HA and LA group males. HA group females showed higher intake of carbohydrates, fiber, sodium, potassium, calcium, vitamin A, and folate compared with LA group females. However, only folate and vitamin B2 intake was statistically different between HA and LA group males. Acculturation and gender interactions were found for the consumption of meats, flours, fish and shellfish, beans, and vegetables. The findings from this study have implications for developing customized nutrition intervention programs by gender for immigrants.

Molecular Epidemiological Survey and Genetic Characterization of Anaplasma Species in Mongolian Livestock.

PubMed

Ochirkhuu, Nyamsuren; Konnai, Satoru; Odbileg, Raadan; Murata, Shiro; Ohashi, Kazuhiko

2017-08-01

Anaplasma species are obligate intracellular rickettsial pathogens that cause great economic loss to the animal industry. Few studies on Anaplasma infections in Mongolian livestock have been conducted. This study examined the prevalence of Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Anaplasma bovis by polymerase chain reaction assay in 928 blood samples collected from native cattle and dairy cattle (Bos taurus), yaks (Bos grunniens), sheep (Ovis aries), and goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) in four provinces of Ulaanbaatar city in Mongolia. We genetically characterized positive samples through sequencing analysis based on the heat-shock protein groEL, major surface protein 4 (msp4), and 16S rRNA genes. Only A. ovis was detected in Mongolian livestock (cattle, yaks, sheep, and goats), with 413 animals (44.5%) positive for groEL and 308 animals (33.2%) positive for msp4 genes. In the phylogenetic tree, we separated A. ovis sequences into two distinct clusters based on the groEL gene. One cluster comprised sequences derived mainly from sheep and goats, which was similar to that in A. ovis isolates from other countries. The other divergent cluster comprised sequences derived from cattle and yaks and appeared to be newly branched from that in previously published single isolates in Mongolian cattle. In addition, the msp4 gene of A. ovis using same and different samples with groEL gene of the pathogen demonstrated that all sequences derived from all animal species, except for three sequences derived from cattle and yak, were clustered together, and were identical or similar to those in isolates from other countries. We used 16S rRNA gene sequences to investigate the genetically divergent A. ovis and identified high homology of 99.3-100%. However, the sequences derived from cattle did not match those derived from sheep and goats. The results of this study on the prevalence and molecular characterization of A. ovis in Mongolian livestock can facilitate

Mongolia’s Economic Security: How can Economic Development Further Support Mongolian National Security through Developing its Mining Sector

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

MONGOLIA’S ECONOMIC SECURITY: HOW CAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FURTHER SUPPORT MONGOLIAN NATIONAL SECURITY THROUGH DEVELOPING ITS MINING SECTOR... Economic Security: How can Economic Development Further Support Mongolian National Security through Developing its Mining Sector? 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER...geographic position between two political and economic powers (China and Russia) provides both opportunities and disadvantages for Mongolia’s economy

Combined effects of family history of CVD and heart rate on ischemic stroke incidence among Inner Mongolians in China.

PubMed

Zhou, Yipeng; Tian, Yunfan; Zhong, Chongke; Batu, Buren; Xu, Tian; Li, Hongmei; Zhang, Mingzhi; Wang, Aili; Zhang, Yonghong

2016-05-01

This study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of family history of cardiovascular diseases (FHCVD) and heart rate on ischemic stroke incidence among Inner Mongolians in China. A prospective cohort study was conducted among 2589 participants aged 20 years and older from Inner Mongolia, China. The participants were divided into four groups according to status of FHCVD and heart rate and followed up from June 2002 to July 2012. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the combined effects of FHCVD and heart rate on the incidence of ischemic stroke. A total of 76 ischemic stroke occurred during the follow-up period. The observed ischemic stroke cases tended to be older and male, and had higher prevalence of smoking, drinking, hypertension and FHCVD as well as higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures at baseline compared with those who did not experience ischemic stroke. Age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of ischemic stroke in the participants with both FHCVD and heart rate ≥ 80 were 2.89 (1.51-5.53), compared with those without FHCVD and heart rate < 80. After multiple adjustment, the association between ischemic stroke risk and both FHCVD and heart rate ≥ 80 remained statistically significant (hazard ratio, 2.47; 95% confidence interval: 1.22-5.01). Our main finding that participants with both FHCVD and faster heart rate have the highest risk of ischemic stroke suggests that faster heart rate may increase the risk of ischemic stroke among people with FHCVD.

Five millennia of frozen vegetation and fire dynamics from an ice core in the Mongolian Altai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brügger, S. O.; Gobet, E.; Sigl, M.; Osmont, D.; Papina, T.; Rudaya, N.; Schwikowski, M.; Tinner, W.

2017-12-01

The steppes of the Altai region in Central Asia are highly vulnerable to e.g. drought and overgrazing. Degradation during the past decades may undermine their resilience under global change conditions. Knowledge about past vegetation and fire dynamics in Mongolian Altai may contribute to a better understanding of future climate and human impact responses, however, paleo records are scarce in the area. Our novel high-alpine ice record from Tsambagarav glacier (48°39.338'N, 90°50.826'E, 4130m asl) in the Mongolian Altai provides unique paleoenvironmental informations at the landscape scale. The site is surrounded by dry steppes with scattered boreal tree stands. We assume that the site collects pollen and spores within several hundred km. The archive provides an exceptional temporal resolution with a sound chronology covering the past 5500 years (Herren et al. 2013). Microfossil analysis allows to reconstruct large-scale fire and vegetation dynamics to gain a better understanding of the timing and causes of late Holocene response variability. We use pollen as proxies for vegetation composition and structure, microscopic charcoal as a proxy for fire activity (Eichler et al. 2011), and spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs or soots) as a proxy for fossil fuel combustion. Here we present the first microscopic charcoal record from Mongolia and link it to vegetation dynamics of the past. The reconstructed mid to late Holocene forest collapses likely in response to climate change underscore the vulnerability of relict forest ecosystems in the Mongolian Altai. Our multiproxy-study suggests that moisture is more important than temperature for forest preservation. The lacking resilience of vegetation to moisture changes in the past emphasizes the vulnerability of large forests in neighboring dry areas such as the Russian Altai, if global warming is associated to moisture declines as future projections forecast (IPCC; Climate Change 2013). References: Eichler et al. (2011

Higher climate warming sensitivity of Siberian larch in small than large forest islands in the fragmented Mongolian forest steppe.

PubMed

Khansaritoreh, Elmira; Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Klinge, Michael; Ariunbaatar, Tumurbaatar; Bat-Enerel, Banzragch; Batsaikhan, Ganbaatar; Ganbaatar, Kherlenchimeg; Saindovdon, Davaadorj; Yeruult, Yolk; Tsogtbaatar, Jamsran; Tuya, Daramragchaa; Leuschner, Christoph; Hauck, Markus

2017-09-01

Forest fragmentation has been found to affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in multiple ways. We asked whether forest size and isolation in fragmented woodlands influences the climate warming sensitivity of tree growth in the southern boreal forest of the Mongolian Larix sibirica forest steppe, a naturally fragmented woodland embedded in grassland, which is highly affected by warming, drought, and increasing anthropogenic forest destruction in recent time. We examined the influence of stand size and stand isolation on the growth performance of larch in forests of four different size classes located in a woodland-dominated forest-steppe area and small forest patches in a grassland-dominated area. We found increasing climate sensitivity and decreasing first-order autocorrelation of annual stemwood increment with decreasing stand size. Stemwood increment increased with previous year's June and August precipitation in the three smallest forest size classes, but not in the largest forests. In the grassland-dominated area, the tree growth dependence on summer rainfall was highest. Missing ring frequency has strongly increased since the 1970s in small, but not in large forests. In the grassland-dominated area, the increase was much greater than in the forest-dominated landscape. Forest regeneration decreased with decreasing stand size and was scarce or absent in the smallest forests. Our results suggest that the larch trees in small and isolated forest patches are far more susceptible to climate warming than in large continuous forests pointing to a grim future for the forests in this strongly warming region of the boreal forest that is also under high land use pressure. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

New Method for Insomnia Mongolian Mind-Body Interactive Psychotherapy in the Assessment of Chronic Insomnia: A Retrospective Study.

PubMed

He, Nagongbilige; Lan, Wu; Jiang, Aruna; Jia, Haserden; Bao, Shuzhi; Bao, Longmei; Qin, Altansha; Bao, Orgel; Bao, Shinjiltu; Wang, Nandin; Bao, Suyaltu; Dai, Shuangfu; Bao, Sarula; Arlud, Sarnai

2018-06-19

Insomnia is a common clinical complaint, and if not addressed it can increase the risk of developing other underlying diseases such as hypertension, depression and anxiety. The use of Mongolian mind-body interactive therapy as a comprehensive psychotherapeutic approach in chronic insomnia has been shown in this retrospective study. Subjects who had suffered insomnia for more than 1 month participated in the Mongolian mind-body interactive psychotherapy program between June 2012 and February 2014. They were interviewed by telephone at least 10 months before participating in the program. Their sleep was assessed using the Athens insomnia scale. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and regression analysis were used for data analysis by SPSS software. Mongolian mind-body interactive psychotherapy significantly improved sleeping conditions. In ANOVA analysis, both short- and long-term outcomes were significantly affected by the treatment period. Patients who previously took medication and pre-treatment sleeping condition (ASI score) had a significant influence on long-term outcomes, as well as treatment time related to the duration of insomnia. Mongolian mind-body interactive psychotherapy is a new method for insomnia, and narrative therapy and hypnotic methods together improve the sleeping condition, However, a further controlled randomized clinical study is needed to understand the efficacy.

First stable isotope analysis of Asiatic wild ass tail hair from the Mongolian Gobi

PubMed Central

Horacek, Micha; Sturm, Martina Burnik; Kaczensky, Petra

2015-01-01

Stable isotope analysis has become a powerful tool to study feeding ecology, water use or movement pattern in contemporary, historic and ancient species. Certain hair and teeth grow continuously, and when sampled longitudinally can provide temporally explicit information on dietary regime and movement pattern. In an initial trial, we analysed a tail sample of an Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) from the Mongolian Gobi. We found seasonal variations in H, C and N isotope patterns, likely being the result of temporal variations in available feeds, water supply and possibly physiological status. Thus stable isotope analysis shows promise to study the comparative ecology of the three autochthonous equid species in the Mongolian Gobi. PMID:26339116

First stable isotope analysis of Asiatic wild ass tail hair from the Mongolian Gobi.

PubMed

Horacek, Micha; Sturm, Martina Burnik; Kaczensky, Petra

Stable isotope analysis has become a powerful tool to study feeding ecology, water use or movement pattern in contemporary, historic and ancient species. Certain hair and teeth grow continuously, and when sampled longitudinally can provide temporally explicit information on dietary regime and movement pattern. In an initial trial, we analysed a tail sample of an Asiatic wild ass ( Equus hemionus ) from the Mongolian Gobi. We found seasonal variations in H, C and N isotope patterns, likely being the result of temporal variations in available feeds, water supply and possibly physiological status. Thus stable isotope analysis shows promise to study the comparative ecology of the three autochthonous equid species in the Mongolian Gobi.

The correlation between serum amyloid A and reactive oxygen metabolites in a young Mongolian population.

PubMed

Kotani, Kazuhiko; Yamada, Toshiyuki; Uurtuya, Shuumarjav; Taniguchi, Nobuyuki

2012-01-01

Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are associated with lifestyle-related diseases. Research into the pathophysiology of lifestyle-related diseases is important for Mongolian people. Our study investigated the correlation among the d-ROMs test (a measure of the total oxidant capacity of blood), serum amyloid A (SAA) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in a young Mongolian population. The data, including anthropometric and biochemical markers, were collected from 78 Mongolian volunteers (male/female = 27/ 51, mean age 21 years). The correlation between the SAA and d-ROMs levels was examined, as well as the correlation between the hs-CRP and d-ROMs levels. The SAA levels were 3.2 microg/mL (median), hs-CRP .04 mg/dL (median) and d-ROMs 309 CARR U, respectively. There was a significant and positive correlation between the SAA and d-ROMs levels (r=.40, P<.01), in addition to a significant and positive correlation between the hs-CRP and d-ROMs levels (r = .32, P < .01). These significant correlations remained independent in a multiple linear regression analysis. A subgroup analysis by sex revealed the positive correlation between the SAA and d-ROMs levels to be greater, relative to that between the hs-CRP and d-ROMs levels, particularly in the female group. The coexistence of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress can be present even in young Mongolian people, suggesting that their coexistence may be a target of early prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. In addition, not only hs-CRP, but also SAA can be used to evaluate the relationship of oxidative stress in this population. Further studies are necessary to confirm the observed relationship.

Bone mass and lifestyle related factors: a comparative study between Japanese and Inner Mongolian young premenopausal women.

PubMed

Zhang, M; Shimmura, T; Bi, L F; Nagase, H; Nishino, H; Kajita, E; Eto, M; Wang, H B; Su, X L; Chang, H; Aratani, T; Kagamimori, S

2004-07-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ethnic difference in bone mass between Japanese and Inner Mongolian young premenopausal women and to assess the contribution of lifestyle related and anthropometric factors to bone mass. We studied 33 Japanese and 44 Inner Mongolian healthy young women, aged 20-34 years, in urban area. Speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and stiffness index (SI) were measured at the calcaneus using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) analysis. Age at menarche, regularity of menstruation and lifestyle related factors were estimated by a self-reported questionnaire. There were no differences between the two groups in age, height, weight, BMI, regularity of menstruation, frequency of meat intake, frequency of yellow-green vegetable intake and exercise habit. Japanese women had significantly lower age at menarche and higher proportion of milk consumption habit at junior high school, senior school and present. Before adjustment, Japanese women had significantly higher SOS and SI than Inner Mongolian women. However, after adjustment for age at menarche and milk consumption habit at junior high school, both of which were significantly different between groups, no group-differences remained in either SOS or SI. These results suggest that the differences in age at menarche and milk consumption habit at junior high school, which relate to hormonal and nutritional status during puberty, may account for the differences in bone mass between Japanese and Inner Mongolian young women.

A Functional and Structural Mongolian Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) Model Integrating Architecture, Biomass and Effects of Precipitation

PubMed Central

Wang, Feng; Letort, Véronique; Lu, Qi; Bai, Xuefeng; Guo, Yan; de Reffye, Philippe; Li, Baoguo

2012-01-01

Mongolian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) is one of the principal tree species in the network of Three-North Shelterbelt for windbreak and sand stabilisation in China. The functions of shelterbelts are highly correlated with the architecture and eco-physiological processes of individual tree. Thus, model-assisted analysis of canopy architecture and function dynamic in Mongolian Scots pine is of value for better understanding its role and behaviour within shelterbelt ecosystems in these arid and semiarid regions. We present here a single-tree functional and structural model, derived from the GreenLab model, which is adapted for young Mongolian Scots pines by incorporation of plant biomass production, allocation, allometric rules and soil water dynamics. The model is calibrated and validated based on experimental measurements taken on Mongolian Scots pines in 2007 and 2006 under local meteorological conditions. Measurements include plant biomass, topology and geometry, as well as soil attributes and standard meteorological data. After calibration, the model allows reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) canopy architecture and biomass dynamics for trees from one- to six-year-old at the same site using meteorological data for the six years from 2001 to 2006. Sensitivity analysis indicates that rainfall variation has more influence on biomass increment than on architecture, and the internode and needle compartments and the aboveground biomass respond linearly to increases in precipitation. Sensitivity analysis also shows that the balance between internode and needle growth varies only slightly within the range of precipitations considered here. The model is expected to be used to investigate the growth of Mongolian Scots pines in other regions with different soils and climates. PMID:22927982

Hydrogeologic processes of large-scale tectonomagmatic complexes in Mongolia-southern Siberia and on Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Komatsu, G.; Dohm, J.M.; Hare, T.M.

2004-01-01

Large-scale tectonomagmatic complexes are common on Earth and Mars. Many of these complexes are created or at least influenced by mantle processes, including a wide array of plume types ranging from superplumes to mantle plumes. Among the most prominent complexes, the Mongolian plateau on Earth and the Tharsis bulge on Mars share remarkable similarities in terms of large domal uplifted areas, great rift canyon systems, and widespread volcanism on their surfaces. Water has also played an important role in the development of the two complexes. In general, atmospheric and surface water play a bigger role in the development of the present-day Mongolian plateau than for the Tharsis bulge, as evidenced by highly developed drainages and thick accumulation of sediments in the basins of the Baikal rift system. On the Tharsis bulge, however, water appears to have remained as ground ice except during periods of elevated magmatic activity. Glacial and periglacial processes are well documented for the Mongolian plateau and are also reported for parts of the Tharsis bulge. Ice-magma interactions, which are represented by the formation of subice volcanoes in parts of the Mongolian plateau region, have been reported for the Valles Marineris region of Mars. The complexes are also characterized by cataclysmic floods, but their triggering mechanism may differ: mainly ice-dam failures for the Mongolian plateau and outburst of groundwater for the Tharsis bulge, probably by magma-ice interactions, although ice-dam failures within the Valles Marineris region cannot be ruled out as a possible contributor. Comparative studies of the Mongolian plateau and Tharsis bulge provide excellent opportunities for understanding surface manifestations of plume-driven processes on terrestrial planets and how they interact with hydro-cryospheres. ?? 2004 Geological Society of America.

Unusually high-pitched neonate distress calls of the open-habitat Mongolian gazelle ( Procapra gutturosa) and their anatomical and hormonal predictors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volodin, Ilya A.; Volodina, Elena V.; Frey, Roland; Kirilyuk, Vadim E.; Naidenko, Sergey V.

2017-06-01

In neonate ruminants, the acoustic structure of vocalizations may depend on sex, vocal anatomy, hormonal profiles and body mass and on environmental factors. In neonate wild-living Mongolian gazelles Procapra gutturosa, hand-captured during biomedical monitoring in the Daurian steppes at the Russian-Mongolian border, we spectrographically analysed distress calls and measured body mass of 22 individuals (6 males, 16 females). For 20 (5 male, 15 female) of these individuals, serum testosterone levels were also analysed. In addition, we measured relevant dimensions of the vocal apparatus (larynx, vocal folds, vocal tract) in one stillborn male Mongolian gazelle specimen. Neonate distress calls of either sex were high in maximum fundamental frequency (800-900 Hz), but the beginning and minimum fundamental frequencies were significantly lower in males than in females. Body mass was larger in males than in females. The levels of serum testosterone were marginally higher in males. No correlations were found between either body mass or serum testosterone values and any acoustic variable for males and females analysed together or separately. We discuss that the high-frequency calls of neonate Mongolian gazelles are more typical for closed-habitat neonate ruminants, whereas other open-habitat neonate ruminants (goitred gazelle Gazella subgutturosa, saiga antelope Saiga tatarica and reindeer Rangifer tarandus) produce low-frequency (<200 Hz) distress calls. Proximate cause for the high fundamental frequency of distress calls of neonate Mongolian gazelles is their very short, atypical vocal folds (4 mm) compared to the 7-mm vocal folds of neonate goitred gazelles, producing distress calls as low as 120 Hz.

Influences of human and livestock density on winter habitat selection of Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa).

PubMed

Luo, Zhenhua; Liu, Bingwan; Liu, Songtao; Jiang, Zhigang; Halbrook, Richard S

2014-01-01

Human and livestock related disturbances of habitat selection by ungulates are topics of global concern, as they have profound impacts on ungulate survival, population density, fitness, and management; however, differences in ungulate habitat use under different human and livestock densities are not fully understood. Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa), an endemic ungulate species on the Asia-European steppe, faces varying intensities of human and livestock disturbances in the area around Dalai Lake, China. To investigate how habitat selection strategies vary as disturbance intensity changes, we randomly set 20 transects containing 1486 plots, on which we conducted repeated surveys of 21 ecological factors during the winters in the period of 2005-2008. We aimed to: 1) determine the critical factors underlying habitat selection of the gazelles; 2) determine the gazelles' habitat preferences in this area; 3) determine how habitat selection varies with disturbance intensity and explore the primary underlying mechanism. We used binary-logistic regressions and information theoretic approaches to build best-fit habitat selection models, and calculated resource selection functions. Sixty-six herds, 522 individuals, and 499 tracks were recorded. Our results indicate that snow depth and aboveground biomass are the main factors affecting habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle throughout the district in winter. Thin snow cover and abundant aboveground biomass are preferred. Avoiding disturbance was the primary factor accounting for habitat selection in low disturbance areas, although with increasing human or live-stock-related disturbance, gazelle maintained a reduced distance to the source of the disturbance. Presumably owing to that shift, movement costs were more important as disturbance increased. In addition, Mongolian gazelle selected habitats based on topographical features promoting greater visibility where disturbance was lower. We suggest several management

A network pharmacology study of Sendeng-4, a Mongolian medicine.

PubMed

Zi, Tian; Yu, Dong

2015-02-01

We collected the data on the Sendeng-4 chemical composition corresponding targets through the literature and from DrugBank, SuperTarget, TTD (Therapeutic Targets Database) and other databases and the relevant signaling pathways from the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) database and established models of the chemical composition-target network and chemical composition-target-disease network using Cytoscape software, the analysis indicated that the chemical composition had at least nine different types of targets that acted together to exert effects on the diseases, suggesting a "multi-component, multi-target" feature of the traditional Mongolian medicine. We also employed the rat model of rheumatoid arthritis induced by Collgen Type II to validate the key targets of the chemical components of Sendeng-4, and three of the key targets were validated through laboratory experiments, further confirming the anti-inflammatory effects of Sendeng-4. In all, this study predicted the active ingredients and targets of Sendeng-4, and explored its mechanism of action, which provided new strategies and methods for further research and development of Sendeng-4 and other traditional Mongolian medicines as well. Copyright © 2015 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Fiber Contractility and Cytoskeleton Losses in Space are Less Pronounced in Mongolian Gerbils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipets, E. N.; Ponomareva, E. V.; Ogneva, I. V.; Vikhliantsev, I. M.; Karaduleva, E. V.; Kartashkina, N. L.; Kuznetsov, S. L.; Podlubnaia, Z. A.; Shenkman, B. S.

2008-06-01

This work was purposed on the comparison of space flight effects on m. soleus and m. tibialis anterior of Mongolian gerbils. The animals have been flown onboard biosatellite Foton-M3 for 12 days. Contractile properties of single skinned muscle fibers were studied. It was revealed that diameter of m. soleus skinned fibers and maximal isometric tension were decreased by 19.7% and 21.8% respectively. The Ca-sensitivity reduction wasn't significant, that was in accordance with absence of changes of titin and nebulin relative content in soleus and minor manifestations in slow-to-fast fiber ratio (9%, p<0.05). There weren't observed significant changes of the same parameters in m. tibialis anterior. Ultimately the fiber contractility and cytoskeleton losses in space are less pronounced in Mongolian gerbils than in rats.

Alkaloids from Mongolian species Hypecoum lactiflorum Kar. et Kir. Pazij.

PubMed

Philipov, Stefan; Istatkova, Ralitsa; Denkova, Pavletta; Dangaa, Selenge; Samdan, Javzan; Krosnova, Marieta; Munkh-Amgalan, Chogsom

2009-01-01

A new secoberbine alkaloid (-)-N-methylcorydalisol was isolated from the aerial parts of Hypecoum lactiflorum Kar. et Kir. Pazij. (Papaveraceae) of Mongolian origin and was characterised. The known alkaloids of protopine and protoberberine type protopine, allocryptopine, (-)-N-methylcanadine and (-)-N-methylstylopine were also isolated. (-)-N-methylstylopine is a new alkaloid for the genus, while (-)-N-methylcanadine is new for the species. All structures were established by physical and spectral analysis.

Comparative analysis of gastric bacterial microbiota in Mongolian gerbils after long-term infection with Helicobacter pylori.

PubMed

Osaki, Takako; Matsuki, Takahiro; Asahara, Takashi; Zaman, Cynthia; Hanawa, Tomoko; Yonezawa, Hideo; Kurata, Satoshi; Woo, Timothy Derg-hoong; Nomoto, Koji; Kamiya, Shigeru

2012-07-01

Quantitative (qt) real time PCR using 16SrDNA primers is useful for determination of the bacterial composition of the gastric microbiota in Mongolian gerbils. The aim of this study was to determine the change in the gastric microbiota after long-term infection with Helicobacter pylori. One year after inoculation with H. pylori, five gerbils were determined as H. pylori-positive and 6 gerbils H. pylori-negative by culture and real time qt PCR methods. The gastric microbiota of each group of gerbils was also compared with that of 6 gerbils uninfected with H. pylori. DNA from the Atopobium cluster, Bifidobacterium spp., Clostridium coccoides group, Clostridium leptum subgroup, Enterococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. were detected in the gastric mucus of both infected and uninfected gerbils. In contrast, Eubacterium cylindroides group and Prevotella spp. were detected only in H. pylori-negative gerbils. The numbers of C. leptum subgroup, C. coccoides group and Bifidobacterium spp. in gastric mucus of H. pylori-negative Mongolian gerbils were significantly lower than those in non-infected gerbils. The results obtained suggest that the composition of gastric indigenous microbiota in Mongolian gerbils may be disturbed by long-term infection with H. pylori, and that these changes may in fact inhibit H. pylori infection.

Evolving Identities among Russian-Born Buriat Mongolian Children in a Chinese Bilingual School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sartor, Valerie

2016-01-01

This article addresses identity issues among a specific group of Indigenous youth, young Buriat Mongolian students, born in Russia, who struggled to understand their sense of cultural identity while living and studying in Chinese Inner Mongolia. This qualitative research project employed ethnographic methodology. Sociocultural theory, specifically…

The fate of medical knowledge and the neurosciences during the time of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Empire.

PubMed

Safavi-Abbasi, Sam; Brasiliense, Leonardo B C; Workman, Ryan K; Talley, Melanie C; Feiz-Erfan, Iman; Theodore, Nicholas; Spetzler, Robert F; Preul, Mark C

2007-01-01

In 25 years, the Mongolian army of Genghis Khan conquered more of the known world than the Roman Empire accomplished in 400 years of conquest. The recent revised view is that Genghis Khan and his descendants brought about "pax Mongolica" by securing trade routes across Eurasia. After the initial shock of destruction by an unknown barbaric tribe, almost every country conquered by the Mongols was transformed by a rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and advances in civilization. Medicine, including techniques related to surgery and neurological surgery, became one of the many areas of life and culture that the Mongolian Empire influenced.

Prefer feeling bad? Subcultural differences in emotional preferences between Han Chinese and Mongolian Chinese.

PubMed

Deng, Xinmei; Cheng, Chen; Chow, Hiu Mei; Ding, Xuechen

2018-03-01

As a multi-ethnic country that is comprised of diverse cultural systems, there has been little research on the subcultural differences in emotional preferences in China. Also, little attention has been paid to examine how explicit and implicit attitudes towards emotions influence emotional preferences interactively. In this study, we manipulated explicit attitudes towards emotions among Han (N = 62) and Mongolian Chinese individuals (N = 70). We assessed participants' implicit attitudes towards emotions to explore their contributions to emotional preferences. (a) Han Chinese had lower preferences for pleasant emotions than Mongolian Chinese after inducing contra-hedonic attitudes towards emotions, and (b) after priming contra-hedonic attitudes towards emotions, the more Han Chinese participants evaluated pleasant emotions as negative implicitly, the less they preferred to engage in pleasant emotional activities. These findings contribute to the growing literature of subcultural differences and demonstrate that explicit and implicit attitudes towards emotions interactively influence individuals' emotional preferences between different subculture groups. © 2018 International Union of Psychological Science.

Fasting suppresses T cell-mediated immunity in female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed

Xu, De-Li; Wang, De-Hua

2010-01-01

Immune defense is important for organisms' survival and fitness. Small mammals in temperate zone often face seasonal food shortages. Generally fasting can suppress immune function in laboratory rodents and little information is available for wild rodents. The present study tested the hypothesis that Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) could inhibit T cell-mediated immunity to adapt to acute fasting. Forty-two females were divided into the fed and fasted groups, in which the latter was deprived of food for 3days. After 66h fasting, half of the gerbils in each group were injected with phosphate buffered saline or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) solution. T cell-mediated immunity assessed by PHA response was suppressed in the fasted gerbils compared with the fed gerbils. The fasted gerbils had lower body fat mass, wet and dry thymus mass, dry spleen mass, white blood cells, serum leptin and blood glucose concentrations, but higher corticosterone concentrations than those of the controls. Moreover, PHA response was positively correlated with body fat mass and serum leptin levels in the immunochallenged groups. Taken together, acute fasting leads to immunosuppression, which might be caused by low body fat mass and low serum leptin concentrations in female Mongolian gerbils.

An inter-decadal increase in summer sea level pressure over the Mongolian region around the early 1990s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Haiyan; Wen, Zhiping; Wu, Renguang; Li, Xiuzhen; Chen, Ruidan

2018-05-01

The East Asian summer monsoon is affected by processes in the mid-high latitudes in addition to various tropical and subtropical systems. The present study investigates the summer sea level pressure (SLP) variability over northern East Asia (NEA) and emphasizes the closed active center over the Mongolian region. It is found that the seasonal mean Mongolian SLP (MSLP) anomaly is closely connected with the variability of summertime regional synoptic extra-tropical cyclones on longer time scales. A significant inter-decadal increase in the MSLP around the early 1990s has been detected, which is accompanied by a weakening in the activity of regional extra-tropical cyclones. Recent warming over NEA may have a contribution to the inter-decadal change, which features evidently meridional inhomogeneity around 45°N. The inhomogeneous air temperature anomaly distribution results in decreased vertical wind shear, reduced atmospheric baroclinicity over the Mongolian region, and thus inactive regional cyclones and increased MSLP in the latter decade. The associated temperature anomaly distribution may be partly attributed to regional inhomogeneity in cloud and radiation anomalies, and it is further maintained by two positive feedback mechanisms associated with atmospheric internal processes: one via adiabatic heating and the other via horizontal temperature advection.

Glossary of Mongolian Technical Terms. Program in Oriental Languages. Publications Series B--Aids--Number 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buck, Frederick H.

This glossary of Mongolian technical terms includes approximately 4,500 entries, covering such areas as political administration, economics, science, railways, stockfarming, agriculture, medicine, foreign affairs, military matters and miscellaneous items. A number of colloquial expressions are included, since they occur quite frequently and appear…

[Effects of wind speed on drying processes of fuelbeds composed of Mongolian oak broad-leaves.

PubMed

Zhang, Li Bin; Sun, Ping; Jin, Sen

2016-11-18

Water desorption processes of fuel beds with Mongolian oak broad-leaves were observed under conditions with various wind speeds but nearly constant air temperature and humidity. The effects of wind speed on drying coefficients of fuel beds with various moisture contents were analyzed. Three phases of drying process, namely high initial moisture content (>75%) of phase 1, transition state of phase 2, and equilibrium phase III could be identified. During phase 1, water loss rate under higher wind speed was higher than that under lower wind speed. Water loss rate under higher wind speed was lower than that under lower wind speed during phase 2. During phase 3, water loss rates under different wind speeds were similar. The wind effects decreased with the decrease of fuel moisture. The drying coefficient of the Mongolian oak broad-leaves fuel beds was affected by wind speed and fuel bed compactness, and the interaction between these two factors. The coefficient increased with wind speed roughly in a monotonic cubic polynomial form.

A Case Study of Chinese Mongolian Students in ELT under the Background of MOOCs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Lili

2015-01-01

In response to the current reform of college English teaching, a case study of Chinese Mongolian students in English language teaching under the influence of MOOCs is carried out in an attempt to examine the efficacy of the integration of information technology into English language teaching. After a brief introduction of the teaching mode of…

Dust Episodes in Hong Kong (South China) and their Relationship with the Sharav and Mongolian Cyclones and Jet Streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Y. C.; Wenig, Mark; Zhang, Zhenxi; Sugimoto, Nobuo; Larko, Dave; Diehl, Thomas

2012-01-01

The study presented in this paper analyses two dust episodes in Hong Kong, one occurring in March 2006 and the other on 22 March 2010. The latter is the worst dust episode on Hong Kong record. The focus is on the relationship between the dust episodes and the Sharav/Mongolian cyclones and jet streams. The 16 March 2006 episode is traceable to a continental-scale Saharan dust outbreak of 5-9 March 2006 caused by the cold front of an East Mediterranean Sharav cyclone arriving at north-west Africa on 5 March 2006. The eastward movement of the cyclone along the North African coast is clearly illustrated in the geopotential height contours. Simulations by the chemistry transport model GOCART provide a visible evidence of the transport as well as an estimate of contributions from the Sahara to the aerosol concentration levels in Hong Kong. The transport simulations suggest that the dust is injected to the polar jet north of the Caspian Sea, while it is transported eastward simultaneously by the more southerly subtropical jet. The major source of dust for Hong Kong is usually the Gobi desert. Despite the effect of remote sources, the 16 March 2006 dust episode was still mainly under the influence of the Mongolian cyclone cold fronts. In the recent episode of 22 March 2010, the influence of the Mongolian cyclone predominated as well. It appears that the concurrent influence of the Sharav and Mongolian cyclones on Hong Kong and East Asia is not a common occurrence. Besides transporting dusts from non-East Asian sources to Hong Kong and East Asia, the strong subtropical jet on 21 March 2010 (i.e. 1 day prior to the major dust episode) is believed to have strengthened an easterly monsoon surge to South China causing the transport of voluminous dusts to Taiwan and Hong Kong the following day.

Feeling Happy and Sad at the Same Time? Subcultural Differences in Experiencing Mixed Emotions between Han Chinese and Mongolian Chinese.

PubMed

Deng, Xinmei; Ding, Xuechen; Cheng, Chen; Chou, Hiu Mei

2016-01-01

Sometimes people experience pleasant and unpleasant emotions at the same time in a single emotional event. Previous cross-cultural studies indicated that such mixed emotions are more prevalent in China and related to the attitudes toward happiness and individual's regulatory motivation. However, China is a multi-ethnic country and not much is known about subcultural differences in mixed emotions. The aim of this study was to examine the role that implicit attitudes toward happiness and regulatory motivation played in regard of the subcultural differences in mixed emotions between Han ( N = 61) and Mongolian Chinese ( N = 46). Results indicated that, compared with Mongolian Chinese, Han Chinese showed stronger associations between implicit contra-hedonic attitudes toward happiness and mixed emotions during pleasant emotional events. Also, Han Chinese who reported contra-hedonic motivation during pleasant emotional events had higher levels of mixed emotions than those who had hedonic motivation. No significant differences were found in terms of mixed emotions between Mongolian Chinese who had contra-hedonic and hedonic motivation. These results suggest that the psychological mechanisms underlying differences in mixed emotions also require a more comprehensive understanding from a subcultural perspective.

Feeling Happy and Sad at the Same Time? Subcultural Differences in Experiencing Mixed Emotions between Han Chinese and Mongolian Chinese

PubMed Central

Deng, Xinmei; Ding, Xuechen; Cheng, Chen; Chou, Hiu Mei

2016-01-01

Sometimes people experience pleasant and unpleasant emotions at the same time in a single emotional event. Previous cross-cultural studies indicated that such mixed emotions are more prevalent in China and related to the attitudes toward happiness and individual’s regulatory motivation. However, China is a multi-ethnic country and not much is known about subcultural differences in mixed emotions. The aim of this study was to examine the role that implicit attitudes toward happiness and regulatory motivation played in regard of the subcultural differences in mixed emotions between Han (N = 61) and Mongolian Chinese (N = 46). Results indicated that, compared with Mongolian Chinese, Han Chinese showed stronger associations between implicit contra-hedonic attitudes toward happiness and mixed emotions during pleasant emotional events. Also, Han Chinese who reported contra-hedonic motivation during pleasant emotional events had higher levels of mixed emotions than those who had hedonic motivation. No significant differences were found in terms of mixed emotions between Mongolian Chinese who had contra-hedonic and hedonic motivation. These results suggest that the psychological mechanisms underlying differences in mixed emotions also require a more comprehensive understanding from a subcultural perspective. PMID:27833582

Alcohol Drinking, Dyslipidemia, and Diabetes: A Population-based Prospective Cohort Study among Inner Mongolians in China.

PubMed

Liang, Zhu; Qiu, Qiao Yan; Wu, Jia Hui; Zhou, Jing Wen; Xu, Tian; Zhang, Ming Zhi; Zhang, Yong Hong; Zhang, Shao Yan

2016-08-01

No previous studies have evaluated the association between dyslipidemia, alcohol drinking, and diabetes in an Inner Mongolian population. We aimed to evaluate the co-effects of drinking and dyslipidemia on diabetes incidence in this population. The present study was based on 1880 participants from a population-based prospective cohort study among Inner Mongolians living in China. Participants were classified into four subgroups according to their drinking status and dyslipidemia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the association between alcohol drinking, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. During the follow-up period, 203 participants were found to have developed diabetes. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for the incidence of non-dyslipidemia/drinkers, dyslipidemia/non-drinkers, and dyslipidemia/drinkers in diabetic patients were 1.40 (0.82-2.37), 1.73 (1.17-2.55), and 2.31 (1.38-3.87), respectively, when compared with non-dyslipidemia/non-drinkers. The area under the ROC curve for a model containing dyslipidemia and drinking status along with conventional factors (AUC=0.746) was significantly (P=0.003) larger than the one containing only conventional factors (AUC=0.711). The present study showed that dyslipidemia was an independent risk factor for diabetes, and that drinkers with dyslipidemia had the highest risk of diabetes in the Mongolian population. These findings suggest that dyslipidemia and drinking status may be valuable in predicting diabetes incidence. Copyright © 2016 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics in the natural plague foci of Chinese Mongolian gerbils based on spatial autocorrelation.

PubMed

Du, Hai-Wen; Wang, Yong; Zhuang, Da-Fang; Jiang, Xiao-San

2017-08-07

The nest flea index of Meriones unguiculatus is a critical indicator for the prevention and control of plague, which can be used not only to detect the spatial and temporal distributions of Meriones unguiculatus, but also to reveal its cluster rule. This research detected the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the plague natural foci of Mongolian gerbils by body flea index from 2005 to 2014, in order to predict plague outbreaks. Global spatial autocorrelation was used to describe the entire spatial distribution pattern of the body flea index in the natural plague foci of typical Chinese Mongolian gerbils. Cluster and outlier analysis and hot spot analysis were also used to detect the intensity of clusters based on geographic information system methods. The quantity of M. unguiculatus nest fleas in the sentinel surveillance sites from 2005 to 2014 and host density data of the study area from 2005 to 2010 used in this study were provided by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The epidemic focus regions of the Mongolian gerbils remain the same as the hot spot regions relating to the body flea index. High clustering areas possess a similar pattern as the distribution pattern of the body flea index indicating that the transmission risk of plague is relatively high. In terms of time series, the area of the epidemic focus gradually increased from 2005 to 2007, declined rapidly in 2008 and 2009, and then decreased slowly and began trending towards stability from 2009 to 2014. For the spatial change, the epidemic focus regions began moving northward from the southwest epidemic focus of the Mongolian gerbils from 2005 to 2007, and then moved from north to south in 2007 and 2008. The body flea index of Chinese gerbil foci reveals significant spatial and temporal aggregation characteristics through the employing of spatial autocorrelation. The diversity of temporary and spatial distribution is mainly affected by seasonal variation, the human

Divergences of Two Coupled Human and Natural Systems on the Mongolian Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.

2014-12-01

Central to the concept of coupled natural and human (CNH) systems is that humans and nature are organized in interacting sub-systems that make a cohesive whole at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Following an overview of the challenges in implementing the CNH concept at the regional level, we used widely available measures of states in the social, economic, and ecological systems, including gross domestic product, population size, net primary productivity, and livestock and their ratios, to examine the CNH dynamics on the Mongolian Plateau during 1981-2010. Our cross-border analysis of the coupled dynamics over the past three decades demonstrated striking contrasts between Inner Mongolia (IM) and Mongolia (MG), with policies playing shifting roles on the above measures. For prioritizing future research on the CNH concept, we propose the hypothesis that while the divergence of IM and MG for 1981-2010 was largely driven by market economic reforms, the importance of socioeconomic forces relative to climate changes will gradually decrease in IM while they remain important in MG.

Asteroid families classification: Exploiting very large datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milani, Andrea; Cellino, Alberto; Knežević, Zoran; Novaković, Bojan; Spoto, Federica; Paolicchi, Paolo

2014-09-01

The number of asteroids with accurately determined orbits increases fast, and this increase is also accelerating. The catalogs of asteroid physical observations have also increased, although the number of objects is still smaller than in the orbital catalogs. Thus it becomes more and more challenging to perform, maintain and update a classification of asteroids into families. To cope with these challenges we developed a new approach to the asteroid family classification by combining the Hierarchical Clustering Method (HCM) with a method to add new members to existing families. This procedure makes use of the much larger amount of information contained in the proper elements catalogs, with respect to classifications using also physical observations for a smaller number of asteroids. Our work is based on a large catalog of high accuracy synthetic proper elements (available from AstDyS), containing data for >330,000 numbered asteroids. By selecting from the catalog a much smaller number of large asteroids, we first identify a number of core families; to these we attribute the next layer of smaller objects. Then, we remove all the family members from the catalog, and reapply the HCM to the rest. This gives both satellite families which extend the core families and new independent families, consisting mainly of small asteroids. These two cases are discriminated by another step of attribution of new members and by merging intersecting families. This leads to a classification with 128 families and currently 87,095 members. The number of members can be increased automatically with each update of the proper elements catalog; changes in the list of families are not automated. By using information from absolute magnitudes, we take advantage of the larger size range in some families to analyze their shape in the proper semimajor axis vs. inverse diameter plane. This leads to a new method to estimate the family age, or ages in cases where we identify internal structures. The

A comparative histopathology, serology and molecular study, on experimental ocular toxocariasis by Toxocara cati in Mongolian gerbils and Wistar rats.

PubMed

Zibaei, Mohammad; Sadjjadi, Seyed Mahmoud; Karamian, Mehdi; Uga, Shoji; Oryan, Ahmad; Jahadi-Hosseini, Seyed Hamidreza

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of three in-house diagnostic tests, that is, histopathology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for the diagnosis after experimental infection with Toxocara cati. Twenty Mongolian gerbils and Wistar rats were divided into ten groups (n = 2/group). Toxocara cati infections were established in Mongolian gerbils and Wistar rats by administering doses of 240 and 2500 embryonated Toxocara cati eggs by gavage, respectively. Tissue sections were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin and observed under the light microscope. Sera and vitreous fluid collected from separate infected groups were tested against Toxocara cati antigens, for 92 days postinfection. Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks, and aqueous fluids belong to the animals. The histopathology test gave negative results among the groups of animals examined between 5 and 92 days postinfection. The ELISA results showed that anti-Toxocara antibodies have risen between 7 and 61 days postinfection in sera and vitreous fluid in the animals infected, respectively. Analysis of PCR products revealed positive band (660 bp) in the orbital tissue infected Mongolian gerbils at 5 days postinfection. Of the three evaluated methods, the PCR could be recommended for scientific and laboratory diagnoses of toxocariasis in experimentally infected animals.

Paternal behavior in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus): Estrogenic and androgenic regulation.

PubMed

Martínez, Ana; Ramos, Guillermo; Martínez-Torres, Martín; Nicolás, Leticia; Carmona, Agustín; Cárdenas, Mario; Luis, Juana

2015-05-01

Here, we analyzed the effects of testosterone (T) and its metabolites, estradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), on the onset of paternal behavior in virgin male Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). We hypothesized that T and E2, but not DHT, would facilitate the onset of paternal behavior. Seventy males displaying aggression toward pups were selected through a paternal behavior screening test. Forty males were bilaterally castrated. Of them, 10 were implanted with T, 10 with E2, and 10 with DHT, and 10 received no treatment. Another 30 males underwent a sham procedure. In these gerbils, T, E2 and DHT were measured to obtain the basal levels of these hormones. After treatment, the paternal behavior test was conducted again. Blood samples were obtained immediately after the administration of the test for the quantification of T, E2 and DHT by radioimmunoassay. Surprisingly, 100% of the males that received T, E2 and DHT implants stopped being aggressive and became paternal. Castrated and sham-operated males displayed no changes in their aggressive behaviors. This is the first report that T and its metabolites are involved in neuroendocrine mechanisms that inhibit aggression toward pups and facilitate paternal behavior in virgin male Mongolian gerbils. In addition, this is the first report of regulation of paternal behavior in a rodent by estrogenic and androgenic pathways. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in vegetation phenology on the Mongolian Plateau and their climatic determinants.

PubMed

Miao, Lijuan; Müller, Daniel; Cui, Xuefeng; Ma, Meihong

2017-01-01

Climate change affects the timing of phenological events, such as the start, end, and length of the growing season of vegetation. A better understanding of how the phenology responded to climatic determinants is important in order to better anticipate future climate-ecosystem interactions. We examined the changes of three phenological events for the Mongolian Plateau and their climatic determinants. To do so, we derived three phenological metrics from remotely sensed vegetation indices and associated these with climate data for the period of 1982 to 2011. The results suggested that the start of the growing season advanced by 0.10 days yr-1, the end was delayed by 0.11 days yr-1, and the length of the growing season expanded by 6.3 days during the period from 1982 to 2011. The delayed end and extended length of the growing season were observed consistently in grassland, forest, and shrubland, while the earlier start was only observed in grassland. Partial correlation analysis between the phenological events and the climate variables revealed that higher temperature was associated with an earlier start of the growing season, and both temperature and precipitation contributed to the later ending. Overall, our findings suggest that climate change will substantially alter the vegetation phenology in the grasslands of the Mongolian Plateau, and likely also in biomes with similar environmental conditions, such as other semi-arid steppe regions.

Variability and distribution of spatial evapotranspiration in semi arid Inner Mongolian grasslands from 2002 to 2011.

PubMed

Schaffrath, David; Bernhofer, Christian

2013-01-01

Grasslands in Inner Mongolia are important for livestock farming while ecosystem functioning and water consumption are dominated by evapotranspiration (ET). In this paper we studied the spatiotemporal distribution and variability of ET and its components in Inner Mongolian grasslands over a period of 10 years, from 2002 to 2011. ET was modelled pixel-wise for more than 3000 1 km(2) pixels with the physically-based hydrological model BROOK90. The model was parameterised from eddy-covariance measurements and daily input was generated from MODIS leaf area index and surface temperatures. Modelled ET was also compared with the ET provided by the MODIS MOD16 ET data. The study showed ET to be highly variable in both time and space in Inner Mongolian grasslands. The mean coefficient of variation of 8-day ET in the study area varied between 25% and 40% and was up to 75% for individual pixels indicating a high innerannual variability of ET. Generally, ET equals or exceeds P during the vegetation period, but high precipitation in 2003 clearly exceeded ET in this year indicating a recharge of soil moisture and groundwater. Despite the high interannual and innerannual variations of spatial ET, the study also showed the existence of an intrinsic long-term spatial pattern of ET distribution, which can be explained partly by altitude and longitude (R(2) = 0.49). In conclusion, the results of this research suggest the development of dynamic and productive rangeland management systems according to the inherent variability of rainfall, productivity and ET in order to restore and protect Inner Mongolian grasslands.

Helicobacter suis causes severe gastric pathology in mouse and mongolian gerbil models of human gastric disease.

PubMed

Flahou, Bram; Haesebrouck, Freddy; Pasmans, Frank; D'Herde, Katharina; Driessen, Ann; Van Deun, Kim; Smet, Annemieke; Duchateau, Luc; Chiers, Koen; Ducatelle, Richard

2010-11-22

"Helicobacter (H.) heilmannii" type 1 is the most prevalent gastric non-H. pylori Helicobacter species in humans suffering from gastric disease. It has been shown to be identical to H. suis, a bacterium which is mainly associated with pigs. To obtain better insights into the long-term pathogenesis of infections with this micro-organism, experimental infections were carried out in different rodent models. Mongolian gerbils and mice of two strains (BALB/c and C57BL/6) were infected with H. suis and sacrificed at 3 weeks, 9 weeks and 8 months after infection. Gastric tissue samples were collected for PCR analysis, histological and ultrastructural examination. In gerbils, bacteria mainly colonized the antrum and a narrow zone in the fundus near the forestomach/stomach transition zone. In both mice strains, bacteria colonized the entire glandular stomach. Colonization with H. suis was associated with necrosis of parietal cells in all three animal strains. From 9 weeks after infection onwards, an increased proliferation rate of mucosal epithelial cells was detected in the stomach regions colonized with H. suis. Most gerbils showed a marked lymphocytic infiltration in the antrum and in the forestomach/stomach transition zone, becoming more pronounced in the course of time. At 8 months post infection, severe destruction of the normal antral architecture at the inflamed sites and development of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma-like lesions were observed in some gerbils. In mice, the inflammatory response was less pronounced than in gerbils, consisting mainly of mononuclear cell infiltration and being most severe in the fundus. H. suis causes death of parietal cells, epithelial cell hyperproliferation and severe inflammation in mice and Mongolian gerbil models of human gastric disease. Moreover, MALT lymphoma-like lesions were induced in H. suis-infected Mongolian gerbils. Therefore, the possible involvement of this micro-organism in human gastric disease

A Comparative Histopathology, Serology and Molecular Study, on Experimental Ocular Toxocariasis by Toxocara cati in Mongolian Gerbils and Wistar Rats

PubMed Central

Zibaei, Mohammad; Sadjjadi, Seyed Mahmoud; Karamian, Mehdi; Uga, Shoji; Oryan, Ahmad; Jahadi-Hosseini, Seyed Hamidreza

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of three in-house diagnostic tests, that is, histopathology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for the diagnosis after experimental infection with Toxocara cati. Twenty Mongolian gerbils and Wistar rats were divided into ten groups (n = 2/group). Toxocara cati infections were established in Mongolian gerbils and Wistar rats by administering doses of 240 and 2500 embryonated Toxocara cati eggs by gavage, respectively. Tissue sections were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin and observed under the light microscope. Sera and vitreous fluid collected from separate infected groups were tested against Toxocara cati antigens, for 92 days postinfection. Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks, and aqueous fluids belong to the animals. The histopathology test gave negative results among the groups of animals examined between 5 and 92 days postinfection. The ELISA results showed that anti-Toxocara antibodies have risen between 7 and 61 days postinfection in sera and vitreous fluid in the animals infected, respectively. Analysis of PCR products revealed positive band (660 bp) in the orbital tissue infected Mongolian gerbils at 5 days postinfection. Of the three evaluated methods, the PCR could be recommended for scientific and laboratory diagnoses of toxocariasis in experimentally infected animals. PMID:24069585

Anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy significantly reduces Helicobacter pylori -induced gastric mucosal damage in Mongolian gerbils

PubMed Central

Chang, Chun-Chao; Chen, Sheng-Hsuan; Lien, Gi-Shih; Lee, Yuarn-Jang; Lou, Horng-Yuan; Hsieh, Ching-Ruey; Fang, Chia-Lang; Pan, Shiann

2005-01-01

AIM: To investigate the effectiveness of 4 d’ anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy on the H pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils based on physiological and pathological changes. METHODS: We used 6-wk-old male gerbils orally inoculated with H pylori (ATCC43504, 2x108 CFU/mL). Seven weeks after H pylori inoculation, the animals of study group received 4 d’ anti-H pylori triple therapy (H pylori-eradicated group). Seven days later, all animals of the H pylori-eradicated and control groups (H pylori-infected & H pylori-uninfected groups) were sacrificed. We examined gastric mucosal lesions macroscopically, studied gastritis microscopically and determined the stomach weight ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and prostaglandin (PG) E2 level. RESULTS: The results showed that both macroscopic and histological gastric damages were significantly less in H pylori-eradicated group than H pylori-infected group. Stomach weight ratio, MPO activity and PGE2 levels were significantly higher in H pylori-infected group than those in the other two groups. CONCLUSION: Four days’ anti-H pylori therapy was effective in the improvement of H pylori-induced gastric lesions in Mongolian gerbils. PMID:15742400

Glucose supplement reverses the fasting-induced suppression of cellular immunity in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed

Xu, De-Li; Wang, De-Hua

2011-10-01

Glucose plays an important role in immunity. Three day fasting will decrease cellular immunity and blood glucose levels in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that glucose supplement can reverse the fasting-induced suppression in cellular immunity in gerbils. Twenty-eight male gerbils were selected and randomly divided into fed and fasting groups. Half of the gerbils in each group were then provided with either 10% glucose water or pure water. After 66 h, each gerbil was injected with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) solution to challenge cellular immunity. Results showed that glucose supplement restored blood glucose levels in fasted gerbils to those of the fed controls. It also recovered cellular immunity, body fat mass and serum leptin levels in fasted gerbils to the values of the fed controls. Blood glucose levels were positively correlated with body fat mass, leptin levels and cellular immune responses. Thymus and spleen masses, and white blood cells in fasted gerbils were not affected by glucose supplement. In general, our data demonstrate that glucose supplement could reverse fasting-induced suppression of cellular immunity in Mongolian gerbils. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Patterns of burns and scalds in Mongolian children: a hospital-based prospective study.

PubMed

Gerelmaa, Gunsmaa; Tumen-Ulzii, Badarch; Nakahara, Shinji; Ichikawa, Masao

2018-03-01

To describe the circumstances of burn injury occurrence among Mongolian children and the products involved. Study participants were children aged 15 years and younger who were admitted to the Burn Unit of the National Trauma Orthopedic Research Center from August 2015 to July 2016. We collected data on participant demographics and the aetiology and clinical features of their burn injuries, and we analysed the data based on the NOMESCO Classification model. Of 906 children, 83% were aged 0-3 years, 66% were injured around the cooking area in the traditional tent-like dwelling called a ger or a detached house where no specified kitchen exists, and 28% were injured in a kitchen. Burn injuries resulted mostly from exposure to overflowing hot liquids (93%). Electric pots and electric kettles were the products most frequently involved in causing burn injuries (41% and 14%, respectively). Of 601 major burn injuries, 52% were due to electric pots. Moreover, burn injuries inflicted by electric pots were most likely to be major burn injuries (83%). Children typically fell into electric pots, while electric kettles were often pulled down by children. Burn injuries among Mongolian children mainly occurred in cooking area of a ger involving electric pots. The current practice of cooking on the floor should be reconsidered for child burn prevention. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Plant Functional Diversity and Species Diversity in the Mongolian Steppe

PubMed Central

Liu, Guofang; Xie, Xiufang; Ye, Duo; Ye, Xuehua; Tuvshintogtokh, Indree; Mandakh, Bayart; Huang, Zhenying; Dong, Ming

2013-01-01

Background The Mongolian steppe is one of the most important grasslands in the world but suffers from aridization and damage from anthropogenic activities. Understanding structure and function of this community is important for the ecological conservation, but has seldom been investigated. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, a total of 324 quadrats located on the three main types of Mongolian steppes were surveyed. Early-season perennial forbs (37% of total importance value), late-season annual forbs (33%) and late-season perennial forbs (44%) were dominant in meadow, typical and desert steppes, respectively. Species richness, diversity and plant functional type (PFT) richness decreased from the meadow, via typical to desert steppes, but evenness increased; PFT diversity in the desert and meadow steppes was higher than that in typical steppe. However, above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) was far lower in desert steppe than in the other two steppes. In addition, the slope of the relationship between species richness and PFT richness increased from the meadow, via typical to desert steppes. Similarly, with an increase in species diversity, PFT diversity increased more quickly in both the desert and typical steppes than that in meadow steppe. Random resampling suggested that this coordination was partly due to a sampling effect of diversity. Conclusions/Significance These results indicate that desert steppe should be strictly protected because of its limited functional redundancy, which its ecological functioning is sensitive to species loss. In contrast, despite high potential forage production shared by the meadow and typical steppes, management of these two types of steppes should be different: meadow steppe should be preserved due to its higher conservation value characterized by more species redundancy and higher spatial heterogeneity, while typical steppe could be utilized moderately because its dominant grass genus Stipa is resistant to

Food webs in Mongolian grasslands: the analysis of 13C and 15N natural abundances.

PubMed

Kohzu, Ayato; Iwata, T; Kato, M; Nishikawa, J; Wada, Eitaro; Amartuvshin, N; Namkhaidorj, B; Fujita, N

2009-09-01

Overgrazing often lowers species richness and productivity of grassland communities. For Mongolian grassland ecosystems, a lack of detailed information about food-web structures makes it difficult to predict the effects of overgrazing on species diversity and community composition. We analysed the delta13C and delta15N signatures of herbaceous plants, arthropods (grouped by feeding habit), wild and domestic mammals, and humans in central Mongolia to understand the predominant food-web pathways in this grassland ecosystem. The delta13C and delta15N values of mammals showed little variation within species, but varied considerably with slope position for arthropods. The apparent isotopic discrimination between body tissue and hair of mammals was estimated as 2.0 per thousand for delta13C and 2.1 per thousand for delta15N, which was large enough to cause overestimation of the trophic level of mammals if not taken into account when using hair samples to measure isotopic enrichment.

Tetrahydroxanthones from Mongolian medicinal plant Gentianella amarella ssp. acuta.

PubMed

Lu, Shuangxin; Tanaka, Naonobu; Kawazoe, Kazuyoshi; Murakami, Kotaro; Damdinjav, Davaadagva; Dorjbal, Enkhjargal; Kashiwada, Yoshiki

2016-10-01

Two tetrahydroxanthones, 1,3,5S,8S-tetrahydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxanthone (1) and 1,3,5R,8S-tetrahydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxanthone (2), and six new tetrahydroxanthone glycosides, amarellins A-F (3-8), were isolated from the aerial parts of a Mongolian medicinal plant Gentianella amarella ssp. acuta (Gentianaceae). The structures of 1-8 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, chemical conversion, and ECD calculation. Amarellins A-C (3-5) were assigned as 8-O-β-D-glucoside, 8-O-β-D-xyloside, and 1-O-β-D-glucoside of 1, respectively, while amarellins D-F (6-8) were elucidated to be 8-O-β-D-xyloside, 1-O-β-D-glucoside, and 3-O-β-D-glucoside of 2, respectively.

Attack pattern of Platypus koryoensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodidae) in relation to crown dieback of Mongolian oak in Korea

Treesearch

Jung-Su Lee; Robert A. Haack; Won Il. Choi

2011-01-01

The ambrosia beetle, Platypus koryoensis (Murayama), vectors the Korean oak wilt (KOW) pathogen, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae K.H. Kim, Y.J. Choi, & H.D. Shin, in Korea, which is highly lethal to Mongolian oak, Quercus mongolica Fisch., and is considered a major threat to forest ecosystem health. We...

Anthropogenic dust emissions due to livestock trampling in a Mongolian temperate grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munkhtsetseg, Erdenebayar; Shinoda, Masato; Ishizuka, Masahide; Mikami, Masao; Kimura, Reiji; Nikolich, George

2017-09-01

Mongolian grasslands are a natural dust source region and they contribute to anthropogenic dust due to the long tradition of raising livestock there. Past decades of abrupt changes in a nomadic society necessitate a study on the effects of livestock trampling on dust emissions, so that research studies may help maintain a sustainable ecosystem and well-conditioned atmospheric environment. In this study, we conducted a mini wind tunnel experiment (using a PI-SWERL® device) to measure dust emissions fluxes from trampling (at three disturbance levels of livestock density, N) and zero trampling (natural as the background level) at test areas in a Mongolian temperate grassland. Moreover, we scaled anthropogenic dust emissions to natural dust emissions as a relative consequence of livestock trampling. We found a substantial increase in dust emissions due to livestock trampling. This effect of trampling on dust emissions was persistent throughout all wind friction velocities, u* (varying from 0.44 to 0.82 m s-1). Significantly higher dust loading occurs after a certain disturbance level has been reached by the livestock trampling. Our results suggest that both friction velocity (u*) and disturbance level of livestock density (N) have an enormous combinational effect on dust emissions from the trampling test surface. This means that the effect of livestock trampling on dust emissions can be seen or revealed when wind is strong. Our results also emphasize that better management for livestock allocation coupled with strategies to prevent anthropogenic dust loads are needed. However, there are many uncertainties and assumptions to be improved on in this study.

Measuring Family Outcomes Early Intervention: Findings from a Large-Scale Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raspa, Melissa; Bailey, Donald B., Jr.; Olmsted, Murrey G.; Nelson, Robin; Robinson, Nyle; Simpson, Mary Ellen; Guillen, Chelsea; Houts, Renate

2010-01-01

This article reports data from a large-scale assessment using the Family Outcomes Survey with families participating in early intervention. The study was designed to determine how families describe themselves with regard to outcomes achieved, the extent to which outcomes are interrelated, and the extent to which child, family, and program factors…

[Fire behavior of Mongolian oak leaves fuel-bed under no-wind and zero-slope conditions. I. Factors affecting fire spread rate and modeling].

PubMed

Jin, Sen; Liu, Bo-Fei; Di, Xue-Ying; Chu, Teng-Fei; Zhang, Ji-Li

2012-01-01

Aimed to understand the fire behavior of Mongolian oak leaves fuel-bed under field condition, the leaves of a secondary Mongolian oak forest in Northeast Forestry University experimental forest farm were collected and brought into laboratory to construct fuel-beds with varied loading, height, and moisture content, and a total of 100 experimental fires were burned under no-wind and zero-slope conditions. It was observed that the fire spread rate of the fuel-beds was less than 0.5 m x min(-1). Fuel-bed loading, height, and moisture contents all had significant effects on the fire spread rate. The effect of fuel-bed moisture content on the fire spread had no significant correlations with fuel-bed loading and height, but the effect of fuel-bed height was related to the fuel-bed loading. The packing ratio of fuel-beds had less effect on the fire spread rate. Taking the fuel-bed loading, height, and moisture content as predictive variables, a prediction model for the fire spread rate of Mongolian oak leaves fuel-bed was established, which could explain 83% of the variance of the fire spread rate, with a mean absolute error 0.04 m x min(-1) and a mean relative error less than 17%.

Changing Climate and Overgrazing Are Decimating Mongolian Steppes

PubMed Central

Liu, Yi Y.; Evans, Jason P.; McCabe, Matthew F.; de Jeu, Richard A. M.; van Dijk, Albert I. J. M.; Dolman, Albertus J.; Saizen, Izuru

2013-01-01

Satellite observations identify the Mongolian steppes as a hotspot of global biomass reduction, the extent of which is comparable with tropical rainforest deforestation. To conserve or restore these grasslands, the relative contributions of climate and human activities to degradation need to be understood. Here we use a recently developed 21-year (1988–2008) record of satellite based vegetation optical depth (VOD, a proxy for vegetation water content and aboveground biomass), to show that nearly all steppe grasslands in Mongolia experienced significant decreases in VOD. Approximately 60% of the VOD declines can be directly explained by variations in rainfall and surface temperature. After removing these climate induced influences, a significant decreasing trend still persists in the VOD residuals across regions of Mongolia. Correlations in spatial patterns and temporal trends suggest that a marked increase in goat density with associated grazing pressures and wild fires are the most likely non-climatic factors behind grassland degradation. PMID:23451249

Changing climate and overgrazing are decimating Mongolian steppes.

PubMed

Liu, Yi Y; Evans, Jason P; McCabe, Matthew F; de Jeu, Richard A M; van Dijk, Albert I J M; Dolman, Albertus J; Saizen, Izuru

2013-01-01

Satellite observations identify the Mongolian steppes as a hotspot of global biomass reduction, the extent of which is comparable with tropical rainforest deforestation. To conserve or restore these grasslands, the relative contributions of climate and human activities to degradation need to be understood. Here we use a recently developed 21-year (1988-2008) record of satellite based vegetation optical depth (VOD, a proxy for vegetation water content and aboveground biomass), to show that nearly all steppe grasslands in Mongolia experienced significant decreases in VOD. Approximately 60% of the VOD declines can be directly explained by variations in rainfall and surface temperature. After removing these climate induced influences, a significant decreasing trend still persists in the VOD residuals across regions of Mongolia. Correlations in spatial patterns and temporal trends suggest that a marked increase in goat density with associated grazing pressures and wild fires are the most likely non-climatic factors behind grassland degradation.

The investigation of probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional Mongolian dairy products.

PubMed

Takeda, Shiro; Yamasaki, Keiko; Takeshita, Masahiko; Kikuchi, Yukiharu; Tsend-Ayush, Chuluunbat; Dashnyam, Bumbein; Ahhmed, Abdulatef M; Kawahara, Satoshi; Muguruma, Michio

2011-08-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional Mongolian dairy products, and to estimate the probiotic potential of the isolated strains. We collected 66 samples of the traditional Mongolian dairy products tarag (n = 45), airag (n = 7), aaruul (n = 8), byasulag (n = 1) and eezgii (n = 5), from which 543 LAB strains were isolated and identified based on 16S ribosomal DNA sequence. The predominant species of those products were Lactobacillus (L.) delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, L. helveticus, L. fermentum, L. delbrueckii ssp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis. However, we could not detect any LAB strains from eezgii. All LAB isolates were screened for tolerance to low pH and to bile acid, gas production from glucose, and adherence to Caco-2 cells. In vitro, we found 10 strains possess probiotic properties, and almost identified them as L. plantarum or L. paracasei subspecies, based on 16S ribosomal DNA and carbohydrate fermentation pattern. These strains were differentiated from each other individually by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. Additionally, it was notable that 6/10 strains were isolated from camel milk tarag from the Dornogovi province. 2011 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2011 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Familial pattern of large vestibular aqueduct syndrome in a Chinese family

PubMed Central

Hazmi, Mohd; Ab Aziz, A.; Asma, A.

2013-01-01

Large Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome (LVAS) is the most common radiographic malformation in children with early onset of hearing loss. Usually its occurrence is non-familial, however intriguingly a portion of patients with LVAS is found to have evidence of genetic predisposition. We described cases of LVAS in two siblings of a Chinese family. The elder sister first presented with reduced hearing since childhood and her brother has a similar complaint upon further questioning. Their hearing test showed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and computed tomography (CT) of temporal bone showed enlarged vestibular aqueduct in both patients. We described an approach to diagnosis of LVAS and highlight the importance of hearing assessment in genetic link hearing loss. PMID:27034633

Environmental effects on the ontogeny of exploratory and escape behaviors of Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Clark, M M; Galet, B G

1982-03-01

Mongolian gerbils reared in standard laboratory cages and gerbils reared in cages containing a burrowlike shelter did not differ in their rate of development of escape responses to sudden visual stimulation. The presence of shelter in the rearing environment did, however, markedly slow the development of adult-like patterns of exploration. Reduced exposure to illumination, experienced by shelter-reared subjects, proved responsible for this retardation of development. The effect of shelter-rearing on the development of exploratory behavior is interpreted as demonstrating an environmentally induced maintenance of an adaptive juvenile pattern of behavior.

Management applicability of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis across Mongolian rangeland ecosystems.

PubMed

Sasaki, Takehiro; Okubo, Satoru; Okayasu, Tomoo; Jamsran, Undarmaa; Ohkuro, Toshiya; Takeuchi, Kazuhiko

2009-03-01

The current growing body of evidence for diversity-disturbance relationships suggests that the peaked pattern predicted by the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) may not be the rule. Even if ecologists could quantify the diversity-disturbance relationship consistent with the IDH, the applicability of the IDH to land management has rarely been addressed. We examined two hypotheses related to the generality and management applicability of the IDH to Mongolian rangeland ecosystems: that the diversity-disturbance relationship varies as a function of landscape condition and that some intermediate scales of grazing can play an important role in terms of sustainable rangeland management through a grazing gradient approach. We quantified the landscape condition of each ecological site using an ordination technique and determined two types of landscape conditions: relatively benign and harsh environmental conditions. At the ecological sites characterized by relatively benign environmental conditions, diversity-disturbance relationships were generally consistent with the IDH, and maximum diversity was observed at some intermediate distance from the source of the grazing gradient. In contrast, the IDH was not supported at most (but not all) sites characterized by relatively harsh environmental conditions. The intermediate levels of grazing were generally located below the ecological threshold representing the points or zones at which disturbance should be limited to prevent drastic changes in ecological conditions, suggesting that there is little "conundrum" with regard to intermediate disturbance in the studied systems in terms of land management. We suggest that the landscape condition is one of the primary factors that cause inconsistencies in diversity-disturbance relationships. The ecological threshold can extend its utility in rangeland management because it also has the compatibility with the maintenance of species diversity. This study thus suggests that some

Geochemical and Sm-Nd isotope-geochemical patterns of metavolcanic rocks, diabase, and metagabbroids on the northeastern flank of the South Mongolian-Khingan orogenic belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, Yu. V.; Sorokin, A. A.

2017-05-01

The first results of geochemical and Sm-Nd isotope-geochemical studies of metavolcanic rocks, metagabbroids, and diabase of the Nora-Sukhotino terrane, the least studied part of the South Mongolian-Khingan orogenic belt in the system of the Central Asian orogenic belt are reported. It is established that the basic rocks composing this terrane include varieties comparable with E-MORB, tholeiitic, and calc-alkaline basalt of island arc, calc-alkaline gabbro-diabase, and gabbroids of island arcs. Most likely, these formations should be correlated with metabasalt and associated Late Ordovician gabbro-amphibolite of the Sukdulkin "block" of the South Mongolian-Khingan orogenic belt, which are similar to tholeiite of intraplate island arcs by their geochemical characteristics.

Assessing plant senescence reflectance index-retrieved vegetation phenology and its spatiotemporal response to climate change in the Inner Mongolian Grassland.

PubMed

Ren, Shilong; Chen, Xiaoqiu; An, Shuai

2017-04-01

Plant phenology is a key link for controlling interactions between climate change and biogeochemical cycles. Satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has been extensively used to detect plant phenology at regional scales. Here, we introduced a new vegetation index, plant senescence reflectance index (PSRI), and determined PSRI-derived start (SOS) and end (EOS) dates of the growing season using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data from 2000 to 2011 in the Inner Mongolian Grassland. Then, we validated the reliability of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates using NDVI-derived SOS and EOS dates. Moreover, we conducted temporal and spatial correlation analyses between PSRI-derived SOS/EOS date and climatic factors and revealed spatiotemporal patterns of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates across the entire research region at pixel scales. Results show that PSRI has similar performance with NDVI in extracting SOS and EOS dates in the Inner Mongolian Grassland. Precipitation regime is the key climate driver of interannual variation of grassland phenology, while temperature and precipitation regimes are the crucial controlling factors of spatial differentiation of grassland phenology. Thus, PSRI-derived vegetation phenology can effectively reflect land surface vegetation dynamics and its response to climate change. Moreover, a significant linear trend of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates was detected only at small portions of pixels, which is consistent with that of greenup and brownoff dates of herbaceous plant species in the Inner Mongolian Grassland. Overall, PSRI is a useful and robust metric in addition to NDVI for monitoring land surface grassland phenology.

Assessing Plant Senescence Reflectance Index retrieved vegetation phenology and its spatiotemporal response to climate change in the Inner Mongolian Grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, S.; Chen, X.; An, S.

2016-12-01

Other than green vegetation indices, Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI) is sensitive to carotenoids/chlorophyll ratio in plant leaves, and shows a reversed bell curve during the growing season. Up to now, performances of PSRI in monitoring vegetation phenology are still unclear. Here, we used Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data from 2000 to 2011 to determine PSRI-derived start (SOS) and end (EOS) dates of the growing season in the Inner Mongolian Grassland, and validated the reliability of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived SOS and EOS dates. Then, we conducted temporal and spatial correlation analyses between SOS/EOS date and climatic factors. Moreover, we revealed spatiotemporal patterns of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates across the entire research region at pixel scales. Results show that PSRI has similar performance with NDVI in extracting SOS and EOS dates in the Inner Mongolian Grassland. Precipitation regime is the key climate driver of interannual variation of grassland phenology, while temperature and precipitation regimes are the crucial controlling factors of spatial differentiation of grassland phenology. Thus, PSRI-derived vegetation phenology can effectively reflect land surface vegetation dynamics and its response to climate change. Moreover, significant linear trend of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates was detected only at small portions of pixels, which is consistent with that of greenup and brownoff dates of herbaceous plant species in the Inner Mongolian Grassland. Overall, PSRI is a useful and robust metric in addition to NDVI for monitoring land surface grassland phenology.

Assessing plant senescence reflectance index-retrieved vegetation phenology and its spatiotemporal response to climate change in the Inner Mongolian Grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Shilong; Chen, Xiaoqiu; An, Shuai

2017-04-01

Plant phenology is a key link for controlling interactions between climate change and biogeochemical cycles. Satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has been extensively used to detect plant phenology at regional scales. Here, we introduced a new vegetation index, plant senescence reflectance index (PSRI), and determined PSRI-derived start (SOS) and end (EOS) dates of the growing season using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data from 2000 to 2011 in the Inner Mongolian Grassland. Then, we validated the reliability of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates using NDVI-derived SOS and EOS dates. Moreover, we conducted temporal and spatial correlation analyses between PSRI-derived SOS/EOS date and climatic factors and revealed spatiotemporal patterns of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates across the entire research region at pixel scales. Results show that PSRI has similar performance with NDVI in extracting SOS and EOS dates in the Inner Mongolian Grassland. Precipitation regime is the key climate driver of interannual variation of grassland phenology, while temperature and precipitation regimes are the crucial controlling factors of spatial differentiation of grassland phenology. Thus, PSRI-derived vegetation phenology can effectively reflect land surface vegetation dynamics and its response to climate change. Moreover, a significant linear trend of PSRI-derived SOS and EOS dates was detected only at small portions of pixels, which is consistent with that of greenup and brownoff dates of herbaceous plant species in the Inner Mongolian Grassland. Overall, PSRI is a useful and robust metric in addition to NDVI for monitoring land surface grassland phenology.

Halolike Phenomenon Around a Café au Lait Spot Superimposed on a Mongolian Spot.

PubMed

Neri, Iria; Lambertini, Martina; Tengattini, Vera; Rivalta, Beatrice; Patrizi, Annalisa

2017-05-01

An 8-month-old Caucasian infant with neurofibromatosis type 1 presented with a congenital plexiform neurofibroma and multiple café au lait spots. A pale area surrounded one of the café au lait spots located on the left gluteus in the area of dermal melanocytosis. This halolike phenomenon results from the disappearance of the Mongolian spot around the café au lait spots, revealing normal pigmented skin. This sign has been described rarely in the literature and the pathogenic mechanism is unclear. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ß-Carotene from Red Carrot Maintains Vitamin A Status, but Lycopene Bioavailability Is Lower Relative to Tomato Paste in Mongolian Gerbils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Red carrots contain lycopene in addition to ß-Carotene. The utility of red carrot as a functional food depends in part on the bioavailability of its constituent carotenoids. Lycopene bioavailability was compared in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) fed freeze-dried red carrot and tomato pa...

Study of a large Anglo-Saxon family with beta-thalassaemia trait.

PubMed

Raik, E; Powell, E; Gordon, S

1976-01-01

Study of a large Anglo-Saxon family with beta-thalassaemia trait revealed evidence of consanguinity, moreover both branches of the family shared a Spanish ancestor. The manifestations of the disorder were varied in severity and yet the degree of severity appeared to breed true within any individual part of the family. Our explanation for the inheritance pattern observed in the family was to postulate the existence of two non-allelic genes influencing the rate of beta-chain synthesis.

New Sequences with Low Correlation and Large Family Size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Fanxin

In direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) communication systems and direct-sequence ultra wideband (DS-UWB) radios, sequences with low correlation and large family size are important for reducing multiple access interference (MAI) and accepting more active users, respectively. In this paper, a new collection of families of sequences of length pn-1, which includes three constructions, is proposed. The maximum number of cyclically distinct families without GMW sequences in each construction is φ(pn-1)/n·φ(pm-1)/m, where p is a prime number, n is an even number, and n=2m, and these sequences can be binary or polyphase depending upon choice of the parameter p. In Construction I, there are pn distinct sequences within each family and the new sequences have at most d+2 nontrivial periodic correlation {-pm-1, -1, pm-1, 2pm-1,…,dpm-1}. In Construction II, the new sequences have large family size p2n and possibly take the nontrivial correlation values in {-pm-1, -1, pm-1, 2pm-1,…,(3d-4)pm-1}. In Construction III, the new sequences possess the largest family size p(d-1)n and have at most 2d correlation levels {-pm-1, -1,pm-1, 2pm-1,…,(2d-2)pm-1}. Three constructions are near-optimal with respect to the Welch bound because the values of their Welch-Ratios are moderate, WR_??_d, WR_??_3d-4 and WR_??_2d-2, respectively. Each family in Constructions I, II and III contains a GMW sequence. In addition, Helleseth sequences and Niho sequences are special cases in Constructions I and III, and their restriction conditions to the integers m and n, pm≠2 (mod 3) and n≅0 (mod 4), respectively, are removed in our sequences. Our sequences in Construction III include the sequences with Niho type decimation 3·2m-2, too. Finally, some open questions are pointed out and an example that illustrates the performance of these sequences is given.

Opiate receptor binding in the brain of the seizure sensitive Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed

Lee, R J; Olsen, R W; Lomax, P; McCabe, R T; Wamsley, J K

1984-12-01

Opiate receptor binding was studied in seizure sensitive (SS) and seizure resistant (SR) strains of the Mongolian gerbil. Cryostat sections of the brain were labeled with [3H]-dihydromorphine, subjected to autoradiography and analysed by microdensitometry. SS gerbils, prior to seizure induction, demonstrated overall greater brain opiate binding when compared to SR animals. Immediately following a seizure, binding in the interpeduncular nucleus fell to levels found in SR animals. The increased opiate binding in the SS (pre-seizure) compared to SR gerbils could reflect a deficit of endogenous ligand which could underlie the seizure diathesis in the gerbil.

The Perceptions and Views on Family Interaction and Relationships of Middle Children from Large Families: An Informal Mini Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Elena C. Thomas

In Adler's Theory of Individual Psychology the significance of birth order position in the family constellation depends on the interpretation given to it by the child, which in turn influences his character. This study surveyed the perceptions of middle children in large families. Subjects (N=13) were middle children in families of more than five…

Electron counting and a large family of two-dimensional semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Maosheng; Botana, Jorge; Zurek, Eva; Liu, Jingyao; Yang, Wen

Two-dimensional semiconductors (2DSC) are currently the focus of many studies, thanks to their novel and superior transport properties that may greatly influence future electronic devices. The potential applications of 2DSCs range from low-dimensional electronics, topological insulators and vallytronics all the way to novel photolysis. However, compared with the conventional semiconductors that are comprised of main group elements and cover a large range of band gaps and lattice constants, the choice of 2D materials is very limited. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a large family of 2DSCs, all adopting the same structure and consisting of only main group elements. Using advanced density functional calculations, we demonstrate the attainability of these materials, and show that they cover a large range of lattice constants, band gaps and band edge states, making them good candidate materials for heterojunctions. This family of two dimensional materials may be instrumental in the fabrication of 2DSC devices that may rival the currently employed 3D semiconductors.

Mechanism of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture in treating insomnia by regulating miR-101a in rats with insomnia.

PubMed

Bo, Agula; Si, Lengge; Wang, Yuehong; Bao, Lidao; Yuan, Hongwei

2017-07-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) and the target genes before and after warm acupuncture at the genetic level were assessed, and the cytokines and neurotransmitters related to insomnia were studied. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to create PCPA insomnia rat models and randomly divided into the normal, model, warm acupuncture, and drug groups. The Dinghui Acupoint, Heyi Acupoint, and Xin Acupoint were inserted in the Mongolian medicine warm acupuncture group. The differential expression profile of microRNA in the brain tissue of the insomnia rats was determined before and after Mongolian medicine warm acupuncture for establishment of miR-101a mimics and inhibitor. qPCR was used to detect the expression level of miR-101a. Western blotting was used to detect the expression level of PAX8. The rats receiving Mongolian medicine warm acupuncture had 141 miRNAs with differential expression compared with the normal rats. The expression level of miR-101a in the cells of the hippocampus of the insomnia rats transfected with miR-101a mimics increased significantly at 72 h (P<0.05). The activity of the neuronal cells transfected with miR-101a inhibitor increased significantly at 72 h (P<0.05). The western blotting result indicated that the expression of the PAX8 protein in the neuronal cells of the insomnia model rats was inhibited and downregulated significantly at 72 h after addition of miR-101a mimics compared with that in the scramble added group (P<0.01). The levels of the interleukins IL-1, IL-2, and IL-6 and the tumor necrosis factor-α in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex decreased significantly compared with those in the blank control group (P<0.05). The levels of noradrenaline, dopamine, and glutamic decreased significantly following warm acupuncture or western medicine treatment (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the upregulation of miR-101a in the rats treated with warm acupuncture is directly associated with PAX8 regulation.

Mechanism of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture in treating insomnia by regulating miR-101a in rats with insomnia

PubMed Central

Bo, Agula; Si, Lengge; Wang, Yuehong; Bao, Lidao; Yuan, Hongwei

2017-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) and the target genes before and after warm acupuncture at the genetic level were assessed, and the cytokines and neurotransmitters related to insomnia were studied. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to create PCPA insomnia rat models and randomly divided into the normal, model, warm acupuncture, and drug groups. The Dinghui Acupoint, Heyi Acupoint, and Xin Acupoint were inserted in the Mongolian medicine warm acupuncture group. The differential expression profile of microRNA in the brain tissue of the insomnia rats was determined before and after Mongolian medicine warm acupuncture for establishment of miR-101a mimics and inhibitor. qPCR was used to detect the expression level of miR-101a. Western blotting was used to detect the expression level of PAX8. The rats receiving Mongolian medicine warm acupuncture had 141 miRNAs with differential expression compared with the normal rats. The expression level of miR-101a in the cells of the hippocampus of the insomnia rats transfected with miR-101a mimics increased significantly at 72 h (P<0.05). The activity of the neuronal cells transfected with miR-101a inhibitor increased significantly at 72 h (P<0.05). The western blotting result indicated that the expression of the PAX8 protein in the neuronal cells of the insomnia model rats was inhibited and downregulated significantly at 72 h after addition of miR-101a mimics compared with that in the scramble added group (P<0.01). The levels of the interleukins IL-1, IL-2, and IL-6 and the tumor necrosis factor-α in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex decreased significantly compared with those in the blank control group (P<0.05). The levels of noradrenaline, dopamine, and glutamic decreased significantly following warm acupuncture or western medicine treatment (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the upregulation of miR-101a in the rats treated with warm acupuncture is directly associated with PAX8 regulation. PMID

Traditional Mongolian medicine Eerdun Wurile improves stroke recovery through regulation of gene expression in rat brain.

PubMed

Gaowa, Saren; Bao, Narisi; Da, Man; Qiburi, Qiburi; Ganbold, Tsogzolmaa; Chen, Lu; Altangerel, Altanzul; Temuqile, Temuqile; Baigude, Huricha

2018-05-16

Eerdun Wurile (EW) is one of the key Mongolian medicines for treatment of neurological and cardiological disorders. EW is ranked most regularly used Mongolian medicine in clinic. Components of EW which mainly originate from natural products are well defined and are unique to Mongolian medicine. Although the recipe of EW contains known neuroactive chemicals originated from plants, its mechanism of action has never been elucidated at molecular level. The objective of the present study is to explore the mechanism of neuroregenerative activity of EW by focusing on the regulation of gene expression in the brain of rat model of stroke. Rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models were treated with EW for 15 days. Then, total RNAs from the cerebral cortex of rat MCAO models treated with either EW or control (saline) were extracted and analyzed by transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed for their functions during the recovery of ischemic stroke. The expression level of significantly differentially expressed genes such as growth factors, microglia markers and secretive enzymes in the lesion was further validated by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Previously identified neuroactive compounds, such as geniposide (Yu et al., 2009), myristicin (Shin et al., 1988), costunolide (Okugawa et al., 1996), toosendanin (Shi and Chen, 1999) were detected in EW formulation. Bederson scale indicated that the treatment of rat MCAO models with EW showed significantly lowered neurological deficits (p < 0.01). The regional cerebral blood circulation was also remarkably higher in rat MCAO models treated with EW compared to the control group. A total of 186 genes were upregulated in the lesion of rat MCAO models treated with EW compared to control group. Among them, growth factors such as Igf1 (p < 0.05), Igf2 (p < 0.01), Grn (p < 0.01) were significantly upregulated in brain after treatment of rat MCAO models with EW. Meanwhile, greatly

Climate impact and adaptation of husbandry on the Mongolian plateau: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, L.; Cui, X.

2015-12-01

There has been an evolution in the treatment of regional aspects of climate and land use change: from a patchwork of case examples towards a more systematic coverage of regional issues at continental and sub-continental scales in the latest Intergovernmental panel on climate change, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The region of Inner Asia has long been characterised by important cultural, economic, and ecological ties that transcend international borders, including a common steppe environment, a long history of mobile pastoralism, as well as comparable experiences of socialist and postsocialist transformation. In this research, we focused on the study of the Mongolian Plateau located in eastern Inner Asia, since climate change has already had large impacts on grassland and local households. We explored how the vegetation and animal husbandry responses to climate change in comparison between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. Our central question then was: how are people in different parts of Inner Mongolia and the Republic of Mongolia are experiencing and responding to climate change across a common grassland environment as a result of the differing social, economic, political, and ecological conditions within each particular state? We believe that comparative and interdisciplinary investigation offers the best prospect for the evaluation of the differing trajectories currently being followed by each Inner Asian state, and the anticipation of the likely effects on the societies and environment of the region in the future.

Airfoil family design for large offshore wind turbine blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Méndez, B.; Munduate, X.; San Miguel, U.

2014-06-01

Wind turbine blades size has scaled-up during last years due to wind turbine platform increase especially for offshore applications. The EOLIA project 2007-2010 (Spanish Goverment funded project) was focused on the design of large offshore wind turbines for deep waters. The project was managed by ACCIONA Energia and the wind turbine technology was designed by ACCIONA Windpower. The project included the design of a wind turbine airfoil family especially conceived for large offshore wind turbine blades, in the order of 5MW machine. Large offshore wind turbines suffer high extreme loads due to their size, in addition the lack of noise restrictions allow higher tip speeds. Consequently, the airfoils presented in this work are designed for high Reynolds numbers with the main goal of reducing blade loads and mantainig power production. The new airfoil family was designed in collaboration with CENER (Spanish National Renewable Energy Centre). The airfoil family was designed using a evolutionary algorithm based optimization tool with different objectives, both aerodynamic and structural, coupled with an airfoil geometry generation tool. Force coefficients of the designed airfoil were obtained using the panel code XFOIL in which the boundary layer/inviscid flow coupling is ineracted via surface transpiration model. The desing methodology includes a novel technique to define the objective functions based on normalizing the functions using weight parameters created from data of airfoils used as reference. Four airfoils have been designed, here three of them will be presented, with relative thickness of 18%, 21%, 25%, which have been verified with the in-house CFD code, Wind Multi Block WMB, and later validated with wind tunnel experiments. Some of the objectives for the designed airfoils concern the aerodynamic behavior (high efficiency and lift, high tangential coefficient, insensitivity to rough conditions, etc.), others concern the geometry (good for structural design

Phakomatosis pigmentovascularis: Implications for severity with special reference to Mongolian spots associated with Sturge-Weber and Klippel-Trenaunay syndromes.

PubMed

Hall, Bryan D; Cadle, Ronald G; Morrill-Cornelius, Shannon M; Bay, Carolyn A

2007-12-15

In 1947 the term phakomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV) was coined to represent the association of widespread, aberrant, and persistent nevus flammeus and pigmentary abnormalities. Four types of PPV have been recognized with type II (nevus flammeus and Mongolian spots) being the most common. Most early cases were of Asian or African descent. Many cases were subsequently associated with Sturge-Weber (S-W) and Klippel-Trenaunay (K-T) syndromes. Almost no literature reports have appeared in the genetic or dysmorphology literature! We present six cases of PPV in which five were either African, Asian or Hispanic, and five of six had an admixture of K-T and S-W. Four had macrocephaly, and one had microcephaly. Four had CNS abnormalities (three with hydrocephalus, one with Arnold-Chiari and one with polymicrogyria), three had mental retardation, and one had seizures. One each had thumb hypoplasia, hydronephrosis, glaucoma, coronal synostosis, and 3-4 finger syndactyly. It is our suspicion and hypothesis that in the presence of persistent, extensive and aberrant Mongolian spots, vascular abnormalities as are seen in K-T and S-W carry a worse prognosis. This may be particularly true either of children of Asian, Hispanic or African heritage or any individuals from darker pigmented skin groups. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Clinical expression of developmental coordination disorder in a large Canadian family

PubMed Central

Gaines, Robin; Collins, David; Boycott, Kym; Missiuna, Cheryl; DeLaat, Denise; Soucie, Helen

2008-01-01

Previous studies of the phenotype of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have largely concentrated on population-based samples. The present study reports on an in-depth examination of a large Canadian family with eight children, after three children who were suspected to have DCD were referred for evaluation. Subsequently, five of the six children whose motor impairments could be measured, and the mother, met the diagnostic criteria for DCD as per the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – fourth edition. The family members diagnosed with DCD showed remarkably similar profiles of motor difficulties. Additionally, the five children diagnosed with DCD had current speech articulation difficulties, with four of them having visited speech/language pathologists; the mother had a lateral lisp. More in-depth testing for three children revealed intact intellectual, academic and language comprehension skills. Three of the children diagnosed with DCD were obese. The present report highlights familial clustering of DCD and the presence of comorbid conditions in the affected children. PMID:19436536

Malaysia: where big is still better. For Malays, large families are part of the plan.

PubMed

1993-11-03

The benefits of various-sized families in Malaysia were discussed by several women and supplemented with official statements on family planning (FP). The Director of the National Population and Family Development, Dr. Raj Karim, advised that maternal health is jeopardized when women have more than five children. About 30% of reproductive age women in Malaysia have five or more children. A Federation of FP Associations spokesperson agreed that women should be advised of the dangers of bearing over five children, of the importance of spacing births two to four years apart, and of the ideal age of childbearing (21-39 years). The government lacks an official policy on family size. The government position is, however, compatible with Islamic teachings on spacing in order to protect the health of the mother and child. Islamic law does not permit sterilization or abortion. The "fatwas" of Islamic teaching may have been misconstrued by those not using any form of contraception. Dr. Karim, who has five children, reported that having a large family can be difficult for a woman with a job, a career, and a husband or when both parents work. Most Malays desire large families. The average Malay family size was 4.1 children in 1990; Malaysian Chinese have fertility of 2.3 children and Malaysian Indians have 2.6 children. People say that the benefits outweigh the hardships of a large family.

Ocular larva migrans caused by Toxocara cati in Mongolian gerbils and a comparison of ophthalmologic findings with those produced by T. canis.

PubMed

Akao, N; Takayanagi, T H; Suzuki, R; Tsukidate, S; Fujita, K

2000-10-01

To elucidate the pathogenic potential of Toxocara cari, we observed the ophthalmologic changes of the fundi in Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, after oral inoculation of 17 embryonated eggs/g body weight. Ophthalmic conditions in 8 T. cati-infected gerbils were monitored using an ophthalmoscope from day 0 to day 156 and were compared with those of 57 T. canis-infected gerbils. The results showed that T. cati larvae migrated into the eye of the gerbil and then elicited ophthalmic changes, including retinal (25%) and vitreous (50%) hemorrhaging, vasculitis (37.5%), and exudative lesions (25%). Lesions were less prevalent, however, in T. cati-infected than in T. canis-infected gerbils. Unlike in T. canis-infected gerbils, the hemorrhagic lesions did not reappear in T. cati-infected gerbils after they were absorbed. These findings suggested that T. cati larvae are a potentially hazardous pathogen for ocular toxocariasis and that Mongolian gerbils infected with T. cati may be a useful model for the study of human ocular toxocariasis caused by T. cati. This is the first study to report that T. cati larvae can induce ophthalmic lesions in the retina of gerbils.

Remote sensing monitoring the spatio-temporal changes of aridification in the Mongolian Plateau based on the general Ts-NDVI space, 1981-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xiaoming; Feng, Yiming; Wang, Juanle

2017-06-01

This paper has developed a general Ts-NDVI triangle space with vegetation index time-series data from AVHRR and MODIS to monitor soil moisture in the Mongolian Plateau during 1981-2012, and studied the spatio-temporal variations of drought based on the temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI). The results indicated that (1) the developed general Ts-NDVI space extracted from the AVHRR and MODIS remote sensing data would be an effective method to monitor regional drought, moreover, it would be more meaningful if the single time Ts-NDVI space showed an unstable condition; (2) the inverted TVDI was expected to reflect the water deficit in the study area. It was found to be in close negative agreement with precipitation and 10 cm soil moisture; (3) in the Mongolian Plateau, TVDI presented a zonal distribution with changes in land use/land cover types, vegetation cover and latitude. The soil moisture is low in bare land, construction land and grassland. During 1981-2012, drought was widely spread throughout the plateau, and aridification was obvious in the study period. Vegetation degradation, overgrazing, and climate warming could be considered as the main reasons.

Family Ratings of Communication Largely Reflect Expressive Language and Conversation-Level Ability in People With Aphasia.

PubMed

Fucetola, Robert; Tabor Connor, Lisa

2015-11-01

Family ratings of communication and social interactions represent an important source of information about people with aphasia. Because of the reliance on family/partner ratings as an outcome measure in many aphasia treatment studies and in the clinic, there is a great need for the validation of commonly used family/partner rating measures, and a better understanding of predictors of family ratings of communication. The communication ability of 130 individuals with aphasia due to neurologic illness was rated by family members/partners on the Communicative Effectiveness Index (CETI; Lomas et al., 1989). Information on aphasia severity, mood, quality of life, nonverbal cognitive functioning, and various demographic factors was collected. Principal component analysis confirmed a 2-factor model best represents the relationships among CETI rating items, and this model largely consists of a conversation-level ability factor. Family ratings were largely predicted by the patient's expressive (not receptive) language but also patient self-perceived quality of communication life. Family/partners typically rate the effectiveness of communication based largely on expressive language, despite the fact that other aspects of the aphasia (e.g., listening comprehension) are as important for everyday communication.

Long-Term Grazing Exclusion Improves the Composition and Stability of Soil Organic Matter in Inner Mongolian Grasslands

PubMed Central

Wang, Chunyan; He, Nianpeng; Zhang, Jinjing; Lv, Yuliang; Wang, Li

2015-01-01

Alteration of the composition of soil organic matter (SOM) in Inner Mongolian grassland soils associated with the duration of grazing exclusion (GE) has been considered an important index for evaluating the restoring effects of GE practice. By using five plots from a grassland succession series from free grazing to 31-year GE, we measured the content of soil organic carbon (SOC), humic acid carbon (HAC), fulvic acid carbon (FAC), humin carbon (HUC), and humic acid structure to evaluate the changes in SOM composition. The results showed that SOC, HUC, and the ratios of HAC/FAC and HAC/extractable humus carbon (C) increased significantly with prolonged GE duration, and their relationships can be well fitted by positive exponential equations, except for FAC. In contrast, the HAC content increased logarithmically with prolonged GE duration. Long-term GE enhanced the content of SOC and soil humification, which was obvious after more than 10 years of GE. Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the ratios of alkyl C/O-alkyl C first decreased, and then remained stable with prolonged GE. Alternately, the ratios of aromaticity and hydrophobicity first increased, and then were maintained at relatively stable levels. Thus, a decade of GE improved the composition and structure of SOM in semiarid grassland soil and made it more stable. These findings provide new evidence to support the positive effects of long-term GE on soil SOC sequestration in the Inner Mongolian grasslands, in view of the improvement of SOM structure and stability. PMID:26057249

Long-Term Grazing Exclusion Improves the Composition and Stability of Soil Organic Matter in Inner Mongolian Grasslands.

PubMed

Wang, Chunyan; He, Nianpeng; Zhang, Jinjing; Lv, Yuliang; Wang, Li

2015-01-01

Alteration of the composition of soil organic matter (SOM) in Inner Mongolian grassland soils associated with the duration of grazing exclusion (GE) has been considered an important index for evaluating the restoring effects of GE practice. By using five plots from a grassland succession series from free grazing to 31-year GE, we measured the content of soil organic carbon (SOC), humic acid carbon (HAC), fulvic acid carbon (FAC), humin carbon (HUC), and humic acid structure to evaluate the changes in SOM composition. The results showed that SOC, HUC, and the ratios of HAC/FAC and HAC/extractable humus carbon (C) increased significantly with prolonged GE duration, and their relationships can be well fitted by positive exponential equations, except for FAC. In contrast, the HAC content increased logarithmically with prolonged GE duration. Long-term GE enhanced the content of SOC and soil humification, which was obvious after more than 10 years of GE. Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the ratios of alkyl C/O-alkyl C first decreased, and then remained stable with prolonged GE. Alternately, the ratios of aromaticity and hydrophobicity first increased, and then were maintained at relatively stable levels. Thus, a decade of GE improved the composition and structure of SOM in semiarid grassland soil and made it more stable. These findings provide new evidence to support the positive effects of long-term GE on soil SOC sequestration in the Inner Mongolian grasslands, in view of the improvement of SOM structure and stability.

Microbial processes and factors controlling their activities in alkaline lakes of the Mongolian plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namsaraev, Zorigto B.; Zaitseva, Svetlana V.; Gorlenko, Vladimir M.; Kozyreva, Ludmila P.; Namsaraev, Bair B.

2015-11-01

A striking feature of the Mongolian plateau is the wide range of air temperatures during a year, -30 to 30°C. High summer temperatures, atmospheric weathering and the arid climate lead to formation of numerous alkaline soda lakes that are covered by ice during 6-7 months per year. During the study period, the lakes had pH values between 8.1 to 10.4 and salinity between 1.8 and 360 g/L. According to chemical composition, the lakes belong to sodium carbonate, sodium chloride-carbonate and sodium sulfate-carbonate types. This paper presents the data on the water chemical composition, results of the determination of the rates of microbial processes in microbial mats and sediments in the lakes studied, and the results of a Principal Component Analysis of environmental variables and microbial activity data. Temperature was the most important factor that influenced both chemical composition and microbial activity. pH and salinity are also important factors for the microbial processes. Dark CO2 fixation is impacted mostly by salinity and the chemical composition of the lake water. Total photosynthesis and sulfate-reduction are impacted mostly by pH. Photosynthesis is the dominant process of primary production, but the highest rate (386 mg C/(L•d)) determined in the lakes studied were 2-3 times lower than in microbial mats of lakes located in tropical zones. This can be explained by the relatively short warm period that lasts only 3-4 months per year. The highest measured rate of dark CO2 assimilation (59.8 mg C/(L•d)) was much lower than photosynthesis. The highest rate of sulfate reduction was 60 mg S/(L•d), while that of methanogenesis was 75.6 μL CN4/(L•d) in the alkaline lakes of Mongolian plateau. The rate of organic matter consumption during sulfate reduction was 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than that associated with methanogenesis.

Investigations on Rickettsia in Ticks at the Sino-Russian and Sino-Mongolian Borders, China.

PubMed

Liu, Lijuan; Chen, Qian; Yang, Yu; Wang, Jiancheng; Cao, Xiaomei; Zhang, Sheng; Li, Hong; Hou, Yong; Wang, Fuxiang; Xu, Baoliang

2015-12-01

To describe the prevalence of Rickettsia in ticks at the Sino-Russian and Sino-Mongolian borders, a total of 292 ticks were collected and tested by conventional PCR assays. The prevalence of Rickettsia was 53.4%, and phylogenetic analysis showed that they belonged to R. raoultii species after alignment for the ompA, ompB, and gltA genes, respectively. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected for 14%, and no Ehrlichia, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Babesia species were found. Co-infection of two pathogens was 9.9%, and no co-infection with three or more pathogens was found. This study suggested Rickettsia was the most common pathogen in the ticks and co-infection was found. The findings might be helpful to provide advice on the prevention and control of tick-borne disease potential for tourists and residents.

Coconut oil enhances tomato carotenoid tissue accumulation compared to safflower oil in the Mongolian gerbil ( Meriones unguiculatus ).

PubMed

Conlon, Lauren E; King, Ryan D; Moran, Nancy E; Erdman, John W

2012-08-29

Evidence suggests that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats facilitate greater absorption of carotenoids than saturated fats. However, the comparison of consuming a polyunsaturated fat source versus a saturated fat source on tomato carotenoid bioaccumulation has not been examined. The goal of this study was to determine the influence of coconut oil and safflower oil on tomato carotenoid tissue accumulation in Mongolian gerbils ( Meriones unguiculatus ) fed a 20% fat diet. Coconut oil feeding increased carotenoid concentrations among many compartments including total carotenoids in the serum (p = 0.0003), adrenal glandular phytoene (p = 0.04), hepatic phytofluene (p = 0.0001), testicular all-trans-lycopene (p = 0.01), and cis-lycopene (p = 0.006) in the prostate-seminal vesicle complex compared to safflower oil. Safflower oil-fed gerbils had greater splenic lycopene concentrations (p = 0.006) compared to coconut oil-fed gerbils. Coconut oil feeding increased serum cholesterol (p = 0.0001) and decreased hepatic cholesterol (p = 0.0003) compared to safflower oil. In summary, coconut oil enhanced tissue uptake of tomato carotenoids to a greater degree than safflower oil. These results may have been due to the large proportion of medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil, which might have caused a shift in cholesterol flux to favor extrahepatic carotenoid tissue deposition.

Influence of essential trace minerals and micronutrient insufficiencies on harmful metal overload in a Mongolian patient with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Komatsu, Fumio; Kagawa, Yasuo; Kawabata, Terue; Kaneko, Yoshinori; Kudoh, Hideki; Purvee, Baatar; Otgon, Jugder; Chimedregzen, Ulziiburen

2012-07-01

Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders are prevalent in Mongolia. Our previous studies revealed a significant correlation of these diseases with high oxidative stress due to a high body burden of harmful metals, such as manganese, iron, lead, cadmium, and aluminum. This report describes a 37-year-old male Mongolian patient with multiple sclerosis and essential micronutrient deficiency. This patient demonstrated high oxidative stress, as shown by high urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels of 14.7 and 14.3 ng/mg creatinine (crea), although his hair levels of these toxic metals were markedly lower than other Mongolians. In addition, this patient was deficient not only in various essential minerals, including selenium, magnesium, copper, cobalt, vanadium, and nickel, but also in micronutrients such as vitamin B6, C, E, folic acid, niacin, and β-carotene. Furthermore, after taking 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid, a chelating agent, urinary excretion of lead, cadmium, manganese, aluminum, iron, copper, and lithium were increased 156-, 8.4-, 7.6-, 4.3-, 3.3-, 2.1-, and 2.1-fold, respectively. These results suggest that this patient suffered from a deficiency in micronutrients such as essential minerals and vitamins, which resulted in a disturbance in the ability to excrete harmful metals into the urine and hair. It is possible that a deficiency of micronutrients and a high burden of heavy metals play a role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Nutritional treatment may be an effective approach to this disease.

Multistep method to deal with large datasets in asteroid family classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knežević, Z.; Milani, A.; Cellino, A.; Novaković, B.; Spoto, F.; Paolicchi, P.

2014-07-01

A fast increase in the number of asteroids with accurately determined orbits and with known physical properties makes it more and more challenging to perform, maintain, and update a classification of asteroids into families. We have therefore developed a new approach to the family classification by combining the Hierarchical Clustering Method (HCM) [1] to identify the families with an automated method to add members to already known families. This procedure makes use of the maximum available information, in particular, of that contained in the proper elements catalog [2]. The catalog of proper elements and absolute magnitudes used in our study contains 336 319 numbered asteroids with an information content of 16.31 Mb. The WISE catalog of albedos [3] and SDSS catalog of color indexes [4] contain 94 632 and 59 975 entries, respectively, with a total amount of information of 0.93 Mb. Our procedure makes use of the segmentation of the proper elements catalog by semimajor axis, to deal with a manageable number of objects in each zone, and by inclination, to account for lower density of high-inclination objects. By selecting from the catalog a much smaller number of large asteroids, in the first step, we identify a number of core families; to these, in the second step, we attribute the next layer of smaller objects. In the third step, we remove all the family members from the catalog, and reapply the HCM to the rest; this gives both satellite families which extend the core families and new independent families, consisting mainly of small asteroids. These two cases are separated in the fourth step by attribution of another layer of new members and by merging intersecting families. This leads to a classification with 128 families and 87 095 members. The list of members is updated automatically with each update of the proper elements catalog, and this represents the final and repetitive step of the procedure. Changes in the list of families are not automated.

[Contact and admixture-the relationship between Dongxiang population and their language viewed from Y chromosomes].

PubMed

Wen, Shao-Qing; Xie, Xiao-Dong; Xu, Dan

2013-06-01

Dongxiang is one of special ethnic groups of Gansu Province. Their language is one of the Mongolian languages of Altai language family. And their origin has long been controversial. The results of Cluster analyses (multidimensional scaling analysis, dendrograms, principal component analyses, and networks) of Dongxiang population and other ethnic groups indicated that Dongxiang people is much closer to the Central Asian ethnic groups than to the other Mongolian. Admixture analyses also confirmed the result. This suggests that Dongxiang people did not descend from Mongolian, but from the Central Asian ethnic groups that have spoken Persian or Turkic language. This mismatch between paternal genetic lineage and language classification might be explained by the elite-dominance model. The ancestral populations of Dongxiang could be the Central Asian ethnic groups assimilated by Mongolian in language and culture.

Effect of Mycoplasma hominis and cytomegalovirus infection on pregnancy outcome: A prospective study of 200 Mongolian women and their newborns

PubMed Central

Batbaatar, Gunchin; Tsogtsaikhan, Sandag; Enkhtsetseg, Jamsranjav; Enkhjargal, Altangerel; Pfeffer, Klaus; Adams, Ortwin; Battogtokh, Chimeddorj

2017-01-01

In Mongolia, diagnostic tests for the detection of the sexually transmitted mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas, Herpes simplex virus (HSV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) are currently not routinely used in clinical settings and the frequency of these STIs are enigmatic. The prevalence of these STI pathogens were prospectively evaluated among 200 Mongolian pregnant women and their newborns and correlated with pregnancy outcome. TaqMan PCRs were used to detect bacterial and viral STI pathogens in pre-birth vaginal swabs of the pregnant women and in oral swabs of their newborns. A standardized questionnaire concerning former and present pregnancies was developed and linear regression analysis was used to correlate pathogen detection with pregnancy outcome. Ureaplasmas were the most prevalent of the tested pathogens (positive in 90.5% positive women and 47.5% newborns), followed by mycoplasmas (32.5% and 7.5%), chlamydia (14.5% and 7.5%), trichomonas (8.5% and 4.0%) and gonococcus (0.5% and 0%). CMV was found in 46.5% of the pregnant women and in 10.5% of their newborns, whereas HSV-2 was detected in only two mothers. Multiple regression analyses indicate that colonization of the mothers with U. urealyticum, M. hominis, T. vaginalis or CMV is associated with transmission to newborns and that transmission of M. hominis or CMV from Mongolian pregnant women to offspring is associated with reduced neonatal length and gestational age. Thus, diagnostic tests for their detection should be implemented in the clinical settings in Mongolia. PMID:28257513

World Health Organization Global Disability Action Plan: The Mongolian Perspective.

PubMed

Khan, Fary; Amatya, Bhasker; Avirmed, Baljnnyam; Yi, Yoon Kyoung; Shirmen, Batchimeg; Abbott, Geoff; Galea, Mary P

2018-04-18

To provide an update on disability and rehabilitation in Mongolia, and to identify potential barriers and facilitators for implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Disability Action Plan (GDAP). A 4-member rehabilitation team from the Royal Melbourne Hospital conducted an intensive 6-day workshop at the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, for local healthcare professionals (n = 77) from medical rehabilitation facilities (urban/rural, public/private) and non-governmental organizations. A modified Delphi method (interactive sessions, consensus agreement) identified challenges for rehabilitation service provision and disability education and attitudes, using GDAP objectives. The GDAP summary actions were considered useful for clinicians, policy-makers, government and persons with disabilities. The main challenges identified were: limited knowledge of disability services and rehabilitation within healthcare sectors; lack of coordination between sectors; geo-topographical issues; limited skilled workforces; lack of disability data, guidelines and accreditation standards; poor legislation and political commitment. The facilitators were: strong leadership; advocacy of disability-inclusive development; investment in local infrastructure/human resources; opportunities for coordination and partnerships between the healthcare sector and other stakeholders; research opportunities; and dissemination of information. Disability and rehabilitation is an emerging priority in Mongolia to address the rights and needs of persons with disabilities. The GDAP provides guidance to facilitate access and strengthen rehabilitation services.

Impaired auditory temporal selectivity in the inferior colliculus of aged Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Khouri, Leila; Lesica, Nicholas A; Grothe, Benedikt

2011-07-06

Aged humans show severe difficulties in temporal auditory processing tasks (e.g., speech recognition in noise, low-frequency sound localization, gap detection). A degradation of auditory function with age is also evident in experimental animals. To investigate age-related changes in temporal processing, we compared extracellular responses to temporally variable pulse trains and human speech in the inferior colliculus of young adult (3 month) and aged (3 years) Mongolian gerbils. We observed a significant decrease of selectivity to the pulse trains in neuronal responses from aged animals. This decrease in selectivity led, on the population level, to an increase in signal correlations and therefore a decrease in heterogeneity of temporal receptive fields and a decreased efficiency in encoding of speech signals. A decrease in selectivity to temporal modulations is consistent with a downregulation of the inhibitory transmitter system in aged animals. These alterations in temporal processing could underlie declines in the aging auditory system, which are unrelated to peripheral hearing loss. These declines cannot be compensated by traditional hearing aids (that rely on amplification of sound) but may rather require pharmacological treatment.

Pitfalls of mapping a large Turkish consanguineous family with vertical monilethrix inheritance.

PubMed

Celep, F; Uzumcu, A; Sonmez, F M; Uyguner, O; Balci, Y Isik; Bahadir, S; Karaguzel, A

2009-01-01

Monilethrix, a rare autosomal dominant disease characterized by hair fragility and follicular hyperkeratosis, is caused by mutations in three type II hair cortex keratins. The human keratin family comprises 54 members, 28 type I and 26 type II. The phenotype shows variable penetrance and results in hair fragility and patchy dystrophic alopecia. In our study, Monilethrix was diagnosed on the basis of clinical characteristics and microscopic examination in a family with 11 affected members. Haplotype analysis was performed by three Simple Tandem Repeat markers (STR) and KRT86 gene was sequenced for the identification of the disease causing mutation. In the results of this, autosomal dominant mutation (E402K) in exon 7 of KRT86 gene was identified as a cause of Moniltherix in the large family from Turkey.

Creating a Family-Like Atmosphere in Child Care Settings: All the More Difficult in Large Child Care Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehead, Linda C.; Ginsberg, Stacey I.

1999-01-01

Presents suggestions for creating family-like programs in large child-care centers in three areas: (1) physical environment, incorporating cozy spaces, beauty, and space for family interaction; (2) caregiving climate, such as sharing home photographs, and serving meals family style; and (3) family involvement, including regular conversations with…

Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsy: an investigation in a rare and large Chinese family.

PubMed

He, Yuan; Wu, Qiang; Xu, Zhipeng; Wang, Qianqian; Wang, Weili; Li, Dezhong; Liu, Wanhong; He, Xiaohua

2012-01-01

Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsy (HNPP), mainly associated with the peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) gene, is generally an autosomal-dominant inherited peripheral neuropathy. The present large family including four generations provides an exciting opportunity to gain important insights into HNPP in China. A large 43-member family with ten members suspected to be affected by HNPP was studied. Neurologic examinations, electrophysiological and neuropathological studies and molecular genetic testing were used for these kindred. Clinically, the proband had limb hyposthenia and atrophy, and his mother showed declined tendon reflexes in the right lower limb. Electrophysiologically, sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities were generalized reduced. Sural nerve biopsy for the proband showed focal thickesning of the myelin sheaths. Furthermore, real-time quantitative PCR demonstrated that the PMP22 gene has a higher Ct value than reference gene in all suspected patients. These results indicated that the family is indeed a rare and large pedigree of HNPP caused by the deletion of PMP22 gene. Given that the suspected patient in the fourth generation is absent, this family is still worthy of further follow-up study. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Evaluating the feasibility of using candidate DNA barcodes in discriminating species of the large Asteraceae family.

PubMed

Gao, Ting; Yao, Hui; Song, Jingyuan; Zhu, Yingjie; Liu, Chang; Chen, Shilin

2010-10-26

Five DNA regions, namely, rbcL, matK, ITS, ITS2, and psbA-trnH, have been recommended as primary DNA barcodes for plants. Studies evaluating these regions for species identification in the large plant taxon, which includes a large number of closely related species, have rarely been reported. The feasibility of using the five proposed DNA regions was tested for discriminating plant species within Asteraceae, the largest family of flowering plants. Among these markers, ITS2 was the most useful in terms of universality, sequence variation, and identification capability in the Asteraceae family. The species discriminating power of ITS2 was also explored in a large pool of 3,490 Asteraceae sequences that represent 2,315 species belonging to 494 different genera. The result shows that ITS2 correctly identified 76.4% and 97.4% of plant samples at the species and genus levels, respectively. In addition, ITS2 displayed a variable ability to discriminate related species within different genera. ITS2 is the best DNA barcode for the Asteraceae family. This approach significantly broadens the application of DNA barcoding to resolve classification problems in the family Asteraceae at the genera and species levels.

Visually guided locomotion and computation of time-to-collision in the mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus): the effects of frontal and visual cortical lesions.

PubMed

Shankar, S; Ellard, C

2000-02-01

Past research has indicated that many species use the time-to-collision variable but little is known about its neural underpinnings in rodents. In a set of three experiments we set out to replicate and extend the findings of Sun et al. (Sun H-J, Carey DP, Goodale MA. Exp Brain Res 1992;91:171-175) in a visually guided task in Mongolian gerbils, and then investigated the effects of lesions to different cortical areas. We trained Mongolian gerbils to run in the dark toward a target on a computer screen. In some trials the target changed in size as the animal ran toward it in such a way as to produce 'virtual targets' if the animals were using time-to-collision or contact information. In experiment 1 we confirmed that gerbils use time-to-contact information to modulate their speed of running toward a target. In experiment 2 we established that visual cortex lesions attenuate the ability of lesioned animals to use information from the visual target to guide their run, while frontal cortex lesioned animals are not as severely affected. In experiment 3 we found that small radio-frequency lesions, of either area VI or of the lateral extrastriate regions of the visual cortex also affected the use of information from the target to modulate locomotion.

Postnatal development of microcyst in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus of the Mongolian gerbil: a light- and electron microscopic study.

PubMed

Yu, Shang-Ming; Ko, Tsui-Ling; Lin, Kwan-Hwa

2011-09-01

We investigated the postnatal formation and origin of the microcyst, which are not fully elucidated at present, in the cochlear nucleus of gerbils. Sixty-six Mongolian gerbils were investigated at the light microscope level, and 35 of them were observed at the electron microscopic level. Foamy structures were evidently found at 2 days of age and remained unchanged through 4-8 days. The first small vacuole, presumably the former microcyst, appeared at 8 days. Myelin sheath bundles first appeared at 13 days. Electron-dense bodies were frequently found in the junction of the superficial layer and the deep layer at 2 days. The medium-sized vacuole was found in close association with the spherical bushy cells in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) as early as 5 weeks. Various large and small vacuoles were presumably coalesced to form a large vacuole at 3 and 6 months. Membranous structures and red blood cells were in the budding-like vacuoles at 6 months. In addition to membranous structures, the microcyst contained distorted mitochondria and parts of myelin sheaths. The vacuole was interposed between spherical bushy cells at age of 10 months. Small vacuoles were mainly located in the flame-shaped neurons at 14 months. An internal detachment and an external protrusion of the myelin sheath into the adjacent microcyst were found. Thus, this study suggests the first appearance of microcysts at 8 days. Also, the microcyst and the blood vessel may exchange their contents through a leakage in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus.

The pathology of the Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus): a review.

PubMed

Vincent, A L; Rodrick, G E; Sodeman, W A

1979-10-01

Both naturally occurring disease processes and experimental models of human disease in the Mongolian gerbil were reviewed. The gerbil was highly susceptible to cerebral infarction following unilateral ligation of one common carotid artery and was useful in studies of the pathogenesis of stroke. Spontaneous epileptiform seizures mimicked those of human idiopathic epilepsy, and both seizure-sensitive and resistant strains have been bred. Perhaps because of its more efficient nephron, the gerbil accumulated four to six times as much renal lead as the rat, and the gerbil has been proposed as an experimental model of lead nephropathy. On standard diets, about 10% of the animals became obese, and some showed decreased glucose tolerance, elevated serum immunoreactive insulin and diabetic changes in the pancreas and other organs. Some breeders exhibited hyperactivity of the adrenal cortex associated with hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and degenerative vascular disease. Although dietary supplements of cholesterol were toxic and did not induce atherosclerosis, the gerbil was useful in other studies of cholesterol absorption and metabolism. Spontaneous, insidious periodontal disease became evident after about 6 months on standard diets, and dental caries were induced by cariogenic diets or by pathodontic streptococci. Spontaneous neoplasia occurred in 8.4--24% of gerbils, usually after 2 years of life. Adrenal cortical, ovarian and cutaneous tumors were the most consistently reported neoplasms.

Relationships between climate, productivity and vegetation in southern Mongolian drylands

PubMed Central

von Wehrden, H.; Wesche, K.

2011-01-01

We assessed the relationship between open-source data on net primary production and precipitation for the southern Mongolian Gobi, and related this information to data obtained from a set of 1418 vegetation relevés sampled in the region. Gradients determining plant community diversity and composition were examined, and the relation between α-diversity and key environmental parameters was tested. The correlation between net primary production and precipitation within our working area was fairly high (r2 = 0.66). The variance of the net primary production was related to the average annual precipitation; at sites with more than ~220 mm/a precipitation the median coefficient of variation in productivity data decreased, indicating a rather gradual shift from a non-equilibrium ecosystem towards an equilibrium ecosystem with increasing moisture. A DCA-ordination showed that the main gradient in plant community composition was closely correlated to environmental variables for altitude, precipitation and net primary production. All three parameters were also significant predictors of the species diversity. The final model, which included an additional quadratic term for longitude, predicted local plant biodiversity at r2 = 0.57. The results can be directly applied to both resource management and nature conservation within the area. For future studies a closer focus on the characterisation of non-equilibrium rangelands based on modelled productivity layers is suggested. PMID:22318349

Significant Linkage for Tourette Syndrome in a Large French Canadian Family

PubMed Central

Mérette, Chantal; Brassard, Andrée; Potvin, Anne; Bouvier, Hélène; Rousseau, François; Émond, Claudia; Bissonnette, Luc; Roy, Marc-André; Maziade, Michel; Ott, Jurg; Caron, Chantal

2000-01-01

Family and twin studies provide strong evidence that genetic factors are involved in the transmission of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (TS) and related psychiatric disorders. To detect the underlying susceptibility gene(s) for TS, we performed linkage analysis in one large French Canadian family (127 members) from the Charlevoix region, in which 20 family members were definitely affected by TS and 20 others showed related tic disorders. Using model-based linkage analysis, we observed a LOD score of 3.24 on chromosome 11 (11q23). This result was obtained in a multipoint approach involving marker D11S1377, the marker for which significant linkage disequilibrium with TS recently has been detected in an Afrikaner population. Altogether, 25 markers were studied, and, for level of significance, we derived a criterion that took into account the multiple testing arising from the use of three phenotype definitions and three modes of inheritance, a procedure that yielded a LOD score of 3.18. Hence, even after adjustment for multiple testing, the present study shows statistically significant evidence for genetic linkage with TS. PMID:10986045

Improving Disease Prediction by Incorporating Family Disease History in Risk Prediction Models with Large-Scale Genetic Data.

PubMed

Gim, Jungsoo; Kim, Wonji; Kwak, Soo Heon; Choi, Hosik; Park, Changyi; Park, Kyong Soo; Kwon, Sunghoon; Park, Taesung; Won, Sungho

2017-11-01

Despite the many successes of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the known susceptibility variants identified by GWAS have modest effect sizes, leading to notable skepticism about the effectiveness of building a risk prediction model from large-scale genetic data. However, in contrast to genetic variants, the family history of diseases has been largely accepted as an important risk factor in clinical diagnosis and risk prediction. Nevertheless, the complicated structures of the family history of diseases have limited their application in clinical practice. Here, we developed a new method that enables incorporation of the general family history of diseases with a liability threshold model, and propose a new analysis strategy for risk prediction with penalized regression analysis that incorporates both large numbers of genetic variants and clinical risk factors. Application of our model to type 2 diabetes in the Korean population (1846 cases and 1846 controls) demonstrated that single-nucleotide polymorphisms accounted for 32.5% of the variation explained by the predicted risk scores in the test data set, and incorporation of family history led to an additional 6.3% improvement in prediction. Our results illustrate that family medical history provides valuable information on the variation of complex diseases and improves prediction performance. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Age, tectonic setting, and metallogenic implication of Phanerozoic granitic magmatism at the eastern margin of the Xing'an-Mongolian Orogenic Belt, NE China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Cong; Ren, Yunsheng; Zhao, Hualei; Yang, Qun; Shang, Qingqing

2017-08-01

The eastern margin of the Xing'an-Mongolian Orogenic Belt is characterised by widespread Phanerozoic granitic magmatism, some of which is closely related to significant ore mineralisation. This paper presents new geochronological, petrogenetic, and tectonic data for selected intrusions. Zircon U-Pb geochronology for five granitoid plutons indicates they were emplaced during the middle-late Permian (264-255 Ma) and Cretaceous (106-94 Ma), and thus granitic magmatism occurred throughout the Phanerozoic, Permian (268-252 Ma), Early-Middle Triassic (248-240 Ma), Early Jurassic (183 Ma), and Cretaceous (112-94 Ma). The Permian granitoids consist of monzogranite, granodiorite, tonalite, and quartz diorite, characterised by enrichment in Na2O (3.60-4.72 wt.%), depletion in K2O (0.97-2.66 wt.%), and a negative correlation between P2O5 and SiO2. Together with the presence of hornblende, these geochemical features are indicative of an I-type affinity. The Permian granitic magmatism is associated with quartz-vein-type tungsten deposits (252 Ma; unpublished Sm-Nd isochron age), which formed in an active continental margin setting related to subduction of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean. The Cretaceous quartz diorites have an adakitic affinity, having relatively high Sr (374-502 ppm), low Yb (0.51-0.67 ppm) and Y (8.7-10.7 ppm), and high Sr/Y (39.4-46.8) and (La/Yb)N values (16.2-34.7), suggesting that they were related to the partial melting of subducted oceanic crust. In addition, they are associated with porphyry Au-Cu deposits. We conclude that the Cretaceous granitic rocks and associated porphyry Au-Cu mineralisation occurred in an extensional tectonic setting related to the subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate. In addition, the large-scale Early-Middle Triassic syn-collisional granite belt at the eastern margin of the Xing'an-Mongolian Orogenic Belt extends from the middle of Jilin Province to the Wangqing-Hunchun region, constraining the timing of the

Evaluating the feasibility of using candidate DNA barcodes in discriminating species of the large Asteraceae family

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Five DNA regions, namely, rbcL, matK, ITS, ITS2, and psbA-trnH, have been recommended as primary DNA barcodes for plants. Studies evaluating these regions for species identification in the large plant taxon, which includes a large number of closely related species, have rarely been reported. Results The feasibility of using the five proposed DNA regions was tested for discriminating plant species within Asteraceae, the largest family of flowering plants. Among these markers, ITS2 was the most useful in terms of universality, sequence variation, and identification capability in the Asteraceae family. The species discriminating power of ITS2 was also explored in a large pool of 3,490 Asteraceae sequences that represent 2,315 species belonging to 494 different genera. The result shows that ITS2 correctly identified 76.4% and 97.4% of plant samples at the species and genus levels, respectively. In addition, ITS2 displayed a variable ability to discriminate related species within different genera. Conclusions ITS2 is the best DNA barcode for the Asteraceae family. This approach significantly broadens the application of DNA barcoding to resolve classification problems in the family Asteraceae at the genera and species levels. PMID:20977734

Soil Carbon Recovery of Degraded Steppe Ecosystems of the Mongolian Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojima, D. S.; Togtohyn, C.; Qi, J.

2013-12-01

Mongolian steppe grassland systems are critical source of ecosystem services to societal groups in temperate East Asia. These systems are characterized by their arid and semiarid environments where rainfall tends to be too variable or evaporative losses reduce water availability to reliably support cropping systems or substantial forest cover. These steppe ecosystems have supported land use practices to accommodate the variable rainfall patterns, and seasonal and spatial patterns of forage production displayed by the nomadic pastoral systems practiced across Asia. These pastoral systems are dependent on grassland ecosystem services, including forage production, wool, skins, meat and dairy products, and in many systems provide critical biodiversity and land and water protection services which serve to maintain pastoral livelihoods. Precipitation variability and associated drought conditions experienced frequently in these grassland systems are key drivers of these systems. However, during the past several decades climate change and grazing and land use conversion have resulted in degradation of ecosystem services and loss of soil organic matter. Recent efforts in China and Mongolia are investigating different grazing management practices to restore soil organic matter in these degraded systems. Simulation modeling is being applied to evaluate the long-term benefits of different grazing management regimes under various climate scenarios.

A family of conjugate gradient methods for large-scale nonlinear equations.

PubMed

Feng, Dexiang; Sun, Min; Wang, Xueyong

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a family of conjugate gradient projection methods for solving large-scale nonlinear equations. At each iteration, it needs low storage and the subproblem can be easily solved. Compared with the existing solution methods for solving the problem, its global convergence is established without the restriction of the Lipschitz continuity on the underlying mapping. Preliminary numerical results are reported to show the efficiency of the proposed method.

R213W mutation in the retinoschisis 1 gene causes X-linked juvenile retinoschisis in a large Chinese family.

PubMed

Xu, Jun; Gu, Hong; Ma, Kai; Liu, Xipu; Snellingen, Torkel; Sun, Erdan; Wang, Ningli; Liu, Ningpu

2010-08-12

We identified a large Chinese family with X-linked juvenile retinoschisis. The purpose of this study was to report the clinical findings of the family and to identify the genetic mutation by screening the retinoschisis 1 (RS1) gene. Family history was collected and all family members underwent routine ophthalmic examination. Venous blood was collected from family members and genomic DNA was extracted. The exons of RS1 were screened by PCR followed by direct sequencing and/or restriction enzyme digestion. The pedigree of interest was a four-generation family with 52 family members, including seven affected individuals. The proband was a 5-year-old boy showing highly elevated bullous retinoschisis with moderate vitreous hemorrhage in both eyes. Vitrectomy was performed in the left eye of the proband. Five affected males showed large peripheral retinoschisis in both eyes, either involving the macula or combined with foveal stellate cystic change. One of the affected family members showed only a foveal stellate cystic change in both eyes without periphery retinoschisis. Visual acuity of affected individuals ranged from hand motion to 0.4. The R213W mutation in exon 6 of RS1 was identified in all affected individuals, predicting an amino acid substitution of arginine to tryptophan at codon 213. Our data show that the R213W mutation in RS1 causes various severities of retinoschisis in a large Chinese family, providing further evidence for X-linked juvenile retinoschisis phenotypic variability.

R213W mutation in the retinoschisis 1 gene causes X-linked juvenile retinoschisis in a large Chinese family

PubMed Central

Xu, Jun; Gu, Hong; Ma, Kai; Liu, Xipu; Snellingen, Torkel; Sun, Erdan; Wang, Ningli

2010-01-01

Purpose We identified a large Chinese family with X-linked juvenile retinoschisis. The purpose of this study was to report the clinical findings of the family and to identify the genetic mutation by screening the retinoschisis 1 (RS1) gene. Methods Family history was collected and all family members underwent routine ophthalmic examination. Venous blood was collected from family members and genomic DNA was extracted. The exons of RS1 were screened by PCR followed by direct sequencing and/or restriction enzyme digestion. Results The pedigree of interest was a four-generation family with 52 family members, including seven affected individuals. The proband was a 5-year-old boy showing highly elevated bullous retinoschisis with moderate vitreous hemorrhage in both eyes. Vitrectomy was performed in the left eye of the proband. Five affected males showed large peripheral retinoschisis in both eyes, either involving the macula or combined with foveal stellate cystic change. One of the affected family members showed only a foveal stellate cystic change in both eyes without periphery retinoschisis. Visual acuity of affected individuals ranged from hand motion to 0.4. The R213W mutation in exon 6 of RS1 was identified in all affected individuals, predicting an amino acid substitution of arginine to tryptophan at codon 213. Conclusions Our data show that the R213W mutation in RS1 causes various severities of retinoschisis in a large Chinese family, providing further evidence for X-linked juvenile retinoschisis phenotypic variability. PMID:20806044

Dose effect evaluation and therapeutic window of the neuro-EPO nasal application for the treatment of the focal ischemia model in the Mongolian gerbil.

PubMed

Teste, Iliana Sosa; Tamos, Yuneidys Mengana; Cruz, Yamila Rodríguez; Cernada, Adriana Muñoz; Rodríguez, Janette Cruz; Martínez, Nelvis Subirós; Antich, Rosa Maria Coro; González-Quevedo, Alina; Rodríguez, Julio Cesar García

2012-01-01

Cerebrovascular disease is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in Cuba and in several developed countries. A possible neuroprotective agent is the rHu-EPO, whose effects have been demonstrated in models of brain ischemia. The Neuro-EPO is a derivative of the rHu-EPO that avoids the stimulation of erythropoiesis. The aim of this study was to determine the Neuro-EPO delivery into the central nervous system (CNS) to exert a neuroprotective effect in cerebral ischemia model of the Mongolian gerbil. The Neuro-EPO in a rate of 249.4 UI every 8 hours for 4 days showed 25% higher viability efficacy (P > 0.01), improving neurological score and behavior of the spontaneous exploratory activity, the preservation of CA3 areas of the hippocampus, the cortex, and thalamic nuclei in the focal ischemia model of the Mongolian gerbil. In summary, this study, the average dose-used Neuro-EPO (249.4 UI/10 μL/every 8 hours for 4 days), proved to be valid indicators of viability, neurological status, and spontaneous exploratory activity, being significantly lower than that reported for the systemically use of the rHu-EPO as a neuroprotectant. Indeed, up to 12 h after brain ischemia is very positive Neuro-EPO administration by the nasal route as a candidate for neuroprotection.

Genomic Selection For Bacterial Cold Water Disease Resistance In Rainbow Trout Reveals Large Within-Family Variation That Cannot Be Exploited In Traditional Family-based Selective Breeding

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Selective breeding is an effective strategy to improve resistance to specific pathogens, and thus has the potential to mitigate antibiotic use in aquaculture. Large family sizes of aquaculture species permits family-based selective breeding programs, but the need for specific-pathogen-free nucleus p...

Basaltic Martian analogues from the Baikal Rift Zone and Mongolian terranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurgurewicz, J.; Kostylew, J.

2007-08-01

In order to compare the results of studies of the western part of the Valles Marineris canyon on Mars there have been done field works on terrestrial surface areas similar with regard to geological setting and environmental conditions. One of the possible terrestrial analogues of the Valles Marineris canyon is the Baikal Rift Zone [1]. Field investigations have been done on the south end of the Baikal Lake, in the Khamar-Daban massif, where the outcrops of volcanic rocks occur. The second part of the field works has been done in the Mongolian terranes: Mandalovoo, Gobi Altay and Bayanhongor, because of environmental conditions being similar to those on Mars. The Mandalovoo terrane comprises a nearly continuous Paleozoic islandarc sequence [2]. In the Gobi Altay terrane an older sequence is capped by younger Devonian-Triassic volcanic-sedimentary deposits [2]. The Bayanhongor terrane forms a northwest-trending, discontinuous, narrow belt that consists of a large ophiolite allochton [3]. The collected samples of basalts derive from various geologic environments. The CORONA satellite-images have been used for the imaging of the Khamar-Daban massif and the Mandalovoo terrane. These images have the same spatial resolution and range as the Mars Orbiter Camera images of the Mars Global Surveyor mission. In the Mandalovoo terrane these images allowed to find an area with large amounts of tectonic structures, mainly faults (part of the Ongi massif), similar to the studied area on Mars. Microscopic observations in thin sections show diversification of composition and structures of basalts. These rocks have mostly a porphyric structure, rarely aphyric. The main components are plagioclases, pyroxenes and olivines phenocrysts, in different proportions. The groundmass usually consist of plagioclases, pyroxenes and opaques. The most diversified are basalts from the Mandalovoo terrane. Infrared spectroscopy has been used to analyse the composition of the rock material and compare

Large Deletions of TSPAN12 Cause Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR).

PubMed

Seo, Soo Hyun; Kim, Man Jin; Park, Sung Wook; Kim, Jeong Hun; Yu, Young Suk; Song, Ji Yun; Cho, Sung Im; Ahn, Joo Hyun; Oh, Yeon Hee; Lee, Jee-Soo; Lee, Seungjun; Seong, Moon-Woo; Park, Sung Sup; Kim, Ji Yeon

2016-12-01

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a rare, hereditary visual disorder. The gene TSPAN12 is associated with autosomal dominant inheritance of FEVR. The prevalence and impact of large deletions/duplications of TSPAN12 on FEVR patients is unknown. To glean better insight of TSPAN12 on FEVR pathology, herein, we describe three FEVR patients with TSPAN12 deletions. Thirty-three Korean FEVR patients, who previously screened negative for TSPAN12 mutations, mutations in other FEVR-associated genes such as NDP, FZD4, LRP5, and large deletions and duplications of NDP, FZD4, and LRP5, were selected for TSPAN12 large deletion and duplication analyses. Semiquantitative multiplex PCR for TSPAN12 gene dosage analyses were performed, followed by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) for validation. Among the 33 patients, three patients were confirmed to carry large TSPAN12 deletions. Two of them had whole-gene deletions of TSPAN12, and the other patient possessed a deletion of TSPAN12 in exon 4. FEVR severity detected in these patients was not more severe than in a patient with TSPAN12 point mutation. Regarding previously reported proportions of FEVR-associated genes contributing to the disorder's autosomal dominant inheritance pattern in Korea, we determined that patients with TSPAN12 large deletions were more common than patients with single nucleotide variants in TSPAN12. Evaluating TSPAN12 large deletions and duplications should be considered in FEVR screening and diagnosis as well as in routine genetic workups for FEVR patients.

A contribution to mayfly studies of Western Mongolia (Insecta, Ephemeroptera)

PubMed Central

Erdenee, Bolortsetseg; Maasri, Alain; Gelhaus, Jon K.; Bayartogtokh, Badamdorj

2016-01-01

Abstract Streams in the Mongolian Altai Mountains are mostly fed from glaciers and are extreme conditions for mayflies because of high elevation, low temperatures and low annual precipitation. Previous information about mayflies of Western Mongolia is scarce, but with this study a total of 38 species belonging to 26 genera and subgenera and 8 families of mayflies has been recorded in the Mongolian Altai region. Study material was entirely imagos and collected from 78 sites during expeditions led by the Mongolian Aquatic Insect Survey in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Raptobaetopus tenellus, Caenis luctuosa and Caenis rivulorum are recorded as new to the fauna of Mongolia, and there are new distribution records for Ameletus montanus, Baetis (Acentrella) lapponica, Baetis sibiricus, Baetis (Labiobaetis) attrebatinus, Centroptilum luteolum, Procloeon pennulatum, Ephemerella aurivillii, Serratella setigera, Ephemera sachalinensis, Ecdyonurus (Afronurus) abracadabrus, Cinygmula kurenzovi, Ecdyonurus (Afghanurus) vicinus and Epeorus (Belovius) pellucidus from the Mongolian Altai region. Baetis vernus and Ephemerella aurivillii are the most frequently encountered species in this region. PMID:28174499

Prenatal molecular diagnosis of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) in a large cohort of Israeli families.

PubMed

Rosenmann, Ada; Bejarano-Achache, Idit; Eli, Dalia; Maftsir, Genia; Mizrahi-Meissonnier, Liliana; Blumenfeld, Anat

2009-10-01

To present our accumulated data on prenatal molecular diagnosis of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) in a large cohort of Israeli albino families. Albinism consists of variable phenotypes, but only families with predicted severely handicapped albino offspring, who declared their wish to terminate a pregnancy of such a fetus, are eligible for prenatal testing. Prenatal testing is not offered otherwise. Following detailed genetic investigation and counseling, molecular prenatal testing was performed using the combination of mutation screening, direct sequencing, and haplotype analysis. A total of 55 prenatal tests were performed in 37 families; in 26 families the propositus was the child, and in 11, a parent or a close relative. In 32 families tyrosinase (TYR) mutations were diagnosed. In 5 families a P gene mutation was detected. Twelve albino fetuses were diagnosed. Following further genetic counseling, all couples elected to terminate the pregnancy. Three additional pregnancies were terminated for other reasons. Families with increased risk for an albino child with severe visual handicap, seek premarital and prenatal genetic counseling and testing, for the prevention of affected offspring. Our combined methods of molecular genetic testing enable a nationwide approach for prevention of albinism. The same paradigm can be applied to other populations affected with albinism.

Novel skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor mutation in a large Brazilian family with malignant hyperthermia.

PubMed

McWilliams, S; Nelson, T; Sudo, R T; Zapata-Sudo, G; Batti, M; Sambuughin, N

2002-07-01

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an autosomal dominant disorder that predisposes susceptible individuals to a potentially life-threatening crisis when exposed to commonly used anesthetics. Mutations in the skeletal muscle calcium release channel, ryanodine receptor (RYR1) are associated with MH in over 50% of affected families. Linkage analysis of the RYR1 gene region at 19q13 was performed in a large Brazilian family and a distinct disease co-segregating haplotype was revealed in the majority of members with diagnosis of MH. Subsequent sequencing of RYR1 mutational hot spots revealed a nucleotide substitution of C to T at position 7062, causing a novel amino acid change from Arg2355 to Cys associated with MH in the family. Haplotype analysis of the RYR1 gene area at 19q13 in the family with multiple MH members is an important tool in identification of genetic cause underlying this disease.

The Metabolism Distribution and Effect of Thiamethoxam After Oral Exposure in Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus).

PubMed

Wang, Yinghuan; Zhang, Yang; Xu, Peng; Guo, Baoyuan; Li, Wei

2018-06-20

Systematically evaluation of the metabolism, distribution and effect of thiamethoxam in mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) were carried out after oral exposure. The HPLC equipped with Q Exactive focus was used for identification and concentration analysis of thiamethoxam and its metabolites. Percutaneous and urine excretions were the primary ways for the elimination of thiamethoxam and its metabolites, and the limiting factor was urine output. Demethylation thiamethoxam and clothianidin were the main metabolites of thiamethoxam in lizard. The CYP3A4, CYP3A7 and CYP2C9 played a crucial role in the metabolism process. Aldehyde oxidase only dominated the nitro-reduction process of demethylation thiamethoxam and clothianidin. Glutathione S-transferase might be related to the clearance process of thiamethoxam and its metabolites. The findings indicated that thiamethoxam might pose potential carcinogenic and hepatic injury risk to lizards. The results enrich and supplement the knowledge of the environmental fate of thiamethoxam in reptiles.

Development of wide-band middle ear transmission in the Mongolian gerbil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overstreet, Edward H.; Ruggero, Mario A.

2002-01-01

Stapes vibrations were measured in deeply anesthetized adult and neonatal (ages: 14 to 20 days) Mongolian gerbils. In adult gerbils, the velocity magnitude of stapes responses to tones was approximately constant over the entire frequency range of measurements, 1 to 40 kHz. Response phases referred to pressure near the tympanic membrane varied approximately linearly as a function of increasing stimulus frequency, with a slope corresponding to a group delay of 30 μs. In neonatal gerbils, the sensitivity of stapes responses to tones was lower than in adults, especially at mid-frequencies (e.g., by about 15 dB at 10-20 kHz in gerbils aged 14 days). The input impedance of the adult gerbil cochlea, calculated from stapes vibrations and published measurements of pressure in scala vestibuli near the oval window [E. Olson, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 103, 3445-3463 (1998)], is principally dissipative at frequencies lower than 10 kHz. Conclusions: (a) middle-ear vibrations in adult gerbils do not limit the input to the cochlea up to at least 40 kHz, i.e., within 0.5 oct of the high-frequency cutoff of the behavioral audiogram; and (b) the results in both adult and neonatal gerbils are inconsistent with the hypothesis that mass reactance controls high-frequency ossicular vibrations and support the idea that the middle ear functions as a transmission line.

Stakeholders’ perspectives towards effective climate change adaptation on the Mongolian livestock sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batbaatar, A.; Apichayakul, P.; Tantanee, S.

2018-03-01

Climate change is one of the greatest threats that world is facing today, and having significant deleterious effects on natural and human systems. Recent climate-induced extreme events and their impacts demand timely adaptation actions to the changing odds of their occurrence. The great phenomenon is already being felt in the Mongolian plateau, especially on the livestock sector. The sector provides the main income and livelihood for one-third of the population of about three million people. A high number of livestock is lost due to a unique phenomenon is known as a “dzud”. This paper examines the key stakeholders’ perspectives in the implementation of climate change adaptation and identifies its barriers, with a focus on the livestock sector. In order to meet the objectives, this research used a semi-structured interview with organizations related to the livestock sector and climate change. The extent of stakeholders’ perspectives might be depending on the way they share information, stakeholder engagement, and their experiences with extreme events, as well as their location and level in government. The research findings will indicate an understanding of climate change perspectives, adaptation, and level of capacity of organizations, which can be used as a guideline for organizations to develop climate change adaptation policies related to the livestock sector in Mongolia.

Flavonoid C- and O-glycosides from the Mongolian medicinal plant Dianthus versicolor Fisch.

PubMed

Obmann, Astrid; Werner, Ingrid; Presser, Armin; Zehl, Martin; Swoboda, Zita; Purevsuren, Sodnomtseren; Narantuya, Samdan; Kletter, Christa; Glasl, Sabine

2011-09-27

Eighteen flavonoids were identified from an aqueous extract of the aerial parts of Dianthus versicolor, a plant used in traditional Mongolian medicine against liver diseases. The flavonoid C- and O-glycosides isoorientin-7-O-rutinoside, isoorientin-7-O-rhamnosyl-galactoside, isovitexin-7-O-rutinoside, isovitexin-7-O-rhamnosyl-galactoside, isoscoparin-7-O-rutinoside, isoscoparin-7-O-rhamnosyl-galactoside, isoscoparin-7-O-galactoside, and isoorientin-7-O-galactoside were isolated and structurally elucidated. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic techniques including LC-UV-DAD, LC-MS(n), LC-HRMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and by GC-MS analysis after hydrolysis. Flavonoids with such a high glycosylation pattern are rare within the genus Dianthus. Furthermore, isovitexin-7-O-glucoside (saponarin), isovitexin-2″-O-rhamnoside, apigenin-6-glucoside (isovitexin), luteolin-7-O-glucoside, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, as well as the aglycons luteolin, apigenin, chrysoeriol, diosmetin, and acacetin were identified by TLC and LC-DAD-MS(n) in comparison to reference substances or literature data. The NMR data of seven structures have not been reported in the literature to date. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional Approach for Linking Ecosystem Services and Livelihood Strategies Under Climate Change of Pastoral Communities in the Mongolian Steppe Ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojima, D. S.; Galvin, K.; Togtohyn, C.

2012-12-01

Dramatic changes due to climate and land use dynamics in the Mongolian Plateau affecting ecosystem services and agro-pastoral systems in Mongolia. Recently, market forces and development strategies are affecting land and water resources of the pastoral communities which are being further stressed due to climatic changes. Evaluation of pastoral systems, where humans depend on livestock and grassland ecosystem services, have demonstrated the vulnerability of the social-ecological system to climate change. Current social-ecological changes in ecosystem services are affecting land productivity and carrying capacity, land-atmosphere interactions, water resources, and livelihood strategies. The general trend involves greater intensification of resource exploitation at the expense of traditional patterns of extensive range utilization. Thus we expect climate-land use-land cover relationships to be crucially modified by the social-economic forces. The analysis incorporates information about the social-economic transitions taking place in the region which affect land-use, food security, and ecosystem dynamics. The region of study extends from the Mongolian plateau in Mongolia. Our research indicate that sustainability of pastoral systems in the region needs to integrate the impact of climate change on ecosystem services with socio-economic changes shaping the livelihood strategies of pastoral systems in the region. Adaptation strategies which incorporate integrated analysis of landscape management and livelihood strategies provides a framework which links ecosystem services to critical resource assets. Analysis of the available livelihood assets provides insights to the adaptive capacity of various agents in a region or in a community. Sustainable development pathways which enable the development of these adaptive capacity elements will lead to more effective adaptive management strategies for pastoral land use and herder's living standards. Pastoralists will have the

Into Tibet: An Early Pliocene Dispersal of Fossil Zokor (Rodentia: Spalacidae) from Mongolian Plateau to the Hinterland of Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Li, Qiang; Wang, Xiaoming

2015-01-01

This paper reports the fossil zokors (Myospalacinae) collected from the lower Pliocene (~4.4 Ma) of Zanda Basin, southwestern Tibet, which is the first record in the hinterland of Tibetan Plateau within the Himalayan Range. Materials include 29 isolated molars belonging to Prosiphneus eriksoni (Schlosser, 1924) by having characters including large size, highly fused roots, upper molars of orthomegodont type, m1 anterior cap small and centrally located, and first pair of m1 reentrants on opposing sides, high crowns, and high value of dentine tract parameters. Based on the cladistics analysis, all seven species of Prosiphneus and P. eriksoni of Zanda form a monophyletic clade. P. eriksoni from Zanda, on the other hand, is nearly the terminal taxon of this clade. The appearance of P. eriksoni in Zanda represents a significant dispersal in the early Pliocene from its center of origin in north China and Mongolian Plateau, possibly via the Hol Xil-Qiangtang hinterland in northern Tibet. The fast evolving zokors are highly adapted to open terrains at a time when regional climates had become increasingly drier in the desert zones north of Tibetan Plateau during the late Miocene to Pliocene. The occurrence of this zokor in Tibet thus suggests a rather open steppe environment. Based on fossils of large mammals, we have formulated an "out of Tibet" hypothesis that suggests earlier and more primitive large mammals from the Pliocene of Tibet giving rise to the Ice Age megafauna. However, fossil records for large mammals are still too poor to evaluate whether they have evolved from lineages endemic to the Tibetan Plateau or were immigrants from outside. The superior record of small mammals is in a better position to address this question. With relatively dense age intervals and numerous localities in much of northern Asia, fossil zokors provide the first example of an "into Tibet" scenario--earlier and more primitive taxa originated from outside of the Tibetan Plateau and the

Into Tibet: An Early Pliocene Dispersal of Fossil Zokor (Rodentia: Spalacidae) from Mongolian Plateau to the Hinterland of Tibetan Plateau

PubMed Central

Li, Qiang; Wang, Xiaoming

2015-01-01

This paper reports the fossil zokors (Myospalacinae) collected from the lower Pliocene (~4.4 Ma) of Zanda Basin, southwestern Tibet, which is the first record in the hinterland of Tibetan Plateau within the Himalayan Range. Materials include 29 isolated molars belonging to Prosiphneus eriksoni (Schlosser, 1924) by having characters including large size, highly fused roots, upper molars of orthomegodont type, m1 anterior cap small and centrally located, and first pair of m1 reentrants on opposing sides, high crowns, and high value of dentine tract parameters. Based on the cladistics analysis, all seven species of Prosiphneus and P. eriksoni of Zanda form a monophyletic clade. P. eriksoni from Zanda, on the other hand, is nearly the terminal taxon of this clade. The appearance of P. eriksoni in Zanda represents a significant dispersal in the early Pliocene from its center of origin in north China and Mongolian Plateau, possibly via the Hol Xil-Qiangtang hinterland in northern Tibet. The fast evolving zokors are highly adapted to open terrains at a time when regional climates had become increasingly drier in the desert zones north of Tibetan Plateau during the late Miocene to Pliocene. The occurrence of this zokor in Tibet thus suggests a rather open steppe environment. Based on fossils of large mammals, we have formulated an “out of Tibet” hypothesis that suggests earlier and more primitive large mammals from the Pliocene of Tibet giving rise to the Ice Age megafauna. However, fossil records for large mammals are still too poor to evaluate whether they have evolved from lineages endemic to the Tibetan Plateau or were immigrants from outside. The superior record of small mammals is in a better position to address this question. With relatively dense age intervals and numerous localities in much of northern Asia, fossil zokors provide the first example of an “into Tibet” scenario–earlier and more primitive taxa originated from outside of the Tibetan Plateau

Effects of an Extended Cage-change Interval on Ammonia Levels and Reproduction in Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed

McCullagh, Elizabeth A; McCullagh, Peter; Klug, Achim; Leszczynski, Jori K; Fong, Derek L

2017-11-01

Prompted by the cage cleanliness of Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), we evaluated a prolonged cage-change interval. We compared the effects of a 2-wk and 6-wk cage-change schedule on ammonia levels, temperature, humidity, and reproductive performance in breeding pairs housed in IVC. We hypothesized that ammonia levels would remain below our threshold for cage changing and that reproductive performance would not be affected. Although ammonia levels increased over time, they remained low (less than 5 ppm) over the 6-wk period. In addition, the 6-wk cage-change interval did not significantly influence reproductive parameters, such as average pup weaning weight, number of litters, and number of pups per litter. We conclude that an extended cage-change interval (6-wk) can be used for gerbils without significant increases in intracage ammonia levels or effects on reproduction.

Dose Effect Evaluation and Therapeutic Window of the Neuro-EPO Nasal Application for the Treatment of the Focal Ischemia Model in the Mongolian Gerbil

PubMed Central

Teste, Iliana Sosa; Tamos, Yuneidys Mengana; Cruz, Yamila Rodríguez; Cernada, Adriana Muñoz; Rodríguez, Janette Cruz; Martínez, Nelvis Subirós; Antich, Rosa Maria Coro; González-Quevedo, Alina; Rodríguez, Julio Cesar García

2012-01-01

Cerebrovascular disease is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in Cuba and in several developed countries. A possible neuroprotective agent is the rHu-EPO, whose effects have been demonstrated in models of brain ischemia. The Neuro-EPO is a derivative of the rHu-EPO that avoids the stimulation of erythropoiesis. The aim of this study was to determine the Neuro-EPO delivery into the central nervous system (CNS) to exert a neuroprotective effect in cerebral ischemia model of the Mongolian gerbil. The Neuro-EPO in a rate of 249.4 UI every 8 hours for 4 days showed 25% higher viability efficacy (P > 0.01), improving neurological score and behavior of the spontaneous exploratory activity, the preservation of CA3 areas of the hippocampus, the cortex, and thalamic nuclei in the focal ischemia model of the Mongolian gerbil. In summary, this study, the average dose-used Neuro-EPO (249.4 UI/10 μL/every 8 hours for 4 days), proved to be valid indicators of viability, neurological status, and spontaneous exploratory activity, being significantly lower than that reported for the systemically use of the rHu-EPO as a neuroprotectant. Indeed, up to 12 h after brain ischemia is very positive Neuro-EPO administration by the nasal route as a candidate for neuroprotection. PMID:22701364

The Oregon Model of Behavior Family Therapy: From Intervention Design to Promoting Large-Scale System Change

PubMed Central

Dishion, Thomas; Forgatch, Marion; Chamberlain, Patricia; Pelham, William E.

2017-01-01

This paper reviews the evolution of the Oregon model of family behavior therapy over the past four decades. Inspired by basic research on family interaction and innovation in behavior change theory, a set of intervention strategies were developed that were effective for reducing multiple forms of problem behavior in children (e.g., Patterson, Chamberlain, & Reid, 1982). Over the ensuing decades, the behavior family therapy principles were applied and adapted to promote children’s adjustment to address family formation and adaptation (Family Check-Up model), family disruption and maladaptation (Parent Management Training–Oregon model), and family attenuation and dissolution (Treatment Foster Care–Oregon model). We provide a brief overview of each intervention model and summarize randomized trials of intervention effectiveness. We review evidence on the viability of effective implementation, as well as barriers and solutions to adopting these evidence-based practices. We conclude by proposing an integrated family support system for the three models applied to the goal of reducing the prevalence of severe problem behavior, addiction, and mental problems for children and families, as well as reducing the need for costly and largely ineffective residential placements. PMID:27993335

How the Leaders of One High-Achieving, Large, Urban High School Communicate with Latino Families about Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kittelson, Andrea

2016-01-01

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand the ways in which the leaders of one high-achieving, large, urban high school communicate with Latino families about math with the intent to shine a light on the issue of communication with families as it relates to student achievement and the persistent math achievement gap among…

Large Constituent Families Help Children Parse Compounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krott, Andrea; Nicoladis, Elena

2005-01-01

The family size of the constituents of compound words, or the number of compounds sharing the constituents, has been shown to affect adults' access to compound words in the mental lexicon. The present study was designed to see if family size would affect children's segmentation of compounds. Twenty-five English-speaking children between 3;7 and…

Helicobacter pylori genetic diversification in the Mongolian gerbil model.

PubMed

Beckett, Amber C; Loh, John T; Chopra, Abha; Leary, Shay; Lin, Aung Soe; McDonnell, Wyatt J; Dixon, Beverly R E A; Noto, Jennifer M; Israel, Dawn A; Peek, Richard M; Mallal, Simon; Algood, Holly M Scott; Cover, Timothy L

2018-01-01

Helicobacter pylori requires genetic agility to infect new hosts and establish long-term colonization of changing gastric environments. In this study, we analyzed H. pylori genetic adaptation in the Mongolian gerbil model. This model is of particular interest because H. pylori -infected gerbils develop a high level of gastric inflammation and often develop gastric adenocarcinoma or gastric ulceration. We analyzed the whole genome sequences of H. pylori strains cultured from experimentally infected gerbils, in comparison to the genome sequence of the input strain. The mean annualized single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rate per site was 1.5e -5 , which is similar to the rates detected previously in H. pylori- infected humans. Many of the mutations occurred within or upstream of genes associated with iron-related functions ( fur , tonB1 , fecA2 , fecA3 , and frpB3 ) or encoding outer membrane proteins ( alpA, oipA, fecA2, fecA3, frpB3 and cagY ). Most of the SNPs within coding regions (86%) were non-synonymous mutations. Several deletion or insertion mutations led to disruption of open reading frames, suggesting that the corresponding gene products are not required or are deleterious during chronic H. pylori colonization of the gerbil stomach. Five variants (three SNPs and two deletions) were detected in isolates from multiple animals, which suggests that these mutations conferred a selective advantage. One of the mutations (FurR88H) detected in isolates from multiple animals was previously shown to confer increased resistance to oxidative stress, and we now show that this SNP also confers a survival advantage when H. pylori is co-cultured with neutrophils. Collectively, these analyses allow the identification of mutations that are positively selected during H. pylori colonization of the gerbil model.

Anatomy of the auditory thalamocortical system in the Mongolian gerbil: nuclear origins and cortical field-, layer-, and frequency-specificities.

PubMed

Saldeitis, Katja; Happel, Max F K; Ohl, Frank W; Scheich, Henning; Budinger, Eike

2014-07-01

Knowledge of the anatomical organization of the auditory thalamocortical (TC) system is fundamental for the understanding of auditory information processing in the brain. In the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), a valuable model species in auditory research, the detailed anatomy of this system has not yet been worked out in detail. Here, we investigated the projections from the three subnuclei of the medial geniculate body (MGB), namely, its ventral (MGv), dorsal (MGd), and medial (MGm) divisions, as well as from several of their subdivisions (MGv: pars lateralis [LV], pars ovoidea [OV], rostral pole [RP]; MGd: deep dorsal nucleus [DD]), to the auditory cortex (AC) by stereotaxic pressure injections and electrophysiologically guided iontophoretic injections of the anterograde tract tracer biocytin. Our data reveal highly specific features of the TC connections regarding their nuclear origin in the subdivisions of the MGB and their termination patterns in the auditory cortical fields and layers. In addition to tonotopically organized projections, primarily of the LV, OV, and DD to the AC, a large number of axons diverge across the tonotopic gradient. These originate mainly from the RP, MGd (proper), and MGm. In particular, neurons of the MGm project in a columnar fashion to several auditory fields, forming small- and medium-sized boutons, and also hitherto unknown giant terminals. The distinctive layer-specific distribution of axonal endings within the AC indicates that each of the TC connectivity systems has a specific function in auditory cortical processing. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Regional Approach for Managing for Resilience Linking Ecosystem Services and Livelihood Strategies for Agro-Pastoral Communities in the Mongolian Steppe Ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojima, D. S.; Togtohyn, C.; Qi, J.; Galvin, K.

2011-12-01

Dramatic changes due to climate and land use dynamics in the Mongolian Plateau are affecting ecosystem services and agro-pastoral livelihoods in Mongolia and China. Recently, evaluation of pastoral systems, where humans depend on livestock and grassland ecosystem services, have demonstrated the vulnerability of the social-ecological system to climate change. Current social-ecological changes in ecosystem services are affecting land productivity and carrying capacity, land-atmosphere interactions, water resources, and livelihood strategies. Regional dust events, changes in hydrological cycle, and land use changes contribute to changing interactions between ecosystem and landscape processes which then affect social-ecological systems. The general trend involves greater intensification of resource exploitation at the expense of traditional patterns of extensive range utilization. Thus we expect climate-land use-land cover relationships to be crucially modified by the socio-economic forces. The analysis incorporates information of the socio-economic transitions taking place in the region which affect land-use, food security, and ecosystem dynamics. The region of study extends from the Mongolian plateau in Mongolia and China to the fertile northeast China plain. Sustainability of agro-pastoral systems in the region needs to integrate the impact of climate change on ecosystem services with socio-economic changes shaping the livelihood strategies of pastoral systems in the region. Adaptation strategies which incorporate landscape management provides a potential framework to link ecosystem services across space and time more effectively to meet the needs of agro-pastoral land use, herd quality, and herder's living standards. Under appropriate adaptation strategies agro-pastoralists will have the opportunity to utilize seasonal resources and enhance their ability to process and manufacture products from the available ecosystem services in these dynamic social

Interethnic genetic differentiation: HLA class I antigens in the population of Mongolia.

PubMed

Chimge, Nyam-Osorin; Batsuuri, Jamiyangiin

1999-09-01

A total of 1668 individuals representing 10 major Mongolian ethnic groups were serologically typed for HLA-A, -B, and -C antigens. Antigens A2, A24, B61, B51, B58, Cw3, Cw7, and Cw6 were the most frequent specificities in Mongolians and no case of B42 was noted in all ethnic groups. The cluster analysis of Principal Components I and II shows that Mongolian speaking groups form one cluster vs Turkic-speaking Kazakhs. The analysis reveals a low, but significant differentiation of Mongolian ethnic groups as measured by F(ST) = 0.0100 (P < 0.001). Gene diversity analysis shows that the genetic diversity of the Mongolian population can be attributed largely to its ethnic component, which makes up 64% of total genetic variation. The low degree of interpopulation variation and high level of intrapopulation diversity can be explained by the nomadic way of life of this indigenous population. Three-locus haplotypes A24-B61-Cw3, A33-B58-Cw3 are the most common haplotypic associations in Mongolians. The presence of antigens characteristic of Mongoloid, Caucasoid, and Negroid populations in Mongolians suggests a unique genetic background of this indigenous population. The three-locus haplotype distribution among Mongolians relative to other world populations supports the migration of ancient people from Central Asia to the New World, Korean Peninsula, and Southeast Asia. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 11:603-618, 1999. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Evidence for ASD recurrence rates and reproductive stoppage from large UK ASD research family databases.

PubMed

Wood, Claire L; Warnell, Frances; Johnson, Mary; Hames, Annette; Pearce, Mark S; McConachie, Helen; Parr, Jeremy R

2015-02-01

Following a diagnosis of a developmental disorder such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in early childhood, parents may decide to have fewer children than previously planned. The tendency for families to halt reproduction after receiving a diagnosis for one child is known as reproductive stoppage. Stoppage may lead to an underestimate of recurrence risk estimates of parents having more than one child with ASD. Using two large UK ASD family databases, we investigated recurrence rates for ASD and evidence for reproductive stoppage for both ASD and undiagnosed ASD/broader autism phenotype in a subgroup of families. Reproductive stoppage was tested for using the Mann-Whitney U-test to disprove the null hypothesis that affected and nonaffected children were distributed randomly by birth order. Dahlberg's later-sib method was used to estimate recurrence risk and take stoppage into account. Data were available from 299 families (660 children) including 327 with ASD. Ten percent of the complete families had more than one child with an ASD. Using Dahlberg's later-sib method, the recurrence risk for ASD was 24.7% overall and 50.0% in families with two or more older siblings with ASD. Children with ASD were born significantly later in families than those without ASD in all sibship combinations. This study shows strong evidence that ASD is associated with reproductive stoppage. These data have important implications for family planning and genetic counseling. © 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic heterogeneity in psoriasis vulgaris based on linkage analyses of a large family material

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wahlstroem, J.; Swanbeck, G.; Inerot, A.

1994-09-01

Information on psoriasis among parents and siblings in 14,008 families has been collected. On the basis of this material, evidence for monogenetic autosomal recessive inheritance of psoriasis has recently been presented. Indications from more than one type of non-pustular psoriasis has been obtained from the population genetic data. Molecular genetic linkage analysis of psoriasis to a number of polymorphic genetic markers for a large number of families has been made. It is apparent that there is genetic heterogeneity in a psoriasis population with regard to psoriasis genes. Using the computer program Linkage 5.0 and a formula for heterogeneity, a lodscoremore » over 3.0 for one locus has been obtained. This locus has further been confirmed by several other markers in the vicinity. The locus found is linked to slightly over half of the families, indicating that there are more genetically independent types of psoriasis. The age at onset of those families that are apparently linked to this locus have a slightly higher age at onset than those not linked to that locus but with a considerable overlap. In spite of close coverage of the whole chromosomes number 6 and 17, no linkage has been found in this regions. This indicates that neither the HLA region nor the region earlier found to be involved in one family with psoriasis are primarily involved in our families.« less

Influence of shovel-shaped incisors on the dental arch crowding in Mongolian females.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Yuh; Terada, Kazuto; Kageyama, Ikuo; Tsukada, Shin-ichi; Uzuka, Satoshi; Nakahara, Rizako; Nakahara, Sen

2009-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influences of shovel-shaped incisors on the dental arch crowding in the samples of modern young female adult Mongolians (belonging to the Khalkha-Mogol grouping) ranged between 18.5 and 25.0 years, with a mean age of 20.7 years. Materials in this study comprised of 33 dental casts. Plaster replicas of the A.S.U. system plaques were used to facilitate standardization in scoring and classify shoveling regarding both upper central and lateral incisors. Dimensions of the dental arch namely, overjet, overbite, arch depth, arch width and irregularity index were measured. The correlation between the shovel shape of the central incisor and the lateral incisor was highly significant. Significantly relations were found between the grades of shoveling and the mesiodistal diameters of upper first molars and lower incisors. Positive correlation was admitted between the shoveling and upper arch depth anterior, and upper arch depth. It may be considered that the grades of shoveling are indirectly related with upper and/or lower anterior crowding. Although crowding is looks like an expression of disharmony between teeth and alveolar arch, it may be caused by multiple etiologic factors interacted directly and/or indirectly.

Leaf-trait plasticity and species vulnerability to climate change in a Mongolian steppe.

PubMed

Liancourt, Pierre; Boldgiv, Bazartseren; Song, Daniel S; Spence, Laura A; Helliker, Brent R; Petraitis, Peter S; Casper, Brenda B

2015-09-01

Climate change is expected to modify plant assemblages in ways that will have major consequences for ecosystem functions. How climate change will affect community composition will depend on how individual species respond, which is likely related to interspecific differences in functional traits. The extraordinary plasticity of some plant traits is typically neglected in assessing how climate change will affect different species. In the Mongolian steppe, we examined whether leaf functional traits under ambient conditions and whether plasticity in these traits under altered climate could explain climate-induced biomass responses in 12 co-occurring plant species. We experimentally created three probable climate change scenarios and used a model selection procedure to determine the set of baseline traits or plasticity values that best explained biomass response. Under all climate change scenarios, plasticity for at least one leaf trait correlated with change in species performance, while functional leaf-trait values in ambient conditions did not. We demonstrate that trait plasticity could play a critical role in vulnerability of species to a rapidly changing environment. Plasticity should be considered when examining how climate change will affect plant performance, species' niche spaces, and ecological processes that depend on plant community composition. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Familiar Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Large Brazilian Family Is Not Associated with Succinate Dehydrogenase Defects.

PubMed

Accordi, Elen Dias; Xekouki, Paraskevi; Azevedo, Bruna; de Alexandre, Rodrigo Bertollo; Frasson, Carla; Gantzel, Siliane Marie; Papadakis, Georgios Z; Angelousi, Anna; Stratakis, Constantine A; Sotomaior, Vanessa Santos; Faucz, Fabio R

2016-07-01

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine gland malignancy. Advances in understanding the genetic basis for thyroid cancer revealed the potential involvement of several genes in the formation of thyroid tumors. Mutations in the gene coding for succinate dehydrogenase subtype B (SDHB) have been implicated in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is a heterotetrameric protein composed of four subunits, SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD, and participates in both the electron transport chain and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between variants in the SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD genes and familiar PTC in a large Brazilian family. Four patients with PTC, 1 patient with PTC and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), 1 patient with GIST, and their relatives - several of them with different thyroid problems - from a large Brazilian family were screened for genetic variations of SDHx genes with the use of polymerase chain reaction-single-stranded conformational polymorphism and direct sequencing. Only one rare variation in SDHA was found in some of the family members, but not segregating with the disease. No other genetic variants of these genes were detected in the family members that presented with PTC and/or GIST. Familiar PTC and a GIST were not associated with SDHx mutations; additional genetic defects, yet unknown, may be responsible for the development of tumor.

Risk selection into consumer-directed health plans: an analysis of family choices within large employers.

PubMed

McDevitt, Roland D; Haviland, Amelia M; Lore, Ryan; Laudenberger, Laura; Eisenberg, Matthew; Sood, Neeraj

2014-04-01

To identify the degree of selection into consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) versus traditional plans over time, and factors that influence choice and temper risk selection. Sixteen large employers offering both CDHP and traditional plans during the 2004–2007 period, more than 200,000 families. We model CDHP choice with logistic regression; predictors include risk scores, in addition to family, choice setting, and plan characteristics. Additional models stratify by account type or single enrollee versus family. Risk scores, family characteristics, and enrollment decisions are derived from medical claims and enrollment files. Interviews with human resources executives provide additional data. CDHP risk scores were 74 percent of traditional plan scores in the first year, and this difference declined over time. Employer contributions to accounts and employee premium savings fostered CDHP enrollment and reduced risk selection. Having to make an active choice of plan increased CDHP enrollment but also increased risk selection. Risk selection was greater for singles than families and did not differ between HRA and HSA-based CDHPs. Risk selection was not severe and it was well managed. Employers have effective methods to encourage CDHP enrollment and temper selection against traditional plans.

Phenotypic diversity identified by cardiac magnetic resonance in a large hypertrophic cardiomyopathy family with a single MYH7 mutation.

PubMed

Wang, Jie; Wan, Ke; Sun, Jiayu; Li, Weihao; Liu, Hong; Han, Yuchi; Chen, Yucheng

2018-01-17

Limited data is available on phenotypic variations with the same genotype in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The present study aims to explore the relationship between genotype and phenotype characterized by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in a large Chinese family. A proband diagnosed with HCM from a multigenerational family underwent next-generation sequencing based on a custom sureSelect panel, including 117 candidate pathogenic genes associated with cardiomyopathies. All genetic results were confirmed by the Sanger sequencing method. All confirmed mutation carriers underwent CMR exam and myocardial tissue characterization using T1 mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on a 3T scanner (Siemens Trio, Gemany). After clinical and genetic screening of 36 (including the proband) members of a large Chinese family, nineteen family members are determined to carry the single p.T1377M (c.4130C>T) mutation in the MYH7 gene. Of these 19 mutation carriers, eight are diagnosed with HCM, one was considered as borderline affected and ten are not clinically or phenotypically affected. Different HCM phenotypes are present in the nine affected individuals in this family. In addition, we have found different tissue characteristics assessed by T1 mapping and LGE in these individuals. We describe a family that demonstrates the diverse HCM phenotypes associated with a single MYH7 mutation.

Sleep Bruxism-Tooth Grinding Prevalence, Characteristics and Familial Aggregation: A Large Cross-Sectional Survey and Polysomnographic Validation

PubMed Central

Khoury, Samar; Carra, Maria Clotilde; Huynh, Nelly; Montplaisir, Jacques; Lavigne, Gilles J.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: Sleep bruxism (SB) is characterized by tooth grinding and jaw clenching during sleep. Familial factors may contribute to the occurrence of SB. This study aims are: (1) revisit the prevalence and characteristics of SB in a large cross-sectional survey and assess familial aggregation of SB, (2) assess comorbidity such as insomnia and pain, (3) compare survey data in a subset of subjects diagnosed using polysomnography research criteria. Methods: A sample of 6,357 individuals from the general population in Quebec, Canada, undertook an online survey to assess the prevalence of SB, comorbidities, and familial aggregation. Data on familial aggregation were compared to 111 SB subjects diagnosed using polysomnography. Results: Regularly occurring SB was reported by 8.6% of the general population, decreases with age, without any gender difference. SB awareness is concomitant with complaints of difficulties maintaining sleep in 47.6% of the cases. A third of SB positive probands reported pain. A 2.5 risk ratio of having a first-degree family member with SB was found in SB positive probands. The risk of reporting SB in first-degree family ranges from 1.4 to 2.9 with increasing severity of reported SB. Polysomnographic data shows that 37% of SB subjects had at least one first-degree relative with reported SB with a relative risk ratio of 4.625. Conclusions: Our results support the heritability of SB-tooth grinding and that sleep quality and pain are concomitant in a significant number of SB subjects. Citation: Khoury S, Carra MC, Huynh N, Montplaisir J, Lavigne GJ. Sleep bruxism-tooth grinding prevalence, characteristics and familial aggregation: a large cross-sectional survey and polysomnographic validation. SLEEP 2016;39(11):2049–2056. PMID:27568807

Riftogenic magmatism of western part of the Early Mesozoic Mongolian-Transbaikalian igneous province: Results of geochronological studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarmolyuk, V. V.; Kozlovsky, A. M.; Salnikova, E. B.; Travin, A. V.; Kudryashova, E. A.

2017-08-01

Geochronological studies of rocks from a bimodal high-alkali volcanic-plutonic complex collected in the area of Kharkhorin zone of the Early Mesozoic Mongolian-Transbaikalian igneous province (MTIP) are made. The age of alkali granites from Olziit sum is 211 ± 1 Ma (U-Pb ID-TIMS on zircon) to 209 ± 2 and 217 ± 4 Ma (40Ar/39Ar on alkali amphibole); the age of alkali granite-porphyries from the area of Sant sum is 206 ± 1 Ma (U-Pb ID-TIMS on zircon). These rock series formed syncronously to the analogous magmatism episode in the Northern Gobi and Western Transbaikalian rift zones of the MTIP. The similarity of the age and composition of igneous associations of the MTIP suggests a common mechanism of its formation related to the effect of a mantle plume on the continental lithosphere at the base of the entire igneous zone having a zonal structure.

Reduction of overall Helicobacter pylori colonization levels in the stomach of Mongolian gerbil by Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 (LC1) and its in vitro activities against H. pylori motility and adherence.

PubMed

Isobe, Hirokazu; Nishiyama, Akihito; Takano, Tomomi; Higuchi, Wataru; Nakagawa, Saori; Taneike, Ikue; Fukushima, Yoichi; Yamamoto, Tatsuo

2012-01-01

The effects of Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 (LC1) on Helicobacter pylori colonization in the stomach were investigated. H. pylori colonization and gastritis in LC1-inoculated Mongolian gerbils were significantly less intense than those in the control animals. LC1 culture supernatant (>10-kDa fraction) inhibited H. pylori motility and induced bacterial aggregation in human gastric epithelial cells, suggesting the potential of clinical use of LC1 product.

Biochemical profiling in silico--predicting substrate specificities of large enzyme families.

PubMed

Tyagi, Sadhna; Pleiss, Juergen

2006-06-25

A general high-throughput method for in silico biochemical profiling of enzyme families has been developed based on covalent docking of potential substrates into the binding sites of target enzymes. The method has been tested by systematically docking transition state--analogous intermediates of 12 substrates into the binding sites of 20 alpha/beta hydrolases from 15 homologous families. To evaluate the effect of side chain orientations to the docking results, 137 crystal structures were included in the analysis. A good substrate must fulfil two criteria: it must bind in a productive geometry with four hydrogen bonds between the substrate and the catalytic histidine and the oxyanion hole, and a high affinity of the enzyme-substrate complex as predicted by a high docking score. The modelling results in general reproduce experimental data on substrate specificity and stereoselectivity: the differences in substrate specificity of cholinesterases toward acetyl- and butyrylcholine, the changes of activity of lipases and esterases upon the size of the acid moieties, activity of lipases and esterases toward tertiary alcohols, and the stereopreference of lipases and esterases toward chiral secondary alcohols. Rigidity of the docking procedure was the major reason for false positive and false negative predictions, as the geometry of the complex and docking score may sensitively depend on the orientation of individual side chains. Therefore, appropriate structures have to be identified. In silico biochemical profiling provides a time efficient and cost saving protocol for virtual screening to identify the potential substrates of the members of large enzyme family from a library of molecules.

Risk Selection into Consumer-Directed Health Plans: An Analysis of Family Choices within Large Employers

PubMed Central

McDevitt, Roland D; Haviland, Amelia M; Lore, Ryan; Laudenberger, Laura; Eisenberg, Matthew; Sood, Neeraj

2014-01-01

Objective To identify the degree of selection into consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) versus traditional plans over time, and factors that influence choice and temper risk selection. Data Sources/Study Setting Sixteen large employers offering both CDHP and traditional plans during the 2004–2007 period, more than 200,000 families. Study Design We model CDHP choice with logistic regression; predictors include risk scores, in addition to family, choice setting, and plan characteristics. Additional models stratify by account type or single enrollee versus family. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Risk scores, family characteristics, and enrollment decisions are derived from medical claims and enrollment files. Interviews with human resources executives provide additional data. Principal Findings CDHP risk scores were 74 percent of traditional plan scores in the first year, and this difference declined over time. Employer contributions to accounts and employee premium savings fostered CDHP enrollment and reduced risk selection. Having to make an active choice of plan increased CDHP enrollment but also increased risk selection. Risk selection was greater for singles than families and did not differ between HRA and HSA-based CDHPs. Conclusions Risk selection was not severe and it was well managed. Employers have effective methods to encourage CDHP enrollment and temper selection against traditional plans. PMID:24800305

Accretionary history of the Altai-Mongolian terrane: perspectives from granitic zircon U-Pb and Hf-isotope data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Keda; Sun, Min; Xiao, Wenjiao

2014-05-01

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) consists of many tectonic terranes with distinct origin and complicated evolutionary history. Understanding of individual block is crucial to reconstruct the geodynamic history of the gigantic accetionary collage. This study presents zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes for the granitoid rocks in the Russian Altai mountain range (including Gorny Altai, Altai-Mongolian terrane and CTUS suture zone between them), in order to clarify the timing of granitic magmatism, source nature, continental crustal growth and tectonic evolution. Our dating results suggest that granitic magmatism of the Russian Altai mountain range occurred in three major episodes including 445~429 Ma, 410~360 Ma and ~241 Ma. Most of the zircons within the Paleozoic granitoids present comparable positive ɛHf(t) values and Neoproterozoic crustal model ages, which favor the interpretation that the juvenile crustal materials produced in the early stage of CAOB were probably dominant sources for the Paleozoic magmatism in the region. The inference is also supported by widespread occurrence of short-lived juvenile materials including ophiolites, seamount relics and arc assemblages in the north CAOB. Consequently, the Paleozoic massive granitic rocks maybe not represent continental crustal growth at the time when they were emplaced, but rather record reworking of relatively juvenile Proterozoic crustal rocks although mantle-derived mafic magma was possibly involved to sever as heat engine during granitic magma generation. The Early Triassic granitic intrusion may be product in an intra-plate environment, as the case of same type rocks in the adjacent areas. The positive ɛHf(t) values (1.81~7.47) and corresponding Hf model ages (0.80~1.16 Ga) together with evidence of petrology are consistent with the interpretation that the parental magma of the Triassic granitic intrusion was produced from enriched mantle-derived sources under an usually high temperature condition

Mismatches in genetic markers in a large family study.

PubMed Central

Ashton, G C

1980-01-01

The Hawaii Family Study of Cognition provided an opportunity to investigate the frequency and implications of non-agreement, or mismatches, between observed and expected genetic marker phenotypes of husbands, wives, and children. Mismatch data from 68 families in which one or both spouses were known not to be a biological parent were used to determine the rate of undeclared nonparentage in 1,748 families in which conventional relationships were claimed. Two independent approaches gave consistent estimates, suggesting that approximately 2.3% of the 2,839 tested children from these families were probably the result of infidelity, concealed adoption, or another event. About two-thirds of the mismatches detected were probably due to properties of the techniques employed. PMID:6930820

Inhibitory effect of etodolac, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, on stomach carcinogenesis in Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Magari, Hirohito; Shimizu, Yasuhito; Inada, Ken-ichi

2005-08-26

The effect of the selective COX-2 inhibitor, etodolac, on Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-associated stomach carcinogenesis was investigated in Mongolian gerbils (MGs). Hp-infected MGs were fed for 23 weeks with drinking water containing 10 ppm N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. They were then switched to distilled water and placed on a diet containing 5-30 mg/kg/day etodolac for 30 weeks. We found that etodolac dose-dependently inhibited the development of gastric cancer, and no cancer was detected at a dose of 30 mg/kg/day. Etodolac did not affect the extent of inflammatory cell infiltration or oxidative DNA damage, but it significantly inhibited mucosal cell proliferation and dose-dependently repressed themore » development of intestinal metaplasia in the stomachs of Hp-infected MGs. These results suggest that COX-2 is a key molecule in inflammation-mediated stomach carcinogenesis and that chemoprevention of stomach cancer should be possible by controlling COX-2 expression or activity.« less

Several Families of Sequences with Low Correlation and Large Linear Span

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Fanxin; Zhang, Zhenyu

In DS-CDMA systems and DS-UWB radios, low correlation of spreading sequences can greatly help to minimize multiple access interference (MAI) and large linear span of spreading sequences can reduce their predictability. In this letter, new sequence sets with low correlation and large linear span are proposed. Based on the construction Trm1[Trnm(αbt+γiαdt)]r for generating p-ary sequences of period pn-1, where n=2m, d=upm±v, b=u±v, γi∈GF(pn), and p is an arbitrary prime number, several methods to choose the parameter d are provided. The obtained sequences with family size pn are of four-valued, five-valued, six-valued or seven-valued correlation and the maximum nontrivial correlation value is (u+v-1)pm-1. The simulation by a computer shows that the linear span of the new sequences is larger than that of the sequences with Niho-type and Welch-type decimations, and similar to that of [10].

DNA sequence-level analyses reveal potential phenotypic modifiers in a large family with psychiatric disorders.

PubMed

Ryan, Niamh M; Lihm, Jayon; Kramer, Melissa; McCarthy, Shane; Morris, Stewart W; Arnau-Soler, Aleix; Davies, Gail; Duff, Barbara; Ghiban, Elena; Hayward, Caroline; Deary, Ian J; Blackwood, Douglas H R; Lawrie, Stephen M; McIntosh, Andrew M; Evans, Kathryn L; Porteous, David J; McCombie, W Richard; Thomson, Pippa A

2018-06-07

Psychiatric disorders are a group of genetically related diseases with highly polygenic architectures. Genome-wide association analyses have made substantial progress towards understanding the genetic architecture of these disorders. More recently, exome- and whole-genome sequencing of cases and families have identified rare, high penetrant variants that provide direct functional insight. There remains, however, a gap in the heritability explained by these complementary approaches. To understand how multiple genetic variants combine to modify both severity and penetrance of a highly penetrant variant, we sequenced 48 whole genomes from a family with a high loading of psychiatric disorder linked to a balanced chromosomal translocation. The (1;11)(q42;q14.3) translocation directly disrupts three genes: DISC1, DISC2, DISC1FP and has been linked to multiple brain imaging and neurocognitive outcomes in the family. Using DNA sequence-level linkage analysis, functional annotation and population-based association, we identified common and rare variants in GRM5 (minor allele frequency (MAF) > 0.05), PDE4D (MAF > 0.2) and CNTN5 (MAF < 0.01) that may help explain the individual differences in phenotypic expression in the family. We suggest that whole-genome sequencing in large families will improve the understanding of the combined effects of the rare and common sequence variation underlying psychiatric phenotypes.

Association of Biomarkers of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction with Fasting and Postload Glucose Metabolism: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study Among Inner Mongolians in China.

PubMed

Wu, Jiahui; Liang, Zhu; Zhou, Jingwen; Zhong, Chongke; Jiang, Wei; Zhang, Yonghong; Zhang, Shaoyan

2016-12-01

To examine the associations between elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) with fasting and 2-hour postload glucometabolic status among Inner Mongolians in China. Based on a cross-sectional survey of patients during 2003, 2260 participants were reinvestigated between 2013 and 2014. We categorized the participants into 3 subgroups according to fasting and postload glucose levels, respectively. The associations between biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction and deterioration of fasting and postload glucometabolic status were examined by ordinal logistic regression analysis. We found 142 and 49 persons who had impaired fasting glucose (IFG) levels and type 2 diabetes in the fasting state and 335 and 50 persons who had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes in the postload state. After multivariable adjustment, elevated CRP and sICAM-1 levels were associated with deterioration of fasting glucometabolic status from normal fasting glucose to IFG and type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.73 [95% CI 1.18 to 2.54] for elevated CRP levels, OR 1.86 [95% CI 1.30 to 2.66] for elevated sICAM-1 levels). Elevated sE-selectin levels were associated with deterioration of postload glucometabolic status from normal glucose tolerance to IGT and type 2 diabetes (OR 1.34 [95% CI 1.01 to 1.77]) in the multivariable-adjusted model. Biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction were separately associated with fasting and postload glucose metabolism among Inner Mongolians. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Diabetes Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Role of Family Environment in Depressive Symptoms among University Students: A Large Sample Survey in China

PubMed Central

Yang, Yanjie; Chen, Lu; Qiu, Xiaohui; Qiao, Zhengxue; Zhou, Jiawei; Pan, Hui; Ban, Bo; Zhu, Xiongzhao; He, Jincai; Ding, Yongqing; Bai, Bing

2015-01-01

Objective To explore the relationship between family environment and depressive symptoms and to evaluate the influence of hard and soft family environmental factors on depression levels in a large sample of university students in China. Methods A multi-stage stratified sampling procedure was used to select 6,000 participants. The response rate was 88.8%, with 5,329 students completing the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Family Environment Scale Chinese Version (FES-CV), which was adapted for the Chinese population. Differences between the groups were tested for significance by the Student’s t-test; ANOVA was used to test continuous variables. The relationship between soft family environmental factors and BDI were tested by Pearson correlation analysis. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to model the effects of hard environmental factors and soft environmental factors on depression in university students. Results A total of 11.8% of students scored above the threshold of moderate depression(BDI≧14). Hard family environmental factors such as parent relationship, family economic status, level of parental literacy and non-intact family structure were associated with depressive symptoms. The soft family environmental factors—conflict and control—were positively associated with depression, while cohesion was negatively related to depressive symptom after controlling for other important associates of depression. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the soft family environment correlates more strongly with depression than the hard family environment. Conclusions Soft family environmental factors—especially cohesion, conflict and control—appeared to play an important role in the occurrence of depressive symptoms. These findings underline the significance of the family environment as a source of risk factors for depression among university students in China and suggest that family-based interventions and improvement are very

The Role of Family Environment in Depressive Symptoms among University Students: A Large Sample Survey in China.

PubMed

Yu, Yunmiao; Yang, Xiuxian; Yang, Yanjie; Chen, Lu; Qiu, Xiaohui; Qiao, Zhengxue; Zhou, Jiawei; Pan, Hui; Ban, Bo; Zhu, Xiongzhao; He, Jincai; Ding, Yongqing; Bai, Bing

2015-01-01

To explore the relationship between family environment and depressive symptoms and to evaluate the influence of hard and soft family environmental factors on depression levels in a large sample of university students in China. A multi-stage stratified sampling procedure was used to select 6,000 participants. The response rate was 88.8%, with 5,329 students completing the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Family Environment Scale Chinese Version (FES-CV), which was adapted for the Chinese population. Differences between the groups were tested for significance by the Student's t-test; ANOVA was used to test continuous variables. The relationship between soft family environmental factors and BDI were tested by Pearson correlation analysis. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to model the effects of hard environmental factors and soft environmental factors on depression in university students. A total of 11.8% of students scored above the threshold of moderate depression (BDI≧14). Hard family environmental factors such as parent relationship, family economic status, level of parental literacy and non-intact family structure were associated with depressive symptoms. The soft family environmental factors--conflict and control--were positively associated with depression, while cohesion was negatively related to depressive symptom after controlling for other important associates of depression. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the soft family environment correlates more strongly with depression than the hard family environment. Soft family environmental factors--especially cohesion, conflict and control--appeared to play an important role in the occurrence of depressive symptoms. These findings underline the significance of the family environment as a source of risk factors for depression among university students in China and suggest that family-based interventions and improvement are very important to reduce depression among

From new genetics to everyday knowledge: Ideas about how genetic diseases are transmitted in two large Brazilian families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Silvana; Bizzo, Nelio

2005-07-01

This study focuses on everyday or lay understandings of inheritance. In the northeastern Brazil, 100 individuals were interviewed in order to describe how they explain the origin of genetic disorders affecting their relatives for several generations. There were involved 60 individuals from a large consanguineous family with many members affected with a neurodegenerative disorder, SPOAN syndrome (spastic paraplegia, optic atrophy and neuropathy), and 40 individuals of another family living with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). The results indicate that families here studied have built narratives to explain the origin of genetic diseases, saying that an ancestor infected with syphilis gave rise to disorders and birthmarks transmitted to descendents.

Screening for large genomic rearrangements in the FANCA gene reveals extensive deletion in a Finnish breast cancer family.

PubMed

Solyom, Szilvia; Winqvist, Robert; Nikkilä, Jenni; Rapakko, Katrin; Hirvikoski, Pasi; Kokkonen, Hannaleena; Pylkäs, Katri

2011-03-28

A portion of familial breast cancer cases are caused by mutations in the same genes that are inactivated in the downstream part of Fanconi anemia (FA) signaling pathway. Here we have assessed the FANCA gene for breast cancer susceptibility by examining blood DNA for aberrations from 100 Northern Finnish breast cancer families using the MLPA method. We identified a novel heterozygous deletion, removing the promoter and 12 exons of the gene in one family. This allele was absent from 124 controls. We conclude that FANCA deletions might contribute to breast cancer susceptibility, potentially in combination with other germline mutations. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting a large deletion in an upstream FA gene in familial breast cancer. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

QuickProbs 2: Towards rapid construction of high-quality alignments of large protein families

PubMed Central

Gudyś, Adam; Deorowicz, Sebastian

2017-01-01

The ever-increasing size of sequence databases caused by the development of high throughput sequencing, poses to multiple alignment algorithms one of the greatest challenges yet. As we show, well-established techniques employed for increasing alignment quality, i.e., refinement and consistency, are ineffective when large protein families are investigated. We present QuickProbs 2, an algorithm for multiple sequence alignment. Based on probabilistic models, equipped with novel column-oriented refinement and selective consistency, it offers outstanding accuracy. When analysing hundreds of sequences, Quick-Probs 2 is noticeably better than ClustalΩ and MAFFT, the previous leaders for processing numerous protein families. In the case of smaller sets, for which consistency-based methods are the best performing, QuickProbs 2 is also superior to the competitors. Due to low computational requirements of selective consistency and utilization of massively parallel architectures, presented algorithm has similar execution times to ClustalΩ, and is orders of magnitude faster than full consistency approaches, like MSAProbs or PicXAA. All these make QuickProbs 2 an excellent tool for aligning families ranging from few, to hundreds of proteins. PMID:28139687

A family of dynamic models for large-eddy simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carati, D.; Jansen, K.; Lund, T.

1995-01-01

Since its first application, the dynamic procedure has been recognized as an effective means to compute rather than prescribe the unknown coefficients that appear in a subgrid-scale model for Large-Eddy Simulation (LES). The dynamic procedure is usually used to determine the nondimensional coefficient in the Smagorinsky (1963) model. In reality the procedure is quite general and it is not limited to the Smagorinsky model by any theoretical or practical constraints. The purpose of this note is to consider a generalized family of dynamic eddy viscosity models that do not necessarily rely on the local equilibrium assumption built into the Smagorinsky model. By invoking an inertial range assumption, it will be shown that the coefficients in the new models need not be nondimensional. This additional degree of freedom allows the use of models that are scaled on traditionally unknown quantities such as the dissipation rate. In certain cases, the dynamic models with dimensional coefficients are simpler to implement, and allow for a 30% reduction in the number of required filtering operations.

[The economic-financial sustainability of the Family Health Strategy in large municipalities].

PubMed

Portela, Gustavo Zoio; Ribeiro, José Mendes

2011-03-01

The universalization of basic care and commitment budget of the Ministry of Health with the Family Health Strategy (ESF) through new systematic financing incentives have been highlighted in the Brazilian health policy scenario. One of the great problems observed is the expansion of the strategy for large urban centres. This paper studies the economic-financial sustainability of ESF in Brazilian municipalities of more than 100 thousand inhabitants according to some selected indicators, considering the geographical region to which they belong, their population size and participation in Project for the Expansion and Consolidation Family Health (Proesf). Municipalities belonging to the Southeast region, more developed of the country, have on average better economic-financial performance, but lower average values of coverage of ESF. Municipalities from the North and Northeast, with the lowest average for economic-financial sustainability indicators, were the ones that made more effort to developments in the period. Thus, we observed the dynamics between bigger fiscal capacity and budgetary commitment with the Health Sector for biggest municipalities and in more economically developed regions, and greater vulnerability and dependence of federative transferences for municipalities with less people, in less developed areas.

Consequences of a novel caveolin-3 mutation in a large German family.

PubMed

Fischer, Dirk; Schroers, Anja; Blümcke, Ingmar; Urbach, Horst; Zerres, Klaus; Mortier, Wilhelm; Vorgerd, Matthias; Schröder, Rolf

2003-02-01

Mutations in the human caveolin-3 gene (cav-3) on chromosome 3p25 have been described in limb girdle muscular dystrophy, rippling muscle disease, hyperCKemia, and distal myopathy. Here, we describe the genetic, myopathological, and clinical findings in a large German family harboring a novel heterozygous mutation (GAC-->GAA) in codon 27 of the cav-3 gene. This missense mutation causes an amino acid change from asparagine to glutamate (Asp27Glu) in the N-terminal region of the Cav-3 protein, which leads to a drastic decrease of Cav-3 protein expression in skeletal muscle tissue. In keeping with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, this novel cav-3 mutation was found to cosegregate with neuromuscular involvement in the reported family. Ultrastructural analysis of Cav-3-deficient muscle showed an abnormal folding of the plasma membrane as well as multiple vesicular structures in the subsarcolemmal region. Neurological examination of all nine subjects from three generations harboring the novel cav-3 mutation showed clear evidence of rippling muscle disease. However, only two of these nine patients showed isolated signs of rippling muscle disease without muscle weakness or atrophy, whereas five had additional signs of a distal myopathy and two fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of a coexisting limb girdle muscular dystrophy. These findings indicate that mutations in the human cav-3 gene can lead to different and overlapping clinical phenotypes even within the same family. Different clinical phenotypes in caveolinopathies may be attributed to so far unidentified modifying factors/genes in the individual genetic background of affected patients.

Little evidence of avian or equine influenza virus infection among a cohort of Mongolian adults with animal exposures, 2010-2011.

PubMed

Khurelbaatar, Nyamdavaa; Krueger, Whitney S; Heil, Gary L; Darmaa, Badarchiin; Ulziimaa, Daramragchaa; Tserennorov, Damdindorj; Baterdene, Ariungerel; Anderson, Benjamin D; Gray, Gregory C

2014-01-01

Avian (AIV) and equine influenza virus (EIV) have been repeatedly shown to circulate among Mongolia's migrating birds or domestic horses. In 2009, 439 Mongolian adults, many with occupational exposure to animals, were enrolled in a prospective cohort study of zoonotic influenza transmission. Sera were drawn upon enrollment and again at 12 and 24 months. Participants were contacted monthly for 24 months and queried regarding episodes of acute influenza-like illnesses (ILI). Cohort members confirmed to have acute influenza A infections, permitted respiratory swab collections which were studied with rRT-PCR for influenza A. Serologic assays were performed against equine, avian, and human influenza viruses. Over the 2 yrs of follow-up, 100 ILI investigations in the cohort were conducted. Thirty-six ILI cases (36%) were identified as influenza A infections by rRT-PCR; none yielded evidence for AIV or EIV. Serological examination of 12 mo and 24 mo annual sera revealed 37 participants had detectable antibody titers (≥1∶10) against studied viruses during the course of study follow-up: 21 against A/Equine/Mongolia/01/2008(H3N8); 4 against an avian A/Teal/Hong Kong/w3129(H6N1), 11 against an avian-like A/Hong Kong/1073/1999(H9N2), and 1 against an avian A/Migrating duck/Hong Kong/MPD268/2007(H10N4) virus. However, all such titers were <1∶80 and none were statistically associated with avian or horse exposures. A number of subjects had evidence of seroconversion to zoonotic viruses, but the 4-fold titer changes were again not associated with avian or horse exposures. As elevated antibodies against seasonal influenza viruses were high during the study period, it seems likely that cross-reacting antibodies against seasonal human influenza viruses were a cause of the low-level seroreactivity against AIV or EIV. Despite the presence of AIV and EIV circulating among wild birds and horses in Mongolia, there was little evidence of AIV or EIV infection in this prospective study

Population genetic structure of endangered Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) from the Korean Peninsula.

PubMed

Park, Han-Chan; Suk, Ho Young; Jeong, Eu-Jin; Park, Dae-Sik; Lee, Hang; Min, Mi-Sook

2014-11-01

The Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) is a small lacertid lizard species, and its distribution range encompasses the Korean Peninsula, Mongolia, China and Russia. Eremias argus is widespread, but populations on the Korean Peninsula are small and declining, provoking concerns that genetic diversity is being lost. This species is currently listed under the Protection of Wild Fauna and Flora Act in South Korea. In this study, nine novel microsatellites for E. argus were developed with a biotin-enrichment method and used to understand its population genetic structure and delineate conservation units on the Korean Peninsula. Overall, low intrapopulation genetic diversity was observed (mean number of alleles per locus = 2.463; mean H E = 0.398) from 10 populations investigated (n = 110). Two populations (among five with n≥ 10) showed an excess of heterozygosity expected under HWE relative to that expected at mutation-drift equilibrium, indicating severe reduction in population sizes. With only a few exceptions, the overall genetic differentiation among populations was substantial with the high levels of pairwise-F ST (0.006-0.746) and -R ST (0.034-0.940) values. The results of Bayesian STRUCTURE analysis showed that E. argus populations on the Korean Peninsula were most likely partitioned into three genetic clusters. Taken all together, such low levels of gene flow and strong genetic structuring have critical implications for the conservation of this endangered species and its management.

Diverging climate trends in Mongolian taiga forests influence growth and regeneration of Larix sibirica

PubMed Central

Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Khishigjargal, Mookhor; Leuschner, Hanns Hubert; Leuschner, Christoph

2010-01-01

Central and semiarid north-eastern Asia was subject to twentieth century warming far above the global average. Since forests of this region occur at their drought limit, they are particularly vulnerable to climate change. We studied the regional variations of temperature and precipitation trends and their effects on tree growth and forest regeneration in Mongolia. Tree-ring series from more than 2,300 trees of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) collected in four regions of Mongolia’s forest zone were analyzed and related to available weather data. Climate trends underlie a remarkable regional variation leading to contrasting responses of tree growth in taiga forests even within the same mountain system. Within a distance of a few hundred kilometers (140–490 km), areas with recently reduced growth and regeneration of larch alternated with regions where these parameters remained constant or even increased. Reduced productivity could be correlated with increasing summer temperatures and decreasing precipitation; improved growth conditions were found at increasing precipitation, but constant summer temperatures. An effect of increasing winter temperatures on tree-ring width or forest regeneration was not detectable. Since declines of productivity and regeneration are more widespread in the Mongolian taiga than the opposite trend, a net loss of forests is likely to occur in the future, as strong increases in temperature and regionally differing changes in precipitation are predicted for the twenty-first century. PMID:20571829

Diverging climate trends in Mongolian taiga forests influence growth and regeneration of Larix sibirica.

PubMed

Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Hauck, Markus; Khishigjargal, Mookhor; Leuschner, Hanns Hubert; Leuschner, Christoph

2010-08-01

Central and semiarid north-eastern Asia was subject to twentieth century warming far above the global average. Since forests of this region occur at their drought limit, they are particularly vulnerable to climate change. We studied the regional variations of temperature and precipitation trends and their effects on tree growth and forest regeneration in Mongolia. Tree-ring series from more than 2,300 trees of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) collected in four regions of Mongolia's forest zone were analyzed and related to available weather data. Climate trends underlie a remarkable regional variation leading to contrasting responses of tree growth in taiga forests even within the same mountain system. Within a distance of a few hundred kilometers (140-490 km), areas with recently reduced growth and regeneration of larch alternated with regions where these parameters remained constant or even increased. Reduced productivity could be correlated with increasing summer temperatures and decreasing precipitation; improved growth conditions were found at increasing precipitation, but constant summer temperatures. An effect of increasing winter temperatures on tree-ring width or forest regeneration was not detectable. Since declines of productivity and regeneration are more widespread in the Mongolian taiga than the opposite trend, a net loss of forests is likely to occur in the future, as strong increases in temperature and regionally differing changes in precipitation are predicted for the twenty-first century.

Production of bacteriocin by Leuconostoc mesenteroides 406 isolated from Mongolian fermented mare's milk, airag.

PubMed

Wulijideligen; Asahina, Takayuki; Hara, Kazushi; Arakawa, Kensuke; Nakano, Hiroyuki; Miyamoto, Taku

2012-10-01

The purification and characterization of a bacteriocin produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain 406 that was isolated from traditional Mongolian fermented mare's milk, airag, were carried out. Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain 406 was identified on the basis of its morphological and biochemical characteristics and carbohydrate fermentation profile and by API 50 CH kit and 16S ribosomal DNA analyses. The neutral-pH cell-free supernatant of this bacterium inhibited the growth of several lactic acid bacteria and food spoilage and pathogenic organisms, including Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulinum. The bacteriocin was heat-stable and not sensitive to acid and alkaline conditions, but was sensitive to several proteolytic enzymes such as pepsin, pronase E, proteinase K, trypsin, and α-chymotrypsin, but not catalase. Optimum bacteriocin production (4000 activity units/mL) was achieved when the strain was cultured at 25°C for 24-36 h in Man Rogosa Sharpe medium. The bacteriocin was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation (80% saturation), dialysis (cut-off MW: 1000), and gel filtration chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the bacteriocin had a molecular weight of approximately 3.3 kDa. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation of a bacteriocin-producing Leuconostoc strain from airag. An application to fermented milks would be desired. © 2012 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2012 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Carbonic fluid inclusions in amphibolite-facies pelitic schists from Bodonch area, western Mongolian Altai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zorigtkhuu, Oyun-Erdene; Tsunogae, Toshiaki; Dash, Batulzii

We report first fluid inclusion data on amphibolite-facies pelitic schists from Bodonch area of western Mongolian Altai in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Three categories of fluid inclusions have been observed in quartz: dominant primary and secondary inclusions, and least dominant pseudosecondary inclusions. The melting temperatures of all the categories of inclusions lie in the narrow range of -57.5 °C to -56.6 °C, close to the triple point of pure CO2. Homogenization of fluids occurs into liquid phase at temperature between -33.3 °C to +19.4 °C, which convert into densities in the range of 0.78 g/cm3 to 1.09 g/cm3. The estimated CO2 isochores for primary and pseudosecondary high-density inclusions is broadly consistent with the peak metamorphic condition of the studied area (6.3-7.3 kbar at 655 °C). The results of this study, together with the primary and pseudosecondary nature of the inclusions, indicate CO2 was the dominant fluid component during the peak amphibolite-facies metamorphism of the study area. The examined quartz grains are texturally associated with biotite, kyanite and staurolite, which are regarded as high-grade minerals formed during prograde to peak metamorphism. Therefore quartz probably formed by high-grade metamorphism and the primary fluid inclusions trapped in the minerals probably preserve fluids at around peak metamorphism.

Prevalence of classic signs and symptoms of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in Mongolian children and women.

PubMed

Uush, Tserendolgor

2013-07-01

In order to assess the current nutrition status of Mongolian population, including rickets and vitamin D deficiency of children and women, the Fourth National Nutrition Cross-Sectional Survey was conducted in 21 aimags (provinces) of 4 economic regions of the country and capital city Ulaanbaatar in 2010. Children of age under five years, and non-pregnant women of reproductive age were used as subjects for assessing rickets and vitamin D deficiency. A total of 400 households were randomly selected from each of 4 economic regions and Ulaanbaatar city. Clinical examinations were performed on 706 children of age under five years. Interviews were used to assess vitamin D supplement use. The serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured in 524 children aged 6-59 months and in 867 women of reproductive age. This survey found that 21.8% of children had vitamin D deficiency, 20.6% had low vitamin D reserve, and 30.0% of women had vitamin D deficiency and 22.2% had low vitamin D reserve. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in children (35.0%, 95% CI, 24.7-47.0) and women (54.9%, 95% CI 45.5-64.0) in the Eastern Region was (35.0%, 95% CI, 24.7-47.0) significantly higher than in the Western, Khangai, Central Regions, and Ulaanbaatar. Further it was found that 27.4% of children under-two years had received vitamin D supplementation. The proportion of children, who did not receive vitamin D supplementation had a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency than that of the children of the Eastern Region. None of the women who were involved in this survey had received vitamin D supplementation; 10.2% of them had delivered in the past 12 months, and 22.5% were breastfeeding. The prevalence of classic signs and symptoms of rickets were commonly reported among children of age under five, and skeletal abnormalities more commonly reported in children aged 12-47 months. In conclusion, there is a high prevalence of classic signs and symptoms of rickets in children of age under five

Towards identification of an epilepsy gene in a large family with idiopathic generalized epilepsy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roussear, M.; Lopes-Cendes, I.; Berkovic, S.F.

1994-09-01

To identify the disease gene in a large, multiplex family segregating an autosomal dominant form of idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). The IGEs have been recognized for several decades as being genetically determined. However, large pedigrees with a clear Mendelian inheritance are not commonly available. This, and the presence of locus heterogeneity have been obstacles to the identification of linkage in several IGE syndromes. We have identified a large IGE kindred with fifty-eight living individuals, including 26 affecteds, showing a clear autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance. Forty-fur informative individuals, including 23 affecteds, were selected for the linkage studies. We havemore » chosen 200 polymorphic microsatellite markers, about 20 cM apart, throughout the human autosomes as a genome-search linkage strategy. To date, 47 markers, representing 30% of the human genome, have been excluded for linkage in the Australian kindred. As our study progresses, we will report up-to-date results.« less

Familial temporal lobe epilepsy autosomal dominant inheritance in a large pedigree from southern Italy.

PubMed

Gambardella, A; Messina, D; Le Piane, E; Oliveri, R L; Annesi, G; Zappia, M; Andermann, E; Quattrone, A; Aguglia, U

2000-02-01

To further elucidate the inheritance pattern and range of phenotypic manifestations of benign familial temporal lobe epilepsy (FTLE), we report a large family recently identified in southern Italy. There were 8 patients (4 men), ranging in age from 31 to 68 years in three generations. One affected patient was deceased at the time of the study. Genealogical study strongly supported autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance, as three unaffected individuals transmitted the disease. Clinical anticipation could not be assessed because of the ascertainment method. Male to male transmission occurred. Identifiable antecedents for seizures were present in only two patients, who had a simple febrile convulsion and a closed head trauma, respectively. Migraine was overrepresented in this family. Onset of seizures ranged from 17 to 52 years (mean: 27 years). All patients had weekly simple partial seizures suggestive of temporal origin with vegetative or experiential phenomena. Very rare partial complex seizures occurred in 6/7 patients. One had two generalized nocturnal seizures as well. Two had previously been misdiagnosed as having gastritis or panic attacks, and one had not been diagnosed. Interictal anteromesiotemporal spiking was seen in 5/7 patients, and occurred mostly during NREM sleep. Neurological examination, brain CT or MR scans were normal. Antiepileptic medication always controlled the seizures.

A large deletion in GPR98 causes type IIC Usher syndrome in male and female members of an Iranian family.

PubMed

Hilgert, N; Kahrizi, K; Dieltjens, N; Bazazzadegan, N; Najmabadi, H; Smith, R J H; Van Camp, G

2009-04-01

Usher syndrome (USH) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. The three recognised clinical phenotypes (types I, II and III; USH1, USH2 and USH3) are caused by mutations in nine different genes. USH2C is characterised by moderate to severe hearing loss, retinitis pigmentosa and normal vestibular function. One earlier report describes mutations in GPR98 (VLGR1) in four families segregating this phenotype. To detect the disease-causing mutation in an Iranian family segregating USH2C. In this family, five members had a phenotype compatible with Usher syndrome, and two others had nonsyndromic hearing loss. Mutation analysis of all 90 coding exons of GPR98. Consistent with these clinical findings, the five subjects with USH carried a haplotype linked to the USH2C locus, whereas the two subjects with nonsyndromic hearing loss did not. We identified a new mutation in GPR98 segregating with USH2C in this family. The mutation is a large deletion g.371657_507673del of exons 84 and 85, presumably leading to a frameshift. A large GPR98 deletion of 136 017 bp segregates with USH2C in an Iranian family. To our knowledge, this is only the second report of a GPR98 mutation, and the first report on male subjects with USH2C and a GPR98 mutation.

Identification of kinship and occupant status in Mongolian noble burials of the Yuan Dynasty through a multidisciplinary approach

PubMed Central

Cui, Yinqiu; Song, Li; Wei, Dong; Pang, Yuhong; Wang, Ning; Ning, Chao; Li, Chunmei; Feng, Binxiao; Tang, Wentao; Li, Hongjie; Ren, Yashan; Zhang, Chunchang; Huang, Yanyi; Hu, Yaowu; Zhou, Hui

2015-01-01

The Yuan Dynasty (AD 1271–1368) was the first dynasty in Chinese history where a minority ethnic group (Mongols) ruled. Few cemeteries containing Mongolian nobles have been found owing to their tradition of keeping burial grounds secret and their lack of historical records. Archaeological excavations at the Shuzhuanglou site in the Hebei province of China led to the discovery of 13 skeletons in six separate tombs. The style of the artefacts and burials indicate the cemetery occupants were Mongol nobles. However, the origin, relationships and status of the chief occupant (M1m) are unclear. To shed light on the identity of the principal occupant and resolve the kin relationships between individuals, a multidisciplinary approach was adopted, combining archaeological information, stable isotope data and molecular genetic data. Analysis of autosomal, mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA show that some of the occupants were related. The available evidence strongly suggests that the principal occupant may have been the Mongol noble Korguz. Our study demonstrates the power of a multidisciplinary approach in elucidating information about the inhabitants of ancient historical sites. PMID:25487330

[Cytological and cytogenetic studies of cells of Mongolian gerbils' retinal epithelium and marrow following 12-day space flight].

PubMed

Vorozhtsova, S V; Abrosimova, A N; Fedorenko, B S; Rakov, D V

2011-01-01

The paper report the results of studying mitotic activity and cytogenetic disorders in marrow and retinal epithelium cells of Mongolian gerbils in 21 - 23 hrs. of landing space apparatus Foton-M3, and the animals of synchronous and vivarium controls. Cells of the space flown gerbils displayed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) gain in the ratio of mitosis prophases and metaphases to the sum of ana- and telophases (1.7 +/- 0.3 and 2 +/- 0.1, respectively) as compared to these parameters in the synchronous and vivarium controls, where the ratio made up 0.6 +/- 0.1 and 0.7 +/- 0.1, respectively. Frequency of aberrant mytoses in the form of bridges was increased equally in both types of cells. Patterns of chromosome damages occurred in flight infer that the major portion of changes was not due to chromosome breakage but adhesion and ensuing wrong disjunction. These results seem to have been caused by acute g-stress to organism during re-entry and return from micro-g to the normal gravity.

Distinctive proteolytic activity of cell envelope proteinase of Lactobacillus helveticus isolated from airag, a traditional Mongolian fermented mare's milk.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Mari; Ueno, Hiroshi M; Watanabe, Masayuki; Tatsuma, Yumi; Seto, Yasuyuki; Miyamoto, Taku; Nakajima, Hadjime

2015-03-16

Airag is a traditional fermented milk of Mongolia that is usually made from raw mare's milk. Lactobacillus helveticus is one of the lactic acid bacteria most frequently isolated from airag. In this study, we investigated the genetic and physiological characteristics of L. helveticus strains isolated from airag and clarified their significance in airag by comparing them with strains from different sources. Six strains of L. helveticus were isolated from five home-made airag samples collected from different regions of Mongolia. The optimal temperature for acidification in skim milk was 30 to 35°C for all the Mongolian strains, which is lower than those for the reference strains (JCM 1554 and JCM 1120(T)) isolated from European cheeses. All of the strains had a prtH1-like gene encoding a variant type of cell envelope proteinase (CEP). The CEP amino acid sequence in Snow Brand Typeculture (SBT) 11087 isolated from airag shared 71% identity with PrtH of L. helveticus CNRZ32 (AAD50643.1) but 98% identity with PrtH of Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens ZW3 (AEG40278.1) isolated from a traditional fermented milk in Tibet. The proteolytic activities of the CEP from SBT11087 on artificial substrate (N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide) and pure casein were measured using an intact-cell degradation assay. The activity of the CEP from SBT11087 was observed to be weak and exhibited a lower optimal temperature (40°C) than those from the reference strains (45-50°C). The specificity of the SBT11087 CEP for αS1-casein was typical of the CEPs previously reported in L. helveticus, as determined through the degradation profiles obtained through gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry analyses. In contrast, the degradation profile of β-casein revealed that the CEP of SBT11087 primarily hydrolyzes its C-terminal domain and hydrolyzed nine of the 16 cleavage sites shared among the CEPs of other L. helveticus strains. Thus, the CEP of SBT11087 is distinct from those from

Building operative care capacity in a resource limited setting: The Mongolian model of the expansion of sustainable laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Wells, Katie M; Lee, Yu-Jin; Erdene, Sandag; Erdene, Sarnai; Sanchin, Urjin; Sergelen, Orgoi; Zhang, Chong; Rodriguez, Brandon P; deVries, Catherine R; Price, Raymond R

2016-08-01

The benefits of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, including rapid recovery and fewer infections, have been largely unavailable to the majority of people in developing countries. Compared to other countries, Mongolia has an extremely high incidence of gallbladder disease. In 2005, only 2% of cholecystectomies were performed laparoscopically. This is a retrospective review of the transition from open to laparoscopic cholecystectomy throughout Mongolia. A cross-sectional, retrospective review was conducted of demographic patient data, diagnosis type, and operation performed (laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy) from 2005-2013. Trends were analyzed from 6 of the 21 provinces (aimags) throughout Mongolia, and data were culled from 7 regional diagnostic referral and treatment centers and 2 tertiary academic medical centers. The data were analyzed by individual training center and by year before being compared between rural and urban centers. We analyzed and compared 14,522 cholecystectomies (n = 4,086 [28%] men, n = 10,436 [72%] women). Men and women were similar in age (men 52.2, standard deviation 14.8; women 49.4, standard deviation 15.7) and in the percentage undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (men 39%, women 42%). By 2013, 58% of gallbladders were removed laparoscopically countrywide compared with only 2% in 2005. In 2011, laparoscopic cholecystectomy surpassed open cholecystectomy as the primary method for gallbladder removal countrywide. More than 315 Mongolian health care practitioners received laparoscopic training in 19 of the country's 21 aimags (states). By 2013, 58% of cholecystectomies countrywide were performed laparoscopically, a dramatic increase over 9 years. The expansion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy has transformed the care of biliary tract disease in Mongolia despite the country's limited resources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Little Evidence of Avian or Equine Influenza Virus Infection among a Cohort of Mongolian Adults with Animal Exposures, 2010–2011

PubMed Central

Khurelbaatar, Nyamdavaa; Krueger, Whitney S.; Heil, Gary L.; Darmaa, Badarchiin; Ulziimaa, Daramragchaa; Tserennorov, Damdindorj; Baterdene, Ariungerel; Anderson, Benjamin D.; Gray, Gregory C.

2014-01-01

Avian (AIV) and equine influenza virus (EIV) have been repeatedly shown to circulate among Mongolia’s migrating birds or domestic horses. In 2009, 439 Mongolian adults, many with occupational exposure to animals, were enrolled in a prospective cohort study of zoonotic influenza transmission. Sera were drawn upon enrollment and again at 12 and 24 months. Participants were contacted monthly for 24 months and queried regarding episodes of acute influenza-like illnesses (ILI). Cohort members confirmed to have acute influenza A infections, permitted respiratory swab collections which were studied with rRT-PCR for influenza A. Serologic assays were performed against equine, avian, and human influenza viruses. Over the 2 yrs of follow-up, 100 ILI investigations in the cohort were conducted. Thirty-six ILI cases (36%) were identified as influenza A infections by rRT-PCR; none yielded evidence for AIV or EIV. Serological examination of 12 mo and 24 mo annual sera revealed 37 participants had detectable antibody titers (≥1∶10) against studied viruses during the course of study follow-up: 21 against A/Equine/Mongolia/01/2008(H3N8); 4 against an avian A/Teal/Hong Kong/w3129(H6N1), 11 against an avian-like A/Hong Kong/1073/1999(H9N2), and 1 against an avian A/Migrating duck/Hong Kong/MPD268/2007(H10N4) virus. However, all such titers were <1∶80 and none were statistically associated with avian or horse exposures. A number of subjects had evidence of seroconversion to zoonotic viruses, but the 4-fold titer changes were again not associated with avian or horse exposures. As elevated antibodies against seasonal influenza viruses were high during the study period, it seems likely that cross-reacting antibodies against seasonal human influenza viruses were a cause of the low-level seroreactivity against AIV or EIV. Despite the presence of AIV and EIV circulating among wild birds and horses in Mongolia, there was little evidence of AIV or EIV infection in this prospective

A structural transect across the Mongolian Western Altai: Active transpressional mountain building in central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickson Cunningham, W.; Windley, Brian F.; Dorjnamjaa, D.; Badamgarov, G.; Saandar, M.

1996-02-01

We present results from the first detailed geological transect across the Mongolian Western Altai using modern methods of structural geology and fault kinematic analysis. Our purpose was to document the structures responsible for Cenozoic uplift of the range in order to better understand processes of intracontinental mountain building. Historical right-lateral strike-slip and oblique-slip earthquakes have previously been documented from the Western Altai, and many mountain fronts are marked by active fault scarps indicating current tectonic activity and uplift. The dominant structures in the range are long (>200 km) NNW trending right-lateral strike-slip faults. Our transect can be divided into three separate domains that contain active, right-lateral strike-slip master faults and thrust faults with opposing vergence. The current deformation regime is thus transpressional. Each domain has an asymmetric flower structure cross-sectional geometry, and the transect as a whole is interpreted as three separate large flower structures. The mechanism of uplift along the transect appears to be horizontal and vertical growth of flower structures rooted into the dominant right-lateral strike-slip faults. The major Bulgan Fault forms the southern structural boundary to the range and is a 3.5-km-wide brittle-ductile zone that has accommodated reverse and left-lateral strike-slip displacements. It appears to be linked to the North Gobi Fault Zone to the east and Irtysh Fault zone to the west and thus may be over 900 km in length. Two major ductile left-lateral extensional shear zones were identified in the interior of the range that appear to be preserved structures related to a regional Paleozoic or Mesozoic extensional event. Basement rocks along the transect are dominantly metavolcanic, metasedimentary, or intrusive units probably representing a Paleozoic accretionary prism and arc complex. The extent to which Cenozoic uplift has been accommodated by reactivation of older

Spatiotemporal variations in precipitation across the Chinese Mongolian plateau over the past half century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Ruizhong; Li, Fengling; Wang, Xixi; Liu, Tingxi; Du, Dandan; Bai, Yong

2017-09-01

Precipitation, as affected by climate change, controls the growth of steppe grasses and grassland degradation/desertification in semiarid/arid regions, including the Chinese Mongolian plateau. This study examined the spatial variability and temporal trends in precipitation across the plateau in terms of four indexes: total precipitation (P), number of rainy days (Wd), number of precipitation events (N), and average precipitation intensity (Imean). Although seldom published in the literature, this information is vital for efforts to develop adaptive measures to sustain this vulnerable pasture economy. Seven hundred time series were formulated by preprocessing the data on daily precipitation over the period 1960 to 2012 at 25 weather stations scattered across the plateau. The results indicated that although the plateau was becoming drier overall, the intensity of storm events increased markedly, as indicated by decreasing trends for P, Wd and N but an increasing trend for Imean. On average, P decreased by 0.65 mm yr- 1 over the study period, while Imean increased by 0.2 mm d- 1 yr- 1. Across the plateau, the western part was becoming wetter, while the central-eastern part was becoming drier. This spatial discrepancy in the precipitation trends was particularly obvious in the winter dry season, with Imean tending to increase more rapidly in the central-eastern than western part, especially in the spring dry season. It is expected that these trends will continue, thus further challenging the already vulnerable eco-environment of the plateau.

Carbon pool densities and a first estimate of the total carbon pool in the Mongolian forest-steppe.

PubMed

Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Klinge, Michael; Degener, Jan; Khishigjargal, Mookhor; Chenlemuge, Tselmeg; Bat-Enerel, Banzragch; Yeruult, Yolk; Saindovdon, Davaadorj; Ganbaatar, Kherlenchimeg; Tsogtbaatar, Jamsran; Leuschner, Christoph; Hauck, Markus

2016-02-01

The boreal forest biome represents one of the most important terrestrial carbon stores, which gave reason to intensive research on carbon stock densities. However, such an analysis does not yet exist for the southernmost Eurosiberian boreal forests in Inner Asia. Most of these forests are located in the Mongolian forest-steppe, which is largely dominated by Larix sibirica. We quantified the carbon stock density and total carbon pool of Mongolia's boreal forests and adjacent grasslands and draw conclusions on possible future change. Mean aboveground carbon stock density in the interior of L. sibirica forests was 66 Mg C ha(-1) , which is in the upper range of values reported from boreal forests and probably due to the comparably long growing season. The density of soil organic carbon (SOC, 108 Mg C ha(-1) ) and total belowground carbon density (149 Mg C ha(-1) ) are at the lower end of the range known from boreal forests, which might be the result of higher soil temperatures and a thinner permafrost layer than in the central and northern boreal forest belt. Land use effects are especially relevant at forest edges, where mean carbon stock density was 188 Mg C ha(-1) , compared with 215 Mg C ha(-1) in the forest interior. Carbon stock density in grasslands was 144 Mg C ha(-1) . Analysis of satellite imagery of the highly fragmented forest area in the forest-steppe zone showed that Mongolia's total boreal forest area is currently 73 818 km(2) , and 22% of this area refers to forest edges (defined as the first 30 m from the edge). The total forest carbon pool of Mongolia was estimated at ~ 1.5-1.7 Pg C, a value which is likely to decrease in future with increasing deforestation and fire frequency, and global warming. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A large-scale national study of gambling severity among immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents: The role of the family.

PubMed

Canale, Natale; Vieno, Alessio; Griffiths, Mark D; Borraccino, Alberto; Lazzeri, Giacomo; Charrier, Lorena; Lemma, Patrizia; Dalmasso, Paola; Santinello, Massimo

2017-03-01

The primary aim of the present study was to examine the association between immigrant generation, family sociodemographic characteristics, and problem gambling severity in a large-scale nationally representative sample of Italian youth. Data from the 2013-2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Survey were used for cross-sectional analyses of adolescent problem gambling. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of 20,791 15-year-old students. Respondents' problem gambling severity, immigrant status, family characteristics (family structure, family affluence, perceived family support) and socio-demographic characteristics were individually assessed. Rates of adolescent at-risk/problem gambling were twice as high among first generation immigrants than non-immigrant students; the odds of being at-risk/problem gamblers were higher among first-generation immigrants than adolescents of other immigrant generations or non-immigrant. Not living with two biological or adoptive parents appears to be a factor that increases the risk of becoming a problem gambler in first generation immigrants. Immigrant status and family characteristics may play a key role in contributing to adolescent problem gambling. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Pathogenesis of middle ear cholesteatoma: a new model of experimentally induced cholesteatoma in Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Yamamoto-Fukuda, Tomomi; Hishikawa, Yoshitaka; Shibata, Yasuaki; Kobayashi, Toshimitsu; Takahashi, Haruo; Koji, Takehiko

2010-06-01

Middle ear cholesteatoma is characterized by enhanced proliferation of epithelial cells with aberrant morphological characteristics. To investigate the origin of the cholesteatoma cells, we analyzed spontaneously occurring cholesteatomas associated with a new transplantation model in Mongolian gerbils (gerbils). Cholesteatomas were induced in gerbils with a transplanted tympanic membrane by using the external auditory canal (EAC) ligation method. After the pars flaccida of the tympanic membranes were completely removed from male gerbils, corresponding portions of tympanic membranes of female gerbils were transplanted to the area of defect, and then we ligated the EAC (hybrid-model group). As a control group, the EAC of normal male and female gerbils was ligated without myringoplasty. In all ears of each group, the induced cholesteatomas were seen. In situ PCR was then performed to detect the mouse X chromosome-linked phosphoglycerate kinase-1 (pgk-1) gene on the paraffin sections. One pgk-1 spot in the epithelial nuclei was detected in male cholesteatoma, and two pgk-1 spots were detected in female cholesteatoma, respectively. On the other hand, in the hybrid-model group, we detected not only one but also two pgk-1 spots in the epithelial nuclei of cholesteatoma. These results strengthened the evidence that the origin of epithelial cells in cholesteatoma is the tympanic membrane in this model, but not the residential middle ear epithelial cells or the skin of the EAC.

Leaf extract of Wasabia japonica relieved oxidative stress induced by Helicobacter pylori infection and stress loading in Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Sekiguchi, Hirotaka; Takabayashi, Fumiyo; Deguchi, Yuya; Masuda, Hideki; Toyoizumi, Tomoyasu; Masuda, Shuichi; Kinae, Naohide

2010-01-01

Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can induce gastric disorders, and though its presence cannot explain disease pathogenesis and does not have associations with other factors, it is well known that H. pylori infection causes stomach inflammation following oxidative stress. We examined the suppressive effects of a leaf extract of Wasabia japonica on H. pylori infection and on stress loading in Mongolian gerbils. Following oral administration of wasabi extract of 50 and 200 mg/kg B.W./d for 10 d, the animals were exposed to restraint stress for 90 and 270 min. As for the results, the level of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in the stomach and oxidative DNA damage in peripheral erythrocytes at 270 min significantly increased. That elevation was significantly suppressed by the addition of the leaf extract. We concluded that the simultaneous loading of H. pylori infection and physical stress loading might induce oxidative DNA damage additively, while a leaf extract attenuated this DNA damage in the stomach as well as the peripheral erythrocytes.

[Dynamic changes of surface soil organic carbon and light-fraction organic carbon after mobile dune afforestation with Mongolian pine in Horqin Sandy Land].

PubMed

Shang, Wen; Li, Yu-qiang; Wang, Shao-kun; Feng, Jing; Su, Na

2011-08-01

This paper studied the dynamic changes of surface (0-15 cm) soil organic carbon (SOC) and light-fraction organic carbon (LFOC) in 25- and 35-year-old sand-fixing Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) plantations in Horqin Sandy Land, with a mobile dune as a comparison site. After the afforestation on mobile dune, the content of coarse sand in soil decreased, while that of fine sand and clay-silt increased significantly. The SOC and LFOC contents also increased significantly, but tended to decrease with increasing soil depth. Afforestation increased the storages of SOC and LFOC in surface soil, and the increment increased with plantation age. In the two plantations, the increment of surface soil LFOC storage was much higher than that of SOC storage, suggesting that mobile dune afforestation had a larger effect on surface soil LFOC than on SOC.

Activation of IκB Kinase β and NF-κB Is Essential for Helicobacter pylori-Induced Chronic Gastritis in Mongolian Gerbils▿

PubMed Central

Yanai, Ayako; Maeda, Shin; Shibata, Wataru; Hikiba, Yohko; Sakamoto, Kei; Nakagawa, Hayato; Ohmae, Tomoya; Hirata, Yoshihiro; Ogura, Keiji; Muto, Susumu; Itai, Akiko; Omata, Masao

2008-01-01

The Mongolian gerbil model of Helicobacter pylori infection resembles human gastritis. In this study, we investigated the role of NF-κB activation in H. pylori-infected gerbils. Activated macrophages were significantly increased in H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa and were identified as being important cells with potent activation of NF-κB, which plays an important part in producing proinflammatory cytokines. Macrophage depletion by the administration of clodronate resulted in milder inflammation in gerbils infected with H. pylori. In macrophages, the inhibition of IκB kinase β (IKKβ), which is a critical kinase for NF-κB activation, resulted in lower proinflammatory cytokine expression caused by heat-killed H. pylori cells. Furthermore, treatment with IKKβ inhibitor resulted in milder inflammation in gerbils with H. pylori gastritis. Collectively, our data suggest that H. pylori-mediated gastric inflammation critically depends on the efficient recruitment and activation of macrophages, with sufficient NF-κB activation. PMID:18070894

From "New Genetics" to Everyday Knowledge: Ideas about How Genetic Diseases Are Transmitted in Two Large Brazilian Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Silvana; Bizzo, Nelio

2005-01-01

This study focuses on everyday or lay understandings of inheritance. In the northeastern Brazil, 100 individuals were interviewed in order to describe how they explain the origin of genetic disorders affecting their relatives for several generations. There were involved 60 individuals from a large consanguineous family with many members affected…

Analysis of the Afrikaner mutation in exon 9 of the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene in a large Dutch kindred suffering from familial hypercholesterolaemia.

PubMed

Defesche, J C; Lansberg, P J; Reymer, P W; Lamping, R J; Kastelein, J J

1993-02-01

Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is the most common genetic metabolic disorder, affecting about 1 in 500 persons in the general population. With novel techniques, it is possible to identify the molecular defects underlying FH in the gene coding for the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, thereby confirming the diagnosis of FH. In this study we present a large family with a specific mutation in exon 9 of the LDL-receptor gene (an Afrikaner mutation) and we demonstrate that by a large-scale case-finding study in this family, carriers of such a mutation can be detected. Of 63 family members, 13 were shown to be at risk for cardiovascular disease as judged by their lipoprotein profile or the presence of the Afrikaner mutation. Two persons were detected, affected with a dyslipidaemia other than FH. Medical management was initiated in order to reduce the high cardiovascular risk associated with this disorder.

Who counts as family? Family typologies, family support, and family undermining among young adult gay and bisexual men.

PubMed

Soler, Jorge H; Caldwell, Cleopatra H; Córdova, David; Harper, Gary; Bauermeister, José A

2018-06-01

Gay and bisexual men may form chosen families in addition to or in place of families of origin. However, the characteristics of these diverse families remain largely unexamined in the quantitative literature. The purpose of this study was to develop a family typology based on responses from a racially and ethnically diverse sample of young adult gay and bisexual men (YGBM) recruited from the Detroit Metropolitan Area (N=350; 18-29 years old). To explore the role of family, we then examined family social support and social undermining in relation to YGBM psychological distress within different family types. A series of multivariate regressions were used to examine associations between family social support and social undermining with depression and anxiety outcomes. The majority (88%) of YGBM included family of origin in their definitions of family and 63% indicated having chosen families. Associations between family social processes and psychological outcomes varied by type of family, suggesting that family composition shapes how perceptions of support and undermining relate to experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Chosen families play a prominent role in the lives of YGBM and should not be overlooked in family research. Findings also highlight the importance of examining co-occurring family social support and social stress processes to further address psychological distress symptoms among YGBM.

Age distribution of human gene families shows significant roles of both large- and small-scale duplications in vertebrate evolution.

PubMed

Gu, Xun; Wang, Yufeng; Gu, Jianying

2002-06-01

The classical (two-round) hypothesis of vertebrate genome duplication proposes two successive whole-genome duplication(s) (polyploidizations) predating the origin of fishes, a view now being seriously challenged. As the debate largely concerns the relative merits of the 'big-bang mode' theory (large-scale duplication) and the 'continuous mode' theory (constant creation by small-scale duplications), we tested whether a significant proportion of paralogous genes in the contemporary human genome was indeed generated in the early stage of vertebrate evolution. After an extensive search of major databases, we dated 1,739 gene duplication events from the phylogenetic analysis of 749 vertebrate gene families. We found a pattern characterized by two waves (I, II) and an ancient component. Wave I represents a recent gene family expansion by tandem or segmental duplications, whereas wave II, a rapid paralogous gene increase in the early stage of vertebrate evolution, supports the idea of genome duplication(s) (the big-bang mode). Further analysis indicated that large- and small-scale gene duplications both make a significant contribution during the early stage of vertebrate evolution to build the current hierarchy of the human proteome.

Association of major dietary patterns with obesity risk among Mongolian men and women.

PubMed

Dugee, Otgontuya; Khor, Geok Lin; Lye, Munn-Sann; Luvsannyam, Lhagva; Janchiv, Oyunbileg; Jamyan, Batjargal; Esa, Norhaizan

2009-01-01

Mongolia is experiencing changes in its unique nomadic lifestyle and dietary habits in the last two decades with accompanying increase in obesity rate. The dietary pattern approach, which investigates the overall diet in relation to obesity risks, has become appealing in nutrition epidemiology. The aim of this study was to identify major dietary patterns of the Mongolian adults in relation to the risk of having obesity. Dietary intake of a total 418 adults aged ? 25 years was assessed by using a food frequency questionnaire with 68 items. An exploratory factor analysis resulted in three dietary patterns: transitional high in processed meat and potato, traditional rich in whole milk, fats and oils and healthy with greater intake of whole grains, mixed vegetables and fruits. Individuals in the upper quintile of the transitional pattern had significantly greater risk of obesity (BMI > or =25 kg/m2: OR=2.47; 95% CI=1.04-5.86) while subjects in the highest quintile of the healthy dietary pattern were found to have significantly decreased risk of obesity (OR: 0.49; 95% CI=0.25-0.95). Men in the highest quintile of the transitional pattern had greater risk of abdominal obesity WC > or =90 cm: OR= 4.08; 95% CI=1.11-14.97) than those in the lowest quintile. Women in the top quintile of the traditional pattern had a greater odds of having abdominal obesity (WC > or =80 cm: OR=4.59; 95% CI=1.58-13.30) than those in the lowest quintile. The study suggests that public health efforts be targeted at adults in Mongolia to address the undesirable aspects of the transitional and the traditional dietary patterns.

Evolutionary expansion and divergence in a large family of primate-specific zinc finger transcription factor genes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamilton, A T; Huntley, S; Tran-Gyamfi, M

Although most genes are conserved as one-to-one orthologs in different mammalian orders, certain gene families have evolved to comprise different numbers and types of protein-coding genes through independent series of gene duplications, divergence and gene loss in each evolutionary lineage. One such family encodes KRAB-zinc finger (KRAB-ZNF) genes, which are likely to function as transcriptional repressors. One KRAB-ZNF subfamily, the ZNF91 clade, has expanded specifically in primates to comprise more than 110 loci in the human genome, yielding large gene clusters in human chromosomes 19 and 7 and smaller clusters or isolated copies at other chromosomal locations. Although phylogenetic analysismore » indicates that many of these genes arose before the split between old world monkeys and new world monkeys, the ZNF91 subfamily has continued to expand and diversify throughout the evolution of apes and humans. The paralogous loci are distinguished by sequence divergence within their zinc finger arrays indicating a selection for proteins with different DNA binding specificities. RT-PCR and in situ hybridization data show that some of these ZNF genes can have tissue-specific expression patterns, however many KRAB-ZNFs that are near-ubiquitous could also be playing very specific roles in halting target pathways in all tissues except for a few, where the target is released by the absence of its repressor. The number of variant KRAB-ZNF proteins is increased not only because of the large number of loci, but also because many loci can produce multiple splice variants, which because of the modular structure of these genes may have separate and perhaps even conflicting regulatory roles. The lineage-specific duplication and rapid divergence of this family of transcription factor genes suggests a role in determining species-specific biological differences and the evolution of novel primate traits.« less

Effects of air pollution and seasons on health-related quality of life of Mongolian adults living in Ulaanbaatar: cross-sectional studies.

PubMed

Nakao, Motoyuki; Yamauchi, Keiko; Ishihara, Yoko; Omori, Hisamitsu; Ichinnorov, Dashtseren; Solongo, Bandi

2017-06-23

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is known as severely air-polluted city in the world due to increased coal consumption in the cold season. The health effects of air pollution in Mongolia such as mortality, morbidity and symptoms have been previously reported. However, the concept of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), which refers to the individual's perception of well-being, should also be included as an adverse health outcome of air pollution. Surveys on the Mongolian people living in Ulaanbaatar were performed in the warm and cold seasons. Self-completed questionnaires on the subjects' HR-QoL, data from health checkups and pulmonary function tests by respiratory specialists were collected for Mongolian adults aged 40-79 years (n = 666). Ambient PM2.5 and PM10 were concurrently sampled and the components were analyzed to estimate the source of air pollution. In logistic regression analyses, respiratory symptoms and smoke-rich fuels were associated with reduced HR-QoL (> 50th percentile vs. ≤ 50th percentile). PM 2.5 levels were much higher in the cold season (median 86.4 μg/m 3 (IQR: 58.7-121.0)) than in the warm season (12.2 μg/m 3 (8.9-21.2). The receptor model revealed that the high PM2.5 concentration in the cold season could be attributed to solid fuel combustion. The difference in HR-QoL between subjects with and without ventilatory impairment was assessed after the stratification of the subjects by season and household fuel type. There were no significant differences in HR-QoL between subjects with and without ventilatory impairment regardless of household fuel type in the warm season. In contrast, subjects with ventilatory impairment who used smoke-rich fuel in the cold season had a significantly lower HR-QoL. Our study showed that air pollution in Ulaanbaatar worsened in the cold season and was estimated to be contributed by solid fuel combustion. Various aspects of HR-QoL in subjects with ventilatory impairment using smoke-rich fuels deteriorated

What makes a family reliable?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, James G.

1992-01-01

Asteroid families are clusters of asteroids in proper element space which are thought to be fragments from former collisions. Studies of families promise to improve understanding of large collision events and a large event can open up the interior of a former parent body to view. While a variety of searches for families have found the same heavily populated families, and some searches have found the same families of lower population, there is much apparent disagreement between proposed families of lower population of different investigations. Indicators of reliability, factors compromising reliability, an illustration of the influence of different data samples, and a discussion of how several investigations perceived families in the same region of proper element space are given.

Maize Genotype and Food Matrix Affect the Provitamin A Carotenoid Bioefficacy from Staple and Carrot-fortified Feeds in Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

PubMed Central

Schmaelzle, Samantha; Gannon, Bryan; Crawford, Serra; Arscott, Sara A.; Goltz, Shellen; Palacios-Rojas, Natalia; Pixley, Kevin V.; Simon, Philipp W.; Tanumihardjo, Sherry A.

2014-01-01

Biofortification to increase provitamin A carotenoids is an agronomic approach to alleviate vitamin A deficiency. Two studies compared biofortified foods using in vitro and in vivo methods. Study 1 screened maize genotypes (n = 44) using in vitro analysis, which demonstrated decreasing micellarization with increasing provitamin A. Thereafter, seven 50% biofortified maize feeds that hypothesized a one-to-one equivalency between β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene were fed to Mongolian gerbils. Total liver retinol differed among the maize groups (P = 0.0043). Study 2 assessed provitamin A bioefficacy from 0.5% high-carotene carrots added to 60% staple-food feeds, followed by in vitro screening. Liver retinol was highest in the potato and banana groups, maize group retinol did not differ from baseline, and all treatments differed from control (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene have similar bioefficacy; meal matrix effects influence provitamin A absorption from carrot; and in vitro micellarization does not predict bioefficacy. PMID:24341827

Identification of a MYO7A mutation in a large Chinese DFNA11 family and genotype-phenotype review for DFNA11.

PubMed

Li, Lina; Yuan, Hu; Wang, Hongyang; Guan, Jing; Lan, Lan; Wang, Dayong; Zong, Liang; Liu, Qiong; Han, Bing; Huang, Deliang; Wang, Qiuju

2018-05-01

The molecular and genetic research showed the association between DFNA11 and mutations in MYO7A. This research aimed to identify a MYO7A mutation in a family with nonsyndromic autosomal dominant hearing loss. We have ascertained one large multigenerational Chinese family (Z029) with autosomal dominant late-onset progressive non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss. Genome-wide linkage analysis of the family mapped the disease locus to the DFNA11 interval, where the MYO7A was considered as a candidate gene. Sequencing of the PCR products was carried out for each sample. One hundred and fifty one control subjects with normal hearing functions were also evaluated. The pathogenic mutation (c.2011G>A) was identified in the family. This mutation co-segregated with hearing loss in this family. No mutation of MYO7A gene was found in the 151 controls. The missense mutation of MYO7A is identified in the family displaying the pedigree consistent with DFNA11. We not only examined the clinical and genetic characteristics of the family, but also provided a basis for genetic counseling. We also summarized and analyzed the phenotypes and genotypes of all DFNA11 families, four of nine are Chinese families, suggesting that MYO7A mutations are not rare. Therefore, we should pay more attention to Chinese patients.

Genetic diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease, Alport syndrome, and thalassemia minor in a large Chinese family.

PubMed

Miao, Yun; Xiong, Jun; Zhang, Xuelian; Huang, Huajie; Yu, Lixin; Chen, Jianfan; Deng, Wenfeng; Xu, Huiling; Liu, Rumin; Xiang, Chenglin; Xu, Xiangmin; Xiong, Fu

2017-10-01

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and Alport syndrome (AS) are serious inherited disorders associated with renal disease, and thalassemia is a hereditary blood disease with a high prevalence in south China. Here, we report an exceptional PKD coincidence of thalassemia minor and AS (diagnosed genetically) in a large Chinese family. Whole genome next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on the proband, and all family members underwent clinical evaluation. Sanger sequencing was used to validate the mutations distinguished by NGS. The pathogenic potential of the variants were evaluated by Polymorphism Phenotyping v2 (PolyPhen-2), Sorting Intolerant From Tolerant (SIFT) algorithm, and MutationTaster. Immunohistochemical, Western blot, immunofluorescent, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) analyses were performed to investigate polycystin 1 (PC1) expression, and cell proliferation and apoptosis in kidney tissues from the proband and normal control. A novel frameshift polycystic kidney disease 1 ( PKD1 ) mutation (c.3903delC, p.A1302Pfs) was identified to be responsible for renal disease in this family. PC1 expression, and cell proliferation and apoptosis were significantly increased in the kidney tissues of the proband. Moreover, a deletion of approximately 19.3 kb of DNA with α-globin genes ( _ _SEA ) was associated with thalassemia minor in the family. In addition, a collagen type IV α 5 chain ( COL4A5 ) variant (c.2858G>T, rs78972735), annotated as a pathogenic mutation in dbSNP and human gene mutation database (HGMD), was found in four family members with no clinical traits of AS. A novel pathogenic PKD1 mutation (c.3903delC) and ( _ _SEA ) thalassemia deletion were found to be responsible for the clinical symptoms in this family. The reported pathogenic COL4a5 variant (c.2858G>T, rs78972735) was not pathogenic alone. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

A novel COL4A3 mutation causes autosomal-recessive Alport syndrome in a large Turkish family.

PubMed

Uzak, Asli Subasioglu; Tokgoz, Bulent; Dundar, Munis; Tekin, Mustafa

2013-03-01

Alport syndrome (AS) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder that is characterized by hematuria, progressive renal failure typically resulting in end-stage renal disease, sensorineural hearing loss, and variable ocular abnormalities. Only 15% of cases with AS are autosomal recessive and are caused by mutations in the COL4A3 or COL4A4 genes, encoding type IV collagen. Clinical data in a large consanguineous family with four affected members were reviewed, and genomic DNA was extracted. For mapping, 15 microsatellite markers flanking COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5 in 16 family members were typed. For mutation screening, all coding exons of COL4A3 were polymerase chain reaction- amplified and Sanger-sequenced from genomic DNA. The disease locus was mapped to chromosome 2q36.3, where COL4A3 and COL4A4 reside. Sanger sequencing revealed a novel mis-sense mutation (c.2T>C; p.M1T) in exon 1 of COL4A3. The identified nucleotide change was not found in 100 healthy ethnicity-matched controls via Sanger sequencing. We present a large consanguineous Turkish family with AS that was found to have a COL4A3 mutation as the cause of the disease. Although the relationship between the various genotypes and phenotypes in AS has not been fully elucidated, detailed clinical and molecular analyses are helpful for providing data to be used in genetic counseling. It is important to identify new mutations to clarify their clinical importance, to assess the prognosis of the disease, and to avoid renal biopsy for final diagnosis.

Homozygous missense mutation in the LMAN2L gene segregates with intellectual disability in a large consanguineous Pakistani family.

PubMed

Rafiullah, Rafiullah; Aslamkhan, Muhammad; Paramasivam, Nagarajan; Thiel, Christian; Mustafa, Ghulam; Wiemann, Stefan; Schlesner, Matthias; Wade, Rebecca C; Rappold, Gudrun A; Berkel, Simone

2016-02-01

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1%-3% of the population worldwide. It is characterised by high phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity and in most cases the underlying cause of the disorder is unknown. In our study we investigated a large consanguineous family from Baluchistan, Pakistan, comprising seven affected individuals with a severe form of autosomal recessive ID (ARID) and epilepsy, to elucidate a putative genetic cause. Whole exome sequencing (WES) of a trio, including a child with ID and epilepsy and its healthy parents that were part of this large family, revealed a homozygous missense variant p.R53Q in the lectin mannose-binding 2-like (LMAN2L) gene. This homozygous variant was co-segregating in the family with the phenotype of severe ID and infantile epilepsy; unaffected family members were heterozygous variant carriers. The variant was predicted to be pathogenic by five different in silico programmes and further three-dimensional structure modelling of the protein suggests that variant p.R53Q may impair protein-protein interaction. LMAN2L (OMIM: 609552) encodes for the lectin, mannose-binding 2-like protein which is a cargo receptor in the endoplasmic reticulum important for glycoprotein transport. Genome-wide association studies have identified an association of LMAN2L to different neuropsychiatric disorders. This is the first report linking LMAN2L to a phenotype of severe ARID and seizures, indicating that the deleterious homozygous p.R53Q variant very likely causes the disorder. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Family Structure and Child Well-Being: Integrating Family Complexity

PubMed Central

Brown, Susan L.; Manning, Wendy D.; Stykes, J. Bart

2014-01-01

Although children’s family lives are diverse, the measurement of children’s living arrangements has lagged, focusing on the relationships of children to parents while largely ignoring sibling composition. Using data from the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (N = 23,985) the authors documented patterns of family complexity among a nationally representative sample of children ages 0–17 living in a range of family structures. They also examined the independent and joint associations of family structure and family complexity on child economic well-being. Family complexity was independently related to economic disadvantage, namely, a lower income-to-needs ratio and a higher likelihood of public assistance receipt. The role of family complexity was partially contingent on family structure, with the positive association between family complexity and receipt of public assistance more pronounced for children in families with 2 married biological parents. This study demonstrates the utility of integrating family structure and family complexity in studies of children’s well-being. PMID:25620810

The Caenorhabditis chemoreceptor gene families.

PubMed

Thomas, James H; Robertson, Hugh M

2008-10-06

Chemoreceptor proteins mediate the first step in the transduction of environmental chemical stimuli, defining the breadth of detection and conferring stimulus specificity. Animal genomes contain families of genes encoding chemoreceptors that mediate taste, olfaction, and pheromone responses. The size and diversity of these families reflect the biology of chemoperception in specific species. Based on manual curation and sequence comparisons among putative G-protein-coupled chemoreceptor genes in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we identified approximately 1300 genes and 400 pseudogenes in the 19 largest gene families, most of which fall into larger superfamilies. In the related species C. briggsae and C. remanei, we identified most or all genes in each of the 19 families. For most families, C. elegans has the largest number of genes and C. briggsae the smallest number, suggesting changes in the importance of chemoperception among the species. Protein trees reveal family-specific and species-specific patterns of gene duplication and gene loss. The frequency of strict orthologs varies among the families, from just over 50% in two families to less than 5% in three families. Several families include large species-specific expansions, mostly in C. elegans and C. remanei. Chemoreceptor gene families in Caenorhabditis species are large and evolutionarily dynamic as a result of gene duplication and gene loss. These dynamics shape the chemoreceptor gene complements in Caenorhabditis species and define the receptor space available for chemosensory responses. To explain these patterns, we propose the gray pawn hypothesis: individual genes are of little significance, but the aggregate of a large number of diverse genes is required to cover a large phenotype space.

The Caenorhabditis chemoreceptor gene families

PubMed Central

Thomas, James H; Robertson, Hugh M

2008-01-01

Background Chemoreceptor proteins mediate the first step in the transduction of environmental chemical stimuli, defining the breadth of detection and conferring stimulus specificity. Animal genomes contain families of genes encoding chemoreceptors that mediate taste, olfaction, and pheromone responses. The size and diversity of these families reflect the biology of chemoperception in specific species. Results Based on manual curation and sequence comparisons among putative G-protein-coupled chemoreceptor genes in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we identified approximately 1300 genes and 400 pseudogenes in the 19 largest gene families, most of which fall into larger superfamilies. In the related species C. briggsae and C. remanei, we identified most or all genes in each of the 19 families. For most families, C. elegans has the largest number of genes and C. briggsae the smallest number, suggesting changes in the importance of chemoperception among the species. Protein trees reveal family-specific and species-specific patterns of gene duplication and gene loss. The frequency of strict orthologs varies among the families, from just over 50% in two families to less than 5% in three families. Several families include large species-specific expansions, mostly in C. elegans and C. remanei. Conclusion Chemoreceptor gene families in Caenorhabditis species are large and evolutionarily dynamic as a result of gene duplication and gene loss. These dynamics shape the chemoreceptor gene complements in Caenorhabditis species and define the receptor space available for chemosensory responses. To explain these patterns, we propose the gray pawn hypothesis: individual genes are of little significance, but the aggregate of a large number of diverse genes is required to cover a large phenotype space. PMID:18837995

Family interactions in adoptive compared to nonadoptive families.

PubMed

Rueter, Martha A; Keyes, Margaret A; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

2009-02-01

Despite the large and growing numbers of adoptive families, little research describes interactions in families with adopted adolescents. Yet, adopted adolescents' increased risk for adjustment problems, combined with the association between family interactions and adolescent adjustment in nonadoptive families, raises questions about differences in adoptive and nonadoptive family interactions. We compared observed and self-reported family interactions between 284 adoptive and 208 nonadoptive families and within 123 families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent. Adolescents averaged 14.9 years of age. Comparisons were made using analysis of variance incorporating hierarchical linear methods in SAS PROC MIXED to control family-related correlations in the data. Parents and children reported more conflict in adoptive families when compared with nonadoptive families. Families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent reported more conflict between parents and adopted adolescents. Observed parental behavior was similar across adoptive and nonadoptive children although adopted adolescents were less warm and, in families with 2 adopted children, more conflictual than nonadopted adolescents. These findings suggest a need for further investigation of the association between family interactions and adopted adolescent problem behavior. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Family Interactions in Adoptive Compared to Nonadoptive Families

PubMed Central

Rueter, Martha A.; Keyes, Margaret A.; Iacono, William G.; McGue, Matt

2009-01-01

Despite the large and growing numbers of adoptive families, little research describes interactions in families with adopted adolescents. Yet, adopted adolescents’ increased risk for adjustment problems, combined with the association between family interactions and adolescent adjustment in nonadoptive families, raises questions about differences in adoptive and nonadoptive family interactions. We compared observed and self-reported family interactions between 284 adoptive and 208 nonadoptive families and within 123 families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent. Adolescents averaged 14.9 years of age. Comparisons were made using analysis of variance incorporating hierarchical linear methods in SAS PROC MIXED to control family-related correlations in the data. Parents and children reported more conflict in adoptive families when compared with nonadoptive families. Families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent reported more conflict between parents and adopted adolescents. Observed parental behavior was similar across adoptive and nonadoptive children although adopted adolescents were less warm and, in families with 2 adopted children, more conflictual than nonadopted adolescents. These findings suggest a need for further investigation of the association between family interactions and adopted adolescent problem behavior. PMID:19203160

Response of aboveground biomass and diversity to nitrogen addition along a degradation gradient in the Inner Mongolian steppe, China

PubMed Central

Xu, Xiaotian; Liu, Hongyan; Song, Zhaoliang; Wang, Wei; Hu, Guozheng; Qi, Zhaohuan

2015-01-01

Although nitrogen addition and recovery from degradation can both promote production of grassland biomass, these two factors have rarely been investigated in combination. In this study, we established a field experiment with six N-treatment (CK, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 g N m−2 yr−1) on five fields with different degradation levels in the Inner Mongolian steppe of China from 2011–2013. Our observations showed that while the external nitrogen increased the aboveground biomass in all five grasslands, the magnitude of the effects differed with the severity of degradation. Fields with a higher level of degradation tended to have a higher saturation value (20 g N m−2 yr−1) than those with a lower degradation level ( < 10 g N m−2 yr−1). After three years of experimentation, species richness showed little change across degradation levels. Among the four functional groups of grasses, sedges, forbs and legumes, grasses shared the most similar response patterns with those of the whole community, demonstrating the predominant role that they play in the restoration of grassland under a stimulus of nitrogen addition. PMID:26194184

Development and Two-Year Follow-Up Evaluation of a Training Workshop for the Large Preventive Positive Psychology Happy Family Kitchen Project in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Lai, Agnes Y.; Mui, Moses W.; Wan, Alice; Stewart, Sunita M.; Yew, Carol; Lam, Tai-hing; Chan, Sophia S.

2016-01-01

Evidence-based practice and capacity-building approaches are essential for large-scale health promotion interventions. However, there are few models in the literature to guide and evaluate training of social service workers in community settings. This paper presents the development and evaluation of the “train-the-trainer” workshop (TTT) for the first large scale, community-based, family intervention projects, entitled “Happy Family Kitchen Project” (HFK) under the FAMILY project, a Hong Kong Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society. The workshop aimed to enhance social workers’ competence and performance in applying positive psychology constructs in their family interventions under HFK to improve family well-being of the community they served. The two-day TTT was developed and implemented by a multidisciplinary team in partnership with community agencies to 50 social workers (64% women). It focused on the enhancement of knowledge, attitude, and practice of five specific positive psychology themes, which were the basis for the subsequent development of the 23 family interventions for 1419 participants. Acceptability and applicability were enhanced by completing a needs assessment prior to the training. The TTT was evaluated by trainees’ reactions to the training content and design, changes in learners (trainees) and benefits to the service organizations. Focus group interviews to evaluate the workshop at three months after the training, and questionnaire survey at pre-training, immediately after, six months, one year and two years after training were conducted. There were statistically significant increases with large to moderate effect size in perceived knowledge, self-efficacy and practice after training, which sustained to 2-year follow-up. Furthermore, there were statistically significant improvements in family communication and well-being of the participants in the HFK interventions they implemented after training. This paper offers a

Development and Two-Year Follow-Up Evaluation of a Training Workshop for the Large Preventive Positive Psychology Happy Family Kitchen Project in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lai, Agnes Y; Mui, Moses W; Wan, Alice; Stewart, Sunita M; Yew, Carol; Lam, Tai-Hing; Chan, Sophia S

2016-01-01

Evidence-based practice and capacity-building approaches are essential for large-scale health promotion interventions. However, there are few models in the literature to guide and evaluate training of social service workers in community settings. This paper presents the development and evaluation of the "train-the-trainer" workshop (TTT) for the first large scale, community-based, family intervention projects, entitled "Happy Family Kitchen Project" (HFK) under the FAMILY project, a Hong Kong Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society. The workshop aimed to enhance social workers' competence and performance in applying positive psychology constructs in their family interventions under HFK to improve family well-being of the community they served. The two-day TTT was developed and implemented by a multidisciplinary team in partnership with community agencies to 50 social workers (64% women). It focused on the enhancement of knowledge, attitude, and practice of five specific positive psychology themes, which were the basis for the subsequent development of the 23 family interventions for 1419 participants. Acceptability and applicability were enhanced by completing a needs assessment prior to the training. The TTT was evaluated by trainees' reactions to the training content and design, changes in learners (trainees) and benefits to the service organizations. Focus group interviews to evaluate the workshop at three months after the training, and questionnaire survey at pre-training, immediately after, six months, one year and two years after training were conducted. There were statistically significant increases with large to moderate effect size in perceived knowledge, self-efficacy and practice after training, which sustained to 2-year follow-up. Furthermore, there were statistically significant improvements in family communication and well-being of the participants in the HFK interventions they implemented after training. This paper offers a practical example

Putting the "family" back into family therapy.

PubMed

Breunlin, Douglas C; Jacobsen, Elizabeth

2014-09-01

In this article, we examine the field of family therapy by drawing a distinction between two forms of practice: Whole Family Therapy (WFT), defined as treating the whole family, and Relational Family Therapy (RFT), defined as working with a subsystem of the family or an individual while retaining a systemic lens. Our thesis is that the practice of WFT has been in decline for some time and steps must be taken to keep it from becoming a defunct practice. We consider the trajectory of WFT and RFT throughout the development of family therapy through reference to the people, the literature, training, and practice patterns associated with family therapy. We remind the reader of the many benefits of WFT and suggest that today WFT is likely to be practiced in conjunction with RFT and individual therapy. Since training of family therapists today is largely located in degree-granting programs, we identify constraints to including WFT in such programs. We conclude by offering suggestions that can enhance a program's ability to train students in WFT. © 2014 FPI, Inc.

Cbl-family ubiquitin ligases and their recruitment of CIN85 are largely dispensable for epidermal growth factor receptor endocytosis

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Gulzar; Mohapatra, Bhopal; Schulte, Nancy A.; Nadeau, Scott; Luan, Haitao; Zutshi, Neha; Tom, Eric; Ortega-Cava, Cesar; Tu, Chun; Sanada, Masashi; Ogawa, Seishi; Toews, Myron L.; Band, Vimla; Band, Hamid

2014-01-01

Members of the Casitas B-Lineage Lymphoma (Cbl) family (Cbl, Cbl-b and Cbl-c) of ubiquitin ligases serve as negative regulators of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). An essential role of Cbl-family protein-dependent ubiquitination for efficient ligand-induced lysosomal targeting and degradation is now well-accepted. However, a more proximal role of Cbl and Cbl-b as adapters for CIN85-endophilin recruitment to mediate ligand-induced initial internalization of RTKs is supported by some studies but refuted by others. Overexpression and/or incomplete depletion of Cbl proteins in these studies is likely to have contributed to this dichotomy. To address the role of endogenous Cbl and Cbl-b in the internalization step of RTK endocytic traffic, we established Cbl/Cbl-b double-knockout (DKO) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and demonstrated that these cells lack the expression of both Cbl-family members as well as endophilin A, while they express CIN85. We show that ligand-induced ubiquitination of EGFR, as a prototype RTK, was abolished in DKO MEFs, and EGFR degradation was delayed. These traits were reversed by ectopic human Cbl expression. EGFR endocytosis, assessed using the internalization of 125I-labeled or fluorescent EGF, or of EGFR itself, was largely retained in Cbl/Cbl-b DKO compared to wild type MEFs. EGFR internalization was also largely intact in Cbl/Cbl-b depleted MCF-10A human mammary epithelial cell line. Inducible shRNA-mediated knockdown of CIN85 in wild type or Cbl/Cbl-b DKO MEFs had no impact on EGFR internalization. Our findings, establish that, at physiological expression levels, Cbl, Cbl-b and CIN85 are largely dispensable for EGFR internalization. Our results support the model that Cbl-CIN85-endophilin complex is not required for efficient internalization of EGFR, a prototype RTK. PMID:25449262

Work-family spillover among Japanese dual-earner couples: a large community-based study.

PubMed

Shimada, Kyoko; Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B; Demerouti, Evangelia; Kawakami, Norito

2010-01-01

To examine the effects of multiple types of work-family spillover (work-to-family negative spillover, WFNS; family-to-work negative spillover, FWNS; and work-family positive spillover, WFPS) on psychological distress among Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children. 2,346 parents completed questionnaires measuring work-family spillover, work- and family-specific variables (i.e., job demands and resources, family demands and resources), and psychological distress. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted by entering demographic characteristics (gender, age, age of the youngest child, and job contract) in step 1, job demands and resources in step 2, family demands and resources in step 3, work-family spillover in step 4, and three two-way interactions between types of work-family spillover and gender in the final step. Both WFNS and FWNS were positively related to psychological distress after controlling for demographic characteristics and domain specific variables (i.e. job and family demands/resources), and FWNS (β=0.26) had a stronger relation with psychological distress than WFNS (β=0.16). Although WFPS was significantly and negatively related to psychological distress, the relationship was weak (β=-0.05). In addition, two-way interactions of WFNS and FWNS with gender were found; the impact of both WFNS and FWNS on psychological distress is stronger for females than for males. No significant interaction effect was observed between WFPS and gender. In this study of Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children, work-family negative spillover had a stronger relationship with psychological distress than positive spillover. Gender had a moderating effect on the relationship between negative spillover and psychological distress.

A novel large deletion in the RYR1 gene in a Belgian family with late-onset and recessive core myopathy.

PubMed

Remiche, Gauthier; Kadhim, Hazim; Abramowicz, Marc; Mavroudakis, Nicolas; Monnier, Nicole; Lunardi, Joël

2015-05-01

We report a novel and particularly unusual type of mutation, namely, large deletion in the RYR1 gene, in a Belgian family with myopathy: Patients were found to be compound heterozygous and presented a clinico-pathological phenotype characterized by late-onset and recessive myopathy with cores. We depict the clinical, electrophysiological, pathological and molecular genetic characteristics of family members. To date, large deletions in the RYR1 gene have been reported in only two cases. Both involved different mutations and, in sharp contrast to our cases, presented with a very early-onset, neonatal, and a very severe or lethal phenotype. Overview of reported clinico-pathologic phenotypes, also highlights the rarity of combined late-onset/recessive co-occurrence in this group of myopathies with cores. Finally, this report underlines the broadening spectrum in this group of myopathologic disorders and highlights the concept of 'RYR1-associated/related core myopathies'. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Maternal intrusiveness, family financial means, and anxiety across childhood in a large multiphase sample of community youth

PubMed Central

Cooper-Vince, Christine E.; Pincus, Donna B.; Comer, Jonathan S.

2013-01-01

Intrusive parenting has been positively associated with child anxiety, although examinations of this relationship to date have been largely confined to middle to upper middle class families and have rarely used longitudinal designs. With several leading interventions for child anxiety emphasizing the reduction of parental intrusiveness, it is critical to determine whether the links between parental intrusiveness and child anxiety broadly apply to families of all financial means, and whether parental intrusiveness prospectively predicts the development of child anxiety. This study employed latent growth curve analysis to evaluate the interactive effects of maternal intrusiveness and financial means on the developmental trajectory of child anxiety from 1st grade to age 15 in 1,121 children (50.7% male) and their parents from the NICHD SECCYD. The overall model was found to provide good fit, revealing that early maternal intrusiveness and financial means did not impact individual trajectories of change in child anxiety, which were stable from 1st to 5th grade, and then decrease from 5th grade to age 15. Cross-sectional analyses also examined whether family financial means moderated contemporaneous relationships between maternal intrusiveness and child anxiety in 3rd and 5th grades. The relationship between maternal intrusiveness and child anxiety was moderated by family financial means for 1st graders, with stronger links found among children of lower family financial means, but not for 3rd and 5th graders. Neither maternal intrusiveness nor financial means in 1st grade predicted subsequent changes in anxiety across childhood. Findings help elucidate for whom and when maternal intrusiveness has the greatest link with child anxiety and can inform targeted treatment efforts. PMID:23929005

Pyrosequencing analysis of the microbial diversity of airag, khoormog and tarag, traditional fermented dairy products of mongolia.

PubMed

Oki, Kaihei; Dugersuren, Jamyan; Demberel, Shirchin; Watanabe, Koichi

2014-01-01

Here, we used pyrosequencing to obtain a detailed analysis of the microbial diversities of traditional fermented dairy products of Mongolia. From 22 Airag (fermented mare's milk), 5 Khoormog (fermented camel's milk) and 26 Tarag (fermented milk of cows, goats and yaks) samples collected in the Mongolian provinces of Arhangai, Bulgan, Dundgobi, Tov, Uburhangai and Umnugobi, we obtained a total of 81 operational taxonomic units, which were assigned to 15 families, 21 genera and 41 species in 3 phyla. The genus Lactobacillus is a core bacterial component of Mongolian fermented milks, and Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Lactobacillus delbrueckii were the predominant species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the Airag, Khoormog and Tarag samples, respectively. By using this pyrosequencing approach, we successfully detected most LAB species that have been isolated as well as seven LAB species that have not been found in our previous culture-based study. A subsequent analysis of the principal components of the samples revealed that L. delbrueckii, L. helveticus, L. kefiranofaciens and Streptococcus thermophilus were the main factors influencing the microbial diversity of these Mongolian traditional fermented dairy products and that this diversity correlated with the animal species from which the milk was sourced.

Chronic exposure to low doses bisphenol A interferes with pair-bonding and exploration in female Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Razzoli, M; Valsecchi, P; Palanza, P

2005-04-15

Estrogenic endocrine disruptors, synthetic or naturally occurring substances found in the environment, can interfere with the vertebrate endocrine system and, mimicking estrogens, interact with the neuroendocrine substrates of behavior. Since species vary in their sensitivity to steroids, it is of great interest to widen the range of species included in the researches on neurobehavioral effects of estrogenic endocrine disruptors. We examined socio-sexual and exploratory behavior of Mongolian gerbil females (Meriones unguiculatus), a monogamous rodent, in response to chronic exposure to the estrogenic endocrine disruptor bisphenol A. Paired females were daily administered with one of the following treatments: bisphenol A (2 or 20 microg/kg body weight/day); 17alpha-ethynil estradiol (0.04 microg/kg body weight/day 17alphaE); oil (vehicle). Females were treated for 3 weeks after pairing. Starting on day of pairing, social interactions within pairs were daily recorded. Three weeks after pairing, females were individually tested in a free exploratory paradigm. Bisphenol A and 17alphaE affected male-female social interactions by increasing social investigation. Bisphenol A reduced several exploratory parameters, indicating a decreased exploratory propensity of females. These results highlight the sensitivity of adult female gerbils to bisphenol A during the hormonally sensitive period of pair formation, also considering that the bisphenol A doses tested are well below the suggested human tolerable daily intake.

Helicobacter pylori infection in Mongolian gerbils does not initiate hematological diseases

PubMed Central

Xie, Chuan; Xu, Li-Yao; Li, Wei; Yang, Zhen; Lu, Nong-Hua

2014-01-01

AIM: To investigate whether Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection contributes to idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) or iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) onset in gerbils. METHODS: A total of 135 Mongolian gerbils were randomly divided into two groups: an H. pylori infection group and a control group. Both groups were fed the same diet and the same amount of food. Each group was then divided into three subgroups, which were sacrificed at 6, 12, or 18 mo for analysis. At each time point, arterial blood was collected from the abdominal aorta and a complete blood cell count was analyzed in the clinical laboratory in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in platelet counts (938.00 ± 270.27/L vs 962.95 ± 162.56 × 109/L), red blood cell counts (8.11 ± 1.25/L vs 8.44 ± 1.48 × 1012/L), or hemoglobin levels (136.9 ± 8.76 g/L vs 123.21 ± 18.42 g/L) between the control and the H. pylori groups, respectively, at 18 mo. With the exception of the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), all other indicators, including white blood cell counts, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, lymphocyte count, and lymphocyte count percentage, showed no significant differences between the control and H. pylori infection groups at each time point. The MCV in the H. pylori infection group (52.32 f/L ± 2.86 f/L) was significantly lower than the control group (55.63 ± 1.89 f/L) at 18 mo (P = 0.005), though no significant differences were observed at 6 (54.40 ± 2.44 f/L vs 53.30 ± 1.86 f/L) or 12 mo (53.73 ± 2.31 f/L vs 54.80 ± 3.34 f/L). CONCLUSION: A single H. pylori infection is insufficient to cause onset of ITP or IDA and other factors may be required for disease onset. PMID:25232266

Implications of the Small Spin Changes Measured for Large Jupiter-Family Comet Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokotanekova, R.; Snodgrass, C.; Lacerda, P.; Green, S. F.; Nikolov, P.; Bonev, T.

2018-06-01

Rotational spin-up due to outgassing of comet nuclei has been identified as a possible mechanism for considerable mass-loss and splitting. We report a search for spin changes for three large Jupiter-family comets (JFCs): 14P/Wolf, 143P/Kowal-Mrkos, and 162P/Siding Spring. None of the three comets has detectable period changes, and we set conservative upper limits of 4.2 (14P), 6.6 (143P) and 25 (162P) minutes per orbit. Comparing these results with all eight other JFCs with measured rotational changes, we deduce that none of the observed large JFCs experiences significant spin changes. This suggests that large comet nuclei are less likely to undergo rotationally-driven splitting, and therefore more likely to survive more perihelion passages than smaller nuclei. We find supporting evidence for this hypothesis in the cumulative size distributions of JFCs and dormant comets, as well as in recent numerical studies of cometary orbital dynamics. We added 143P to the sample of 13 other JFCs with known albedos and phase-function slopes. This sample shows a possible correlation of increasing phase-function slopes for larger geometric albedos. Partly based on findings from recent space missions to JFCs, we hypothesise that this correlation corresponds to an evolutionary trend for JFCs. We propose that newly activated JFCs have larger albedos and steeper phase functions, which gradually decrease due to sublimation-driven erosion. If confirmed, this could be used to analyse surface erosion from ground and to distinguish between dormant comets and asteroids.

Clinical experience in the screening and management of a large kindred with familial isolated pituitary adenoma due to an aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) mutation.

PubMed

Williams, Fred; Hunter, Steven; Bradley, Lisa; Chahal, Harvinder S; Storr, Helen L; Akker, Scott A; Kumar, Ajith V; Orme, Stephen M; Evanson, Jane; Abid, Noina; Morrison, Patrick J; Korbonits, Márta; Atkinson, A Brew

2014-04-01

Germline AIP mutations usually cause young-onset acromegaly with low penetrance in a subset of familial isolated pituitary adenoma families. We describe our experience with a large family with R304* AIP mutation and discuss some of the diagnostic dilemmas and management issues. The aim of the study was to identify and screen mutation carriers in the family. Forty-three family members participated in the study. The study was performed in university hospitals. We conducted genetic and endocrine screening of family members. We identified 18 carriers of the R304* mutation, three family members with an AIP-variant A299V, and two family members who harbored both changes. One of the two index cases presented with gigantism and pituitary apoplexy, the other presented with young-onset acromegaly, and both had surgery and radiotherapy. After genetic and clinical screening of the family, two R304* carriers were diagnosed with acromegaly. They underwent transsphenoidal surgery after a short period of somatostatin analog treatment. One of these two patients is in remission; the other achieved successful pregnancy despite suboptimal control of acromegaly. One of the A299V carrier family members was previously diagnosed with a microprolactinoma; we consider this case to be a phenocopy. Height of the unaffected R304* carrier family members is not different compared to noncarrier relatives. Families with AIP mutations present particular problems such as the occurrence of large invasive tumors, poor response to medical treatment, difficulties with fertility and management of pregnancy, and the finding of AIP sequence variants of unknown significance. Because disease mostly develops at a younger age and penetrance is low, the timing and duration of the follow-up of carriers without overt disease requires further study. The psychological and financial impact of prolonged clinical screening must be considered. Excellent relationships between the family, endocrinologists, and

Family dinner and disordered eating behaviors in a large cohort of adolescents

PubMed Central

Haines, Jess; Gillman, Matthew W.; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl; Field, Alison E.; Austin, S. Bryn

2009-01-01

We aimed to examine longitudinal associations between family dinner and disordered eating behaviors among adolescents. We studied 7535 females and 5913 males, 9 to 14 years of age in 1996. We performed multivariable logistic regression to assess the associations of previous year family dinner with 1-year incidence of each of 3 outcomes: purging, binge eating, and frequent dieting. Compared to those who ate family dinner “never or some days,” female adolescents who ate family dinner at least most days were less likely to initiate purging, binge eating, and frequent dieting. Estimates of association among males were similar in direction and magnitude, although lower frequency of the outcomes resulted in less precise estimates and fewer statistically significant results. PMID:20390605

Infection with CagA-Positive Helicobacter Pylori Strain Containing Three EPIYA C Phosphorylation Sites is Associated with More Severe Gastric Lesions in Experimentally Infected Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones Unguiculatus)

PubMed Central

Junior, M. Ferreira; Batista, S.A.; Vidigal, P.V.T; Cordeiro, A.A.C.; Oliveira, F.M.S.; Prata, L.O.; Diniz, A.E.T.; Barral, C.M.; Barbuto, R.C.; Comes, A.D.; Araujo, I.D.; Queiroz, D.M.M.; Caliari, M.V.

2015-01-01

Infection with Helicobacter pylori strains containing high number of EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites in the CagA is associated with significant gastritis and increased risk of developing pre-malignant gastric lesions and gastric carcinoma. However, these findings have not been reproduced in animal models yet. Therefore, we investigated the effect on the gastric mucosa of Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) infected with CagA-positive H. pylori strains exhibiting one or three EPIYA-C phosphorilation sites. Mongolian gerbils were inoculated with H. pylori clonal isolates containing one or three EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites. Control group was composed by uninfected animals challenged with Brucella broth alone. Gastric fragments were evaluated by the modified Sydney System and digital morphometry. Clonal relatedness between the isolates was considered by the identical RAPD-PCR profiles and sequencing of five housekeeping genes, vacA i/d region and of oipA. The other virulence markers were present in both isolates (vacA s1i1d1m1, iceA2, and intact dupA). CagA of both isolates was translocated and phosphorylated in AGS cells. After 45 days of infection, there was a significant increase in the number of inflammatory cells and in the area of the lamina propria in the infected animals, notably in those infected by the CagA-positive strain with three EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites. After six months of infection, a high number of EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites was associated with progressive increase in the intensity of gastritis and in the area of the lamina propria. Atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia were also observed more frequently in animals infected with the CagA-positive isolate with three EPIYA-C sites. We conclude that infection with H. pylori strain carrying a high number of CagA EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites is associated with more severe gastric lesions in an animal model of H. pylori infection. PMID:26150158

Infection with CagA-positive Helicobacter pylori strain containing three EPIYA C phosphorylation sites is associated with more severe gastric lesions in experimentally infected Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed

Ferreira Júnior, M; Batista, S A; Vidigal, P V T; Cordeiro, A A C; Oliveira, F M S; Prata, L O; Diniz, A E T; Barral, C M; Barbuto, R C; Gomes, A D; Araújo, I D; Queiroz, D M M; Caliari, M V

2015-04-27

Infection with Helicobacter pylori strains containing high number of EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites in the CagA is associated with significant gastritis and increased risk of developing pre-malignant gastric lesions and gastric carcinoma. However, these findings have not been reproduced in animal models yet. Therefore, we investigated the effect on the gastric mucosa of Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) infected with CagA-positive H. pylori strains exhibiting one or three EPIYA-C phosphorilation sites. Mongolian gerbils were inoculated with H. pylori clonal isolates containing one or three EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites. Control group was composed by uninfected animals challenged with Brucella broth alone. Gastric fragments were evaluated by the modified Sydney System and digital morphometry. Clonal relatedness between the isolates was considered by the identical RAPD-PCR profiles and sequencing of five housekeeping genes, vacA i/d region and of oipA. The other virulence markers were present in both isolates (vacA s1i1d1m1, iceA2, and intact dupA). CagA of both isolates was translocated and phosphorylated in AGS cells. After 45 days of infection, there was a significant increase in the number of inflammatory cells and in the area of the lamina propria in the infected animals, notably in those infected by the CagA-positive strain with three EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites. After six months of infection, a high number of EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites was associated with progressive increase in the intensity of gastritis and in the area of the lamina propria. Atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia were also observed more frequently in animals infected with the CagA-positive isolate with three EPIYA-C sites.  We conclude that infection with H. pylori strain carrying a high number of CagA EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites is associated with more severe gastric lesions in an animal model of H. pylori infection.

Policy shifts influence the functional changes of the CNH systems on the Mongolian plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jiquan; John, Ranjeet; Shao, Changliang; Fan, Yi; Zhang, Yaoqi; Amarjargal, Amartuvshin; Brown, Daniel G.; Qi, Jiaguo; Han, Juanjuan; Lafortezza, Raffaele; Dong, Gang

2015-08-01

By applying the concept of the coupled natural and human system (CNH), we compared spatiotemporal changes in livestock (LSK), land cover, and ecosystem production to understand the relative roles that natural and social driving forces have on CNH dynamics on the Mongolia plateau. We used socioeconomic and physical data at prefecture level for Inner Mongolia and Mongolia from 1981 through 2010 to represent changes in net primary productivity (NPP), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), precipitation, annual average temperature, LSK, livestock density (LSKD), land cover change (LCC), gross domestic production (GDP), and population (POP). The ratios such as LSK:NPP, LSKD: EVI, LSKD:albedo, LSK:POP, and LSK:GDP were examined and compared between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to quantify the complex interactions. Substantial differences in LSK, POP, and economic development were found among the biomes and between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. When various indicators for policy shifts—such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) for China, the Third Campaign to Reclaim Abandoned Agriculture Lands (ATAR-3), and the Grain for Green Program for China (GFG)—were added into our SEM, the results showed significant change in the strength of the above relationships. After China joined the WTO, the relationships in Inner Mongolia between LSKD:LCC and LSKD:NPP were immensely strengthened, whereas relationships in NPP:LCC were weakened. In Mongolia, the ATAR-3 program first appeared to be an insignificant policy, but the Collapse of the Soviet Union enhanced the correlation between LSKD:LCC, weakened the connection of LCC:NPP, and did not affect LSKD:NPP. We conclude that human influences on the Mongolian CNH system exceeded those of the biophysical changes, but that the significance varies in time and per biome, as well as between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia.

Linkage to D3S47 (C17) in one large autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa family and exclusion in another: confirmation of genetic heterogeneity.

PubMed Central

Lester, D H; Inglehearn, C F; Bashir, R; Ackford, H; Esakowitz, L; Jay, M; Bird, A C; Wright, A F; Papiha, S S; Bhattacharya, S S

1990-01-01

Recently Dryja and his co-workers observed a mutation in the 23d codon of the rhodopsin gene in a proportion of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) patients. Linkage analysis with a rhodopsin-linked probe C17 (D3S47) was carried out in two large British ADRP families, one with diffuse-type (D-type) RP and the other with regional-type (R-type) RP. Significantly positive lod scores (lod score maximum [Zmax] = +5.58 at recombination fraction [theta] = .0) were obtained between C17 and our D-type ADRP family showing complete penetrance. Sequence and oligonucleotide analysis has, however, shown that no point mutation at the 23d codon exists in affected individuals in our complete-penetrance pedigree, indicating that another rhodopsin mutation is probably responsible for ADRP in this family. Significantly negative lod scores (Z less than -2 at theta = .045) were, however, obtained between C17 and our R-type family which showed incomplete penetrance. Previous results presented by this laboratory also showed no linkage between C17 and another large British R-type ADRP family with incomplete penetrance. This confirms genetic heterogeneity. Some types of ADRP are being caused by different mutations in the rhodopsin locus (3q21-24) or another tightly linked gene in this region, while other types of ADRP are the result of mutations elsewhere in the genome. Images Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 PMID:2393026

Large bowel resection

MedlinePlus

... blockage in the intestine due to scar tissue Colon cancer Diverticular disease (disease of the large bowel) Other reasons for bowel resection are: Familial polyposis (polyps are growths on the lining of the colon or rectum) Injuries that damage the large bowel ...

Genetic heterogeneity in familial exudative vitreoretinopathy; exclusion of the EVR1 locus on chromosome 11q in a large autosomal dominant pedigree.

PubMed

Bamashmus, M A; Downey, L M; Inglehearn, C F; Gupta, S R; Mansfield, D C

2000-04-01

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is associated with mutations in the Norrie disease gene in X linked pedigrees and with linkage to the EVR1 locus at 11q13 in autosomal dominant cases. A large autosomal dominant FEVR family was studied, both clinically and by linkage analysis, to determine whether it differed from the known forms of FEVR. Affected members and obligate gene carriers from this family were examined by slit lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and in some cases fluorescein angiography. Patient DNAs were genotyped for markers at the EVR1 locus on chromosome 11q13. The clinical evaluation in this family is consistent with previous descriptions of FEVR pedigrees, but linkage analysis proves that it has a form of FEVR genetically distinct from the EVR1 locus on 11q. This proves that there are at least three different loci associated with comparable FEVR phenotypes, a situation similar to that existing for many forms of retinal degeneration.

Urbanization and environmental change during the economic transition on the Mongolian Plateau: Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar.

PubMed

Fan, Peilei; Chen, Jiquan; John, Ranjeet

2016-01-01

Driven by drastic socioeconomic changes in China and Mongolia, urbanization has become one of the most significant driving forces in the transformation of the Mongolian Plateau in the past 30 years. Using Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar as case studies, we developed a holistic approach to examine the socioeconomic and natural driving forces for urbanization and to investigate the impact on the urban environment. We used a multidisciplinary approach and relied on a variety of data sources to assess the changes of the landscape and environment of the two cities. We detected a rapid urbanization in Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar, both in terms of urban population growth and urban land expansion, from 1990 to 2010, with a much faster speed in 2000-2010. The local geo-physical conditions have constrained the spatial direction of expansion. Ulaanbaatar lagged behind Hohhot for about a decade when measured by indicators of urban population and urban land. Both cities have a degraded urban environment and a growing air pollution epidemic. While Hohhot had worse air pollution than Ulaanbaatar in the early 2000s, the gap between the two cities became smaller after 2010. The research presented here highlights the following as key determinants for urbanization and environmental change: (1) the co-evolution of urbanization, economic development, and environmental change; (2) the urbanization of transitional economies driven by the change of the economic structure, i.e., the development by both manufacturing and tertiary sectors and the change in the primary sector; and (3) the recent institutional changes and increased integration with the global economy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Asteroid families from cratering: Detection and models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milani, A.; Cellino, A.; Knežević, Z.; Novaković, B.; Spoto, F.; Paolicchi, P.

2014-07-01

A new asteroid families classification, more efficient in the inclusion of smaller family members, shows how relevant the cratering impacts are on large asteroids. These do not disrupt the target, but just form families with the ejecta from large craters. Of the 12 largest asteroids, 8 have cratering families: number (2), (4), (5), (10), (87), (15), (3), and (31). At least another 7 cratering families can be identified. Of the cratering families identified so far, 7 have >1000 members. This imposes a remarkable change from the focus on fragmentation families of previous classifications. Such a large dataset of asteroids believed to be crater ejecta opens a new challenge: to model the crater and family forming event(s) generating them. The first problem is to identify which cratering families, found by the similarity of proper elements, can be formed at once, with a single collision. We have identified as a likely outcome of multiple collisions the families of (4), (10), (15), and (20). Of the ejecta generated by cratering, only a fraction reaches the escape velocity from the surviving parent body. The distribution of velocities at infinity, giving to the resulting family an initial position and shape in the proper elements space, is highly asymmetric with respect to the parent body. This shape is deformed by the Yarkovsky effect and by the interaction with resonances. All the largest asteroids have been subjected to large cratering events, thus the lack of a family needs to be interpreted. The most interesting case is (1) Ceres, which is not the parent body of the nearby family of (93). Two possible interpretations of the low family forming efficiency are based on either the composition of Ceres with a significant fraction of ice, protected by a thin crust, or with the larger escape velocity of ~500 m/s.

Reproductive motivation and family-size preferences among Nigerian men.

PubMed

Isiugo-Abanihe, U C

1994-01-01

Data collected from 3,073 couples in four Nigerian cities and one semi-urban settlement were used to examine reproductive decision-making and male motivation for large family size. The report concludes that the characteristic male-dominant and patrilineal traditions support large family size and that men's reproductive motivation, to a large extent, affects the reproductive behavior of their wives. Therefore, the factors influencing men's reproductive outcomes and intentions are considered important for fertility transition in Nigeria. Male education, age at marriage, monogamy, interspousal communication, and intention not to rely on children for old-age support are significantly related to smaller actual family size and preferences for smaller families, while being in a male-dominant family setting has a strong relation with large family size and preferences for larger families. The policy implication of this study is the need for programs targeted at men and designed to change their attitudes about population matters and motivate them, and hence their wives, to produce smaller families.

Changes in Spatial Patterns of Caragana stenophylla along a Climatic Drought Gradient on the Inner Mongolian Plateau

PubMed Central

Xie, Li-Na; Guo, Hong-Yu; Gabler, Christopher A.; Li, Qing-Fang; Ma, Cheng-Cang

2015-01-01

Few studies have investigated the influence of water availability on plant population spatial patterns. We studied changes in the spatial patterns of Caragana stenophylla along a climatic drought gradient within the Inner Mongolian Plateau, China. We examined spatial patterns, seed density, “nurse effects” of shrubs on seedlings, transpiration rates and water use efficiency (WUE) of C. stenophylla across semi-arid, arid, and intensively arid zones. Our results showed that patches of C. stenophylla populations shifted from a random to a clumped spatial pattern towards drier environments. Seed density and seedling survival rate of C. stenophylla decreased from the semi-arid zone to the intensively arid zone. Across the three zones, there were more C. stenophylla seeds and seedlings underneath shrub canopies than outside shrub canopies; and in the intensively arid zone, there were almost no seeds or seedlings outside shrub canopies. Transpiration rates of outer-canopy leaves and WUE of both outer-canopy and inner-canopy leaves increased from the semi-arid zone to the intensively arid zone. In the intensively arid zone, transpiration rates and WUE of inner-canopy leaves were significantly lower and higher, respectively, than those of outer-canopy leaves. We conclude that, as drought stress increased, seed density decreased, seed proportions inside shrubs increased, and “nurse effects” of shrubs on seedlings became more important. These factors, combined with water-saving characteristics associated with clumped spatial patterns, are likely driving the changes in C. stenophylla spatial patterns. PMID:25785848

Large Deviations for Stationary Probabilities of a Family of Continuous Time Markov Chains via Aubry-Mather Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, Artur O.; Neumann, Adriana

2015-05-01

In the present paper, we consider a family of continuous time symmetric random walks indexed by , . For each the matching random walk take values in the finite set of states ; notice that is a subset of , where is the unitary circle. The infinitesimal generator of such chain is denoted by . The stationary probability for such process converges to the uniform distribution on the circle, when . Here we want to study other natural measures, obtained via a limit on , that are concentrated on some points of . We will disturb this process by a potential and study for each the perturbed stationary measures of this new process when . We disturb the system considering a fixed potential and we will denote by the restriction of to . Then, we define a non-stochastic semigroup generated by the matrix , where is the infinifesimal generator of . From the continuous time Perron's Theorem one can normalized such semigroup, and, then we get another stochastic semigroup which generates a continuous time Markov Chain taking values on . This new chain is called the continuous time Gibbs state associated to the potential , see (Lopes et al. in J Stat Phys 152:894-933, 2013). The stationary probability vector for such Markov Chain is denoted by . We assume that the maximum of is attained in a unique point of , and from this will follow that . Thus, here, our main goal is to analyze the large deviation principle for the family , when . The deviation function , which is defined on , will be obtained from a procedure based on fixed points of the Lax-Oleinik operator and Aubry-Mather theory. In order to obtain the associated Lax-Oleinik operator we use the Varadhan's Lemma for the process . For a careful analysis of the problem we present full details of the proof of the Large Deviation Principle, in the Skorohod space, for such family of Markov Chains, when . Finally, we compute the entropy of the invariant probabilities on the Skorohod space associated to the Markov Chains we analyze.

Clinical and neurophysiological investigation of a large family with dominant Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 disease with pyramidal signs.

PubMed

Neves, Eduardo Luis de Aquino; Kok, Fernando

2011-06-01

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is a hereditary neuropathy of motor and sensory impairment with distal predominance. Atrophy and weakness of lower limbs are the first signs of the disease. It can be classified, with the aid of electromyography and nerve conduction studies, as demyelinating (CMT1) or axonal (CMT2). Clinical and neurophysiological investigation of a large multigenerational family with CMT2 with autosomal dominant mode of transmission. Fifty individuals were evaluated and neurophysiological studies performed in 22 patients. Thirty individuals had clinical signs of motor-sensory neuropathy. Babinski sign was present in 14 individuals. Neurophysiological study showed motor-sensory axonal polyneuropathy. The clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of this family does not differ from those observed with other forms of CMT, except for the high prevalence of Babinski sign.

Responses in reproductive organs, steroid hormones and CYP450 enzymes in female Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) over time after quinestrol treatment.

PubMed

Su, Qian-Qian; Chen, Yi; Qin, Jiao; Wang, Tong-Liang; Wang, De-Hua; Liu, Quan-Sheng

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effects and reversibility of the synthetic estrogen compound, quinestrol, on the reproductive organs, steroid hormones, and drug-metabolizing enzymes CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 in liver and kidney over time after two quinestrol treatments in female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Female gerbils were treated with 4mg/kg quinestrol (9 gerbils/group, 3 treated group) (1 control group, 0mg/kg) for 3days and treated again after 25days. Animals were killed for collection of samples at 5, 10 and 15days after the second treatment ending. Two interval quinestrol treatments significantly increased uterine weight, with trend of increase over time, but no change could be detected in ovarian weights. Quinestrol treatment increased progesterone and estradiol levels, both with trend of decline over time. Quinestrol increased liver and kidney weights and total enzyme content of CYP3A4 and CYP1A2, with trend of decline over time. On the basis of reversible changes of detoxification enzymes or organs, interval quinestrol treatment effectively and reversibly influenced the reproductive hormone and organ to some extent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[A herbalogical study on traditional Mongolian medicine "zhanba"].

PubMed

Bao, Yintu; Bu, Ri'e; Zhao, Baisui

2003-02-01

By herbalogical study and investigation, "Zhanba" used by Mongolia doctors mainly contains 7 species from 3 genera of 1 family, but "Zhanba" in Inner Mongolia Standard of Medicinal Materials only contains 3 species which are Althaea rosea, Malva sylvestris L. var. mauritiana and M. verticillata.

Extracts from the Mongolian traditional medicinal plants Dianthus versicolorFisch. and Lilium pumilum Delile stimulate bile flow in an isolated perfused rat liver model.

PubMed

Obmann, Astrid; Tsendayush, Damba; Thalhammer, Theresia; Zehl, Martin; Vo, Thanh Phuong Nha; Purevsuren, Sodnomtseren; Natsagdorj, Damdinsuren; Narantuya, Samdan; Kletter, Christa; Glasl, Sabine

2010-10-05

Dianthus versicolor (Caryophyllaceae) and Lilium pumilum (Liliaceae) are two medicinal plants used in traditional Mongolian medicine to treat hepatic and gastrointestinal disorders. In this study aqueous (AE) and methanolic (ME) extracts of Dianthus versicolor and Lilium pumilum were investigated for their influence on the bile flow. The aqueous extracts of both plants were tested in absence and presence of 10 μM taurocholic acid at three different concentrations (100, 250, and 500 mg/L). The aqueous extract of Dianthus versicolor was further purified in order to locate the active principles. Two resulting fractions, one enriched in flavonoids and the other in sugars, were investigated for their influence on the bile flow in absence of taurocholic acid at 10, 20, and 40 mg/L. The aqueous extracts of both plants were analysed qualitatively by LC-MS(n) and quantitatively by UV-spectrophotometry. The bile flow experiments were performed in the isolated perfused rat liver. The compounds were identified by LC-DAD-MS(n) and TLC using references. The UV-spectrophotometric analysis was based on the monograph "Passiflorae herba" of the European Pharmacopoeia, and the total flavonoid contents were calculated and expressed as vitexin. AE and ME of both plants increased the bile flow dose-dependently (between 9% and 30%), and no hepatotoxic effect was seen even during longer perfusions. Stimulation of bile secretion was comparable in the presence and in the absence of taurocholic acid. The flavonoid fraction of Dianthus versicolor increased the bile flow by 18% (p<0.05) at 40 mg/L, which was comparable to the positive control cynarin. The phytochemical investigations of the Dianthus versicolor AE (total flavonoid content 1.78%) revealed the presence of the isovitexin derivative saponarin. In the AE of Lilium pumilum (total flavonoid content 1.04%) the flavonoids rutoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside were detected. The results show that

A large deletion of the AVPR2 gene causing severe nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in a Turkish family.

PubMed

Saglar, Emel; Deniz, Ferhat; Erdem, Beril; Karaduman, Tugce; Yönem, Arif; Cagiltay, Eylem; Mergen, Hatice

2014-05-01

X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) is a rare hereditary disease caused by mutations in arginine vasopressin type 2 receptor (AVPR2) and characterized by the production of large amounts of urine and an inability to concentrate urine in response to the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin. We have identified a novel 388 bp deletion starting in intron 1 and ending in exon 2 in the AVPR2 gene in a patient with NDI and in his family. We have revealed that this mutation is a de novo mutation for the mother of the proband patient. Prospective clinical data were collected for all family members. The water deprivation test confirmed the diagnosis of diabetes insipidus. The patient has severe symptoms like deep polyuria nocturia, polydipsia, and fatigue. He was given arginine vasopressin treatment while he was a child. However, he could not get well due to his nephrogenic type of illness. Both of his nephews have the same complains in addition to failure to grow. We have sequenced all exons and intron-exon boundaries of the AVPR2 gene of all family members. The analyses of bioinformatics and comparative genomics of the deletion were done via considering the DNA level damage. AVPR2 gene mutation results in the absence of the three transmembrane domains, two extracellular domains, and one cytoplasmic domain. Three-dimensional protein structure prediction was shown. We concluded that X-linked NDI and severity of illness in this family is caused by a novel 388 bp deletion in the AVPR2 gene that is predicted to truncate the receptor protein, and also this deletion may lead to dysfunctioning in protein activity and inefficient or inadequate binding abilities.

Is family size related to adolescence mental hospitalization?

PubMed

Kylmänen, Paula; Hakko, Helinä; Räsänen, Pirkko; Riala, Kaisa

2010-05-15

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between family size and psychiatric disorders of underage adolescent psychiatric inpatients. The study sample consisted of 508 adolescents (age 12-17) admitted to psychiatric impatient care between April 2001 and March 2006. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition-based psychiatric diagnoses and variables measuring family size were obtained from the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime (K-SADS-PL). The family size of the general Finnish population was used as a reference population. There was a significant difference between the family size of the inpatient adolescents and the general population: 17.0% of adolescents came from large families (with 6 or more children) while the percentage in the general population was 3.3. A girl from a large family had an about 4-fold risk of psychosis other than schizophrenia. However, large family size was not associated with a risk for schizophrenia. Large family size was overrepresented among underage adolescents admitted for psychiatric hospitalization in Northern Finland. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pyrosequencing Analysis of the Microbial Diversity of Airag, Khoormog and Tarag, Traditional Fermented Dairy Products of Mongolia

PubMed Central

OKI, Kaihei; DUGERSUREN, Jamyan; DEMBEREL, Shirchin; WATANABE, Koichi

2014-01-01

Here, we used pyrosequencing to obtain a detailed analysis of the microbial diversities of traditional fermented dairy products of Mongolia. From 22 Airag (fermented mare’s milk), 5 Khoormog (fermented camel’s milk) and 26 Tarag (fermented milk of cows, goats and yaks) samples collected in the Mongolian provinces of Arhangai, Bulgan, Dundgobi, Tov, Uburhangai and Umnugobi, we obtained a total of 81 operational taxonomic units, which were assigned to 15 families, 21 genera and 41 species in 3 phyla. The genus Lactobacillus is a core bacterial component of Mongolian fermented milks, and Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Lactobacillus delbrueckii were the predominant species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the Airag, Khoormog and Tarag samples, respectively. By using this pyrosequencing approach, we successfully detected most LAB species that have been isolated as well as seven LAB species that have not been found in our previous culture-based study. A subsequent analysis of the principal components of the samples revealed that L. delbrueckii, L. helveticus, L. kefiranofaciens and Streptococcus thermophilus were the main factors influencing the microbial diversity of these Mongolian traditional fermented dairy products and that this diversity correlated with the animal species from which the milk was sourced. PMID:25003019

Novel KCNQ3 Mutation in a Large Family with Benign Familial Neonatal Epilepsy: A Rare Cause of Neonatal Seizures

PubMed Central

Maljevic, Snezana; Vejzovic, Sabina; Bernhard, Matthias K.; Bertsche, Astrid; Weise, Sebastian; Döcker, Miriam; Lerche, Holger; Lemke, Johannes R.; Merkenschlager, Andreas; Syrbe, Steffen

2016-01-01

Benign familial neonatal seizures (BFNS) present a rare familial epilepsy syndrome caused by genetic alterations in the voltage-gated potassium channels Kv7.2 and Kv7.3, encoded by KCNQ2 and KCNQ3. While most BFNS families carry alterations in KCNQ2, mutations in KCNQ3 appear to be less common. Here, we describe a family with 6 individuals presenting with neonatal focal and generalized seizures. Genetic testing revealed a novel KCNQ3 variant, c.835G>T, cosegregating with seizures in 4 tested individuals. This variant results in a substitution of the highly conserved amino acid valine localized within the pore-forming transmembrane segment S5 (p.V279F). Functional investigations in Xenopus laevis oocytes revealed a loss of function, which supports p.V279F as a pathogenic mutation. When p.V279F was coexpressed with the wild-type (WT) Kv7.2 subunits, the resulting potassium currents were about 10-fold reduced compared to the WT Kv7.3 and Kv7.2 coexpression. Genotype-phenotype correlation shows an incomplete penetrance of p.V279F. Response to antiepileptic treatment was variable, but evaluation of treatment response remained challenging due to the self-limiting character of the disease. The identification of the pathogenic variant helped to avoid unnecessary investigations in affected family members and allowed guided therapy. PMID:27781029

Novel KCNQ3 Mutation in a Large Family with Benign Familial Neonatal Epilepsy: A Rare Cause of Neonatal Seizures.

PubMed

Maljevic, Snezana; Vejzovic, Sabina; Bernhard, Matthias K; Bertsche, Astrid; Weise, Sebastian; Döcker, Miriam; Lerche, Holger; Lemke, Johannes R; Merkenschlager, Andreas; Syrbe, Steffen

2016-09-01

Benign familial neonatal seizures (BFNS) present a rare familial epilepsy syndrome caused by genetic alterations in the voltage-gated potassium channels Kv7.2 and Kv7.3, encoded by KCNQ2 and KCNQ3. While most BFNS families carry alterations in KCNQ2 , mutations in KCNQ3 appear to be less common. Here, we describe a family with 6 individuals presenting with neonatal focal and generalized seizures. Genetic testing revealed a novel KCNQ3 variant, c.835G>T, cosegregating with seizures in 4 tested individuals. This variant results in a substitution of the highly conserved amino acid valine localized within the pore-forming transmembrane segment S5 (p.V279F). Functional investigations in Xenopus laevis oocytes revealed a loss of function, which supports p.V279F as a pathogenic mutation. When p.V279F was coexpressed with the wild-type (WT) Kv7.2 subunits, the resulting potassium currents were about 10-fold reduced compared to the WT Kv7.3 and Kv7.2 coexpression. Genotype-phenotype correlation shows an incomplete penetrance of p.V279F. Response to antiepileptic treatment was variable, but evaluation of treatment response remained challenging due to the self-limiting character of the disease. The identification of the pathogenic variant helped to avoid unnecessary investigations in affected family members and allowed guided therapy.

Oral Immunization with a Multivalent Epitope-Based Vaccine, Based on NAP, Urease, HSP60, and HpaA, Provides Therapeutic Effect on H. pylori Infection in Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Guo, Le; Yang, Hua; Tang, Feng; Yin, Runting; Liu, Hongpeng; Gong, Xiaojuan; Wei, Jun; Zhang, Ying; Xu, Guangxian; Liu, Kunmei

2017-01-01

Epitope-based vaccine is a promising strategy for therapeutic vaccination against Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection. A multivalent subunit vaccine containing various antigens from H. pylori is superior to a univalent subunit vaccine. However, whether a multivalent epitope-based vaccine is superior to a univalent epitope-based vaccine in therapeutic vaccination against H. pylori , remains unclear. In this study, a multivalent epitope-based vaccine named CWAE against H. pylori urease, neutrophil-activating protein (NAP), heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and H. pylori adhesin A (HpaA) was constructed based on mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin B subunit (CTB), Th1-type adjuvant NAP, multiple copies of selected B and Th cell epitopes (UreA 27-53 , UreA 183-203 , HpaA 132-141 , and HSP60 189-203 ), and also the epitope-rich regions of urease B subunit (UreB 158-251 and UreB 321-385 ) predicted by bioinformatics. Immunological properties of CWAE vaccine were characterized in BALB/c mice model. Its therapeutic effect was evaluated in H. pylori -infected Mongolian gerbil model by comparing with a univalent epitope-based vaccine CTB-UE against H. pylori urease that was constructed in our previous studies. Both CWAE and CTB-UE could induce similar levels of specific antibodies against H. pylori urease, and had similar inhibition effect of H. pylori urease activity. However, only CWAE could induce high levels of specific antibodies to NAP, HSP60, HpaA, and also the synthetic peptides epitopes (UreB 158-172 , UreB 181-195 , UreB 211-225 , UreB 349-363 , HpaA 132-141 , and HSP60 189-203 ). In addition, oral therapeutic immunization with CWAE significantly reduced the number of H. pylori colonies in the stomach of Mongolian gerbils, compared with oral immunization using CTB-UE or H. pylori urease. The protection of CWAE was associated with higher levels of mixed CD4 + T cell (Th cell) response, IgG, and secretory IgA (sIgA) antibodies to H. pylori . These results indic ate

Oral Immunization with a Multivalent Epitope-Based Vaccine, Based on NAP, Urease, HSP60, and HpaA, Provides Therapeutic Effect on H. pylori Infection in Mongolian gerbils

PubMed Central

Guo, Le; Yang, Hua; Tang, Feng; Yin, Runting; Liu, Hongpeng; Gong, Xiaojuan; Wei, Jun; Zhang, Ying; Xu, Guangxian; Liu, Kunmei

2017-01-01

Epitope-based vaccine is a promising strategy for therapeutic vaccination against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. A multivalent subunit vaccine containing various antigens from H. pylori is superior to a univalent subunit vaccine. However, whether a multivalent epitope-based vaccine is superior to a univalent epitope-based vaccine in therapeutic vaccination against H. pylori, remains unclear. In this study, a multivalent epitope-based vaccine named CWAE against H. pylori urease, neutrophil-activating protein (NAP), heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and H. pylori adhesin A (HpaA) was constructed based on mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin B subunit (CTB), Th1-type adjuvant NAP, multiple copies of selected B and Th cell epitopes (UreA27–53, UreA183–203, HpaA132–141, and HSP60189–203), and also the epitope-rich regions of urease B subunit (UreB158–251 and UreB321–385) predicted by bioinformatics. Immunological properties of CWAE vaccine were characterized in BALB/c mice model. Its therapeutic effect was evaluated in H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbil model by comparing with a univalent epitope-based vaccine CTB-UE against H. pylori urease that was constructed in our previous studies. Both CWAE and CTB-UE could induce similar levels of specific antibodies against H. pylori urease, and had similar inhibition effect of H. pylori urease activity. However, only CWAE could induce high levels of specific antibodies to NAP, HSP60, HpaA, and also the synthetic peptides epitopes (UreB158–172, UreB181–195, UreB211–225, UreB349–363, HpaA132–141, and HSP60189–203). In addition, oral therapeutic immunization with CWAE significantly reduced the number of H. pylori colonies in the stomach of Mongolian gerbils, compared with oral immunization using CTB-UE or H. pylori urease. The protection of CWAE was associated with higher levels of mixed CD4+ T cell (Th cell) response, IgG, and secretory IgA (sIgA) antibodies to H. pylori. These results indic ate that a

Variable phenotypic expression and onset in MYH14 distal hereditary motor neuropathy phenotype in a large, multigenerational North American family.

PubMed

Iyadurai, Stanley; Arnold, W David; Kissel, John T; Ruhno, Corey; Mcgovern, Vicki L; Snyder, Pamela J; Prior, Thomas W; Roggenbuck, Jennifer; Burghes, Arthur H; Kolb, Stephen J

2017-08-01

Distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN) causes distal-predominant weakness without prominent sensory loss. Myosin heavy chain disorders most commonly result in distal myopathy and cardiomyopathy with or without hearing loss, but a complex phenotype with dHMN, myopathy, hoarseness, and hearing loss was reported in a Korean family with a c.2822G>T mutation in MYH14. In this study we report phenotypic features in a North American family with the c.2822G>T in MYH14. Clinical and molecular characterization was performed in a large, 6-generation, Caucasian family with MYH14 dHMN. A total of 11 affected and 7 unaffected individuals were evaluated and showed varying age of onset and severity of weakness. Genotypic concordance was confirmed with molecular analysis. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated distal motor axonal degeneration without myopathy in all affected subjects tested. Mutation of MYH14 can result in a range of neuromuscular phenotypes that includes a dHMN and hearing loss phenotype with variable age of onset. Muscle Nerve 56: 341-345, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of gestational exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate and mineral oil on testis development of the Mongolian gerbil.

PubMed

Christante, C M; Pinto-Fochi, M E; Negrin, A C; Taboga, S R; Góes, R M

2018-06-14

Phthalate esters are endocrine disrupters that can affect the development of the testis in a species-specific manner. However, their interference in the male gonads of the Mongolian gerbil is unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether gestational exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) interferes with the development of the gerbil testis during the first six weeks of life. Males were evaluated at 1, 7, 14, 28, 35 and 42 days of age in an untreated (control) group or groups exposed from 8 to 23 days gestation to DBP (100mgkg-1day-1 in mineral oil) or vehicle by maternal gavage. DBP exposure impaired cell proliferation within the seminiferous cords at birth, but increased proliferation at the end of the first week, when higher testosterone concentrations were observed. The vehicle (mineral oil) reduced the total number of gonocytes and attenuated the decrease in testosterone concentrations at 7 days. The vehicle also altered gonocyte relocation at 14 days and increased oestrogen concentrations at 28 days by approximately 112%. In summary, both DBP and oil interfered in gonadal development and testosterone plasma concentrations in the first week of postnatal life. However, the changes observed at the beginning of puberty were not seen after exposure to DBP, indicating a more harmful effect of mineral oil in this period.

The Harderian gland, its secretory duct and porphyrin content in the mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed Central

Johnston, H S; McGadey, J; Thompson, G G; Moore, M R; Payne, A P

1983-01-01

The Harderian gland, its secretory duct and porphyrin content were examined in the mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). The gland consisted of tubules lined by a single layer of epithelial cells and a myoepithelial network. The tubule cells were often binucleate and possessed lipid vacuoles in the apical half of the cell, a corona of granular endoplasmic reticulum surrounding the nucleus, and cytoplasmic 'slashes'. The latter are probably derived from dense membranous couplets and may be precursors of the lipid vacuoles. Holocrine and merocrine secretion was observed. Interstitial cells included plasma cells, mast cells and (predominantly) melanocytes which render the gland black. The gland was surrounded by a collagen capsule and an outer layer of highly attenuated (possibly endothelioid) cells. Within the gland, the secretory duct was lined by a single layer of normal tubule cells. Outside the gland, the duct enlarged to form an ampulla, from which clefts led off to deep crypts. The ampulla and clefts were lined by cells with small dense apical granules and stubby microvilli; some possessed lipid vacuoles. The crypts were lined by serous cells with active Golgi regions. At the duct opening, ampullary cells became squamous and goblet cells occurred. Geometric crystalloid deposits (with a layered structure of 7.6 nm periodicity) occurred at cleft-crypt junctions. Islets of extra-glandular ductal tissue were occasionally found within the gland. Porphyrins were detectable both by chemical assay and fluorescence microscopy. There was a trend for female glands to have a higher content than males. Solid intraluminal accretions of porphyrin and/or lipid were present. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Fig. 12 Fig. 13 Fig. 14 Fig. 15 Fig. 16 PMID:6654750

Left-dominant arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in a large family: associated desmosomal or nondesmosomal genotype?

PubMed

Groeneweg, Judith A; van der Zwaag, Paul A; Jongbloed, Jan D H; Cox, Moniek G P J; Vreeker, Arnold; de Boer, Rudolf A; van der Heijden, Jeroen F; van Veen, Toon A B; McKenna, William J; van Tintelen, J Peter; Dooijes, Dennis; Hauer, Richard N W

2013-04-01

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is considered a predominantly right ventricular (RV) desmosomal disease. However, left-dominant forms due to desmosomal gene mutations, including PKP2 variant c.419C>T, have been described. Recently, a nondesmosomal phospholamban (PLN) mutation (c.40_42delAGA) has been identified, causing dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias. To gain more insight into pathogenicity of the PKP2 variant c.419C>T by cosegregation analysis of the PKP2 variant c.419C>T vs the PLN mutation c.40_42delAGA. A Dutch family (13 family members, median age 49 years, range 34-71 years) with ventricular tachycardia underwent (1) meticulous phenotypic characterization and (2) screening of 5 desmosomal genes (PKP2, DSC2, DSG2, DSP, JUP) and PLN. Six family members fulfilled 2010 AC Task Force Criteria. Seven had signs of left ventricular (LV) involvement (inverted T waves in leads V4-V6, LV wall motion abnormalities and late enhancement, and reduced LV ejection fraction), including 6 family members with proven AC. The PKP2 variant c.419C>T was found as a single variant in 3 family members, combined with the PLN mutation c.40_42delAGA in 3 others. PLN mutation was found in 9 family members, including the 6 with AC and all 7 with LV involvement. The PLN mutation c.40_42delAGA was found as a single mutation in 6, combined with the PKP2 variant c.419C>T in 3 others. A low-voltage electrocardiogram was seen in 4 of 9 PLN mutation-positive subjects. None of the family members with the single PKP2 variant showed any sign of RV or LV involvement. The PLN mutation c.40_42delAGA cosegregates with AC and with electrocardiographic and structural LV abnormalities. In this family, there was no evidence of disease-causing contribution of the PKP2 variant c.419C>T. Copyright © 2013 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Family Spirituality and Family Health Among Korean-American Elderly Couples.

PubMed

Kim, Suk-Sun; Kim-Godwin, Yeoun Soo; Koenig, Harold G

2016-04-01

Spirituality has been regarded as an individual and private matter; consequently, research on spirituality as a family phenomenon has been largely neglected. In addition, most published research has been focused on Western cultures. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of family spirituality and how it influences health among Korean-American elderly couples who are the first generation to reside in the Southeastern USA. A thematic and interpretive data analysis method was used. Thirteen elderly couples (N = 26) participated in in-depth individual interviews in Korean with the primary author. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and then translated by two bilingual researchers with a background in Korean and American culture. Three main themes of family spirituality were identified: (1) family togetherness, (2) family interdependence, and (3) family coping. Also, participants reported that family spirituality strengthened family health by fostering family commitment, improving emotional well-being, developing new healthy behaviors, and providing healing experiences. This finding implies that healthcare providers need to assess family spiritual issues of elderly couples to maximize their strengths for coping with health problems. As our society becomes more culturally diverse, healthcare providers should seek to understand family spirituality from different cultural perspectives to develop a more holistic approach to care.

Quality and Equity in the Mongolian Education Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner-Khamsi, Gita; Gerelmaa, Amgaabazar

2008-01-01

This case study identifies four targets groups that are specific to the achievement of the EFA Millennium Development Goals in Mongolia: boys, out-of-school children, vulnerable children and minorities, and children of herders. Boys from herder families in remote rural areas are at the greatest risk of drop-out or non-enrollment. The case study…

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Capsaicin and Piperine on Helicobacter pylori-Induced Chronic Gastritis in Mongolian Gerbils.

PubMed

Toyoda, Takeshi; Shi, Liang; Takasu, Shinji; Cho, Young-Man; Kiriyama, Yuka; Nishikawa, Akiyoshi; Ogawa, Kumiko; Tatematsu, Masae; Tsukamoto, Tetsuya

2016-04-01

Spices have been used for thousands of years, and recent studies suggest that certain spices confer beneficial effects on gastric disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible chemopreventive effects of spice-derived compounds on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-induced gastritis. We examined the inhibitory effects of curcumin, capsaicin, and piperine on H. pylori in vitro by determining the colony-forming units and real-time RT-PCR in H. pylori stimulated AGS gastric cancer cells. For in vivo analysis, 6-week-old SPF male Mongolian gerbils were infected with H. pylori, fed diets containing 5000 ppm curcumin, 100 ppm capsaicin, or 100 ppm piperine, and sacrificed after 13 weeks. All three compounds inhibited in vitro proliferation of H. pylori, with curcumin being the most effective. Infiltration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells was suppressed by piperine both in the antrum and corpus of H. pylori-infected gerbils. Capsaicin also decreased neutrophils in the antrum and corpus and mononuclear cell infiltration and heterotopic proliferative glands in the corpus. mRNA expression of Tnf-α and formation of phospho-IκB-α in the antrum were reduced by both capsaicin and piperine. In addition, piperine suppressed expression of Il-1β, Ifn-γ, Il-6, and iNos, while H. pylori UreA and other virulence factors were not significantly attenuated by any compounds. These results suggest that capsaicin and piperine have anti-inflammatory effects on H. pylori-induced gastritis in gerbils independent of direct antibacterial effects and may thus have potential for use in the chemoprevention of H. pylori-associated gastric carcinogenesis. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Outbound medical tourism from Mongolia: a qualitative examination of proposed domestic health system and policy responses to this trend.

PubMed

Snyder, Jeremy; Byambaa, Tsogtbaatar; Johnston, Rory; Crooks, Valorie A; Janes, Craig; Ewan, Melanie

2015-05-03

Medical tourism is the practice of traveling across international boundaries in order to access medical care. Residents of low-to-middle income countries with strained or inadequate health systems have long traveled to other countries in order to access procedures not available in their home countries and to take advantage of higher quality care elsewhere. In Mongolia, for example, residents are traveling to China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, and other countries for care. As a result of this practice, there are concerns that travel abroad from Mongolia and other countries risks impoverishing patients and their families. In this paper, we present findings from 15 interviews with Mongolian medical tourism stakeholders about the impacts of, causes of, and responses to outbound medical tourism. These findings were developed using a case study methodology that also relied on tours of health care facilities and informal discussions with citizens and other stakeholders during April, 2012. Based on these findings, health policy changes are needed to address the outflow of Mongolian medical tourists. Key areas for reform include increasing funding for the Mongolian health system and enhancing the efficient use of these funds, improving training opportunities and incentives for health workers, altering the local culture of care to be more supportive of patients, and addressing concerns of corruption and favouritism in the health system. While these findings are specific to the Mongolian health system, other low-to-middle income countries experiencing outbound medical tourism will benefit from consideration of how these findings apply to their own contexts. As medical tourism is increasing in visibility globally, continued research on its impacts and context-specific policy responses are needed.

Shifts in vegetation growth in response to multiple factors on the Mongolian Plateau from 1982 to 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Lijuan; Liu, Qiang; Fraser, Richard; He, Bin; Cui, Xuefeng

The Mongolian Plateau (MP) steppe is one of the largest steppe environments in the world. To monitor the terrestrial vegetation dynamics on the MP and to ascertain what the driving forces, this study examined the vegetation dynamics in Republic of Mongolia (M) and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IM) of China from the period 1982 to 2011, based on the satellite-derived GIMMS NDVI3g (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data across three biomes (desert, grassland and forest). The results are as followed: (1) Vegetation coverage in IM was generally greater than that in M. Before 2002, time series of NDVI over the MP increased at an average rate of 0.05% yr-1. Additionally, after 2002, the NDVI increased at a rate of 0.21% yr-1. From 1982 to 2011, the area of IM and M with positive anomalies in the NDVI increased at a separate rate of 1.82% yr-1 and 1.76% yr-1, respectively. (2) At the biome scale, the inter-annual forest NDVI variation in IM and desert NDVI for the entire MP had a significant increasing trend (0.06% yr-1 and 0.04% yr-1, respectively). (3) Climate forcing was a dominant controlling factor affecting the vegetation, and the anthropogenic behavior exhibited no significant value in the whole region. However, overgrazing was the most important reason for the regional degradation, particularly in IM. (4) In the future, the forest biome will go to recovery, whereas both the grassland and desert biomes are predicted to degrade continuously.

Family boundary characteristics, work-family conflict and life satisfaction: A moderated mediation model.

PubMed

Qiu, Lin; Fan, Jinyan

2015-10-01

Although work-family border and boundary theory suggest individuals' boundary characteristics influence their work-family relationship, it is largely unknown how boundary flexibility and permeability mutually influence work-family conflict and subsequent employee outcomes. Moreover, the existing work-family conflict research has been mainly conducted in the United States and other Western countries. To address these gaps in the work-family literature, the present study examines a moderated mediation model regarding how family boundary characteristics may influence individuals' work-family conflict and life satisfaction with a sample of 278 Chinese full-time employees. Results showed that employees' family flexibility negatively related to their perceived work interference with family (WIF) and family interference with work (FIW), and both these two relationships were augmented by individuals' family permeability. In addition, WIF mediated the relationship between family flexibility and life satisfaction; the indirect effect of family flexibility on life satisfaction via WIF was stronger for individuals with higher family permeability. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Familial aggregation of MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery scores in a large sample of outpatients with schizophrenia and their unaffected relatives.

PubMed

Mucci, A; Galderisi, S; Green, M F; Nuechterlein, K; Rucci, P; Gibertoni, D; Rossi, A; Rocca, P; Bertolino, A; Bucci, P; Hellemann, G; Spisto, M; Palumbo, D; Aguglia, E; Amodeo, G; Amore, M; Bellomo, A; Brugnoli, R; Carpiniello, B; Dell'Osso, L; Di Fabio, F; di Giannantonio, M; Di Lorenzo, G; Marchesi, C; Monteleone, P; Montemagni, C; Oldani, L; Romano, R; Roncone, R; Stratta, P; Tenconi, E; Vita, A; Zeppegno, P; Maj, M

2018-06-01

The increased use of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) to investigate cognitive dysfunctions in schizophrenia fostered interest in its sensitivity in the context of family studies. As various measures of the same cognitive domains may have different power to distinguish between unaffected relatives of patients and controls, the relative sensitivity of MCCB tests for relative-control differences has to be established. We compared MCCB scores of 852 outpatients with schizophrenia (SCZ) with those of 342 unaffected relatives (REL) and a normative Italian sample of 774 healthy subjects (HCS). We examined familial aggregation of cognitive impairment by investigating within-family prediction of MCCB scores based on probands' scores. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze group differences in adjusted MCCB scores. Weighted least-squares analysis was used to investigate whether probands' MCCB scores predicted REL neurocognitive performance. SCZ were significantly impaired on all MCCB domains. REL had intermediate scores between SCZ and HCS, showing a similar pattern of impairment, except for social cognition. Proband's scores significantly predicted REL MCCB scores on all domains except for visual learning. In a large sample of stable patients with schizophrenia, living in the community, and in their unaffected relatives, MCCB demonstrated sensitivity to cognitive deficits in both groups. Our findings of significant within-family prediction of MCCB scores might reflect disease-related genetic or environmental factors.

Comparative Genomics of Chrysochromulina Ericina Virus and Other Microalga-Infecting Large DNA Viruses Highlights Their Intricate Evolutionary Relationship with the Established Mimiviridae Family.

PubMed

Gallot-Lavallée, Lucie; Blanc, Guillaume; Claverie, Jean-Michel

2017-07-15

Chrysochromulina ericina virus CeV-01B (CeV) was isolated from Norwegian coastal waters in 1998. Its icosahedral particle is 160 nm in diameter and encloses a 474-kb double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome. This virus, although infecting a microalga (the haptophyceae Haptolina ericina , formerly Chrysochromulina ericina ), is phylogenetically related to members of the Mimiviridae family, initially established with the acanthamoeba-infecting mimivirus and megavirus as prototypes. This family was later split into two genera ( Mimivirus and Cafeteriavirus ) following the characterization of a virus infecting the heterotrophic stramenopile Cafeteria roenbergensis (CroV). CeV, as well as two of its close relatives, which infect the unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes Phaeocystis globosa (Phaeocystis globosa virus [PgV]) and Aureococcus anophagefferens (Aureococcus anophagefferens virus [AaV]), are currently unclassified by the International Committee on Viral Taxonomy (ICTV). The detailed comparative analysis of the CeV genome presented here confirms the phylogenetic affinity of this emerging group of microalga-infecting viruses with the Mimiviridae but argues in favor of their classification inside a distinct clade within the family. Although CeV, PgV, and AaV share more common features among them than with the larger Mimiviridae , they also exhibit a large complement of unique genes, attesting to their complex evolutionary history. We identified several gene fusion events and cases of convergent evolution involving independent lateral gene acquisitions. Finally, CeV possesses an unusual number of inteins, some of which are closely related despite being inserted in nonhomologous genes. This appears to contradict the paradigm of allele-specific inteins and suggests that the Mimiviridae are especially efficient in spreading inteins while enlarging their repertoire of homing genes. IMPORTANCE Although it infects the microalga Chrysochromulina ericina , CeV is more closely

Haplotype Reconstruction in Large Pedigrees with Many Untyped Individuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xin; Li, Jing

Haplotypes, as they specify the linkage patterns between dispersed genetic variations, provide important information for understanding the genetics of human traits. However haplotypes are not directly available from current genotyping platforms, and hence there are extensive investigations of computational methods to recover such information. Two major computational challenges arising in current family-based disease studies are large family sizes and many ungenotyped family members. Traditional haplotyping methods can neither handle large families nor families with missing members. In this paper, we propose a method which addresses these issues by integrating multiple novel techniques. The method consists of three major components: pairwise identical-bydescent (IBD) inference, global IBD reconstruction and haplotype restoring. By reconstructing the global IBD of a family from pairwise IBD and then restoring the haplotypes based on the inferred IBD, this method can scale to large pedigrees, and more importantly it can handle families with missing members. Compared with existing methods, this method demonstrates much higher power to recover haplotype information, especially in families with many untyped individuals.

Contribution of BRCA1 large genomic rearrangements to early-onset and familial breast/ovarian cancer in Pakistan.

PubMed

Rashid, Muhammad U; Muhammad, Noor; Amin, Asim; Loya, Asif; Hamann, Ute

2017-01-01

Germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) account for the majority of hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancers. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of breast cancer incidence in Asia, where BRCA1/2 small-range mutations account for 17% of early-onset and familial breast/ovarian cancer patients. We report the first study from Pakistan evaluating the prevalence of BRCA1/2 large genomic rearrangements (LGRs) in breast and/or ovarian cancer patients who do not harbor small-range BRCA1/2 mutations. Both BRCA1/2 genes were comprehensively screened for LGRs using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification in 120 BRCA1/2 small-range mutations negative early-onset or familial breast/ovarian cancer patients from Pakistan (Group 1). The breakpoints were characterized by long-range PCR- and DNA-sequencing analyses. An additional cohort of 445 BRCA1/2 negative high-risk patients (Group 2) was analyzed for the presence of LGRs identified in Group 1. Three different BRCA1 LGRs were identified in Group 1 (4/120; 3.3%), two of these were novel. Exon 1-2 deletion was observed in two unrelated patients: an early-onset breast cancer patient and another bilateral breast cancer patient from a hereditary breast cancer (HBC) family. Novel exon 20-21 deletion was detected in a 29-year-old breast cancer patient from a HBC family. Another novel exon 21-24 deletion was identified in a breast-ovarian cancer patient from a hereditary breast and ovarian cancer family. The breakpoints of all deletions were characterized. Screening of the 445 patients in Group 2 for the three LGRs revealed ten additional patients harboring exon 1-2 deletion or exon 21-24 deletion (10/445; 2.2%). No BRCA2 LGRs were identified. LGRs in BRCA1 are found with a considerable frequency in Pakistani breast/ovarian cancer cases. Our findings suggest that BRCA1 exons 1-2 deletion and exons 21-24 deletion should be included in the recurrent BRCA1/2 mutations panel for genetic testing of high-risk Pakistani

Long-Term Use of Probiotic-Containing Yogurts Is a Safe Way to Prevent Helicobacter pylori: Based on a Mongolian Gerbil's Model

PubMed Central

Kuo, Chao-Hung; Wang, Sophie S. W.; Lu, Chien-Yu; Hu, Huang-Ming; Kuo, Fu-Chen; Weng, Bi-Chuang; Wu, Chun-Chieh; Liu, Chung-Jung; Tsai, Pei-Yun; Lee, Tsung-Cheng; Chen, Li-Wei; Cheng, Kuang-Hung; Chang, Lin-Li; Wu, Deng-Chyang

2013-01-01

Background. The suppression of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) decreases H. pylori-related diseases. The probiotics have an inhibitory effect on H. pylori. Aim. We investigated the effects of long-term use of yogurt on H. pylori based on Mongolian gerbils' model. Materials and Methods. Yogurt (containing a supplement of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, etc.) was used. Forty-six gerbils were divided into five groups. All groups were inoculated with H. pylori for 5 to 8 weeks. The yogurt was given as follows: Group (Gr.) A: from 1st to 4th week; Gr. B from 5th to 8th week; Gr. C: from 17th week to sacrifice; Gr. D: from 5th week to sacrifice. Gerbils were sacrificed on the 52nd week. Histology was evaluated according to the Sydney system. Results. The positive rates of H. pylori were 60% (Gr. A), 75% (Gr. B), 67% (Gr. C), 44% (Gr. D), and 100% (Gr. E). Gr. D showed lower inflammatory score. Only Gr. E (60%) had intestinal metaplasia. Gr. D showed higher IL-10 and lower TNF-α expression than Gr. E. Conclusion. Long-term intake of yogurt could decrease H. pylori infection. The long-term use of yogurt would be an alternative strategy to manage H. pylori infection. PMID:24349780

Assessment of Blood Collection from the Lateral Saphenous Vein for Microfilaria Counts in Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) Infected with Brugia pahangi

PubMed Central

Alworth, Leanne C; Berghaus, Roy D; Kelly, Lisa M; Supakorndej, Prasit; Burkman, Erica J; Savadelis, Molly D; Cooper, Tanya L; Salyards, Gregory W; Harvey, Stephen B; Moorhead, Andrew R

2015-01-01

The NIH guidelines for survival bleeding of mice and rats note that using the retroorbital plexus has a greater potential for complications than do other methods of blood collection and that this procedure should be performed on anesthetized animals. Lateral saphenous vein puncture has a low potential for complications and can be performed without anesthesia. Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) are the preferred rodent model for filarial parasite research. To monitor microfilaria counts in the blood, blood sampling from the orbital plexus has been the standard. Our goal was to refine the blood collection technique. To determine whether blood collection from the lateral saphenous vein was a feasible alternative to retroorbital sampling, we compared microfilaria counts in blood samples collected by both methods from 21 gerbils infected with the filarial parasitic worm Brugia pahangi. Lateral saphenous vein counts were equivalent to retroorbital counts at relatively high counts (greater than 50 microfilariae per 20 µL) but were significantly lower than retroorbital counts when microfilarial concentrations were lower. Our results indicate that although retroorbital collection may be preferable when low concentrations of microfilariae need to be enumerated, the lateral saphenous vein is a suitable alternative site for blood sampling to determine microfilaremia and is a feasible refinement that can benefit the wellbeing of gerbils. PMID:26678366

Novel GABRG2 mutations cause familial febrile seizures.

PubMed

Boillot, Morgane; Morin-Brureau, Mélanie; Picard, Fabienne; Weckhuysen, Sarah; Lambrecq, Virginie; Minetti, Carlo; Striano, Pasquale; Zara, Federico; Iacomino, Michele; Ishida, Saeko; An-Gourfinkel, Isabelle; Daniau, Mailys; Hardies, Katia; Baulac, Michel; Dulac, Olivier; Leguern, Eric; Nabbout, Rima; Baulac, Stéphanie

2015-12-01

To identify the genetic cause in a large family with febrile seizures (FS) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and subsequently search for additional mutations in a cohort of 107 families with FS, with or without epilepsy. The cohort consisted of 1 large family with FS and TLE, 64 smaller French families recruited through a national French campaign, and 43 Italian families. Molecular analyses consisted of whole-exome sequencing and mutational screening. Exome sequencing revealed a p.Glu402fs*3 mutation in the γ2 subunit of the GABAA receptor gene (GABRG2) in the large family with FS and TLE. Three additional nonsense and frameshift GABRG2 mutations (p.Arg136*, p.Val462fs*33, and p.Pro59fs*12), 1 missense mutation (p.Met199Val), and 1 exonic deletion were subsequently identified in 5 families of the follow-up cohort. We report GABRG2 mutations in 5.6% (6/108) of families with FS, with or without associated epilepsy. This study provides evidence that GABRG2 mutations are linked to the FS phenotype, rather than epilepsy, and that loss-of-function of GABAA receptor γ2 subunit is the probable underlying pathogenic mechanism.

The Politics of School Choice in Two Countries with Large Private-Dependent Sectors (Spain and Chile): Family Strategies, Collective Action and Lobbying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rambla, Xavier; Valiente, Oscar; Frias, Carla

2011-01-01

In many countries choice of school is an increasing concern for families and governments. In Spain and Chile, it is also associated with a long-standing political cleavage on the regulation of large sectors of private-dependent schools. This article analyses both the micro- and the macro-politics of choice in these two countries, where low-status…

Members of a Large Retroposon Family Are Determinants of Post-Transcriptional Gene Expression in Leishmania

PubMed Central

Cerqueira, Gustavo Coutinho; Smith, Martin; Rochette, Annie; El-Sayed, Najib M. A; Papadopoulou, Barbara; Ghedin, Elodie

2007-01-01

Trypanosomatids are unicellular protists that include the human pathogens Leishmania spp. (leishmaniasis), Trypanosoma brucei (sleeping sickness), and Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease). Analysis of their recently completed genomes confirmed the presence of non–long-terminal repeat retrotransposons, also called retroposons. Using the 79-bp signature sequence common to all trypanosomatid retroposons as bait, we identified in the Leishmania major genome two new large families of small elements—LmSIDER1 (785 copies) and LmSIDER2 (1,073 copies)—that fulfill all the characteristics of extinct trypanosomatid retroposons. LmSIDERs are ∼70 times more abundant in L. major compared to T. brucei and are found almost exclusively within the 3′-untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of L. major mRNAs. We provide experimental evidence that LmSIDER2 act as mRNA instability elements and that LmSIDER2-containing mRNAs are generally expressed at lower levels compared to the non-LmSIDER2 mRNAs. The considerable expansion of LmSIDERs within 3′UTRs in an organism lacking transcriptional control and their role in regulating mRNA stability indicate that Leishmania have probably recycled these short retroposons to globally modulate the expression of a number of genes. To our knowledge, this is the first example in eukaryotes of the domestication and expansion of a family of mobile elements that have evolved to fulfill a critical cellular function. PMID:17907803

Asteroid Family Physical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masiero, J. R.; DeMeo, F. E.; Kasuga, T.; Parker, A. H.

An asteroid family is typically formed when a larger parent body undergoes a catastrophic collisional disruption, and as such, family members are expected to show physical properties that closely trace the composition and mineralogical evolution of the parent. Recently a number of new datasets have been released that probe the physical properties of a large number of asteroids, many of which are members of identified families. We review these datasets and the composite properties of asteroid families derived from this plethora of new data. We also discuss the limitations of the current data, as well as the open questions in the field.

Gaspra and Ida in families

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, James G.

1992-01-01

The Galileo flyby candidates 951 Gaspra and 243 Ida are both in families. The former is in a complex of families associated with 8 Flora and the latter is in the Koronis family. The Flora and the Koronis families are described. The Galileo spacecraft will have the opportunity to sample fragments from two types of impacts; one impact totally destroyed the parent body and the other left a large body behind. The types of Ss are also different, the colors of Gaspra and the other Ss in the complex of families near 8 Flora are much redder in U-V than Ida and the Ss of the Koronis family.

[Family medicine and functional somatic syndromes].

PubMed

Nago, Naoki

2009-09-01

Between psychosomatic medicine and psychiatry, FSS (functional somatic syndromes) patients are often visiting a family doctor. For FSS, the role of family physicians is large, but the family physicians are not required for the role of diagnosis and treatment of FSS. Rather, appropriate referral to a specialist to exclude organic disease is important and a role as the coordinator is large to the patient to refuse a psychiatric consultation. To serve as a role for such coordination, a family physician has to response the patient's emotional side and focus on the construction of the doctor-patient relationship and response. I also think of structuralism medicine approach to describe disease from the meta-level as a new procedure to the patient. This approach consists of 4 components, 'entity', 'phenomenon', 'words', and 'I'. This may be a useful approach to family physicians who coordinate the overall for FSS patients' management.

Family members' influence on family meal vegetable choices

PubMed Central

Wenrich, Tionni R.; Brown, J. Lynne; Miller-Day, Michelle; Kelley, Kevin J.; Lengerich, Eugene J.

2010-01-01

Objective Characterize the process of family vegetable selection (especially cruciferous, deep orange, and dark green leafy vegetables); demonstrate the usefulness of Exchange Theory (how family norms and past experiences interact with rewards and costs) for interpreting the data. Design Eight focus groups, two with each segment (men/women vegetable-likers/dislikers based on a screening form). Participants completed a vegetable intake form. Setting Rural Appalachian Pennsylvania. Participants 61 low-income, married/cohabiting men (n=28) and women (n=33). Analysis Thematic analysis within Exchange Theory framework for qualitative data. Descriptive analysis, t-tests and chi-square tests for quantitative data. Results Exchange Theory proved useful for understanding that regardless of sex or vegetable-liker/disliker status, meal preparers see more costs than rewards to serving vegetables. Past experience plus expectations of food preparer role and of deference to family member preferences supported a family norm of serving only vegetables acceptable to everyone. Emphasized vegetables are largely ignored due to unfamiliarity; family norms prevented experimentation and learning through exposure. Conclusions and Implications Interventions to increase vegetable consumption of this audience could 1) alter family norms about vegetables served, 2) change perceptions of past experiences, 3) reduce social and personal costs of serving vegetables and 4) increase tangible and social rewards of serving vegetables. PMID:20452288

Molecular analysis of recombination in a family with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and a large pericentric X chromosome inversion.

PubMed Central

Shashi, V.; Golden, W. L.; Allinson, P. S.; Blanton, S. H.; von Kap-Herr, C.; Kelly, T. E.

1996-01-01

It has been demonstrated in animal studies that, in animals heterozygous for pericentric chromosomal inversions, loop formation is greatly reduced during meiosis. This results in absence of recombination within the inverted segment, with recombination seen only outside the inversion. A recent study in yeast has shown that telomeres, rather than centromeres, lead in chromosome movement just prior to meiosis and may be involved in promoting recombination. We studied by cytogenetic analysis and DNA polymorphisms the nature of meiotic recombination in a three-generation family with a large pericentric X chromosome inversion, inv(X)(p21.1q26), in which Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) was cosegregating with the inversion. On DNA analysis there was no evidence of meiotic recombination between the inverted and normal X chromosomes in the inverted segment. Recombination was seen at the telomeric regions, Xp22 and Xq27-28. No deletion or point mutation was found on analysis of the DMD gene. On the basis of the FISH results, we believe that the X inversion is the mutation responsible for DMD in this family. Our results indicate that (1) pericentric X chromosome inversions result in reduction of recombination between the normal and inverted X chromosomes; (2) meiotic X chromosome pairing in these individuals is likely initiated at the telomeres; and (3) in this family DMD is caused by the pericentric inversion. Images Figure 2 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 PMID:8651300

Family Size, Interaction, Affect and Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nye, F. Ivan; And Others

1970-01-01

Synthesizes previous research on relationship of family size to attitudes. Reduces findings to four propositions and submits these propositions to additional tests utilizing secondary data from two large surveys. Substantively, families of three or four children rank lower in all of the analyses than do families with one or two children. Presented…

Novel missense mutations in MYO7A underlying postlingual high- or low-frequency non-syndromic hearing impairment in two large families from China.

PubMed

Sun, Yi; Chen, Jing; Sun, Hanjun; Cheng, Jing; Li, Jianzhong; Lu, Yu; Lu, Yanping; Jin, Zhanguo; Zhu, Yuhua; Ouyang, Xiaomei; Yan, Denise; Dai, Pu; Han, Dongyi; Yang, Weiyan; Wang, Rongguang; Liu, Xuezhong; Yuan, Huijun

2011-01-01

The myosin VIIA (MYO7A) gene encodes a protein classified as an unconventional myosin. Mutations within MYO7A can lead to both syndromic and non-syndromic hearing impairment in humans. Among different mutations reported in MYO7A, only five led to non-syndromic sensorineural deafness autosomal dominant type 11 (DFNA11). Here, we present the clinical, genetic and molecular characteristics of two large Chinese DFNA11 families with either high- or low-frequency hearing loss. Affected individuals of family DX-J033 have a sloping audiogram at young ages with high frequency are most affected. With increasing age, all test frequencies are affected. Affected members of family HB-S037 present with an ascending audiogram affecting low frequencies at young ages, and then all frequencies are involved with increasing age. Genome-wide linkage analysis mapped the disease loci within the DFNA11 interval in both families. DNA sequencing of MYO7A revealed two novel nucleotide variations, c.652G > A (p.D218N) and c.2011G > A (p.G671S), in the two families. It is for the first time that the mutations identified in MYO7A in the present study are being implicated in DFNA11 in a Chinese population. For the first time, we tested electrocochleography (ECochG) in a DFNA11 family with low-frequency hearing loss. We speculate that the low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss in this DFNA11 family was not associated with endolymphatic hydrops.

The impact of changes in China's family patterns on family pension functions.

PubMed

Su, Zhongxin; Hu, Z; Peng, Xizhe

2017-07-01

Using data from the Chinese census and the China Statistical Yearbook, this paper will analyze the historical changes and future trends of family households in China over the past 30 years and explore the changes of family pension functions and corresponding policies. Our analysis yielded 3 notable results. First, in family size miniaturization and structural simplification, 1- and 2-generation family households are the main body of contemporary China. Second, for family aging and changes in living patterns, which primarily manifest as an increase in; the proportion of elderly households and in middle-aged and elderly people in the family, the elderly model and the "multigenerational model" have become the 2 major residence models for the elderly in China. Third, nontraditional families have emerged in large numbers, such as the exclusively elderly family, empty nest family, grandparents family, Double Income, No Kids (DINK) family, older single family, and single-parent family. We argue that in the process of simplification, China's family structure is increasingly showing characteristics of networking. The change in family patterns entails the restoration of traditional functions and taking on new functions of the family by issuing relevant social policies. Only when these social policies are based on family functions and demands can they provide effective help to social members, particularly regarding the family's responsibilities to parent children and support the elderly. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

"Liderazgo Familiar Intergeneracional": Intergenerational Family Leadership as a New Paradigm of Family Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montemayor, Aurelio M.; Chavkin, Nancy

2016-01-01

Title I schools that serve a large population of low-income students often view families through the lens of an outdated paradigm of family engagement in education, assuming parents are mostly uneducated, ill informed, and much in need of training and support to be good parents. "Comunitario" projects in the Rio Grande Valley of south…

Anti-atopic dermatitis effects and the mechanism of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Mongolian fermented milk.

PubMed

Hayashi, Atsushi; Kimura, Makoto; Nakamura, Yusaku; Yasui, Hisako

2009-05-01

We investigated the anti-allergic effects of one strain (T120) of a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Mongolian fermented milk using atopic dermatitis (AD) model mice (NC/Nga mice). Strain T120 has already been identified as Enterococcus faecium and shown to induce strong production of IL-12 (Kimura et al. 2006). In in vitro studies, strain T120 suppressed total IgE production and induced IL-12 and IFN-gamma production by splenocytes of NC/Nga mice. The additional examination of various neutralization antibodies was performed to elucidate in detail the mechanism of depressed IgE production by strain T120. As a result, it became clear that IL-12 induced by strain T120 increased production of IFN-gamma and total IgE production was mainly controlled by the IFN-gamma. In order to define the cells which produce IL-12 powerfully by this strain, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) were removed from the splenocytes, and the reactivity of these cells to the strain was examined. Induction of IL-12 and IFN-gamma by strain T120 became significantly very low by removal of APCs from splenocytes. Therefore, it was clear that strain T120 acted on APCs and induced production of IL-12. Further, this strain enhanced the production of IL-10 by splenocytes. In in vivo studies, intraperitoneal injection of strain T120 inhibited serum IgE elevation and atopic dermatitis symptoms in NC/Nga mice. These results suggest that an anti-allergic effect of strain T120 depends on the increased production of IL-12 by APCs activated by the strain and following the increased production of IFN-gamma. Further, activation of regulatory T cells by strain T120 may inhibit atopic disease.

Site selection and nest survival of the Bar-Headed Goose (Anser indicus) on the Mongolian Plateau

USGS Publications Warehouse

Batbayar, Nyambayar; Takekawa, John Y.; Natsagdorj, Tseveenmyadag; Spragens, Kyle A.; Xiao, Xiamgming

2014-01-01

Waterbirds breeding on the Mongolian Plateau in Central Asia must find suitable wetland areas for nesting in a semiarid region characterized by highly variable water conditions. The first systematic nesting study of a waterbird dependent on this region for breeding was conducted on the Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus). The purpose of this study was to document Bar-headed Goose nesting locations, characterize nests and nesting strategies, and estimate daily nest survival (n = 235 nests) from eight areas of west-central Mongolia across three summers (2009–2011) using a modified Mayfield estimator. Bar-headed Goose daily nest survival ranged from 0.94 to 0.98, with a 3-year average nest success of 42.6% during incubation. Bar-headed Geese were found to primarily nest on isolated pond and lake islands as previously reported, but were also documented regularly, though less frequently, along rocky cliffs in several regions of west-central Mongolia. Daily nest survival was higher for cliff nests than for island nests. Information-theoretic models indicated that nest survival decreased with nest age and varied annually with changing environmental conditions. Results of this study suggest that while Bar-headed Geese primarily rely on nesting island sites these sites may be more susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance and predation events influenced by seasonal variation in environmental conditions, and that higher daily nest survival values documented for the less frequent cliff nest strategy may provide an important alternative strategy during poor island nest success years. Thus, conservation efforts for this and other waterbird species in the semiarid region should be focused on conserving nesting islands and protecting them from disturbance in areas of high livestock densities experiencing a rapidly warming climate.

Novel GABRG2 mutations cause familial febrile seizures

PubMed Central

Boillot, Morgane; Morin-Brureau, Mélanie; Picard, Fabienne; Weckhuysen, Sarah; Lambrecq, Virginie; Minetti, Carlo; Striano, Pasquale; Zara, Federico; Iacomino, Michele; Ishida, Saeko; An-Gourfinkel, Isabelle; Daniau, Mailys; Hardies, Katia; Baulac, Michel; Dulac, Olivier; Leguern, Eric; Nabbout, Rima

2015-01-01

Objective: To identify the genetic cause in a large family with febrile seizures (FS) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and subsequently search for additional mutations in a cohort of 107 families with FS, with or without epilepsy. Methods: The cohort consisted of 1 large family with FS and TLE, 64 smaller French families recruited through a national French campaign, and 43 Italian families. Molecular analyses consisted of whole-exome sequencing and mutational screening. Results: Exome sequencing revealed a p.Glu402fs*3 mutation in the γ2 subunit of the GABAA receptor gene (GABRG2) in the large family with FS and TLE. Three additional nonsense and frameshift GABRG2 mutations (p.Arg136*, p.Val462fs*33, and p.Pro59fs*12), 1 missense mutation (p.Met199Val), and 1 exonic deletion were subsequently identified in 5 families of the follow-up cohort. Conclusions: We report GABRG2 mutations in 5.6% (6/108) of families with FS, with or without associated epilepsy. This study provides evidence that GABRG2 mutations are linked to the FS phenotype, rather than epilepsy, and that loss-of-function of GABAA receptor γ2 subunit is the probable underlying pathogenic mechanism. PMID:27066572

Corporal punishment in rural Colombian families: prevalence, family structure and socio-demographic variables.

PubMed

González, Martha Rocío; Trujillo, Angela; Pereda, Noemí

2014-05-01

To reveal the prevalence of corporal punishment in a rural area of Colombia and its correlates to family structure and other socio-demographic variables. A survey about childrearing and childcare was developed for this study, including a specific question about corporal punishment that was developed based on the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS). Family structure was categorized as follows, based on previous literature: 'nuclear family,' 'single parent' family, 'extended family,' 'simultaneous family' and 'composed family.' Forty-one percent of the parents surveyed admitted they had used corporal punishment of their children as a disciplinary strategy. The type of family structure, the number of children living at home, the age of the children, the gender of the parent who answered the survey, and the age and gender of the partner were significant predictors of corporal punishment. Family structure is an important variable in the understanding of corporal punishment, especially in regard to nuclear families that have a large number of children and parents who started their parental role early in life. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Religious Influences on Work-Family Trade-Offs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammons, Samantha K.; Edgell, Penny

2007-01-01

Despite a large body of research on the influences of religion on family life and gender ideology, few studies examined how religion affects work-family strategies. One set of strategies involves making employment or family trade-off--strategies of devoting time or attention to either work or family in a situation in which one cannot devote the…

Putting the Family on the Tube: An Interactive Television Approach to Teaching Family Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monsma, John W.

The possibility of presenting a family communication course to large numbers of students and to students who cannot be present in the classroom makes interactive television a delivery mode worth considering. A family communication course was introduced experimentally at Northern Arizona University in Spring, 1983 and was designed around the…

Human Papillomavirus Infection and Its Possible Correlation with p63 Expression in Cervical Cancer in Japan, Mongolia, and Myanmar

PubMed Central

Shirendeb, Ulziibat; Hishikawa, Yoshitaka; Moriyama, Shingo; Win, Ne; Thu, Minn Minn Myint; Mar, Khin Swe; Khatanbaatar, Gerlee; Masuzaki, Hideaki; Koji, Takehiko

2009-01-01

Although human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 is the cause of cervical cancer in most countries including Japan, the involvement of cervical cancer with HPV types in Mongolian and Myanmar populations is largely unknown. We examined the expression of HPV in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cervical tissues from 40 Japanese, 32 Mongolian, and 30 Myanmar cervical cancer patients. We performed immunohistochemistry using anti-HPV16 and anti-HPV 1, 6, 11, 16, 18 and 31 cocktail and then correlated it with the expression of Ki-67 and p63. HPV 16 was detected in 72%, 65% and 50% of Japanese, Mongolian and Myanmar cervical cancer patients, respectively, whereas 5 (13%) of the 40 patients, 8 (25%) of the 32 patients and 7 (23%) of the 30 patients in HPV 16-negative cancers were positive for other HPV types included in the cocktail, respectively. Ki-67 labeling index (LI) as well as p63 LI was significantly higher in HPV 16-positive patients than in HPV 16-negative ones in the Japanese and Mongolian samples. p63 expression was significantly associated with stage III and IV in Japan and Mongolia. These findings suggest that HPV 16 may be associated with cell proliferative activity and tumor progression, possibly depending upon the expression of p63 in the cervical cancer. In addition, immunohistochemical detection for distinguishing the type of HPV may also be useful for cervical cancer in the clinical setting. PMID:20126571

Combined linkage and association analyses identify a novel locus for obesity near PROX1 in Asians.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Jin; Yoo, Yun Joo; Ju, Young Seok; Lee, Seungbok; Cho, Sung-Il; Sung, Joohon; Kim, Jong-Il; Seo, Jeong-Sun

2013-11-01

Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have substantially contributed to understanding the genetic architecture, unidentified variants for complex traits remain an issue. One of the efficient approaches is the improvement of the power of GWAS scan by weighting P values with prior linkage signals. Our objective was to identify the novel candidates for obesity in Asian populations by using genemapping strategies that combine linkage and association analyses. To obtain linkage information for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), we performed a multipoint genome-wide linkage study in an isolated Mongolian sample of 1,049 individuals from 74 families. Next, a family-based GWAS, which integrates within- and between-family components, was performed using the genotype data of 756 individuals of the Mongolian sample, and P values for association were weighted using linkage information obtained previously. For both BMI (LOD = 3.3) and WC (LOD = 2.6), the highest linkage peak was discovered at chromosome 10q11.22. In family-based GWAS combined with linkage information, six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for BMI and five SNPs for WC reached a significant level of association (linkage weighted P < 1 × 10(-5) ). Of these, only one of the SNPs associated with WC (rs1704198) was replicated in 327 Korean families comprising 1,301 individuals. This SNP was located in the proximity of the prosperorelated homeobox 1 (PROX1) gene, the function of which was validated previously in a mouse model. Our powerful strategic analysis enabled the discovery of a novel candidate gene, PROX1, associated with WC in an Asian population. Copyright © 2012 The Obesity Society.

Large plasmids of Escherichia coli and Salmonella encode highly diverse arrays of accessory genes on common replicon families.

PubMed

Williams, Laura E; Wireman, Joy; Hilliard, Valda C; Summers, Anne O

2013-01-01

Plasmids are important in evolution and adaptation of host bacteria, yet we lack a comprehensive picture of their own natural variation. We used replicon typing and RFLP analysis to assess diversity and distribution of plasmids in the ECOR, SARA, SARB and SARC reference collections of Escherichia coli and Salmonella. Plasmids, especially large (≥30 kb) plasmids, are abundant in these collections. Host species and genotype clearly impact plasmid prevalence; plasmids are more abundant in ECOR than SAR, but, within ECOR, subgroup B2 strains have the fewest large plasmids. The majority of large plasmids have unique RFLP patterns, suggesting high variation, even within dominant replicon families IncF and IncI1. We found only four conserved plasmid types within ECOR, none of which are widely distributed. Within SAR, conserved plasmid types are primarily serovar-specific, including a pSLT-like plasmid in 13 Typhimurium strains. Conservation of pSLT contrasts with variability of other plasmids, suggesting evolution of serovar-specific virulence plasmids is distinct from that of most enterobacterial plasmids. We sequenced a conserved serovar Heidelberg plasmid but did not detect virulence or antibiotic resistance genes. Our data illustrate the high degree of natural variation in large plasmids of E. coli and Salmonella, even among plasmids sharing backbone genes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic imprint of the Mongol: signal from phylogeographic analysis of mitochondrial DNA.

PubMed

Cheng, Baoweng; Tang, Wenru; He, Li; Dong, Yongli; Lu, Jing; Lei, Yunping; Yu, Haijing; Zhang, Jiali; Xiao, Chunjie

2008-01-01

Mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from 201 unrelated Mongolian individuals in the three different regions was analyzed. The Mongolians took the dominant East Asian-specific haplogroups, and some European-prevalent haplogroups were detected. The East Asians-specific haplogroups distributed from east to west in decreasing frequencies, and the European-specific haplogroups distributed conversely. These genetic data suggest that the Mongolian empire played an important role in the maternal genetic admixture across Mongolians and even Central Asian populations, whereas the Silk Road might have contributed little in the admixture between the East Asians and the Europeans.

Family Child Care Licensing Study, 2002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Children's Foundation, Washington, DC.

This report presents the findings of the 2002 national survey of state child care regulatory agencies to update and expand family child care regulatory information published in the 2001 study. Data on small family child care homes and group or large family child care homes are organized into the following 23 categories: (1) number of regulated…

Family Child Care Licensing Study, 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Children's Foundation, Washington, DC.

This report presents the findings of the 2001 national survey of state child care regulatory agencies to update and expand family child care regulatory information published in the 2000 study. Data on small family child care homes and group or large family child care homes are organized into the following 23 categories: (1) number of regulated…

Family Child Care Licensing Study, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Nia, Comp.

This report presents the findings of the 2000 national survey of state child care regulatory agencies to update and expand family child care regulatory information published in the 1999 study. Data on small family child care homes and group or large family child care homes are organized in 23 categories: (1) number of regulated homes; (2)…

Family Child Care Licensing Study, 2003.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollestelle, Kay; Koch, Pauline D.

This report presents the findings of the 2003 national survey of state child care regulatory agencies to update and expand family child care regulatory information published in the 2002 study. Data on small family child care homes and group or large family child care homes are organized into the following 23 categories: (1) number of regulated…

Protein family clustering for structural genomics.

PubMed

Yan, Yongpan; Moult, John

2005-10-28

A major goal of structural genomics is the provision of a structural template for a large fraction of protein domains. The magnitude of this task depends on the number and nature of protein sequence families. With a large number of bacterial genomes now fully sequenced, it is possible to obtain improved estimates of the number and diversity of families in that kingdom. We have used an automated clustering procedure to group all sequences in a set of genomes into protein families. Bench-marking shows the clustering method is sensitive at detecting remote family members, and has a low level of false positives. This comprehensive protein family set has been used to address the following questions. (1) What is the structure coverage for currently known families? (2) How will the number of known apparent families grow as more genomes are sequenced? (3) What is a practical strategy for maximizing structure coverage in future? Our study indicates that approximately 20% of known families with three or more members currently have a representative structure. The study indicates also that the number of apparent protein families will be considerably larger than previously thought: We estimate that, by the criteria of this work, there will be about 250,000 protein families when 1000 microbial genomes have been sequenced. However, the vast majority of these families will be small, and it will be possible to obtain structural templates for 70-80% of protein domains with an achievable number of representative structures, by systematically sampling the larger families.

Veritas Asteroid Family Still Holds Secrets?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakovic, B.

2012-12-01

Veritas asteroid family has been studied for about two decades. These studies have revealed many secrets, and a respectable knowledge about this family had been collected. Here I will present many of these results and review the current knowledge about the family. However, despite being extensively studied, Veritas family is still a mystery. This will be illustrated through the presentation of the most interesting open problems. Was there a secondary collision within this family? Does asteroid (490) Veritas belong to the family named after it? How large was the parent body of the family? Finally, some possible directions for future studies that aims to address these questions are discussed as well.

The Crystal Structure of Bacteriophage HK97 gp6: Defining a Large Family of Head-Tail Connector Proteins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cardarelli, Lia; Lam, Robert; Tuite, Ashleigh

2010-08-17

The final step in the morphogenesis of long-tailed double-stranded DNA bacteriophages is the joining of the DNA-filled head to the tail. The connector is a specialized structure of the head that serves as the interface for tail attachment and the point of egress for DNA from the head during infection. Here, we report the determination of a 2.1 {angstrom} crystal structure of gp6 of bacteriophage HK97. Through structural comparisons, functional studies, and bioinformatic analysis, gp6 has been determined to be a component of the connector of phage HK97 that is evolutionarily related to gp15, a well-characterized connector component of bacteriophagemore » SPP1. Whereas the structure of gp15 was solved in a monomeric form, gp6 crystallized as an oligomeric ring with the dimensions expected for a connector protein. Although this ring is composed of 13 subunits, which does not match the symmetry of the connector within the phage, sequence conservation and modeling of this structure into the cryo-electron microscopy density of the SPP1 connector indicate that this oligomeric structure represents the arrangement of gp6 subunits within the mature phage particle. Through sequence searches and genomic position analysis, we determined that gp6 is a member of a large family of connector proteins that are present in long-tailed phages. We have also identified gp7 of HK97 as a homologue of gp16 of phage SPP1, which is the second component of the connector of this phage. These proteins are members of another large protein family involved in connector assembly.« less

The Crystal Structure of Bacteriophage HK97 gp6: Defining a Large Family of Head-Tail Connector Proteins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cardarelli, Lia; Lam, Robert; Tuite, Ashleigh

2011-11-23

The final step in the morphogenesis of long-tailed double-stranded DNA bacteriophages is the joining of the DNA-filled head to the tail. The connector is a specialized structure of the head that serves as the interface for tail attachment and the point of egress for DNA from the head during infection. Here, we report the determination of a 2.1 Å crystal structure of gp6 of bacteriophage HK97. Through structural comparisons, functional studies, and bioinformatic analysis, gp6 has been determined to be a component of the connector of phage HK97 that is evolutionarily related to gp15, a well-characterized connector component of bacteriophagemore » SPP1. Whereas the structure of gp15 was solved in a monomeric form, gp6 crystallized as an oligomeric ring with the dimensions expected for a connector protein. Although this ring is composed of 13 subunits, which does not match the symmetry of the connector within the phage, sequence conservation and modeling of this structure into the cryo-electron microscopy density of the SPP1 connector indicate that this oligomeric structure represents the arrangement of gp6 subunits within the mature phage particle. Through sequence searches and genomic position analysis, we determined that gp6 is a member of a large family of connector proteins that are present in long-tailed phages. We have also identified gp7 of HK97 as a homologue of gp16 of phage SPP1, which is the second component of the connector of this phage. These proteins are members of another large protein family involved in connector assembly.« less

A novel presenilin 1 mutation (L174 M) in a large Cuban family with early onset Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Bertoli Avella, A M; Marcheco Teruel, B; Llibre Rodriguez, J J; Gomez Viera, N; Borrajero Martinez, I; Severijnen, E A; Joosse, M; van Duijn, C M; Heredero Baute, L; Heutink, P

2002-10-01

We studied a Cuban family with presenile dementia (autosomal dominant) consisting of 281 members within six generations, the proband descended from a Spanish founder. Mean age at onset was 59 years of age. Memory impairment was the main symptom in all patients, additionally, ischemic episodes were described in 4 (n = 18) patients. Neuropathological examination of brain material (1 patient) revealed neuronal loss, amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. Thirty DNA samples were genotyped (regions on chromosome 1, 3, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20, and 21). A maximum Lod score of 3.79 at theta = 0 was obtained for marker D14S43, located in a 9-cM interval in which all patients shared the same haplotype. Sequencing of the PSEN1 gene revealed a heterozygous base substitution, C520A (exon 6), which is predicted to cause an amino acid change from leucine to methionine in the TMIII of the presenilin 1 protein. The mutation was found to co-segregate with the disease phenotype and the associated disease haplotype. The C --> A change was not observed in 80 control chromosomes from the Cuban population. Leucine at position 174 is highly conserved among species and is identical in presenilin 1 and presenilin 2 proteins. We propose the L174 M mutation might lead to an abnormal N-terminal and probably C-terminal fragments and malfunction of the protein complex. In conclusion, we found a novel PSEN1 mutation in a large family with clinical and pathological diagnosis of early onset familial Alzheimer disease, which may be relevant for other Hispanic populations.

R47H Variant of TREM2 Associated With Alzheimer Disease in a Large Late-Onset Family

PubMed Central

Korvatska, Olena; Leverenz, James B.; Jayadev, Suman; McMillan, Pamela; Kurtz, Irina; Guo, Xindi; Rumbaugh, Malia; Matsushita, Mark; Girirajan, Santhosh; Dorschner, Michael O.; Kiianitsa, Kostantin; Yu, Chang-En; Brkanac, Zoran; Garden, Gwenn A.; Raskind, Wendy H.; Bird, Thomas D.

2016-01-01

Importance The R47H variant in the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 gene (TREM2), a modulator of the immune response of microglia, is a strong genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD) and possibly other neurodegenerative disorders. Objective To investigate a large family with late-onset AD (LOAD), in which R47H cosegregated with 75% of cases. Design, Setting, and Participants This study includes genetic and pathologic studies of families with LOAD from 1985 to 2014. A total of 131 families with LOAD (751 individuals) were included from the University of Washington Alzheimer Disease Research Center. To identify LOAD genes/risk factors in the LOAD123 family with 21 affected members and 12 autopsies, we sequenced 4 exomes. Candidate variants were tested for cosegregation with the disease. TREM2 R47H was genotyped in an additional 130 families with LOAD. We performed clinical and neuropathological assessments of patients with and without R47H and evaluated the variant's effect on brain pathology, cellular morphology, and expression of microglial markers. Main Outcomes and Measures We assessed the effect of TREM2 genotype on age at onset and disease duration. We compared Braak and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease scores, presence of α-synuclein and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 aggregates, and additional vascular or Parkinson pathology in TREM2 R47H carriers vs noncarriers. Microglial activation was assessed by quantitative immunohistochemistry and morphometry. Results Twelve of 16 patients with AD in the LOAD123 family carried R47H. Eleven patients with dementia had apolipoprotein E 4 (ApoE4) and R47H genotypes. We also found a rare missense variant, D353N, in a nominated AD risk gene, unc-5 homolog C (UNC5C), in 5 affected individuals in the LOAD123 family. R47H carriers demonstrated a shortened disease duration (mean [SD], 6.7 [2.8] vs 11.1 [6.6] years; 2-tailed t test; P = .04) and more frequent α-synucleinopathy. The

A new species of Mongolodectes (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Alashan Plateau in China.

PubMed

Liu, Chun-Xiang; Xu, Wen-Jing; Zhang, Chun-Tian

2015-12-02

The genus Mongolodectes is endemic to vast Mongolian Plateau and has two recorded species in the Mongolian People's Republic and one species in China's Inner Mongolia. Here we describe one new species Mongolodectes huangi sp. n. from China's Inner Mongolia. Further investigations are needed for precise identification and complete understanding on the fauna of the Mongolian Plateau.

A global assessment of a large monocot family highlights the need for group-specific analyses of invasiveness

PubMed Central

Moodley, Desika; Procheş, Şerban; Wilson, John R. U.

2016-01-01

Significant progress has been made in understanding biological invasions recently, and one of the key findings is that the determinants of naturalization and invasion success vary from group to group. Here, we explore this variation for one of the largest plant families in the world, the Araceae. This group provides an excellent opportunity for identifying determinants of invasiveness in herbaceous plants, since it is one of the families most popular with horticulturalists, with species occupying various habitats and comprising many different life forms. We first developed a checklist of 3494 species of Araceae using online databases and literature sources. We aimed to determine whether invasiveness across the introduction–naturalization–invasion continuum is associated to particular traits within the family, and whether analyses focussed on specific life forms can reveal any mechanistic correlates. Boosted regression tree models were based on species invasion statuses as the response variables, and traits associated with human use, biological characteristics and distribution as the explanatory variables. The models indicate that biological traits such as plant life form and pollinator type are consistently strong correlates of invasiveness. Additionally, large-scale correlates such as the number of native floristic regions and number of introduced regions are also influential at particular stages in the invasion continuum. We used these traits to build a phenogram showing groups defined by the similarity of characters. We identified nine groups that have a greater tendency to invasiveness (including Alocasia, the Lemnoideae and Epipremnum). From this, we propose a list of species that are not currently invasive for which we would recommend a precautionary approach to be taken. The successful management of plant invasions will depend on understanding such context-dependent effects across taxonomic groups, and across the different stages of the invasion process

The ideology of small family.

PubMed

Lakshminarayana, H D

1991-01-01

Data are obtained and analyzed from 4232 rural families of handloom weavers in Karnataka state, India. 60.20% families are small families with 6 or fewer family members, of whom 25% have 3 members. 96.78% of small families have only one occupation. 30.50% of large families and 12.42% of medium sized families have more than one occupation. About 74% of families have income under the poverty line (under Rs 3500/year). 83% of small families are under the poverty line. The dependency ratio of small families is 1:2. 33% of all dependents are found among small families which are below the poverty line. 82% of dependents in small families are in small families under the poverty line. Almost 50% of dependents belong to small families. Small families are found to have slightly lower levels of education, although average level of education is very similar regardless of family size. The findings are used as evidence that small families do not necessarily augment the economy and that economic, educational, and cultural thresholds may be necessary before small family size affects economic development and improves the general well-being of family members. The social system that the small family is operating in is considered an important factor affecting the quality of life of the family.

Family physicians’ perspectives on care of dementia patients and family caregivers

PubMed Central

Yaffe, Mark J.; Orzeck, Pam; Barylak, Lucy

2008-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To identify factors that facilitate or impede family physicians in ambulatory care of patients with dementia and the family caregivers of such patients. DESIGN Explanatory qualitative analyses of focus group discussions. SETTING Large, medium, and small urban; suburban; and rural family practices from various regions of the province of Quebec. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-five family doctors whose practices had at least 75% ambulatory patients; of these patients, an estimated minimum of 20% were 65 years old or older and at least 2% suffered from dementia. METHOD Physicians were recruited by telephone to be paid participants in their regions in focus groups studying aspects of dementia care in ambulatory settings. Grounded theory and constant comparative methods were used to explore data from 3 French-speaking focus groups and 1 English-speaking focus group. MAIN FINDINGS Physicians were 72% male, had a mean of 21.3 years in practice, and spent about 87% of their professional time in office practice. An estimated 38.7% of their patients were 65 years old or older, and 5.6% of these patients had Alzheimer disease or related dementias. Physicians were comfortable caring for these patients and their family caregivers but thought much of this care should come from support services offered elsewhere. Physicians admitted they had little knowledge of these services and had little interest in acquiring information about them. Government-run, community-based health and social service centres were the “black boxes” to which they referred patients and their caregivers for any form of help. Inconsistencies in the services offered by these centres were noted. CONCLUSION While family doctors are seeking a more seamless form of interdisciplinary dementia care, a large amount of that care comes from support services about which physicians are not well informed and are not interested in learning. PMID:18625826

Little Brother Joins the Large Family

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-12-01

On the night of 15 December 2006, the fourth and last-to-be-installed VLTI Auxiliary Telescope (AT4) obtained its 'First Light'. The first images demonstrate that AT4 will be able to deliver the excellent image quality already delivered by the first three ATs. It will soon join its siblings to perform routinely interferometric measurements. ESO PR Photo 51a/06 ESO PR Photo 51a/06 VLT Auxiliary Telescope The VLT is composed of four 8.2-m Unit Telescope (Antu, Kueyen, Melipal and Yepun). They have been progressively put into service together with a vast suite of the most advanced astronomical instruments and are operated every night in the year. Contrary to other large astronomical telescopes, the VLT was designed from the beginning with the use of interferometry as a major goal. The VLT Interferometer (VLTI) combines starlight captured by two or three 8.2- VLT Unit Telescopes, dramatically increasing the spatial resolution and showing fine details of a large variety of celestial objects. ESO PR Photo 51b/06 ESO PR Photo 51b/06 One AT Under the Sky However, most of the time the large telescopes are used for other research purposes. They are therefore only available for interferometric observations during a limited number of nights every year. Thus, in order to exploit the VLTI each night and to achieve the full potential of this unique setup, some other (smaller), dedicated telescopes were included into the overall VLT concept. These telescopes, known as the VLTI Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs), are mounted on tracks and can be placed at precisely defined "parking" observing positions on the observatory platform. From these positions, their light beams are fed into the same common focal point via a complex system of reflecting mirrors mounted in an underground system of tunnels. The Auxiliary Telescopes are real technological jewels. They are placed in ultra-compact enclosures, complete with all necessary electronics, an air conditioning system and cooling liquid for

Satellite-based Monotoring of mitiple natural disasters in Mongolian socio-ecological system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Sinkyu

2016-04-01

In this presentation, a conceptual mechanisms how multiple natural hazards (i.e. drought, dust storm, land degradation, and Dzud) in Mongolia are linked with each other and how satellite earth observation (EO) data can be utilized to analyze cause-and results relations and to predict the natural hazards. Massive loss of livestock and wildlife animal during winter seasons (dzud) is an endemic climatic disaster in the Central Asia grasslands but the mechanisms are not well understood yet. Recent national-wide sever Dzud occurred during 2009-2010 winter in Mongolia. Whereas, high stocking rate of livestock may give negative effects on sustainable use of pastureland. Dzud is a natural mechanism reducing grazing pressure when stocking rate is high enough to cause the negative effect. Both Dzud and land degradation were directly linked with drought phenomena, which is associated with dust storm occurrence because those conditions can cause sparse vegetation and increase of sensible heat generating strong vertical wind. At a lower level of administration (i.e., soum), stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to find significant factors of inter-annual livestock change. For a period from 2003 to 2010, various datasets were prepared from national census and satellite data (summer and winter temperature and precipitation, and summer dryness and vegetation index, NDVI). As results, linear regression models were successfully produced at 70% of soums studied. Summer and winter variables appeared equally important in controlling livestock dynamics. Single-factor models were predominant. The primary factor of each soum showed certain regional patterns incident well with climate severity and foraging resource availability (e.g. temperature in north, dryness in south, and NDVI in middle). Our results indicate that Mongolian pastoral livelihood is highly vulnerable to extreme variability of endemic regional climate factors and hence, there are still rooms for enhancing

Work/Family Conflicts: Policy Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Maureen

In the past 20 years, the percentage of married women in the Canadian labor force has risen dramatically. Despite women's increased participation in the labor force, child care and housework are still largely done by women. While the difficulty of combining work and family responsibilities can result in work/family conflicts, a variety of…

The development of new purification methods to assess the circadian rhythm of body temperature in Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Weinert, D; Nevill, A; Weinandy, R; Waterhouse, J

2003-03-01

Six Mongolian gerbils were studied for 8-10d while housed in separate cages in a 12:12h light-dark (L-D) cycle (lights on at 07:00h). Recordings of body temperature, heart rate, and spontaneous activity were made throughout. The temperature and heart rate rhythms were "purified" to take into account the effects of activity, and then the rhythm of temperature was further purified to take into account other masking influences ("non-activity masking effects" or NAME,). The methods employed in the purification processes involved linear regression analysis or analysis of covariance, the latter using functions of activity and NAME as covariates. From these methods, it was possible to obtain not only an estimate of the endogenous component of the temperature rhythm but also a measure of circadian changes in the sensitivity of temperature to masking effects. Even though all purification methods removed many of the effects of spontaneous activity from the temperature record, there remained temperature fluctuations at the L-D and D-L transitions that appeared to be independent of activity. The NAME was of only very marginal value in the purification process. Comparison of the purification methods indicated that the linear methods were inferior (both from a biological viewpoint and when the results were compared mathematically) to those that allowed the rate of rise of temperature due to increasing amounts of activity to become progressively less. The sensitivity of temperature and heart rate to the masking effects of activity showed a circadian rhythm, with sensitivities in the resting phase being greater than those in the active phase. These findings are compatible with the view that thermoregulatory reflexes are induced by spontaneous activity of sufficient amount, and that there is a circadian rhythm in the body temperature at which these reflexes are initiated and in their effectiveness.

HPLC determination of flavonoid glycosides in Mongolian Dianthus versicolor Fisch. (Caryophyllaceae) compared with quantification by UV spectrophotometry.

PubMed

Obmann, Astrid; Purevsuren, Sodnomtseren; Zehl, Martin; Kletter, Christa; Reznicek, Gottfried; Narantuya, Samdan; Glasl, Sabine

2012-01-01

Dianthus versicolor is used in traditional Mongolian medicine against liver impairment. Fractions enriched in flavone-di- and triglycosides were shown to enhance bile secretion. Therefore, reliable and accurate analytical methods are needed for the determination of these flavonoids in the crude drug and extracts thereof. To provide a validated HPLC-DAD (diode array detector) method especially developed for the separation of polar flavonoids and to compare the data obtained with those evaluated by UV spectrophotometry. Separations were carried out on an Aquasil® C₁₈-column (4.6 mm × 250.0 mm, 5 µm) with a linear gradient of acetonitrile and water (adjusted to pH 2.8 with trifluoroacetic acid) as mobile phase. Rutoside was employed as internal standard with linear behavior in a concentration range of 0.007-3.5 mg/mL. Accuracy was determined by spiking the crude drug with saponarin resulting in recoveries between 92% and 102%. The method allows the quantification of highly polar flavonoid glycosides and the determination of their total content. For saponarin a linear response was evaluated within the range 0.007-3.5 mg/mL (R²  > 0.9999). It was proven that threefold sonication represents a time-saving, effective and cheap method for the extraction of the polar flavonoid glycosides. The contents determined by HPLC were shown to be in agreement with those obtained employing UV spectrophotometry. The study has indicated that the newly developed HPLC method represents a powerful technique for the quality control of D. versicolor. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry may be used alternatively provided that the less polar flavonoids are removed by purification. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effect of families on the process of outpatient visits in family practice.

PubMed

Main, D S; Holcomb, S; Dickinson, P; Crabtree, B F

2001-10-01

Our goal was to describe how physician knowledge of patients' families affects the processes of patient care in family practices. Using a multimethod comparative case study design, detailed dictated field notes were recorded after direct observation of patient encounters and the office environment as part of the Prevention and Competing Demands in Primary Care Study. We identified domains of outpatient visits in which patients were accompanied by a family member or in which family-oriented content was discussed. Outpatient encounters with 1637 patients presenting in 18 family practices in the Midwest were analyzed using an editing style. We developed a typology for ways in which family context affects outpatient visits. Patients were accompanied during 35% of all outpatient visits, the vast majority of these visits involving children. Family history or a family member's problems were discussed during 35% of visits during which no family member was present. An analysis of these "family-oriented" visits resulted in a typology of 6 ways that family context informs and affects the outpatient visit: (1) using family social context to illuminate patient disease, illness, and health; (2) using family to discover the source of an illness; (3) discussing and managing the health and illness of family members; (4) family concern for patient's health; (5) using the family as a care resource and care collaborator; and, (6) giving family members unscheduled care. Family context is an important feature of family practice that influences the processes of patient care. Since family-oriented care is an essential feature of family practice, outcomes of this largely hidden part of care deserve further study.

Reanalysis of asteroid families structure through visible spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mothé-Diniz, T.; Roig, F.; Carvano, J. M.

2005-03-01

The taxonomic properties of the main asteroid families are analyzed and discussed in the light of an updated definition of the families using a large proper elements database and the asteroids taxonomy derived from reflectance spectra recently obtained by two large visible spectroscopic surveys: the SMASS II and the S3OS2. Our analysis indicates that most families are quite homogeneous taxonomically and mineralogically—whenever there exists a mineralogical constraint—, being probably originated from homogeneous parent bodies. The exceptions are the Nysa family, that should likely be considered a clan, and the Eos family that encompasses a broad range of taxonomies, whose mineralogical relations cannot be completely ruled out. Only in a few cases the families may be taxonomically distinguished from the background population. That is the case of the Minerva/Gefion, Adeona, Dora, Merxia, Hoffmeister, Koronis, Eos, and Veritas families. Some of the families presented in this work show a larger spectral diversity than previously reported, as it is the case for the Maria and Koronis families. On the other hand, the Veritas family is found to be homogeneous, in sharp contrast with previous works. Mineralogical relations are reported whenever they could be found in the literature and we examine the possible constraints posed by the presence of different taxonomies in certain families.

Family Treatment for Bipolar Disorder: Family Impairment by Treatment Interactions

PubMed Central

Miller, Ivan W.; Keitner, Gabor I.; Ryan, Christine E.; Uebelacker, Lisa A.; Johnson, Sheri L.; Solomon, David A.

2010-01-01

Objective There is a clear need for psychosocial treatments to supplement pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder. In this study, the efficacy of 2 forms of adjunctive family intervention were compared to pharmacotherapy alone. In addition to evaluating overall differences between treatments, a chief goal was to examine whether family impairment levels moderated the effects of family intervention on outcome. Method Ninety-two patients diagnosed with bipolar I disorder (according to DSM-III-R) were randomly assigned to receive (1) pharmacotherapy alone, (2) family therapy + pharmacotherapy, or (3) multi-family psychoeducational group + pharmacotherapy. Treatments and assessments continued for up to 28 months. Primary outcome measures were number of episodes per year and percentage of time symptomatic throughout the entire follow-up period. The study was conducted from September 1992 through March 1999. Results No significant main effects were found for treatment condition. Thus, for the total sample, the addition of a family intervention did not improve outcome. However, there were significant treatment condition by family impairment interactions (p < .05). In patients from families with high levels of impairment, the addition of a family intervention (family therapy or psychoeducational group) resulted in a significantly improved course of illness, particularly the number of depressive episodes (p <.01) and proportion of time spent in a depressive episode (p <.01). These effects were relatively large (Cohen d = 0.7–1.0), with patients receiving either family intervention having roughly half the number of depressive episodes and amount of time spent depressed as those receiving pharmacotherapy alone. In contrast, for patients from low-impairment families, the addition of a family intervention did not improve course of illness. Conclusions Our findings build on previous literature suggesting the importance of treatment matching within the mood disorders and suggest

Combining employment and family in Europe: the role of family policies in health.

PubMed

Artazcoz, Lucía; Cortès, Imma; Puig-Barrachina, Vanessa; Benavides, Fernando G; Escribà-Agüir, Vicenta; Borrell, Carme

2014-08-01

The objectives of this study were: (i) to analyse the relationship between health status and paid working hours and household composition in the EU-27, and (ii) to examine whether patterns of association differ as a function of family policy typologies and gender. Cross-sectional study based on data from the 5th European Working Conditions Survey of 2010. The sample included married or cohabiting employees aged 25-64 years from the EU-27 (10,482 men and 8,882 women). The dependent variables were self-perceived health status and psychological well-being. Irrespective of differences in family policy typologies between countries, working long hours was more common among men, and part-time work was more common among women. In Continental and Southern European countries, employment and family demands were associated with poor health status in both sexes, but more consistently among women. In Anglo-Saxon countries, the association was mainly limited to men. Finally, in Nordic and Eastern European countries, employment and family demands were largely unassociated with poor health outcomes in both sexes. The combination of employment and family demands is largely unassociated with health status in countries with dual-earner family policy models, but is associated with poorer health outcomes in countries with market-oriented models, mainly among men. This association is more consistent among women in countries with traditional models, where males are the breadwinners and females are responsible for domestic and care work. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Ten adaptive strategies for family and work balance: advice from successful families.

PubMed

Haddock, S A; Zimmerman, T S; Ziemba, S J; Current, L R

2001-10-01

Despite negative media images and social dynamics insensitive to the lives of many dual-career couples, research shows that these families are largely healthy and thriving. In this study, we investigated the adaptive strategies of middle-class, dual-earner couples (N = 47) with children that are successfully managing family and work. Guided by grounded-theory methodology, analysis of interview data revealed that these successful couples structured their lives around 10 major strategies: Valuing family, striving for partnership, deriving meaning from work, maintaining work boundaries, focusing and producing at work, taking pride in dual earning, prioritizing family fun, living simply, making decisions proactively, and valuing time. Each adaptive strategy is defined and illustrated through the participants' own words. Clinical applications for therapists working with dual-earner couples are offered.

Family Policy: The Conservative Challenge and the Progressive Response.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherlin, Andrew

1983-01-01

Examines the question of how family professionals should respond to the conservative pro-family movement. Argues that the response of liberal family professionals to date--consisting largely of a defense of pluralism--has been inadequate and should concentrate on the most important issues facing families currently. (JAC)

Patient perception and knowledge of acetaminophen in a large family medicine service.

PubMed

Herndon, Christopher M; Dankenbring, Dawn M

2014-06-01

The use of acetaminophen is currently under increased scrutiny by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to the risk of intentional and more concerning, unintentional overdose-related hepatotoxicity. Acetaminophen is responsible for an estimated 48% of all acute liver failure diagnoses. The purpose of this study is to evaluate patient perception and knowledge of the safe use and potential toxicity of acetaminophen-containing products. The authors conducted a descriptive, 2-week study using a convenience sample from a large family medicine clinic waiting room. Survey questions assessed ability to identify acetaminophen, knowledge of the current recommended maximum daily dose, respondent acetaminophen use patterns, common adverse effects associated with acetaminophen, and respondent self-reported alcohol consumption. Acetaminophen safety information was provided to all persons regardless of participation in the study. Of the 102 patients who chose to participate, 79% recognized acetaminophen as a synonym of Tylenol, whereas only 9% identified APAP as a frequently used abbreviation. One third of respondents thought acetaminophen was synonymous with ibuprofen and naproxen. Approximately one fourth of patients correctly identified the then maximum recommended daily acetaminophen dose of 4 g. Seventy-eight percent of patients correctly identified hepatotoxicity as the most common serious adverse effect. We conclude that patient deficiencies in knowledge of acetaminophen recognition, dosing, and toxicity warrant public education by health professionals at all levels of interaction. Current initiatives are promising; however, further efforts are required.

The Family Child Care Licensing Study, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Children's Foundation, Washington, DC.

This report presents the findings of the 1999 national survey of state child care regulatory agencies to update and expand family child care regulatory information published in the 1998 study. Data on small family child care homes and group or large family child care homes are organized in 22 categories: (1) number of regulated homes; (2)…

A de novo mutation of the MYH7 gene in a large Chinese family with autosomal dominant myopathy

PubMed Central

Oda, Tetsuya; Xiong, Hui; Kobayashi, Kazuhiro; Wang, Shuo; Satake, Wataru; Jiao, Hui; Yang, Yanling; Cha, Pei-Chieng; Hayashi, Yukiko K; Nishino, Ichizo; Suzuki, Yutaka; Sugano, Sumio; Wu, Xiru; Toda, Tatsushi

2015-01-01

Laing distal myopathy (LDM) is an autosomal dominant myopathy that is caused by mutations in the slow/beta cardiac myosin heavy-chain (MYH7) gene. It has been recently reported that LDM presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations. We herein report a large Chinese family with autosomal dominant myopathy. The affected individuals in the family presented with foot drop in early childhood, along with progressive distal and proximal limb weakness. Their characteristic symptoms include scapular winging and scoliosis in the early disease phase and impairment of ambulation in the advanced phase. Although limb-girdle muscle dystrophy (LGMD) was suspected initially, a definite diagnosis could not be reached. As such, we performed linkage analysis and detected four linkage regions, namely 1q23.2-24.1, 14q11.2-12, 15q26.2-26.3 and 17q24.3. Through subsequent whole exome sequencing, we found a de novo p.K1617del causative mutation in the MYH7 gene and diagnosed the disease as LDM. This is the first LDM case in China. Our patients have severe clinical manifestations that mimic LGMD in comparison with the patients with the same mutation reported elsewhere. PMID:27081534

Novel homozygous missense mutation in GAN associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 in a large consanguineous family from Israel.

PubMed

Aharoni, Sharon; Barwick, Katy E S; Straussberg, Rachel; Harlalka, Gaurav V; Nevo, Yoram; Chioza, Barry A; McEntagart, Meriel M; Mimouni-Bloch, Aviva; Weedon, Michael; Crosby, Andrew H

2016-11-16

CMT-2 is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of peripheral axonal neuropathies characterized by slowly progressive weakness and atrophy of distal limb muscles resulting from length-dependent motor and sensory neurodegeneration. Classical giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is an autosomal recessively inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the peripheral and central nervous systems, typically diagnosed in early childhood and resulting in death by the end of the third decade. Distinctive phenotypic features are the presence of "kinky" hair and long eyelashes. The genetic basis of the disease has been well established, with over 40 associated mutations identified in the gene GAN, encoding the BTB-KELCH protein gigaxonin, involved in intermediate filament regulation. An Illumina Human CytoSNP-12 array followed by whole exome sequence analysis was used to identify the disease associated gene mutation in a large consanguineous family diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT-2) from which all but one affected member had straight hair. Here we report the identification of a novel GAN missense mutation underlying the CMT-2 phenotype observed in this family. Although milder forms of GAN, with and without the presence of kinky hair have been reported previously, a phenotype distinct from that was investigated in this study. All family members lacked common features of GAN, including ataxia, nystagmus, intellectual disability, seizures, and central nervous system involvement. Our findings broaden the spectrum of phenotypes associated with GAN mutations and emphasize a need to proceed with caution when providing families with diagnostic or prognostic information based on either clinical or genetic findings alone.

Novel partial duplication of EYA1 causes branchiootic syndrome in a large Brazilian family.

PubMed

Dantas, Vitor G L; Freitas, Erika L; Della-Rosa, Valter A; Lezirovitz, Karina; de Moraes, Ana Maria S M; Ramos, Silvia B; Oiticica, Jeanne; Alves, Leandro U; Pearson, Peter L; Rosenberg, Carla; Mingroni-Netto, Regina C

2015-01-01

To identify novel genetic causes of syndromic hearing loss in Brazil. To map a candidate chromosomal region through linkage studies in an extensive Brazilian family and identify novel pathogenic variants using sequencing and array-CGH. Brazilian pedigree with individuals affected by BO syndrome characterized by deafness and malformations of outer, middle and inner ear, auricular and cervical fistulae, but no renal abnormalities. Whole genome microarray-SNP scanning on samples of 11 affected individuals detected a multipoint Lod score of 2.6 in the EYA1 gene region (chromosome 8). Sequencing of EYA1 in affected patients did not reveal pathogenic mutations. However, oligonucleotide-array-CGH detected a duplication of 71.8Kb involving exons 4 to 10 of EYA1 (heterozygous state). Real-time-PCR confirmed the duplication in fourteen of fifteen affected individuals and absence in 13 unaffected individuals. The exception involved a consanguineous parentage and was assumed to involve a different genetic mechanism. Our findings implicate this EYA1 partial duplication segregating with BO phenotype in a Brazilian pedigree and is the first description of a large duplication leading to the BOR/BO syndrome.

Accuracy of genomic selection models in a large population of open-pollinated families in white spruce

PubMed Central

Beaulieu, J; Doerksen, T; Clément, S; MacKay, J; Bousquet, J

2014-01-01

Genomic selection (GS) is of interest in breeding because of its potential for predicting the genetic value of individuals and increasing genetic gains per unit of time. To date, very few studies have reported empirical results of GS potential in the context of large population sizes and long breeding cycles such as for boreal trees. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of marker-aided selection in an undomesticated white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) population of large effective size using a GS approach. A discovery population of 1694 trees representative of 214 open-pollinated families from 43 natural populations was phenotyped for 12 wood and growth traits and genotyped for 6385 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mined in 2660 gene sequences. GS models were built to predict estimated breeding values using all the available SNPs or SNP subsets of the largest absolute effects, and they were validated using various cross-validation schemes. The accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) varied from 0.327 to 0.435 when the training and the validation data sets shared half-sibs that were on average 90% of the accuracies achieved through traditionally estimated breeding values. The trend was also the same for validation across sites. As expected, the accuracy of GEBVs obtained after cross-validation with individuals of unknown relatedness was lower with about half of the accuracy achieved when half-sibs were present. We showed that with the marker densities used in the current study, predictions with low to moderate accuracy could be obtained within a large undomesticated population of related individuals, potentially resulting in larger gains per unit of time with GS than with the traditional approach. PMID:24781808

Family Satisfaction With Nursing Home Care.

PubMed

Shippee, Tetyana P; Henning-Smith, Carrie; Gaugler, Joseph E; Held, Robert; Kane, Robert L

2017-03-01

This article explores the factor structure of a new family satisfaction with nursing home care instrument and determines the relationship of resident quality of life (QOL) and facility characteristics with family satisfaction. Data sources include (1) family satisfaction interviews ( n = 16,790 family members), (2) multidimensional survey of resident QOL ( n = 13,433 residents), and (3) facility characteristics ( n = 376 facilities). We used factor analysis to identify domains of family satisfaction and multivariate analyses to identify the role of facility-level characteristics and resident QOL on facility-mean values of family satisfaction. Four distinct domains were identified for family satisfaction: "care," "staff," "environment," and "food." Chain affiliation, higher resident acuity, more deficiencies, and large size were all associated with less family satisfaction, and resident QOL was a significant (albeit weak) predictor of family satisfaction. Results suggest that family member satisfaction is distinct from resident QOL but is associated with resident QOL and facility characteristics.

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori significantly reduced gastric damage in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-treated Mongolian gerbils

PubMed Central

Chang, Chun-Chao; Chen, Sheng-Hsuan; Lien, Gi-Shih; Lou, Horng-Yuan; Hsieh, Ching-Ruey; Fang, Chia-Lang; Pan, Shiann

2005-01-01

AIM: To examine the effect of eradication of Helicobacter pylori prior to usage of NSAIDs, by investigating gastric inflammatory activity, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthesis in H pylori-infected, and H pylori-eradicated gerbils followed by administration of indomethacin and rofecoxib. METHODS: Six-week-old male gerbils were orally inoculated with H pylori. Seven weeks later, anti-H pylori triple therapy and vehicle were given to gerbils respectively and followed by oral indomethacin (2 mg/kg.d) or rofecoxib (10 mg/kg.d) for 2 wk. We examined the area of lesions, gastric inflammatory activity, PGE2 synthesis and MPO activity in the stomach. RESULTS: In indomethacin and rofecoxib-treated gerbils, the following results were obtained in H pylori-infected group vs H pylori-eradicated group respectively: hyperplasia area of the stomach (mm2): 82.4±9.2 vs 13.9±3.5 (P<0.05), 30.5±5.1 vs 1.3±0.6 (P<0.05); erosion and ulcer area (mm2): 14.4±4.9 vs 0.86±0.5 (P<0.05), 1.3±0.6 vs 0.4±0.3 (P<0.05); score of gastritis: 7.0±0.0 vs 3.6±0.5 (P<0.05), 7.0±0.0 vs 2.7±0.5 (P<0.05); MPO activity (μmol H2O2/min/g tissue): 104.7±9.2 vs 9.0±2.3 (P<0.05), 133.5±15.0 vs 2.9±0.7 (P<0.05); PGE2 synthesis (pg/mg wet weight/min): 299.2±81.5 vs 102.8±26.2 (P<0.05), 321.4±30.3 vs 11.9±4.8 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Eradication of H pylori reduced gastric damage of NSAID-treated Mongolian gerbils. Rofecoxib caused less severe gastric damage than indomethacin in H pylori-eradicated gerbils. PMID:15609406

The most recent (682-792 CE) volcanic eruption in the Jombolok lava field, East Sayan, Central Asia triggered exodus of Mongolian pre-Chinggis Khaan tribes (778-786 CE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arzhannikov, S. G.; Ivanov, A. V.; Arzhannikova, A. V.; Demonterova, E. I.; Jolivet, M.; Buyantuev, V. A.; Oskolkov, V. A.; Voronin, V. I.

2016-08-01

This study presents new data on one of the most recent (historical) volcanic eruptions in Central Asia. The Jombolok lava field located in the East Sayan Mountains (Southern Siberia) was formed during Late Pleistocene and Holocene times. At least four phases of volcanic activity have been identified and evidences associated with the last phase have been found in the upper reaches of the Khi-Gol valley and in the Oka-Jombolok basin. The volcanic activity is represented by young basaltic lava located among older lavas. Live and dead trees have been sampled in the young lava field. Nine fragments of wood have been found embedded in lavas of the latest eruption. Dendrochronological analysis, radiocarbon dating and the analysis of historical chronicles have shown that the latest eruption occurred during the period 682-792 CE. The volcanic activity possibly triggered the migration of Mongolian tribes out of the locality known in historical chronicles as Ergune-Kun towards the Onon River, which, 400 years later, became the place of birth and rise of Chinggis Khaan.

[Changes in titin and myosin heavy chain isoform composition in skeletal muscles of Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) after 12-day spaceflight].

PubMed

Okuneva, A D; Vikhliantsev, I M; Shpagina, M D; Rogachevskiĭ, V V; Khutsian, S S; Poddubnaia, Z A; Grigor'ev, A I

2012-01-01

Changes of titin and myosin heavy chain isoform composition in skeletal muscles (m. soleus, m. gastrocnemius, m. tibialis anterior, m. psoas major) in Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus ) were investigated after 12-day spaceflight on board of Russian space vehicle "Foton-M3". In m. psoas and m. soleus in the gerbils from "Flight" group the expected increase in the content of fast myosin heavy chain isoforms (IIxd and IIa, respectively) were observed. No significant differences were found in the content of IIxd and IIa isoforms of myosin heavy chain in m. tibialis anterior in the gerbils from control group as compared to that in "Flight" group. An unexpected increase in the content of slow myosin heavy chain I isoform and a decrease in the content of fast IIx/d isoform in m. gastrocnemius of the gerbils from "Flight" group were observed. In skeletal muscles of the gerbils from "Flight" group the relative content of titin N2A-isoform was reduced (by 1,2-1,7 times), although the content of its NT-isoform, which was revealed in striated muscles of mammals in our experiments earlier, remained the same. When the content of titin N2A-isoform was decreased, no predictable abnormalities in sarcomeric structure and contractile ability of skeletal muscles in the gerbils from "Flight" group were found. An assumption on the leading role of titin NT-isoform in maintenance of structural and functional properties of striated muscles of mammals was made.

Long-term effects of livestock loss caused by dust storm on mongolian inhabitants: a survey 1 year after the dust storm.

PubMed

Mu, Haosheng; Otani, Shinji; Shinoda, Masato; Yokoyama, Yae; Onishi, Kazunari; Hosoda, Takenobu; Okamoto, Mikizo; Kurozawa, Youichi

2013-03-01

Every spring, windblown dust storms damage human health and cause many domestic animal deaths in Mongolia. In particular, mass livestock death results in severe, direct economic loss to inhabitants. However, there is little empirical evidence to demonstrate the long-term effects of dust storm, especially in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) secondary to livestock loss. We evaluated the long-term effects of livestock loss on Mongolian inhabitants. We performed a cross-sectional survey of HRQoL using 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36, an index of the health condition) 1 year after a dust storm. The study subjects were 64 inhabitants of stricken areas of Mongolia. The data collection method was a face-to-face interview with a questionnaire. A total of 64 subjects were interviewed, 81% in the victims group and 19% in the non-victims group. The mean number of livestock victims was 83.3, s = 128.3. The SF-36 subscale scores were lower among people who lost livestock than among those who did not. Multiple regression analysis displayed a significant association between livestock loss and HRQoL (general health: = -0.476, P = 0.021; vitality: = -0.359, P = 0.013). Our results provide preliminary evidence that livestock loss has long-term effects on HRQoL. Thus, it is necessary to conduct epidemiologic surveys on disorders associated with dust storms and devise countermeasures for the future.

Family transitions and juvenile delinquency.

PubMed

Schroeder, Ryan D; Osgood, Aurea K; Oghia, Michael J

2010-01-01

There is a large body of research that shows children from non-intact homes show higher rates of juvenile delinquency than children from intact homes, partially due to weaker parental control and supervision in non-intact homes. What has not been adequately addressed in the research is the influence of changes in family structure among individual adolescents over time on delinquent offending. Using the first and third waves of the National Youth Study, we assess the effect of family structure changes on changes in delinquent offending between waves through the intermediate process of changes in family time and parental attachment. Although prior research has documented adolescents in broken homes are more delinquent than youth in intact homes, the process of family dissolution is not associated with concurrent increases in offending. In contrast, family formation through marriage or cohabitation is associated with simultaneous increases in offending. Changes in family time and parental attachment account for a portion of the family formation effect on delinquency, and prior parental attachment and juvenile offending significantly condition the effect of family formation on offending.

Crustal nature and origin of the Russian Altai: Implications for the continental evolution and growth of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Keda; Sun, Min; Buslov, M. M.; Jahn, Bor-ming; Xiao, Wenjiao; Long, Xiaoping; Chen, Huayong; Wan, Bo; Chen, Ming; Rubanova, E. S.; Kulikova, A. V.; Voytishek, E. E.

2016-04-01

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt is a gigantic tectonic collage of numerous accreted terranes. However, its geodynamic evolution has been hotly debated primarily due to incomplete knowledge on the nature of these enigmatic terranes. This work presents new detrital zircon U-Pb and Hf isotopic data to constrain the crustal nature and origin of the Russian Altai, a critical segment of Altai-Mongolian terrane. The youngest zircon 206Pb/238U ages of 470 Ma constrain that the Terekta Formation, previously envisaged as Precambrian basement, was actually deposited after the Middle Ordovician. As for the three more sedimentary sequences above the Terekta Formation, they have youngest zircon 206Pb/238U ages of 425 Ma, 440 Ma and 380 Ma, respectively, indicating their depositions likely in the Late Silurian to Devonian. From all analyses, it is noted that many zircon U-Pb ages cluster at ca. 520 Ma and ca. 800 Ma, and these zircons display oscillatory zoning and have subhedral to euhedral morphology, which, collectively, suggests that adjacent Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic igneous rocks were possibly dominant in the sedimentary provenance. Additionally, a few rounded Archean to Mesoproterozoic zircon grains are characterized by complex texture, which are interpreted as recycling materials probably derived from the Tuva-Mongolian microcontinent. Precambrian rocks have not been identified in the Russian Altai, Chinese Altai and Mongolian Altai so far, therefore, Precambrian basement may not exist in the Altai-Mongolian terrane, but this terrane probably represents a large subduction-accretion complex built on the margin of the Tuva-Mongolian microcontinent in the Early Paleozoic. Multiple episodes of ridge-trench interaction may have caused inputs of mantle-derived magmas to trigger partial melting of the newly accreted crustal materials, which contributed to the accretionary complex. During accretionary orogenesis of the CAOB, formation of such subduction-accretion complex is

Genetic heterogeneity of familial hemiplegic migraine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joutel, A.; Ducros, A.; Vahedi, K.

1994-09-01

Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is an autosomal dominant subtype of migraine with aura, characterized by the occurrence of a transient hemiplegia during the aura. We previously mapped the affected gene to the short arm of chromosome 19, within a 30 cM interval bracketed by D19S216 and D19S215. Linkage analysis conducted on 2 large FHM pedigrees did not show evidence of heterogeneity, despite their clinical differences due to the presence in one family of a cerebellar ataxia and a nystagmus. Herein we report linkage data on 9 additional FHM families including 2 other ones with cerebellar ataxia. Analysis was conducted withmore » a set of 7 markers spanning the D19S216-D19S215 interval. Two point and multipoint lodscores analysis as well as HOMOG testing provided significant evidence for genetic heterogenity. Strong evidence of linkage was obtained in 3 families and absence of linkage in 6 families. Thus within the 11 families so far tested, 5 were linked, including those with an associated cerebellar ataxia. We could not find any clinical difference between the {open_quotes}pure{close_quotes} FHM families whether or not they were linked. This study also allowed us to establish that the most likely location of the gene is a 12 cM interval bracketed by D19S413 and D19S226. One of the unlinked family was large enough to conduct genetic mapping of the affected gene. Data will be presented at the meeting.« less

Work and Family: 1992. Status Report and Outlook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galinsky, Ellen

Many parents are currently struggling to balance job and family responsibilities. Such attempts bring about changes in work and individual attitudes. This report presents the status of work and family in 1992, as well as the nature and direction of workplace changes to accommodate families. The report indicates that large United States companies…

Issues and Methodologies in Large-Scale Assessments. Special Issue 2: Measuring Students' Family Background in Large-Scale International Education Studies. IERI Monograph Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brese, Falk; Mirazchiyski, Plamen

2013-01-01

The relationship between students' family background and achievement is often seen as an important topic in regard to equality and equity of educational provision. The results of various education studies show that the family background of students correlates with students' academic achievement at school. This paper focuses on the measurement of…

Thankful for Family and Foods! (An ABLE Teaching Unit).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barringer, Mary Dean; And Others

The teaching unit focuses on a month (November) of primary grade learning activities which focus on being thankful for food, family, and friends. Concepts stressed throughout the unit include: We are all part of the large family of Americans; Families are made up of a variety of people and our families are usually different from each other;…

Food hoarding, but not food intake, is attenuated by acute diazepam treatment in female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed

Yang, Hui-Di; Wang, Qian; Wang, De-Hua

2014-06-01

This article is part of a Special Issue "Energy Balance". Effects of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on food hoarding are unknown in rodents, and the effects of energy balance and GABA have not been evaluated in females. To evaluate the role of food deprivation and GABA on food hoarding, female Mongolian gerbils were given i.p. injection of diazepam (1mg/kg and 3mg/kg, respectively), a GABAA receptor agonist. Among food-deprived females, there was a bimodal pattern in the frequency of gerbils with different levels of food hoarding. High food hoarding (HFH) and low food hoarding (LFH) gerbils were analyzed. Diazepam blocked food deprivation-induced food hoarding in HFH gerbils, but not in LFH gerbils. This blockade was associated with increased cellular activation in selected brain areas, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), caudate putamen (CP) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), which suggested that direct activation of GABA in the brain reward circuitry decreased food hoarding in HFH females. Moreover, diazepam increased Fos expression in field CA2 and CA3 of the hippocampus, but had no significant effect on Fos expression in field CA1 and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus, indicating that the hippocampus has area-specific effects on food hoarding in HFH gerbils. Diazepam did not alter food intake in both HFH and LFH gerbils. In addition, serum corticosterone concentrations were higher in the HFH than in the LFH ones. Together, these data indicated that food deprivation increased food hoarding in female gerbils, diazepam reduced food deprivation-induced food hoarding in HFH gerbils, and that GABA might influence food hoarding via classical reward circuitry via the mesolimbic dopamine system and specific hippocampal areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of body image perception, nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes, and dietary habits between Korean and Mongolian college students.

PubMed

Erdenebileg, Zolzaya; Park, So Hyun; Chang, Kyung Ja

2018-04-01

College students are in transition from adolescence to adulthood, and it has been reported that they show poor dietary habits. This study was conducted to compare body image perception, nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes, dietary habits, and health-related lifestyles between Korean college students (KCS) and Mongolian college students (MCS). Subjects were 314 KCS and 280 MCS. The data includes results of self-administered questionnaires; statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 23.0 program. With regards to body image perception, KCS perceived themselves to be fatter on current body image than ideal body image compared to MCS; 64.0% of KCS and 34.6% of MCS desired to be thinner. Total score of nutrition knowledge in KCS (17.0) was significantly higher compared to MCS (8.4) ( P < 0.001), but total score of dietary attitudes in KCS (27.0) was significantly lower compared to MCS (31.2) ( P < 0.001). Nutrition knowledge had a significantly positive correlation with dietary attitudes in MCS ( P < 0.01). Meal consumption among male and female subjects was 2 and 3 times, respectively, in order in KCS, and 3 and 2 times, respectively, in order in MCS ( P < 0.001). Rate of skipping breakfast in both genders was significantly higher in KCS than in MCS (male: P < 0.05, female: P < 0.001). In health-related lifestyles, KCS had a significantly higher rate in frequency of alcohol drinking ( P < 0.001), exercise ( P < 0.01), and mobile phone usage ( P < 0.001), compared to MCS. This study suggests that development of nutrition education program which is effective and proper is required to improve healthy dietary habits among college students of both countries. Essential contents should include acquirement of nutrition knowledge and a motivation for its application to actual life for KCS, and improvement of healthy dietary habits for MCS.

Child support and mixed-status families an analysis using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study.

PubMed

Xu, Lanlan; Pirog, Maureen A; Vargas, Edward D

2016-11-01

A large body of literature documents the importance of child support for children's wellbeing, though little is known about the child support behaviors of mixed-status families, a large and rapidly growing population in the United States. In this paper, we use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to investigate the impact of citizenship status on formal and informal child support transfers among a nationally representative sample of parents who have citizen children. Probit regression models and propensity score matching (PSM) estimators show that mixed-status families are significantly less likely to have child support orders and child support receipt compared to their citizen counterparts. We found that mothers' knowledge of the child support system increases the probability of establishing paternity. However, cultural differences in knowledge of and perception about the U.S. child support system between mixed-status families and citizen families do not have an impact on the probability of getting a child support order, child support receipt, or in-kind child support. Rather, institutional factors such as collaborations between welfare agencies and child support enforcement agencies as well as state child support enforcement efforts have a significant impact on formal child support outcomes. The results are robust against different model specifications, measure constructions, and use of datasets. These findings have important policy implications for policy makers and researchers interested in reducing child poverty in complex family structures and underscore the need to revisit child support policies for mixed-status families. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Asthma prevalence, family size, and birth order.

PubMed

Goldberg, Shmuel; Israeli, Eran; Schwartz, Shepard; Shochat, Tzippora; Izbicki, Gabriel; Toker-Maimon, Ori; Klement, Eyal; Picard, Elie

2007-06-01

Asthma prevalence may be reduced in large families. The hygiene hypothesis suggests that older siblings protect their younger siblings from asthma through a modulating effect on the still-maturing immune system. If the hygiene hypothesis is correct, asthma prevalence should be inversely related to birth order. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between asthma prevalence, and family size and birth order. The medical records of 531,116 Israeli military conscripts were reviewed. The association between number of children in the family and the prevalence of asthma, and between birth order and the prevalence of asthma was assessed. Odds ratios for asthma by birth order and family size, adjusted for each other, were calculated. Asthma was diagnosed in 26,833 male subjects (8.6%) and 15,079 female subjects (6.9%). Asthma prevalence was inversely related to the number of children in the family (p < 0.001). Among subjects who were the only child in the family, the prevalence of asthma was 7.3%. The prevalence increased to 8.95% among subjects from families with three siblings, and then progressively decreased as the number of siblings increased, and reached a trough of 0.58% in conscripts from families of 15 to 20 siblings. Asthma prevalence was similar for all birth orders. In families with four or more children, asthma prevalence is inversely related to the number of children in the family. Asthma prevalence is similar for all birth orders. The similar asthma prevalence for all birth orders challenges the hygiene hypothesis as the mechanism for the decreased asthma prevalence in large families.

Family Child Care Licensing Study, 1998.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Children's Foundation, Washington, DC.

This report details a survey of state child care regulatory agencies. Data on both small family child care homes (FCCH) and group or large family child care homes (LCCH or GCCH) are included and organized into 22 categories: (1) number of regulated homes; (2) definitions and regulatory requirements; (3) unannounced inspection procedure; (4)…

Purification and characterization of two bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated from Mongolian airag.

PubMed

Batdorj, B; Dalgalarrondo, M; Choiset, Y; Pedroche, J; Métro, F; Prévost, H; Chobert, J-M; Haertlé, T

2006-10-01

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) issued from Mongolian airag (traditional fermented mare's milk), and to purify and characterize bacteriocins produced by these LAB. Identification of the bacteria (Enterococcus durans) was carried out on the basis of its morphological, biochemical characteristics and carbohydrate fermentation profile and by API50CH kit and 16S rDNA analyses. The pH-neutral cell-free supernatant of this bacterium inhibited the growth of several Lactobacillus spp. and food-borne pathogens including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria innocua. The antimicrobial agent (enterocin A5-11) was heat stable and was not sensitive to acid and alkaline conditions (pH 2-10), but was sensitive to several proteolytic enzymes. Its inhibitory activity was completely eliminated after treatment with proteinase K and alpha-chymotrypsin. The activity was however not completely inactivated by other proteases including trypsin and pepsin. Three-step purification procedure with high recovery yields was developed to separate two bacteriocins. The applied procedure allowed the recovery of 16% and 64% of enterocins A5-11A and A5-11B, respectively, present in the culture supernatant with purity higher than 99%. SDS-PAGE analyses revealed that enterocin A5-11 has a molecular mass of 5000 Da and mass spectrometry analyses demonstrates molecular masses of 5206 and 5218 Da for fractions A and B, respectively. Amino acid analyses of both enterocins indicated significant quantitative difference in their contents in threonine, alanine, isoleucine and leucine. Their N-termini were blocked hampering straightforward Edman degradation. Bacteriocins A5-11A and B from Ent. durans belong to the class II of bacteriocins. Judging from molecular masses, amino acid composition and spectrum of activities, bacteriocins A5-11A and B from Ent. durans show high degree of similarity with enterocins L50A and L50B

Meteoritical Implications of the Vesta Asteroid Family

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, J. F.

1993-07-01

The discovery of a large dynamical family of basaltic asteroids associated with Vesta and extending to the 3:1 Jupiter resonance [1] provides firm evidence at last that Vesta is the actual parent body of the basaltic achondrite meteorites [2]. This discovery raises several interesting questions. The Vesta family demonstrates that objects as large as ~10km can be ejected from large asteroids at velocities up to 500 m/sec, which is adequate to deliver material to a strong resonance from almost anywhere in the asteroid belt. However, most other asteroid families show a much smaller range of ejection velocities and a more symmetrical distribution of the fragments in orbital element space. These families probably come from complete disruption of parent bodies, which would therefore appear to be the dominant process. Meteoritical evidence is also relevant. There are at least six large dunite (A-class) asteroids, only one of which is providing brachinites to the Earth. Even more striking, the Nysa asteroid family is predominantly composed of the mysterious F-class asteroids, which have no meteorite analog at all. The evidence suggests that the Vesta event is atypical and that there is considerable bias in meteorite delivery. The family is extended in a but narrowly confined in e and i. Curiously, Vesta is not at one end but in the middle. The very narrow sunward leg of the family contains a rare pure-olivine (Class A) asteroid among the many eucrites (Class V) and diogenites (Class J), while in the more diffuse anti-sunward leg no olivine objects have yet been found. This mineral distribution mimics the mineral map of Vesta derived from telescopic spectroscopy [3], in which a small olivine spot is semi-antipodal to a large diogenite patch. This suggests that the sunward leg is direct ejecta from a large crater, while the anti-sunward leg (and the populartion of HEDs reaching Earth) is composed of crustal fragments spalled off by focused shock waves. This mechanism is well

Family ecological predictors of physical activity parenting in low-income families.

PubMed

Lampard, Amy M; Jurkowski, Janine M; Lawson, Hal A; Davison, Kirsten K

2013-01-01

Physical activity (PA) parenting, or strategies parents use to promote PA in children, has been associated with increased PA in children of all ages, including preschool-aged children. However, little is known about the circumstances under which parents adopt such behaviors. This study examined family ecological factors associated with PA parenting. Low-income parents (N = 145) of preschool-aged children (aged 2 to 5 years) were recruited from five Head Start centers in upstate New York. Guided by the family ecological model (FEM), parents completed surveys assessing PA parenting and relevant family and community factors. Hierarchical regression analysis identified independent predictors of PA parenting. Parent depressive symptoms, life pressures that interfere with PA and perceived empowerment to access PA resources were associated with PA parenting. Community factors, including neighborhood play safety and social capital, were not independently associated with PA parenting in the multivariate model. Together, family ecological factors accounted for a large proportion of the variance in PA parenting (R (2) = .37). Findings highlight the need to look beyond cognitive predictors of PA parenting in low-income families and to examine the impact of their broader life circumstances including indicators of stress.

Aging effects on the Binaural Interaction Component of the Auditory Brainstem Response in the Mongolian Gerbil: Effects of Interaural Time and Level Differences

PubMed Central

Laumen, Geneviève; Tollin, Daniel J.; Beutelmann, Rainer; Klump, Georg M.

2016-01-01

The effect of interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) on wave 4 of the binaural and summed monaural auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) as well as on the DN1 component of the binaural interaction component (BIC) of the ABR in young and old Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) was investigated. Measurements were made at a fixed sound pressure level (SPL) and a fixed level above visually detected ABR threshold to compensate for individual hearing threshold differences. In both stimulation modes (fixed SPL and fixed level above visually detected ABR threshold) an effect of ITD on the latency and the amplitude of wave 4 as well as of the BIC was observed. With increasing absolute ITD values BIC latencies were increased and amplitudes were decreased. ILD had a much smaller effect on these measures. Old animals showed a reduced amplitude of the DN1 component. This difference was due to a smaller wave 4 in the summed monaural ABRs of old animals compared to young animals whereas wave 4 in the binaural-evoked ABR showed no age-related difference. In old animals the small amplitude of the DN1 component was correlated with small binaural-evoked wave 1 and wave 3 amplitudes. This suggests that the reduced peripheral input affects central binaural processing which is reflected in the BIC. PMID:27173973

Aging effects on the binaural interaction component of the auditory brainstem response in the Mongolian gerbil: Effects of interaural time and level differences.

PubMed

Laumen, Geneviève; Tollin, Daniel J; Beutelmann, Rainer; Klump, Georg M

2016-07-01

The effect of interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) on wave 4 of the binaural and summed monaural auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) as well as on the DN1 component of the binaural interaction component (BIC) of the ABR in young and old Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) was investigated. Measurements were made at a fixed sound pressure level (SPL) and a fixed level above visually detected ABR threshold to compensate for individual hearing threshold differences. In both stimulation modes (fixed SPL and fixed level above visually detected ABR threshold) an effect of ITD on the latency and the amplitude of wave 4 as well as of the BIC was observed. With increasing absolute ITD values BIC latencies were increased and amplitudes were decreased. ILD had a much smaller effect on these measures. Old animals showed a reduced amplitude of the DN1 component. This difference was due to a smaller wave 4 in the summed monaural ABRs of old animals compared to young animals whereas wave 4 in the binaural-evoked ABR showed no age-related difference. In old animals the small amplitude of the DN1 component was correlated with small binaural-evoked wave 1 and wave 3 amplitudes. This suggests that the reduced peripheral input affects central binaural processing which is reflected in the BIC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Family Child Care Licensing Study, 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Children's Foundation, Washington, DC.

This report details the findings of an annual survey of state child care regulatory agencies. The survey gathered data on both small family child care homes and group or large family child care homes in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The report's introduction lists the survey categories and…

Chemical and mineralogical composition of the Mongolian rural soils and their uranium sorption behavior.

PubMed

Tserenpil, Sh; Maslov, O D; Norov, N; Liu, Q C; Fillipov, M F; Theng, Benny K G; Belov, A G

2013-04-01

Distribution of uranium (VI) between soil solids and solutions is a key parameter in assessing the risk to the biosphere of disposing uranium-rich waste products from nuclear plants as well as uranium (U) ore mining. Both of these topics have recently been brought to public attention in Mongolia. Regional background levels of soil elements are an important dataset for accessing the actual environmental situation and monitoring pollution levels. Little information, however, is available on background concentrations of various elements in Mongolian soils. Thirteen rural soils were sampled from six provinces in Mongolia, and the concentrations of macro-, micro- and trace elements were measured. The values obtained served as a reference (baseline) for uncontaminated soils. The soils were characterized with slightly acidic to strongly alkaline pH values. With the exception of the sample from a western province, all the soils investigated contained little organic matter. The content of soil elements did not vary widely among geographical regions. The concentration of most micro elements was within the range of worldwide soil values but the value for Zn tended to be moderately higher. The U (VI) sorption into the soils was investigated using the batch technique and the (237)U radionuclide tracer, produced by the photo fission reaction (238)U(γ, n) (237)U at an electron accelerator. The (237)U distribution coefficient (K(d)), derived from the sorption isotherms, was related to solution pH and varying from 9 to 2547 mL g(-1) when the pH ranged between 3 and 7.7. The sorption process was interpreted in terms of the formation of different U (VI) species at given concentrations, calculated using the Speciation program with and without carbonate in the system. The U sorption isotherm displayed two general patterns: one where sorption decreased as solution pH increased, showing a maximum at pH 3, and another pattern revealed an adsorption maximum at pH 5 and then decreased up

Family therapy in treatment of the deaf: a case report.

PubMed

Shapiro, R J; Harris, R I

1976-03-01

Deaf patients with psychological problems have developmental handicaps and clinical characteristics that reduce the effectiveness of traditional modes of psychotherapy. Attempts have been made to utilize individual and group therapy, but family therapy has been largely overlooked as a method of alleviating problems of the deaf. Clinical and research writings provide us with rich insights into the family dynamics of the deaf. These data suggest to the authors that the problems of deaf individuals are largely related to family problems, and therefore merit a family orientation as the focus for treatment. This paper describes an attempt to apply family therapy with a range of deaf patients over a period of two years. From a review of their work, the authors conclude that family therapy can be effective, particularly in the treatment of deaf adolescents and children.

Family planning for travellers.

PubMed

Rustom, A

1990-11-01

A public health nurse from London describes the customs of nomadic people in the British Isles, known as "travellers," as they affect provision of family planning services. Most are of British or Irish stock, some migrate and others live in caravan sites all year. Their traditions dictate that men work and women are housewives. Early, often arranged, marriage, early childbearing and large families are the norm. Sex and contraception are not considered appropriate for discussion between the sexes, or in the presence of children. Large families and financial hardship force many women to space pregnancies. Women often have to hide contraceptives from their husbands, difficult in conditions without privacy. Therefore they prefer IUDs, but some use oral contraceptives, although sometimes erratically because most are illiterate. Traveller women are usually unwilling to do self-examination, as needed with IUDs. They often have difficulty attending regular Pap smear clinics. Cervical cancer rates are high. They experience discrimination in clinics, and need extra care about modesty. It is worth while to take time to develop trust in the clinical relationship, to deal with the traveller woman's uneasy among outsiders.

Searching for a Differentiated Asteroid Family: A Spectral Survey of the Massalia, Merxia, and Agnia Families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Cristina A.; Moskovitz, Nicholas; Lim, Lucy F.; Trilling, David E.

2017-10-01

Asteroid families were formed by catastrophic collisions or large cratering events that caused fragmentation of the parent body and ejection of asteroidal fragments with velocities sufficient to prevent re-accretion. Due to these formation processes, asteroid families provide us with the opportunity to probe the interiors of the former parent bodies. Differentiation of a large initially chondritic parent body is expected to result in an “onion shell" object with an iron-nickel core, a thick olivine-dominated mantle, and a thin plagioclase/pyroxene crust. However, most asteroid families tend to show similar spectra (and therefore composition) among the members. Spectroscopic studies have observed a paucity of metal-like materials and olivine-dominated assemblages within Main Belt asteroid families.The deficit of olivine-rich mantle material in the meteorite record and in asteroid observations is known as the “Missing Mantle" problem. For years the best explanation has been the “battered to bits" hypothesis: differentiated parent bodies (aside from Vesta) were disrupted very early in the Solar System and the olivine-rich material was collisionally broken down over time. Alternatively, Elkins-Tanton et al. (2013) have suggested that previous work has overestimated the amount of olivine produced by the differentiation of a chondritic parent body.We have completed a visible and near-infrared wavelength spectral survey of asteroids in the Massalia, Merxia, and Agnia S-type Main Belt asteroid families. These families were carefully chosen for the spectroscopic survey because they have compositions most closely associated with a history of thermal metamorphism and because they represent a range of collisional formation scenarios. Additionally, members of the Merxia and Agnia families were identified as products of differentiation by Sunshine et al. (2004).Our spectral analyses suggest that the observed families contain products of partial differentiation. We will

Family Structure Changes during High School and College Selectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

An, Brian P.; Sorensen, Kia N.

2017-01-01

Research has shown that family structure changes negatively influence educational attainment, but they overlook qualitative distinctions in college choice, such as college selectivity. Yet, college choice research has largely focused on static measures of family structure, failing to account for year-to-year family structure changes that occur…

A novel mutation in the MITF may be digenic with GJB2 mutations in a large Chinese family of Waardenburg syndrome type II.

PubMed

Yan, Xukun; Zhang, Tianyu; Wang, Zhengmin; Jiang, Yi; Chen, Yan; Wang, Hongyan; Ma, Duan; Wang, Lei; Li, Huawei

2011-12-20

Waardenburg syndrome type II (WS2) is associated with syndromic deafness. A subset of WS2, WS2A, accounting for approximately 15% of patients, is attributed to mutations in the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) gene. We examined the genetic basis of WS2 in a large Chinese family. All 9 exons of the MITF gene, the single coding exon (exon 2) of the most common hereditary deafness gene GJB2 and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 12S rRNA were sequenced. A novel heterozygous mutation c.[742_743delAAinsT;746_747delCA] in exon 8 of the MITF gene co-segregates with WS2 in the family. The MITF mutation results in a premature termination codon and a truncated MITF protein with only 247 of the 419 wild type amino acids. The deaf proband had this MITF gene heterozygous mutation as well as a c.[109G>A]+[235delC] compound heterozygous pathogenic mutation in the GJB2 gene. No pathogenic mutation was found in mtDNA 12S rRNA in this family. Thus, a novel compound heterozygous mutation, c.[742_743delAAinsT;746_747delCA] in MITF exon 8 was the key genetic reason for WS2 in this family, and a digenic effect of MITF and GJB2 genes may contribute to deafness of the proband. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Role of Stress Exposure and Family Functioning in Internalizing Outcomes of Urban Families

PubMed Central

Henry, David B.; Tolan, Patrick H.; Strachan, Martha K.

2013-01-01

Although research suggests that stress exposure and family functioning are associated with internalizing problems in adolescents and caregivers, surprisingly few studies have investigated the mechanisms that underlie this association. To determine whether family functioning buffers the development of internalizing problems in stress-exposed families, we assessed the relation between stress exposure, family functioning, and internalizing symptoms among a large sample of inner-city male youth and their caregivers living in poverty across five waves of data collection. We hypothesized that stress exposure and family functioning would predict development of subsequent youth and caregiver internalizing problems and that family functioning would moderate this relation, with higher functioning families demonstrating greater resiliency to stress exposure. We used a longitudinal, prospective design to evaluate whether family functioning (assessed at waves one through four) activated or buffered the effects of stress exposure (assessed at wave one) on subsequent internalizing symptoms (assessed at waves four and five). Stress from Developmental Transitions and family functioning were significant predictors of depressive symptoms and anxiety in youth; however, family functioning did not moderate the relation. Family functioning mediated the relation between stress from Daily Hassles and internalizing outcomes suggesting that poor parenting practices, low structure, and low emotional cohesion activate depression and anxiety in youth exposed to chronic and frequent everyday stressors. Surprisingly, only family functioning predicted depressive symptoms in caregivers. Results validate the use of a comprehensive, multi-informant assessment of stress when investigating internalizing outcomes in youth and support using family-based interventions in the treatment and prevention of internalizing. PMID:25601821

The Role of Stress Exposure and Family Functioning in Internalizing Outcomes of Urban Families.

PubMed

Sheidow, Ashli J; Henry, David B; Tolan, Patrick H; Strachan, Martha K

2014-11-01

Although research suggests that stress exposure and family functioning are associated with internalizing problems in adolescents and caregivers, surprisingly few studies have investigated the mechanisms that underlie this association. To determine whether family functioning buffers the development of internalizing problems in stress-exposed families, we assessed the relation between stress exposure, family functioning, and internalizing symptoms among a large sample of inner-city male youth and their caregivers living in poverty across five waves of data collection. We hypothesized that stress exposure and family functioning would predict development of subsequent youth and caregiver internalizing problems and that family functioning would moderate this relation, with higher functioning families demonstrating greater resiliency to stress exposure. We used a longitudinal, prospective design to evaluate whether family functioning (assessed at waves one through four) activated or buffered the effects of stress exposure (assessed at wave one) on subsequent internalizing symptoms (assessed at waves four and five). Stress from Developmental Transitions and family functioning were significant predictors of depressive symptoms and anxiety in youth; however, family functioning did not moderate the relation. Family functioning mediated the relation between stress from Daily Hassles and internalizing outcomes suggesting that poor parenting practices, low structure, and low emotional cohesion activate depression and anxiety in youth exposed to chronic and frequent everyday stressors. Surprisingly, only family functioning predicted depressive symptoms in caregivers. Results validate the use of a comprehensive, multi-informant assessment of stress when investigating internalizing outcomes in youth and support using family-based interventions in the treatment and prevention of internalizing.

Qutb al-Dīn Shīrāzī (1236-1311), Persian polymath physician in the medieval period.

PubMed

Nadim, Mostafa; Farjam, Mojtaba

2016-08-01

Qutb al-Dīn Shīrāzī, a great physician in the medieval period of the Iranian Islamic age, is also called Allāma (polymath) for his extraordinary expertise in almost all fields of contemporary sciences. The peaceful and cultural environment of his hometown and family contributed to his development despite a time of horror from Mongolian repeated invasions of the Islamic countries. Shīrāzī never ceased learning and researching and migrated widely in order to find scientists to learn from them. He worked in many centres as a teacher and researcher. He practised medicine and educated students, and his books on other fields of science reflect his comprehensive mastery of most of the basic sciences and the humanities. Shīrāzī 's social and political roles make him one of the paramount of Iranian elites who contributed to the re-establishment of the Iranian-Islamic civilisation after its destruction by the Mongolians in the thirteenth century. © The Author(s) 2016.

Asteroid Family Associations of Main-Belt Comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, Henry H.; Novakovic, Bojan; Kim, Yoonyoung; Brasser, Ramon

2016-10-01

We present a population-level analysis of the asteroid family associations of known main-belt comets or main-belt comet candidates (which, to date, have largely just been analyzed on individual bases as they have been discovered). In addition to family associations that have already been reported in the literature, we have identified dynamical relationships between 324P/La Sagra and the Alauda family, P/2015 X6 (PANSTARRS) and the Aeolia family, and P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS) and the Adeona family. We will discuss the overall implications of these family associations, particularly as they pertain to the hypothesis that members of primitive asteroid family members may be more susceptible to producing observable sublimation-driven dust emission activity, and thus becoming main-belt comets. We will also discuss the significance of other dynamical and physical properties of a family or sub-family as they relate to the likelihood of that family containing one or more currently active main-belt comets.

The change of family size and structure in China.

PubMed

1992-04-01

With the socioeconomic development and change of people's values, there is some significant change in family size and structure in China. According to the 10% sample data from the 4th Census, 1 family has 3.97 persons on an average, less than the 3rd Census by 0.44 persons; among all types of families, 1-generation families account for 13.5%, 3 generation families for 18.5%, and 2-generation families account for 68%. Instead of large families consisting of several generations and many members, small families has now become a principal family type in China. According to the analysis of the sample data from the 4th Census, the family size is mainly decided by the fertility level in particular regions, and it also depends on the economic development. So family size is usually smaller in more developed regions, such as in Beijing, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Liaoning as well as in Shanghai of which family size is only 3.08 persons; and family size is generally larger in less developed regions such as in Qinghai, Guangxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, and in Tibet of which family size is as large as 5.13 persons. Specialists regard the increase of the number of families as 1 of the major consequences of the economic development, change of living style, and improvement of living standard, Young people now are more inclined to live separately from their parents. However, the increase of the number of families will undoubtedly place more pressure on housing and require more furniture and other durable consumer goods from the market. Therefore, the government and other social sectors related should make corresponding plans and policies to cope with the increase of families and minifying of family size so as to promote family planning and socioeconomic development, and to create better social circumstances for small families. full text

Modelling the effects of penetrance and family size on rates of sporadic and familial disease.

PubMed

Al-Chalabi, Ammar; Lewis, Cathryn M

2011-01-01

Many complex diseases show a diversity of inheritance patterns ranging from familial disease, manifesting with autosomal dominant inheritance, through to simplex families in which only one person is affected, manifesting as apparently sporadic disease. The role of ascertainment bias in generating apparent patterns of inheritance is often overlooked. We therefore explored the role of two key parameters that influence ascertainment, penetrance and family size, in rates of observed familiality. We develop a mathematical model of familiality of disease, with parameters for penetrance, mutation frequency and family size, and test this in a complex disease: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Monogenic, high-penetrance variants can explain patterns of inheritance in complex diseases and account for a large proportion of those with no apparent family history. With current demographic trends, rates of familiality will drop further. For example, a variant with penetrance 0.5 will cause apparently sporadic disease in 12% of families of size 10, but 80% of families of size 1. A variant with penetrance 0.9 has only an 11% chance of appearing sporadic in families of a size similar to those of Ireland in the past, compared with 57% in one-child families like many in China. These findings have implications for genetic counselling, disease classification and the design of gene-hunting studies. The distinction between familial and apparently sporadic disease should be considered artificial. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Organizational work-family resources as predictors of job performance and attitudes: the process of work-family conflict and enrichment.

PubMed

Odle-Dusseau, Heather N; Britt, Thomas W; Greene-Shortridge, Tiffany M

2012-01-01

The goal of the current study was to test a model where organizational resources (aimed at managing work and family responsibilities) predict job attitudes and supervisor ratings of performance through the mechanisms of work-family conflict and work-family enrichment. Employees (n = 174) at a large metropolitan hospital were surveyed at two time periods regarding perceptions of family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), family supportive organizational perceptions (FSOP), bidirectional work-family conflict, bidirectional work-family enrichment, and job attitudes. Supervisors were also asked to provide performance ratings at Time 2. Results revealed FSSB at Time 1 predicted job satisfaction, organizational commitment and intention to leave, as well as supervisor ratings of performance, at Time 2. In addition, both work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment were found to mediate relationships between FSSB and various organizational outcomes, while work-family conflict was not a significant mediator. Results support further testing of supervisor behaviors specific to family support, as well models that include bidirectional work-family enrichment as the mechanism by which work-family resources predict employee and organizational outcomes.

Assessing family resources: validation of the Swedish version of the Family Hardiness Index.

PubMed

Persson, Carina; Benzein, Eva; Årestedt, Kristofer

2016-12-01

All families face normative transitions. Some are perceived as stressful and calls for family resources to maintain or restore family well-being. In times of illness, families also need to develop strengths and capabilities to enhance family well-being. The way these are developed is related to family hardiness. Family hardiness is thus seen as a family resource, and the Family Hardiness Index (FHI) was developed to measure family stress resistance and adaptation resources. The index was not available in Swedish and no extensive international psychometric evaluation was found. Therefore, the aim was to translate and validate the Swedish version of the FHI. The study was approved by a Regional Ethical Review Board. Data from 174 Swedish participants, family members to persons with cognitive dysfunctions (n = 95) and nursing students (n = 79) were included. Family members were enrolled in outpatient clinics in primary care and rehabilitation, and nursing students at a nursing school. Psychometric properties were evaluated through calculations of missing data, distributions of item and scale scores, item correlations, Cronbach's alpha, confirmatory factor analyses and correlations with theoretically related constructs. Sample scores had acceptable data quality, internal consistency for the FHI total scale was satisfactory (α = 0.86), and construct validity was supported. Our findings cast some doubt on the intended interpretation since confirmatory factor analyses showed that a modified four-subscale version, excluding one subscale, showed best fit. The Control subscale lacked important psychometric properties in terms of homogeneity, internal consistency and construct validity. The sample size was probably sufficiently large for the factor analyses, but the subgroup analyses should be treated with caution. The conclusion is that the Swedish version of the FHI is a promising scale for assessing family hardiness, but more solid evidence for the factor structure in

Brief Psychotherapy in Family Practice

PubMed Central

MacDonald, Peter J.; Brown, Alan

1986-01-01

A large number of patients with psychosocial or psychiatric disorders present to family physicians, and the family physician needs a model of psychotherapy with which to cope with their problems. A model of brief psychotherapy is presented which is time limited, goal directed and easy to learn. It consists of four facets drawn from established areas of psychotherapy: characteristics of the therapist; characteristics of the patient; Eriksonian developmental stages; and the process of therapy as described by Carkhuff. These facets fit together in a way which is useful to the family physician in managing those patient problems for which brief psychotherapy is indicated. PMID:21267176

Family planning Indonesia.

PubMed

Singarimbun, M

1968-06-01

The growth of family planning activities in Indonesia in the Postwar period is traced; and future prospects for family planning are assessed. Transmigration projects initiated by the Dutch and supported by President Sukarno after Indonesian independence as a means of decreasing population pressure on the island of Java, are identified as the only official response to the population problem until 1965. In the face of the government's opposition to the idea of birth control as a population control measure, the activities of the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA) after its founding in 1957 were limited to advising mothers on spacing of their children for health reasons. Statements made in support of a national family planning program by government officials at a 1967 IPPA Congress and on other occasions are noted. The major components of an approved national family planning program to start in 1969 are described. However, the government's policy as of late 1967 and early 1968 is characterized as one of mainly benevolent encouragement and help to voluntary organizations. The chief impediment to family planning in Indonesia is said to be a lack of motivation and the force of traditional values that favor large families. On the positive side are: 1) Studies showing considerable interest in birth control by the rural population; 2) A long history of traditional birth control practices; 3) The absence of outright opposition by religious groups to the principle of family planning. However, financial costs, the need for the training of personnel, and a general unawareness of the magnitude of the task lying ahead constitute other formidable obstacles.

Three thousand families: English Canada's colonizing vision and British family settlement, 1919-39.

PubMed

Mancuso, Rebecca J

2011-01-01

After the First World War, Canada's immigration policy became more restrictive and immigration more controlled. For English Canadians, immigration of the "right type" of people—those from the British Isles—remained vital to strengthening the nation. This article examines the 3,000 Family Scheme, a joint British-Canadian settlement project in which British families, comprised of over 18,000 individuals, were relocated to homesteads as colonizers of Canada's remote areas. There, many endured isolation and hardship, and were largely blamed for their own plight. A nation-building project that failed, the 3,000 Family Scheme reveals the connections among several enduring national myths in the interwar years: the potential for agricultural expansion, British superiority, and the capabilities of a maturing Canadian state to control the settlement process.

Small Family, Smart Family? Family Size and the IQ Scores of Young Men. NBER Working Paper No. 13336

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Sandra E.; Devereux, Paul J.; Salvanes, Kjell G.

2007-01-01

How do families influence the ability of children? Cognitive skills have been shown to be a strong predictor of educational attainment and future labor market success; as a result, understanding the determinants of cognitive skills can lead to a better understanding of children's long run outcomes. This paper uses a large dataset on the male…

Searching for a Differentiated Asteroid Family: A Spectral Survey of the Massalia, Merxia, and Agnia Families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Cristina A.; Lim, Lucy; Moskovitz, Nicholas; Trilling, David

2015-11-01

Asteroid families were formed by catastrophic collisions or large cratering events that caused fragmentation of the parent body and ejection of asteroidal fragments with velocities sufficient to prevent re-accretion. Due to these formation processes, asteroid families should provide us with the opportunity to probe the interiors of the former parent bodies. Differentiation of a large initially chondritic parent body is expected to result in an "onion shell" object with an iron-nickel core, a thick olivine-dominated mantle, and a thin plagioclase/pyroxene crust. However, most asteroid families tend to show similar spectra (and therefore composition) among the members. Spectroscopic studies have observed a paucity of metal-like materials and olivine-dominated assemblages within the Main Belt asteroid families.The deficit of olivine-rich mantle material in the meteorite record and in asteroid observations is known as the "Missing Mantle" problem. For years the best explanation has been the "battered to bits" hypothesis: that all differentiated parent bodies (aside from Vesta) were disrupted very early in the Solar System and the resulting olivine-rich material was collisionally broken down over time until the object diameters fell below our observational limits. In a competing hypothesis, Elkins-Tanton et al. (2013) have suggested that previous work has overestimated the amount of olivine produced by the differentiation of a chondritic parent body.We are conducting a visible and near-infrared wavelength spectral survey of asteroids in the Massalia, Merxia, and Agnia S-type Main Belt asteroid families. These families were carefully chosen for the proposed spectroscopic survey because they have compositions most closely associated with a history of thermal metamorphism and because they represent a range of collisional formation scenarios. In addition, the relatively young ages (under 400 Myr) of these families permit testing of the “battering to bits'' timescale. We

BoS: a large and diverse family of short interspersed elements (SINEs) in Brassica oleracea.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoyu; Wessler, Susan R

2005-05-01

Short interspersed elements (SINEs) are nonautonomous non-LTR retrotransposons that populate eukaryotic genomes. Numerous SINE families have been identified in animals, whereas only a few have been described in plants. Here we describe a new family of SINEs, named BoS, that is widespread in Brassicaceae and present at approximately 2000 copies in Brassica oleracea. In addition to sharing a modular structure and target site preference with previously described SINEs, BoS elements have several unusual features. First, the head regions of BoS RNAs can adopt a distinct hairpin-like secondary structure. Second, with 15 distinct subfamilies, BoS represents one of the most diverse SINE families described to date. Third, several of the subfamilies have a mosaic structure that has arisen through the exchange of sequences between existing subfamilies, possibly during retrotransposition. Analysis of BoS subfamilies indicate that they were active during various time periods through the evolution of Brassicaceae and that active elements may still reside in some Brassica species. As such, BoS elements may be a valuable tool as phylogenetic makers for resolving outstanding issues in the evolution of species in the Brassicaceae family.

Genetics Home Reference: familial thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection

MedlinePlus

... and dissection ( familial TAAD ) involves problems with the aorta , which is the large blood vessel that distributes ... Familial TAAD affects the upper part of the aorta, near the heart. This part of the aorta ...

Familial polycystic ovarian disease.

PubMed

Givens, J R

1988-12-01

Emphasis is placed on the heterogeneity of the phenotypic presentation of PCOD. It is the common expression of an unknown number of disorders and thus is a sign and not a specific diagnosis. Two essential features are arrested follicular maturation and atresia of follicles. Normal folliculogenesis is described, emphasizing that a large number of areas could be subject to derangement causing PCOD. Any interference of the finely balanced sequence of events can lead to PCOD. The genetic defect causing familial PCOD is unknown and the initiating event remains undefined. Three families are described that illustrate four features of familial PCOD. A number of associated disorders such as diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, obesity, and hypertension are described. The potential importance of agents that modulate the LH and FSH activity that may cause PCOD is emphasized. The theoretic means by which similar male and female gonadal abnormalities may be coupled in families through growth factors EGF and alpha TGF are presented.

[Contemporary family systems--developments, problems, and possibilities].

PubMed

Reich, Günter

2005-12-01

Contemporary forms of family life and their development are described. The thesis of the pluralism of family types as a historical new phenomenon is critically reviewed, with special consideration of the relationship between family life and working world. An increasing move away from the "fordistic model" of family life took place during the last two decades towards the "multilocal multigenerational family". This development is, among others, due to the increased life expectancy and the change in the population structure. Simultaneous to this the boundaries between family and working world become more permeable. If the stability of employments decreases and the mobility of employees increases in a large scale, is discussed controversely. For an increasing number of families it becomes more and more difficult to make flexibility at work compatible with security for the children or to cope with the consequences of unemployment.

Modification of family size in families reporting history of haemophilia from Maharashtra, India.

PubMed

Potnis-Lele, Mugdha; Kar, Anita

2003-04-01

In India, genetic counselling services are largely unavailable. The question of whether awareness of the hereditary nature of the disorder leads to modified family size in affected families remains unanswered. The objective of this study was to determine whether family history of haemophilia resulted in modification of family size in families reporting haemophilia in the State of Maharashtra, India. The study was a retrospective cohort analysis from pedigrees collected from an earlier survey on haemophilia in Maharashtra. Pedigree data were manually defined into families with or without experience of haemophilia. Family size was defined as the number of live births per woman as documented in the pedigree. The data were analysed using Microsoft Excel package (version 2000) and SPSS package (version 10). Family size of obligate carriers who were daughters of patients was significantly less than the family size of obligate carriers who reported haemophilia in a brother or maternal relative (z = 7.14, P < 0.001). As compared with parents from an older generation, a significant reduction in the number of children born to younger families with haemophilia was observed, irrespective of family history of the condition. In families with history of haemophilia, there was no significant reduction in the number of families with more than one affected son in between two generations of parents (chi(2) = 1.43). The results revealed a reduction in size of families with haemophilia over a generation, which possibly reflected the reducing fertility trends observed in the Indian population. Reduction in the number of children born to women with a haemophilic father suggested a comprehension of father to daughter transmission of haemophilia. This was not true when relatives other than the father were affected. The lack of significant reduction in the number of families with history of haemophilia of having more than one affected son may suggest a compensatory response to the high

FAMILY BOMBYLIIDAE.

PubMed

Lamas, Carlos José Einicker; Evenhuis, Neal L

2016-06-14

Bombyliidae is one of the largest Diptera families with more than 4,500 recognized species worldwide. Their species vary from robust to thin, and may be small to large (2-20mm) and looks like bees or wasps. They also present great variation in color. Adults can often be seen either resting and sunning themselves on trails, rocks or twigs or feeding on flowering plants as they are nectar feeders. All reared bee flies are predators or parasitoids of arthropods. The Colombian fauna of bombyliids comprises at the moment 22 species, and 12 genera, of which, six are endemic species. Nonetheless, this number may be much higher, as Colombia is a megadiverse country and there are not many specimens of this family deposited in collections all over the world.

Family acholeplasmataceae (including phytoplasmas)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The family Acholeplasmataceae was originally established to accommodate the genus Acholeplasma, comprising the mollicutes that could be cultivated without the supplement of cholesterol and that use UGA as a stop codon instead of coding for tryptophan. It was later shown that the phytoplasmas, a larg...

Portuguese immigrant families: the impact of acculturation.

PubMed

Morrison, Marie; James, Susan

2009-03-01

Portuguese immigrants to North America represent a large ethnic group with unique family therapy needs. The present study investigates acculturation and the family lives of Portuguese (Azorean) immigrants in Canada. Methods of analytic induction and constant comparison from grounded theory were used to examine transcripts of interviews with 21 Azorean immigrant women and 28 Azorean immigrant men. A model emerged wherein (a) immigration and acculturation act as stressors on the family unit, as described by the categories Process of Change and Family Relationships; (b) family members adopt generation- and gender-specific acculturative strategies, as illustrated by the categories Duas Culturas (Two Cultures) and Falando Portuges (Speaking Portuguese); and (c) as family members acculturate, discords arise and are resolved according to the cultural traits different members have adopted. The categories Discord Resolution and Preocupação (Preoccupations) illustrate this last dynamic. Implications for family therapy with immigrant families include an indication for community-level interventions, emphasis on confidentiality, awareness of acculturation stress and different acculturative strategies within the family, and aiding the family in the negotiation and integration of a new bicultural reality.

Increased rates of cesarean sections and large families: a potentially dangerous combination.

PubMed

Saleh, Ahmed M; Dudenhausen, Joachim W; Ahmed, Badreldeen

2017-07-26

Rates of cesarean sections have been on the rise over the past three decades all over the world, despite the ideal rate of 10-15% that had been set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1985, in Fortaleza, Brazil. This epidemic increase in the rate of cesarean delivery is due to many factors which include, cesarean delivery on request, advanced maternal age at first pregnancy, decrease in number of patients who are willing to try vaginal birth after cesarean delivery, virtual disappearance of vaginal breech delivery, perceived increase in the weight of the fetus and increase in the number of women with chronic medical conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus and congenital heart disease in the reproductive age. There is no doubt that cesarean delivery is a safe procedure and it is getting safer and safer for many reasons. However, like all other surgical procedures it is not without risks both to the mother and the new born. There is a substantial increase in the incidence of morbidly adherent placenta and the risk of scar pregnancy. In the Middle East and many African and Asian countries women tend to have large families. The number of previous cesarean section deliveries is directly proportional to the risk of developing morbidly adherent placenta. Morbidly adherent placenta is the most common cause of emergency postpartum hysterectomy, which is often associated with multiple surgical complications, severe maternal morbidity and mortality. The increased rates of cesarean sections lead to increased rates of scar pregnancies, which can have lethal consequences. Cesarean delivery has a negative impact on the infant immune system. This effect on the infant led to the introduction of a new concept called "Vaginal seeding". This refers to the practice of transferring some maternal vaginal fluid to the infant born via cesarean section in an effort to enhance its immune system.

Living on the edge: health care expenses strain family budgets.

PubMed

Cummingham, Peter J; Miller, Carolyn; Cassil, Alwyn

2008-12-01

Affordability of medical care is a central focus of health care reform efforts. As health care costs continue to increase and the economy declines sharply, there is very little cushion in family budgets for health care costs, even for families with insurance coverage. Financial pressures on families from medical bills increase sharply when out-of-pocket spending for health care services exceeds 2.5 percent of family income, according to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). Low-income families and people in poor health experience financial pressures at even lower levels of spending, largely because they have already accumulated large medical debts they are unable to pay off. Many Californians also incur substantial burdens from health care expenses, although the rate of medical bill problems is somewhat lower in California compared with the overall United States. Extended interviews with a select number of families facing problems with medical bills provide additional detail on how families are forced to make difficult trade-offs with other family necessities, put off paying other bills, cut down on other expenses and delay getting needed medical care

Work-family conflict and retirement preferences.

PubMed

Raymo, James M; Sweeney, Megan M

2006-05-01

This study investigates relationships between retirement preferences and perceived levels of work-family conflict. Using the large sample of 52-54-year-old respondents to the 1992 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we estimated multinomial logistic regression models of preferences for partial and full retirement within the next 10 years. We examined the association between retirement preferences and perceived work-family conflict, evaluated the extent to which work-family conflict was a mediating mechanism between stressful work and family circumstances and preferences to retire, and explored potential gender differences in the association between work-family conflict and preferring retirement. Work-family conflict was positively related to preferences for both full and partial retirement. Yet work-family conflict did not appear to mediate relationships between stressful work and family environments and retirement preferences, nor did significant gender differences emerge in this association. Our analyses provide the first direct evidence of the role played by work-family conflict in the early stages of the retirement process, although we were not able to identify the sources of conflict underlying this relationship. Identifying the sources of this conflict and the psychological mechanisms linking work-family conflict to retirement preferences is an important task for future researchers.

Lipid transfer particle from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, is a novel member of the apoB/large lipid transfer protein family[S

PubMed Central

Yokoyama, Hiroshi; Yokoyama, Takeru; Yuasa, Masashi; Fujimoto, Hirofumi; Sakudoh, Takashi; Honda, Naoko; Fugo, Hajime; Tsuchida, Kozo

2013-01-01

Lipid transfer particle (LTP) is a high-molecular-weight, very high-density lipoprotein known to catalyze the transfer of lipids between a variety of lipoproteins, including both insects and vertebrates. Studying the biosynthesis and regulation pathways of LTP in detail has not been possible due to a lack of information regarding the apoproteins. Here, we sequenced the cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences for three apoproteins of LTP from the silkworm (Bombyx mori). The three subunit proteins of the LTP are coded by two genes, apoLTP-II/I and apoLTP-III. ApoLTP-I and apoLTP-II are predicted to be generated by posttranslational cleavage of the precursor protein, apoLTP-II/I. Clusters of amphipathic secondary structure within apoLTP-II/I are similar to Homo sapiens apolipoprotein B (apoB) and insect lipophorins. The apoLTP-II/I gene is a novel member of the apoB/large lipid transfer protein gene family. ApoLTP-III has a putative conserved juvenile hormone-binding protein superfamily domain. Expression of apoLTP-II/I and apoLTP-III genes was synchronized and both genes were primarily expressed in the fat body at the stage corresponding to increased lipid transport needs. We are now in a position to study in detail the physiological role of LTP and its biosynthesis and assembly. PMID:23812557

Composition and formations conditions of andalusite-kyanite-sillimanite pegmatoid segregstions in metamorphic rocks of the Tseel block (Mongolian Altai)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukhorukov, Vasiliy

2010-05-01

Quartz veins and pegmatoid segregations containing polymorphous Al2SiO5 modifications often occur in metamorphic complexes. Metapelites abound in various combinations of two Al2SiO5 polymorphs, e.g., andalusite + sillimanite and sillimanite + kyanite (Kerrick, 1990). Rocks with three polymorphs are much scarcer; they result from subsequent crystallization during progressive metamorphism or combined regional and contact metamorphism or from metastable crystallization (Kerrick, 1990). Study of veins containing various Al2SiO5 modifications can give insight into the PT-conditions of metamorphism and their temporal changes. The Tsel block is localized in the basins of the Tseliyn, Hudjertiyn, Sharin, and Deresetuin Rivers and is part of the Hercynides structure on the southern flank of Mongolian Altay. Pegmatoid segregations containing polymorphous Al2SiO5 modifications were discovered in the vicinity of the western contact of one of the largest basic-rock massifs, Buren-Hairhan.They are hosted by schists bearing paragenesis Bt + Ms + St + Grt + Ky + Sill + And + Fibr + Pl + Qtz. Visual examination of the pegmatoid segregations showed the presence of large (up to 4-5 cm) mineral aggregates —kyanite pseudomorphs developed after andalusite. They are prismatic, with rhombic sections, and are composed of chaotically arranged kyanite crystals with irregular-shaped andalusite relics between them. The samples also contain large (1 cm) muscovite plates localized between the pseudomorphs as well as quartz grains. The pegmatoid segregations bear the following mineral assemblage: And + Ky + Sil + Fibr + Ms + Qtz + Pl + St +Grt + Bt. Predominant minerals are Al2SiO5 polymorphs (30-50 vol.%), muscovite (30-60 vol.%), and quartz (up to 20 vol.%). Biotite and plagioclase are present in small amounts; staurolite and garnet are occasional. Based on the observed mineral correlations, the following sequence of formation of Al2SiO5 polymorphs has been established: First, andalusite was

Lightcurves of the Karin family asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Fumi; Ito, Takashi; Dermawan, Budi; Nakamura, Tsuko; Takahashi, Shigeru; Ibrahimov, Mansur A.; Malhotra, Renu; Ip, Wing-Huen; Chen, Wen-Ping; Sawabe, Yu; Haji, Masashige; Saito, Ryoko; Hirai, Masanori

2016-05-01

The Karin family is a young asteroid family formed by an asteroid breakup 5.8 Myr ago. Since the members of this family probably have not experienced significant orbital or collisional evolution yet, it is possible that they still preserve properties of the original family-forming event in terms of their spin state. We carried out a series of photometric observations of the Karin family asteroids, and here we report on the analysis of the lightcurves including the rotation period of eleven members. The mean rotation rate of the Karin family members turned out to be much lower than those of near-Earth asteroids or small main belt asteroids (diameter D < 12 km), and even lower than that of large main belt asteroids (D > 130 km). We investigated a correlation between the peak-to-trough variation and the rotation period of the eleven Karin family asteroids, and found a possible trend that elongated members have lower spin rates, and less elongated members have higher spin rates. However, this trend has to be confirmed by another series of future observations.

Family welfare.

PubMed

Sinha, N K

1992-01-01

Between 1901-1921, India gained 12.9 million people because mortality remained high. The death rate fell between 1921-1951, but birth rates remained the same. Therefore 110 million people were added--2 times the population increase between 1891-1921. Between 1951-1981, the population increased to 324 million. Socioeconomic development was responsible for most of the downward trend in the birth rate during the 20th century. Even though large families were the norm in early India, religious leaders encouraged small family size. The 1st government family planning clinics in the world opened in Mysore and Bangalore in 1930. Right before Independence, the Bhore Committee made recommendations to reduce population growth such as increasing the age of marriage for girls. Since 1951 there has been a change in measures and policies geared towards population growth with each of the 7 5-Year Plans because policy makers applied what they learned from each previous plan. The 1st 5-Year Plan emphasized the need to understand what factors contribute to population growth. It also integrated family planning services into health services of hospitals and health centers. The government was over zealous in its implementation of the sterilization program (2nd 5-Year Plan, 1956-1961), however, which hurt family planning programs for many years. As of early 1992, sterilization, especially tubectomy, remained the most popular family planning method, however. The 7th 5-Year Plan changed its target of reaching a Net Reproductive Rate of 1 by 2001 to 2006-2011. It set a goal of 100% immunization coverage by 1990 but it did not occur. In 1986, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare planned to make free contraceptives available in urban and rural areas and to involve voluntary organizations. The government needs to instill measures to increase women's status, women's literacy, and age of marriage as well as to eliminate poverty, ensure old age security, and ensure child survival and

Consolidation of glycosyl hydrolase family 30 : a dual domain 4/7 hydrolase family consisting of two structurally distinct groups

Treesearch

Franz J. St John; Javier M. Gonzalez; Edwin Pozharski

2010-01-01

In this work glycosyl hydrolase (GH) family 30 (GH30) is analyzed and shown to consist of its currently classified member sequences as well as several homologous sequence groups currently assigned within family GH5. A large scale amino acid sequence alignment and a phylogenetic tree were generated and GH30 groups and subgroups were designated. A partial rearrangement...

Germline rearrangements in families with strong family history of glioma and malignant melanoma, colon, and breast cancer

PubMed Central

Andersson, Ulrika; Wibom, Carl; Cederquist, Kristina; Aradottir, Steina; Borg, Åke; Armstrong, Georgina N.; Shete, Sanjay; Lau, Ching C.; Bainbridge, Matthew N.; Claus, Elizabeth B.; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill; Lai, Rose; Il'yasova, Dora; Houlston, Richard S.; Schildkraut, Joellen; Bernstein, Jonine L.; Olson, Sara H.; Jenkins, Robert B.; Lachance, Daniel H.; Wrensch, Margaret; Davis, Faith G.; Merrell, Ryan; Johansen, Christoffer; Sadetzki, Siegal; Bondy, Melissa L.; Melin, Beatrice S.; Adatto, Phyllis; Morice, Fabian; Payen, Sam; McQuinn, Lacey; McGaha, Rebecca; Guerra, Sandra; Paith, Leslie; Roth, Katherine; Zeng, Dong; Zhang, Hui; Yung, Alfred; Aldape, Kenneth; Gilbert, Mark; Weinberger, Jeffrey; Colman, Howard; Conrad, Charles; de Groot, John; Forman, Arthur; Groves, Morris; Levin, Victor; Loghin, Monica; Puduvalli, Vinay; Sawaya, Raymond; Heimberger, Amy; Lang, Frederick; Levine, Nicholas; Tolentino, Lori; Saunders, Kate; Thach, Thu-Trang; Iacono, Donna Dello; Sloan, Andrew; Gerson, Stanton; Selman, Warren; Bambakidis, Nicholas; Hart, David; Miller, Jonathan; Hoffer, Alan; Cohen, Mark; Rogers, Lisa; Nock, Charles J; Wolinsky, Yingli; Devine, Karen; Fulop, Jordonna; Barrett, Wendi; Shimmel, Kristen; Ostrom, Quinn; Barnett, Gene; Rosenfeld, Steven; Vogelbaum, Michael; Weil, Robert; Ahluwalia, Manmeet; Peereboom, David; Staugaitis, Susan; Schilero, Cathy; Brewer, Cathy; Smolenski, Kathy; McGraw, Mary; Naska, Theresa; Rosenfeld, Steven; Ram, Zvi; Blumenthal, Deborah T.; Bokstein, Felix; Umansky, Felix; Zaaroor, Menashe; Cohen, Avi; Tzuk-Shina, Tzeela; Voldby, Bo; Laursen, René; Andersen, Claus; Brennum, Jannick; Henriksen, Matilde Bille; Marzouk, Maya; Davis, Mary Elizabeth; Boland, Eamon; Smith, Marcel; Eze, Ogechukwu; Way, Mahalia; Lada, Pat; Miedzianowski, Nancy; Frechette, Michelle; Paleologos, Nina; Byström, Gudrun; Svedberg, Eva; Huggert, Sara; Kimdal, Mikael; Sandström, Monica; Brännström, Nikolina; Hayat, Amina; Tihan, Tarik; Zheng, Shichun; Berger, Mitchel; Butowski, Nicholas; Chang, Susan; Clarke, Jennifer; Prados, Michael; Rice, Terri; Sison, Jeannette; Kivett, Valerie; Duo, Xiaoqin; Hansen, Helen; Hsuang, George; Lamela, Rosito; Ramos, Christian; Patoka, Joe; Wagenman, Katherine; Zhou, Mi; Klein, Adam; McGee, Nora; Pfefferle, Jon; Wilson, Callie; Morris, Pagan; Hughes, Mary; Britt-Williams, Marlin; Foft, Jessica; Madsen, Julia; Polony, Csaba; McCarthy, Bridget; Zahora, Candice; Villano, John; Engelhard, Herbert; Borg, Ake; Chanock, Stephen K; Collins, Peter; Elston, Robert; Kleihues, Paul; Kruchko, Carol; Petersen, Gloria; Plon, Sharon; Thompson, Patricia; Johansen, C.; Sadetzki, S.; Melin, B.; Bondy, Melissa L.; Lau, Ching C.; Scheurer, Michael E.; Armstrong, Georgina N.; Liu, Yanhong; Shete, Sanjay; Yu, Robert K.; Aldape, Kenneth D.; Gilbert, Mark R.; Weinberg, Jeffrey; Houlston, Richard S.; Hosking, Fay J.; Robertson, Lindsay; Papaemmanuil, Elli; Claus, Elizabeth B.; Claus, Elizabeth B.; Barnholtz-Sloan, Jill; Sloan, Andrew E.; Barnett, Gene; Devine, Karen; Wolinsky, Yingli; Lai, Rose; McKean-Cowdin, Roberta; Il'yasova, Dora; Schildkraut, Joellen; Sadetzki, Siegal; Yechezkel, Galit Hirsh; Bruchim, Revital Bar-Sade; Aslanov, Lili; Sadetzki, Siegal; Johansen, Christoffer; Kosteljanetz, Michael; Broholm, Helle; Bernstein, Jonine L.; Olson, Sara H.; Schubert, Erica; DeAngelis, Lisa; Jenkins, Robert B.; Yang, Ping; Rynearson, Amanda; Andersson, Ulrika; Wibom, Carl; Henriksson, Roger; Melin, Beatrice S.; Cederquist, Kristina; Aradottir, Steina; Borg, Åke; Merrell, Ryan; Lada, Patricia; Wrensch, Margaret; Wiencke, John; Wiemels, Joe; McCoy, Lucie; McCarthy, Bridget J.; Davis, Faith G.

2014-01-01

Background Although familial susceptibility to glioma is known, the genetic basis for this susceptibility remains unidentified in the majority of glioma-specific families. An alternative approach to identifying such genes is to examine cancer pedigrees, which include glioma as one of several cancer phenotypes, to determine whether common chromosomal modifications might account for the familial aggregation of glioma and other cancers. Methods Germline rearrangements in 146 glioma families (from the Gliogene Consortium; http://www.gliogene.org/) were examined using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. These families all had at least 2 verified glioma cases and a third reported or verified glioma case in the same family or 2 glioma cases in the family with at least one family member affected with melanoma, colon, or breast cancer.The genomic areas covering TP53, CDKN2A, MLH1, and MSH2 were selected because these genes have been previously reported to be associated with cancer pedigrees known to include glioma. Results We detected a single structural rearrangement, a deletion of exons 1-6 in MSH2, in the proband of one family with 3 cases with glioma and one relative with colon cancer. Conclusions Large deletions and duplications are rare events in familial glioma cases, even in families with a strong family history of cancers that may be involved in known cancer syndromes. PMID:24723567

Perinatal detection of familial adenomatous polyposis.

PubMed

Birsner, Meredith L; Hoover-Fong, Julie; Bytyci Telegrafi, Aida; Hueppchen, Nancy A

2012-08-01

Hepatoblastoma is an uncommon fetal neoplasm that may represent an isolated malignancy or a component of a familial cancer or syndromic diagnosis. A large fetal liver mass was detected on routine ultrasound examination of a 23-year-old woman with thyroid nodules and hypertension. Inferior vena cava compression prompted delivery; postnatal biopsy revealed hepatoblastoma. Maternal thyroid biopsy revealed papillary carcinoma. Neonatal and maternal cytomolecular analysis revealed APC gene disruption at 5q22.2. Pedigree analysis exposed multigenerational colon cancer and thyroid cancer, which in conjunction with genetic testing is consistent with familial adenomatous polyposis. This is a novel means of familial adenomatous polyposis diagnosis. Obstetricians and perinatologists should be alert for familial cancer or syndromic diagnoses presenting as fetal neoplasms.

Family Structure and Family Processes in Mexican American Families

PubMed Central

Zeiders, Katharine H.; Roosa, Mark W.; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2010-01-01

Despite increases in single-parent families among Mexican Americans (MA), few studies have examined the association of family structure and family adjustment. Utilizing a diverse sample of 738 Mexican American families (21.7% single parent), the current study examined differences across family structure on early adolescent outcomes, family functioning, and parent-child relationship variables. Results revealed that early adolescents in single parent families reported greater school misconduct, CD/ODD and MDD symptoms, and greater parent-child conflict than their counterparts in two parent families. Single parent mothers reported greater economic hardship, depression and family stress. Family stress and parent-child conflict emerged as significant mediators of the association between family structure and early adolescent outcomes, suggesting important processes linking MA single parent families and adolescent adjustment. PMID:21361925

Influence of family dynamics on burden among family caregivers in aging Japan

PubMed Central

Kusaba, Tesshu; Sato, Kotaro; Fukuma, Shingo; Yamada, Yukari; Matsui, Yoshinori; Matsuda, Satoshi; Ando, Takashi; Sakushima, Ken; Fukuhara, Shunichi

2016-01-01

Background. Long-term care for the elderly is largely shouldered by their family, representing a serious burden in a hyper-aging society. However, although family dynamics are known to play an important role in such care, the influence of caring for the elderly on burden among caregiving family members is poorly understood. Objective. To examine the influence of family dynamics on burden experienced by family caregivers. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study at six primary care clinics, involving 199 caregivers of adult care receivers who need long-term care. Participants were divided into three groups based on tertile of Index of Family Dynamics for Long-term Care (IF-Long score), where higher scores imply poorer relationships between care receivers and caregiving family: best, <2; intermediate, 2 to <5; worst, ≥5. The mean differences in burden index of caregivers (BIC-11) between the three groups were estimated by linear regression model with adjustment for care receiver’s activity of daily living and cognitive function. Results. Mean age of caregivers was 63.2 years (with 40.7% aged ≥ 65 years). BIC-11 scores were higher in the worst IF-Long group (adjusted mean difference: 4.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.2 to 7.5) than in the best IF-Long group. We also detected a positive trend between IF-Long score and BIC-11 score (P-value for trend <0.01). Conclusion. Our findings indicate that family dynamics strongly influences burden experienced by caregiving family members, regardless of the care receiver’s degree of cognitive impairment. These results underscore the importance of evaluating relationships between care receivers and their caregivers when discussing a care regimen for care receivers. PMID:27450988

COLLISIONALLY BORN FAMILY ABOUT 87 SYLVIA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vokrouhlicky, David; Nesvorny, David; Bottke, William F.

There are currently more than 1000 multi-opposition objects known in the Cybele population, adjacent and exterior to the asteroid main belt, allowing a more detailed analysis than was previously possible. Searching for collisionally born clusters in this population, we find only one statistically robust case: a family of objects about (87) Sylvia. We use a numerical model to simulate the Sylvia family long-term evolution due to gravitational attraction from planets and thermal (Yarkovsky) effects and to explain its perturbed structure in the orbital element space. This allows us to conclude that the Sylvia family must be at least several hundredsmore » of million years old, in agreement with evolutionary timescales of Sylvia's satellite system. We find it interesting that other large Cybele-zone asteroids with known satellites-(107) Camilla and (121) Hermione-do not have detectable families of collisional fragments about them (this is because we assume that binaries with large primary and small secondary components are necessarily impact generated). Our numerical simulations of synthetic clusters about these asteroids show they would suffer a substantial dynamical depletion by a combined effect of diffusion in numerous weak mean-motion resonances and Yarkovsky forces provided their age is close to {approx}4 billion years. However, we also believe that a complete effacement of these two families requires an additional component, very likely due to resonance sweeping or other perturbing effects associated with the late Jupiter's inward migration. We thus propose that both Camilla and Hermione originally had their collisional families, as in the Sylvia case, but they lost them in an evolution that lasted a billion years. Their satellites are the only witnesses of these effaced families.« less

Production of a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance by Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum 213M0 isolated from Mongolian fermented mare milk, airag.

PubMed

Arakawa, Kensuke; Yoshida, Saki; Aikawa, Hiroki; Hano, Chihiro; Bolormaa, Tsognemekh; Burenjargal, Sedkhuu; Miyamoto, Taku

2016-03-01

Strain 213M0 was selected with productivity of a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) among 235 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Mongolian fermented milk 'airag'. Strain 213M0 was species-identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum by morphological observation, carbohydrate fermentation profiling and sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. Incubation temperature proper to produce the BLIS was 25°C rather than 30 and 37°C, and the production actively proceeded during the exponential growth phase of the producer cells. Antibacterial effect of BLIS 213M0 was limited to all nine strains of Listeria sp. bacteria and seven strains of LAB cocci among 53 tested strains, which corresponds to a typical feature of the class IIa pediocin-like bacteriocins. BLIS 213M0 was not inactivated in every broad pH range solution (pH 2.0-11.0), and was stable against storage at 25°C for 1 week and heating at 121°C for 15 min under pH 4.5. Peptide frame of BLIS 213M0 was confirmed by inactivation with some peptidases, and then its molecular weight was estimated to be 2.6-3.0 kDa using an in situ activity assay following sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The estimated size was different from the other Leuconostoc bacteriocins already reported. These results suggest that BLIS 213M0 would be a novel listericidal bacteriocin. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Families: It's About Time! = Les familles ont besoin de temps!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCloskey, Donna, Ed.

1997-01-01

This document presents a broad view of the Great Canadian Family--all of Canada's families, large and small, "traditional" and otherwise. The issue also examines the challenges of family life at the end of the twentieth century, in two major articles. The first article, "Of Wings and Roots" (Alan Mirabelli and Robert Glossop),…

Small quantities of carotenoid-rich tropical green leafy-vegetables indigenous to Africa maintain vitamin A status in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

PubMed Central

Ejoh, Richard A.; Dever, Joseph T.; Mills, Jordan P.; Tanumihardjo, Sherry A.

2015-01-01

Leafy vegetables are important sources of provitamin A carotenoids. Information on their ability to provide vitamin A is often misleading because of the methodology used to assess bioefficacy. Mongolian gerbils were used to evaluate the bioefficacy of provitamin A carotenoids in tropical leafy vegetables (i.e. Solanium nigrum, Moringa oleifera, Vernonia calvoana, and Hibiscus cannabinus) that are indigenous to Africa. Gerbils (n = 67) were vitamin A-depleted for 5 weeks. After a baseline kill (n = 7), the gerbils were weight-matched and assigned to 6 treatment groups (n = 10/group; 4 vegetable groups; negative and positive controls). For 4 weeks, the treatments included 35 nmol vitamin A (theoretical concentrations based on 100% bioefficacy) in the form of vegetables or retinyl acetate. In addition to their diets, the control and vegetable groups received daily doses of oil, while the vitamin A group received retinyl acetate in oil matched to prior day intake. Serum and livers were analysed for vitamin A using HPLC. Serum retinol concentrations did not differ among groups, but total liver vitamin A of the vitamin A and vegetable groups were higher than that of the negative control group (P < 0·0001). Liver β-carotene 15,15′-monooxygenase-1 expression levels were determined for two vegetable groups and were similar to the positive and negative controls. Conversion factors for the different leafy vegetables were between 1·9 and 2·3 μg β-carotene equivalents to 1 μg retinol. Small quantities of these vegetables maintained vitamin A status in gerbils through efficient bioconversion of β-carotene to retinol. PMID:20412609

A large GLC1C Greek family with a myocilin T377M mutation: inheritance and phenotypic variability.

PubMed

Petersen, Michael B; Kitsos, George; Samples, John R; Gaudette, N Donna; Economou-Petersen, Effrosini; Sykes, Renée; Rust, Kristal; Grigoriadou, Maria; Aperis, George; Choi, Dongseok; Psilas, Konstantinos; Craig, Jamie E; Kramer, Patricia L; Mackey, David A; Wirtz, Mary K

2006-02-01

POAG is a complex disease; therefore, families in which a glaucoma gene has been mapped may carry additional POAG genes. The goal of this study was to determine whether mutations in the myocilin (MYOC) gene on chromosome 1 are present in two POAG families, which have previously been mapped to the GLC1C locus on chromosome 3. The three exons of MYOC were screened by denaturing (d)HPLC. Samples with heteroduplex peaks were sequenced. Clinical findings were compared with genotype status in all available family members over the age of 20 years. A T377M coding sequence change in MYOC was identified in family members of the Greek GLC1C family but not in the Oregon GLC1C family. Individuals carrying both the MYOC T377M variant and the GLC1C haplotype were more severely affected at an earlier age than individuals with just one of the POAG genes, suggesting that these two genes interact or that both contribute to the POAG phenotype in a cumulative way.

Happy Family Kitchen II: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of a Community-Based Family Intervention for Enhancing Family Communication and Well-being in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Ho, Henry C. Y.; Mui, Moses; Wan, Alice; Ng, Yin-Lam; Stewart, Sunita M.; Yew, Carol; Lam, Tai Hing; Chan, Sophia S.

2016-01-01

Long working hours and stressful urban lifestyles pose major challenges to family communication and well-being in Hong Kong. A community-based family intervention derived from a positive psychology framework, by using cooking and dining as a platform, was developed for improving family communication and well-being. Social workers and teachers from 31 social service units and schools in collaboration with an academic partner organized and conducted the intervention programs for 2,070 individuals from 973 families in a deprived district in Hong Kong. The participants were randomly assigned into the intervention or control group in a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT). The core intervention covered one of five positive psychology themes: joy, gratitude, flow, savoring, and listening. Assessments at pre-intervention, immediate post-intervention, and 4 and 12 weeks post-intervention showed improved family communication and well-being with sustainable effects up to 12 weeks. Positive changes in family happiness and family health were greater in the intervention group than in the control group. The savoring intervention had the most improved outcomes among the five themes. We concluded that this large-scale brief cRCT developed and conducted in real-world settings provided evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of a community-based family intervention. This study was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01796275). PMID:27199864

Astronomy Outreach for Large and Unique Audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubowich, D.; Sparks, R. T.; Pompea, S. M.; Kendall, J. S.; Dugan, C.

2013-04-01

In this session, we discuss different approaches to reaching large audiences. In addition to star parties and astronomy events, the audiences for some of the events include music concerts or festivals, sick children and their families, minority communities, American Indian reservations, and tourist sites such as the National Mall. The goal is to bring science directly to the public—to people who attend astronomy events and to people who do not come to star parties, science museums, or science festivals. These programs allow the entire community to participate in astronomy activities to enhance the public appreciation of science. These programs attract large enthusiastic crowds often with young children participating in these family learning experiences. The public will become more informed, educated, and inspired about astronomy and will also be provided with information that will allow them to continue to learn after this outreach activity. Large and unique audiences often have common problems, and their solutions and the lessons learned will be presented. Interaction with the participants in this session will provide important community feedback used to improve astronomy outreach for large and unique audiences. New ways to expand astronomy outreach to new large audiences will be discussed.

Childhood Familial Victimization: An Exploration of Gender and Sexual Identity Using the Scale of Negative Family Interactions.

PubMed

Martinez, Katherine; McDonald, Courtney

2017-11-01

Familial violence poses a serious public health concern and has therefore received a considerable amount of attention from academics and practitioners alike. Research within this field has found that parent-to-parent and parent-to-child violence often occur simultaneously and are especially prevalent within households that suffer from social and environmental stressors. Sibling violence and its relationship to these other forms of familial violence has received considerably less attention, largely related to the widely held belief that sibling violence is natural, especially for boys. Using the Scale of Negative Family Interactions (SNFI), parent-to-child and sibling-to-sibling violence is investigated. Specifically, the relationship between participants' gender and sexual identities and their reports of familial violence are explored to better understand participants' gendered and sexed experiences. Data suggest that gender and sexual minorities may have a unique experience of familial violence, although further research is needed in this area.

Dose response of Listeria monocytogenes invasion, fetal morbidity, and fetal mortality after oral challenge in pregnant and nonpregnant Mongolian gerbils.

PubMed

Roulo, Rebecca M; Fishburn, Jillian D; Amosu, Mayowa; Etchison, Ashley R; Smith, Mary Alice

2014-11-01

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that can result in adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as stillbirth or premature delivery. The Mongolian gerbil was recently proposed as the most appropriate small-animal model of listeriosis due to its susceptibility to the same invasion pathways as humans. The objectives of this study were to investigate invasion and adverse pregnancy outcomes in gerbils orally exposed to L. monocytogenes, to compare the dose-response data to those of other animal models, and to investigate differences in the responses of pregnant versus nonpregnant gerbils. Gerbils were orally exposed to 0 (control), 10(3), 10(5), 10(7), or 10(9) CFU L. monocytogenes in whipping cream. L. monocytogenes was recovered in a dose-dependent manner from fecal samples, adult organs, and pregnancy-associated tissues. Dams exposed to 10(9) CFU had more invaded organs and higher concentrations of L. monocytogenes in almost all organs than nonpregnant animals, though no differences in fecal shedding were seen between the two groups. Adverse pregnancy outcomes occurred only in the dams treated with 10(9) CFU. A 50% infectivity dose (ID50) of 2.60 × 10(6) CFU for fetuses was calculated by fitting the data to a logistic model. Our results suggest that the 50% lethal dose (LD50) falls within the range of 5 × 10(6) to 5 × 10(8) CFU. This range includes the guinea pig and nonhuman primate LD50s, but the observation that L. monocytogenes-induced stillbirths can be seen in guinea pigs and primates exposed to lower doses than those at which stillbirths were seen in gerbils indicates that gerbils are not more sensitive to L. monocytogenes invasion. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Identification of a novel large intragenic deletion in a family with Fanconi anemia: first molecular report from India and review of literature.

PubMed

Shukla, Pallavi; Rao, Anita; Ghosh, Kanjaksha; Vundinti, Babu Rao

2013-04-15

We report here an Indian case with Fanconi anemia (FA) presented with fever, pallor, short stature, hyperpigmentation and upper limb anomaly. Chromosome breakage analysis together with FANCD2 Western blot monoubiquitination assay confirmed the diagnosis as FA. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) revealed a novel homozygous large intragenic deletion (exons 8-27 del) in the FANCA gene in the proband. His sib and parents were also analyzed and found to be heterozygous for the same mutation. We also reviewed the literature of FANCA large intragenic deletions found in FA patients from different countries and the mechanism involved in the formation of these deletions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular report from India on FA. The finding expands the mutation spectrum of the FANCA gene. Identification of the mutation confirms the diagnosis of FA at DNA level and helps in providing proper genetic counseling to the family. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Korean Families in America: Their Family Language Policies and Home-Language Maintenance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Hyun-Sook

2015-01-01

This study examined the family language policies (FLP) of Korean American parents and how the language practice, management, and ideology components of their FLP and demographic variables predict maintenance of the home language. Results of a large-scale (N = 480) survey show that different sets of FLP and demographic variables contributed to a…

Comprehensive clinical evaluation of a large Spanish family with Anderson-Fabry disease, novel GLA mutation and severe cardiac phenotype.

PubMed

San Román-Monserrat, Irene; Moreno-Flores, Victoria; López-Cuenca, David; Rodríguez-González-Herrero, Elena; Guillén-Navarro, Encarna; Rodríguez-González-Herrero, Beatriz; Alegría-Fernández, Marisol; Poza-Cisneros, Gabriela; Piñero-Fernández, Juan A; Sornichero-Martínez, Javier; Gimeno-Blanes, Juan R

2014-06-06

Fabry disease is an X-linked multisystemic lysosomal-storage condition. We describe a large family with a novel GLA mutation: p.M187R/g7219 T>G. Anamnesis/physical-exam, blood/urine analysis, α-Gal-A activity and/or genetic study of at-risk individuals and multidisciplinary evaluation in confirmed cases. 4 males and 13 heterozygous-females displayed the mutation. Cardiac/renal/neurological disease was diagnosed at a mean age of 41/29/39 years in males and 51/56/46 years in females. Onset mean age was 20 years versus 42 years. 9/15 had cardiomyopathy. Delta wave suggestive of accessory pathway was identified in 1 male and 2 females. 1 female had cardiac arrest (ventricular fibrillation, 61 years). 2 females and 1 male died suddenly (63, 64 and 57 years). Cardiac-subscore of Mainz Severity-Score-Index was severe for males and females over 40 years. 4/15(26%) developed early renal disease. 2 males needed dialysis. 1 male died at 69 years in spite of kidney-heart transplant. We describe the largest genetically confirmed Spanish family using multidisciplinary evaluation and MSSI calculation. The novel mutation p.M187R/g7219 T>G is associated with a particularly malignant cardiac phenotype in males and females over 40 years. Severity was higher than that of the largest Spanish FOS-cohort. Short-PR with delta is being reported for the first time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Outpatient clinic visits during heat waves: findings from a large family medicine clinical database.

PubMed

Vashishtha, Devesh; Sieber, William; Hailey, Brittany; Guirguis, Kristen; Gershunov, Alexander; Al-Delaimy, Wael K

2018-03-10

The purpose of this study was to determine whether heat waves are associated with increased frequency of clinic visits for ICD-9 codes of illnesses traditionally associated with heat waves. During 4 years of family medicine clinic data between 2012 and 2016, we identified six heat wave events in San Diego County. For each heat wave event, we selected a control period in the same season that was twice as long. Scheduling a visit on a heat wave day (versus a non-heat wave day) was the primary predictor, and receiving a primary ICD-9 disease code related to heat waves was the outcome. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity and marital status. Of the 5448 visits across the heat wave and control periods, 6.4% of visits (n = 346) were for heat wave-related diagnoses. Scheduling a visit on heat wave day was not associated with receiving a heat wave-related ICD code as compared with the control period (adjusted odds ratio: 1.35; 95% confidence interval: 0.86-1.36; P = 0.51). We show that in a relatively large and demographically diverse population, patients who schedule appointments during heat waves are not being more frequently seen for diagnoses typically associated with heat waves in the acute setting. Given that heat waves are increasing in frequency due to climate change, there is an opportunity to increase utilization of primary care clinics during heat waves.

Familial Colorectal Cancer: Understanding the Alphabet Soup.

PubMed

Giglia, Matthew D; Chu, Daniel I

2016-09-01

While most colorectal cancers (CRCs) originate from nonhereditary spontaneous mutations, one-third of cases are familial or hereditary. Hereditary CRCs, which account for < 5% of all CRCs, have identifiable germline mutations and phenotypes, such as Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Familial CRCs, which account for up to 30% of CRCs, have no identifiable germline mutation or specific pattern of inheritance, but higher-than-expected incidence within a family. Since the discovery that certain genotypes can lead to development of CRC, thousands of mutations have now been implicated in CRC. These new findings have enhanced our ability to identify at-risk patients, initiate better surveillance, and take preventative measures. Given the large number of genes now associated with hereditary and familial CRCs, clinicians should be familiar with the alphabet soup of genes to provide the highest quality of care for patients and families.

High-performance super capacitors based on activated anthracite with controlled porosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hyun-Chul; Byamba-Ochir, Narandalai; Shim, Wang-Geun; Balathanigaimani, M. S.; Moon, Hee

2015-02-01

Mongolian anthracite is chemically activated using potassium hydroxide as an activation agent to make activated carbon materials. Prior to the chemical activation, the chemical agent is introduced by two different methods as follows, (1) simple physical mixing, (2) impregnation. The physical properties such as specific surface area, pore volume, pore size distribution, and adsorption energy distribution are measured to assess them as carbon electrode materials for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC). The surface functional groups and morphology are also characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses respectively. The electrochemical results for the activated carbon electrodes in 3 M sulfuric acid electrolyte solution indicate that the activated Mongolian anthracite has relatively large specific capacitances in the range of 120-238 F g-1 and very high electrochemical stability, as they keep more than 98% of initial capacitances until 1000 charge/discharge cycles.

Income, family characteristics, and physical violence toward children.

PubMed

Berger, Lawrence M

2005-02-01

This paper discusses the ways in which existing microeconomic theories of partner abuse, intra-family bargaining, and distribution of resources within families may contribute to our current understanding of physical child abuse. The empirical implications of this discussion are then tested on data from the 1985 National Family Violence Survey (NFVS) in order to estimate the effects of income, family characteristics, and state characteristics on physical violence toward children. The sample consists of 2,760 families with children from the NFVS. Probit and ordered probit models are used to explore relationships between income, family characteristics, state characteristics, and physical violence toward children among single-parent and two-parent families. In both single-parent and two-parent families, depression, maternal alcohol consumption, and history of family violence affect children's probabilities of being abused. Additionally, income is significantly related to violence toward children in single-parent families. These results reinforce earlier findings that demographic characteristics, maternal depression, maternal alcohol use, and intra-family patterns of violence may largely contribute to child abuse. This research also suggests that income may play a substantially more important role in regard to parental violence in single-parent families than in two-parent families.

Findings from the Families on Track Intervention Pilot Trial for Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Their Families.

PubMed

Petrenko, Christie L M; Pandolfino, Mary E; Robinson, Luther K

2017-07-01

Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are at high risk for costly, debilitating mental health problems and secondary conditions, such as school disruption, trouble with the law, and substance use. The study objective was to pilot a multicomponent intervention designed to prevent secondary conditions in children with FASD and improve family adaptation. Thirty children with FASD or prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) (ages 4 to 8) and their primary caregivers were enrolled. Families were randomized to either the Families on Track Integrated Preventive Intervention or an active control of neuropsychological assessment and personalized community referrals. The 30-week intervention integrates scientifically validated bimonthly, in-home parent behavioral consultation, and weekly child skills groups. Outcomes measured at baseline and follow-up postintervention included intervention satisfaction, child emotional and behavioral functioning, child self-esteem, caregiver knowledge of FASD and advocacy, caregiver attitudes, use of targeted parenting practices, perceived family needs met, social support, and self-care. Data analysis emphasized calculation of effect sizes and was supplemented with analysis of variance techniques. Analyses indicated that families participating in the intervention reported high program satisfaction. Relative to comparison group outcomes, the intervention was associated with medium-to-large effects for child emotion regulation, self-esteem, and anxiety. Medium-sized improvements in disruptive behavior were observed for both groups. Medium and large effects were seen for important caregiver outcomes: knowledge of FASD and advocacy, attributions of behavior, use of antecedent strategies, parenting efficacy, family needs met, social support, and self-care. This pilot study yielded promising findings from the multicomponent Families on Track Integrated Preventive Intervention for child and caregiver outcomes. An important next step is to

Targeted Enrichment of Large Gene Families for Phylogenetic Inference: Phylogeny and Molecular Evolution of Photosynthesis Genes in the Portullugo Clade (Caryophyllales).

PubMed

Moore, Abigail J; Vos, Jurriaan M De; Hancock, Lillian P; Goolsby, Eric; Edwards, Erika J

2018-05-01

Hybrid enrichment is an increasingly popular approach for obtaining hundreds of loci for phylogenetic analysis across many taxa quickly and cheaply. The genes targeted for sequencing are typically single-copy loci, which facilitate a more straightforward sequence assembly and homology assignment process. However, this approach limits the inclusion of most genes of functional interest, which often belong to multi-gene families. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of including large gene families in hybrid enrichment protocols for phylogeny reconstruction and subsequent analyses of molecular evolution, using a new set of bait sequences designed for the "portullugo" (Caryophyllales), a moderately sized lineage of flowering plants (~ 2200 species) that includes the cacti and harbors many evolutionary transitions to C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM photosynthesis. Including multi-gene families allowed us to simultaneously infer a robust phylogeny and construct a dense sampling of sequences for a major enzyme of C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM photosynthesis, which revealed the accumulation of adaptive amino acid substitutions associated with C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM origins in particular paralogs. Our final set of matrices for phylogenetic analyses included 75-218 loci across 74 taxa, with ~ 50% matrix completeness across data sets. Phylogenetic resolution was greatly improved across the tree, at both shallow and deep levels. Concatenation and coalescent-based approaches both resolve the sister lineage of the cacti with strong support: Anacampserotaceae $+$ Portulacaceae, two lineages of mostly diminutive succulent herbs of warm, arid regions. In spite of this congruence, BUCKy concordance analyses demonstrated strong and conflicting signals across gene trees. Our results add to the growing number of examples illustrating the complexity of phylogenetic signals in genomic-scale data.

Why Paid Family and Medical Leave Matters for the Future of America's Families, Businesses and Economy.

PubMed

Rowe-Finkbeiner, Kristin; Martin, Ruth; Abrams, Brett; Zuccaro, Anna; Dardari, Yasmina

2016-11-01

Paid family and medical leave are vital public policies for promoting large-scale improvements in maternal and child health that can boost our national economy. That is why MomsRising-a national on-the-ground and online grassroots organization with over a million members across the United States-is thrilled by the growing momentum for paid family and medical leave. We are not the least bit surprised that support for this critical policy is growing. The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world without paid family and medical leave, and the fact that these basic workplace protections are missing hurts America's global competitiveness, businesses, economy, and, most importantly, infant and maternal mortality rates.

Family, Religion, and Work among Arab American Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghazal Read, Jen'nan

2004-01-01

Using data from a national survey of 501 Arab American women, this study examines the extent to which family behavior mediates the influence of religion on women's labor force activity. Prior research on families has largely overlooked the role of religion in influencing women's labor force decisions, particularly at different stages of the life…

Association between Secondary and Primary Sjögren's Syndrome in a Large Collection of Lupus Families.

PubMed

Aggarwal, Rachna; Anaya, Juan-Manuel; Koelsch, Kristi A; Kurien, Biji T; Scofield, R Hal

2015-01-01

Objective. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome (SS) share clinical and immunogenetic features and may occur together. We undertook this study to determine the risk of primary SS among SLE-unaffected relatives of SLE patients and whether or not primary and secondary SS tended to occur in the same families. Methods. We collected clinical and serological data on 2694 SLE patients, 7390 SLE-unaffected relatives of the SLE patients, and 1470 matched controls. Results. Of the 2694 subjects with SLE, 548 had secondary SS, while 71 of their 7390 SLE-unaffected relatives had primary SS. None of the 1470 controls had SS as defined herein (p = 5 × 10(-5) compared to SLE-unaffected relatives). Of the 71 SLE-unaffected relatives with primary SS, 18 (25.3%) had an SLE-affected family member with secondary SS, while only 530 of the 7319 (7.2%) SLE-unaffected relatives without SS did so (p = 1 × 10(-8)). Conclusion. Among families identified for the presence of SLE, primary and secondary SS tend to occur within the same families. These results highlight the commonalities between these two forms of SS, which in fact correspond to the same disease.

The Human Salivary Microbiome Is Shaped by Shared Environment Rather than Genetics: Evidence from a Large Family of Closely Related Individuals.

PubMed

Shaw, Liam; Ribeiro, Andre L R; Levine, Adam P; Pontikos, Nikolas; Balloux, Francois; Segal, Anthony W; Roberts, Adam P; Smith, Andrew M

2017-09-12

The human microbiome is affected by multiple factors, including the environment and host genetics. In this study, we analyzed the salivary microbiomes of an extended family of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals living in several cities and investigated associations with both shared household and host genetic similarities. We found that environmental effects dominated over genetic effects. While there was weak evidence of geographical structuring at the level of cities, we observed a large and significant effect of shared household on microbiome composition, supporting the role of the immediate shared environment in dictating the presence or absence of taxa. This effect was also seen when including adults who had grown up in the same household but moved out prior to the time of sampling, suggesting that the establishment of the salivary microbiome earlier in life may affect its long-term composition. We found weak associations between host genetic relatedness and microbiome dissimilarity when using family pedigrees as proxies for genetic similarity. However, this association disappeared when using more-accurate measures of kinship based on genome-wide genetic markers, indicating that the environment rather than host genetics is the dominant factor affecting the composition of the salivary microbiome in closely related individuals. Our results support the concept that there is a consistent core microbiome conserved across global scales but that small-scale effects due to a shared living environment significantly affect microbial community composition. IMPORTANCE Previous research shows that the salivary microbiomes of relatives are more similar than those of nonrelatives, but it remains difficult to distinguish the effects of relatedness and shared household environment. Furthermore, pedigree measures may not accurately measure host genetic similarity. In this study, we include genetic relatedness based on genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rather than

Wild plant folk nomenclature of the Mongol herdsmen in the Arhorchin National Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia, PR China.

PubMed

Soyolt; Galsannorbu; Yongping; Wunenbayar; Liu, Guohou; Khasbagan

2013-04-24

Folk names of plants are the root of traditional plant biodiversity knowledge. In pace with social change and economic development, Mongolian knowledge concerning plant diversity is gradually vanishing. Collection and analysis of Mongolian folk names of plants is extremely important. During 2008 to 2012, the authors have been to the Arhorchin National Nature Reserve area 5 times. Fieldwork was done in 13 villages, with 56 local Mongol herdsmen being interviewed. This report documents plant folk names, analyzes the relationship between folk names and scientific names, looks at the structure and special characteristics of folk names, plant use information, and comparative analysis were also improved. Ethnobotanical interviewing methods of free-listing and open-ended questionnaires were used. Ethnobotanical interview and voucher specimen collection were carried out in two ways as local plant specimens were collected beforehand and then used in interviews, and local Mongol herdsmen were invited to the field and interviewed while collecting voucher specimens. Mongolian oral language was used as the working language and findings were originally recorded in Mongolian written language. Scientific names of plants are defined through collection and identification of voucher specimens by the methods of plant taxonomy. A total of 146 folk names of local plants are recorded. Plant folk names corresponded with 111 species, 1 subspecies, 7 varieties, 1 form, which belong to 42 families and 88 genera. The correspondence between plant folk names and scientific names may be classified as one to one correspondence, two or three to one correspondence, and one to multitude correspondence. The structure of folk names were classified as primary names, secondary names and borrowed names. There were 12 folk names that contain animal names and they have correspondence with 15 species. There are nine folk names that contain usage information and they have correspondence with 10 species in

Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences of Mongolia Medicine Artemisia frigida and Phylogenetic Relationships with Other Plants

PubMed Central

Liu, Yue; Huo, Naxin; Dong, Lingli; Wang, Yi; Zhang, Shuixian; Young, Hugh A.; Feng, Xiaoxiao; Gu, Yong Qiang

2013-01-01

Background Artemisia frigida Willd. is an important Mongolian traditional medicinal plant with pharmacological functions of stanch and detumescence. However, there is little sequence and genomic information available for Artemisia frigida, which makes phylogenetic identification, evolutionary studies, and genetic improvement of its value very difficult. We report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Artemisia frigida based on 454 pyrosequencing. Methodology/Principal Findings The complete chloroplast genome of Artemisia frigida is 151,076 bp including a large single copy (LSC) region of 82,740 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,394 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,971 bp. The genome contains 114 unique genes and 18 duplicated genes. The chloroplast genome of Artemisia frigida contains a small 3.4 kb inversion within a large 23 kb inversion in the LSC region, a unique feature in Asteraceae. The gene order in the SSC region of Artemisia frigida is inverted compared with the other 6 Asteraceae species with the chloroplast genomes sequenced. This inversion is likely caused by an intramolecular recombination event only occurred in Artemisia frigida. The existence of rich SSR loci in the Artemisia frigida chloroplast genome provides a rare opportunity to study population genetics of this Mongolian medicinal plant. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates a sister relationship between Artemisia frigida and four other species in Asteraceae, including Ageratina adenophora, Helianthus annuus, Guizotia abyssinica and Lactuca sativa, based on 61 protein-coding sequences. Furthermore, Artemisia frigida was placed in the tribe Anthemideae in the subfamily Asteroideae (Asteraceae) based on ndhF and trnL-F sequence comparisons. Conclusion The chloroplast genome sequence of Artemisia frigida was assembled and analyzed in this study, representing the first plastid genome sequenced in the Anthemideae tribe. This complete chloroplast genome sequence will be

Prevalence of childhood asthma in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2009.

PubMed

Yoshihara, Shigemi; Munkhbayarlakh, Sonomjants; Makino, Sohei; Ito, Clyde; Logii, Narantsetseg; Dashdemberel, Sarangerel; Sagara, Hironori; Fukuda, Takeshi; Arisaka, Osamu

2016-01-01

Bronchial asthma is a common but important chronic disease in children in all over the world. To take measures against prevalence of childhood asthma, many researchers have surveyed the actual statuses of childhood asthma in developed countries, but in most Asia-Pacific developing countries including Mongolia such surveys have never been sufficiently conducted until now. We have thought that this survey, though performed in 2009, will give important and meaningful information even now in taking measures to prevent prevailing bronchial asthma in children in Mongolia or the countries under similar statuses. The asthma prevalence and patient background information in Mongolian children aged 6-7 living in Ulaanbaatar were examined using a written questionnaire modified for their parents from that prepared by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The estimated prevalence of asthma in Mongolian children was 20.9%. The following 3 risk factors were found to be related to asthma: (1) having allergic rhinitis symptoms, (2) mothers' smoking, and (3) history of severe respiratory infection before 1-year-old. The asthma prevalence in Mongolian children was higher than that in the world and Asia-Pacific countries reported by ISAAC. The higher prevalence was probably attributable to households' (especially mothers) smoking in draft-free houses designed for the cold area and severe air-pollution due to rapid industrialization and urbanization in Mongolia. Smoking prohibition in the mother (including family members) and a reduction of exposure to air pollutants are urgently needed to prevent developing childhood asthma. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prenatal diagnosis for a novel splice mutation of PHEX gene in a large Han Chinese family affected with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets.

PubMed

Qiu, Guangrong; Liu, Caixia; Zhou, Jingyi; Liu, Peiyan; Wang, Jun; Jiang, Hongkun; Hou, Zhiyan; Zhao, Yanyan; Sun, Kailai; Li-Ling, Jesse

2010-06-01

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is the most common form of heritable rickets characterized by X-linked dominant inheritance, renal phosphate wasting, hypophosphatemia, and defective bone mineralization. Inactivating mutations of the PHEX gene located at Xp22.1 have been linked with this disease. Ethnic distribution of such mutations seems widespread but only a few mutations in the Chinese population have been reported to date. We report on a large Han Chinese family affected with XLH rickets, which included 13 patients from four generations. Polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing were performed for all exons and intron-exon boundaries of the PHEX gene. The effect of nucleotide changes was analyzed using bioinformatic software. Prenatal diagnosis was performed on umbilical cord blood at the 20th gestational week. A novel G-->A splice mutation in intron 7 (c.849+1G>A) was identified in all patients from the family. As confirmed by reverse-transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the mutation has rendered loss of a normal splice donor site (c.849+1G) while activating a cryptic one at c.849+519G, which resulted in addition of 518 nucleotides to the mature RNA. Prenatal diagnosis had excluded the fetus for carrying the same mutation. A healthy boy was born later. A novel splice mutation c.849+1G>A in the PHEX gene is responsible for XLH in the studied family. Further studies may enhance our understanding of the role of this mutation in the pathogenesis of XLH.

Inherited mutations in 17 breast cancer susceptibility genes among a large triple-negative breast cancer cohort unselected for family history of breast cancer.

PubMed

Couch, Fergus J; Hart, Steven N; Sharma, Priyanka; Toland, Amanda Ewart; Wang, Xianshu; Miron, Penelope; Olson, Janet E; Godwin, Andrew K; Pankratz, V Shane; Olswold, Curtis; Slettedahl, Seth; Hallberg, Emily; Guidugli, Lucia; Davila, Jaime I; Beckmann, Matthias W; Janni, Wolfgang; Rack, Brigitte; Ekici, Arif B; Slamon, Dennis J; Konstantopoulou, Irene; Fostira, Florentia; Vratimos, Athanassios; Fountzilas, George; Pelttari, Liisa M; Tapper, William J; Durcan, Lorraine; Cross, Simon S; Pilarski, Robert; Shapiro, Charles L; Klemp, Jennifer; Yao, Song; Garber, Judy; Cox, Angela; Brauch, Hiltrud; Ambrosone, Christine; Nevanlinna, Heli; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Slager, Susan L; Vachon, Celine M; Eccles, Diana M; Fasching, Peter A

2015-02-01

Recent advances in DNA sequencing have led to the development of breast cancer susceptibility gene panels for germline genetic testing of patients. We assessed the frequency of mutations in 17 predisposition genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, in a large cohort of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) unselected for family history of breast or ovarian cancer to determine the utility of germline genetic testing for those with TNBC. Patients with TNBC (N = 1,824) unselected for family history of breast or ovarian cancer were recruited through 12 studies, and germline DNA was sequenced to identify mutations. Deleterious mutations were identified in 14.6% of all patients. Of these, 11.2% had mutations in the BRCA1 (8.5%) and BRCA2 (2.7%) genes. Deleterious mutations in 15 other predisposition genes were detected in 3.7% of patients, with the majority observed in genes involved in homologous recombination, including PALB2 (1.2%) and BARD1, RAD51D, RAD51C, and BRIP1 (0.3% to 0.5%). Patients with TNBC with mutations were diagnosed at an earlier age (P < .001) and had higher-grade tumors (P = .01) than those without mutations. Deleterious mutations in predisposition genes are present at high frequency in patients with TNBC unselected for family history of cancer. Mutation prevalence estimates suggest that patients with TNBC, regardless of age at diagnosis or family history of cancer, should be considered for germline genetic testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2. Although mutations in other predisposition genes are observed among patients with TNBC, better cancer risk estimates are needed before these mutations are used for clinical risk assessment in relatives. © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Inherited Mutations in 17 Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes Among a Large Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cohort Unselected for Family History of Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Couch, Fergus J.; Hart, Steven N.; Sharma, Priyanka; Toland, Amanda Ewart; Wang, Xianshu; Miron, Penelope; Olson, Janet E.; Godwin, Andrew K.; Pankratz, V. Shane; Olswold, Curtis; Slettedahl, Seth; Hallberg, Emily; Guidugli, Lucia; Davila, Jaime I.; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Janni, Wolfgang; Rack, Brigitte; Ekici, Arif B.; Slamon, Dennis J.; Konstantopoulou, Irene; Fostira, Florentia; Vratimos, Athanassios; Fountzilas, George; Pelttari, Liisa M.; Tapper, William J.; Durcan, Lorraine; Cross, Simon S.; Pilarski, Robert; Shapiro, Charles L.; Klemp, Jennifer; Yao, Song; Garber, Judy; Cox, Angela; Brauch, Hiltrud; Ambrosone, Christine; Nevanlinna, Heli; Yannoukakos, Drakoulis; Slager, Susan L.; Vachon, Celine M.; Eccles, Diana M.; Fasching, Peter A.

2015-01-01

Purpose Recent advances in DNA sequencing have led to the development of breast cancer susceptibility gene panels for germline genetic testing of patients. We assessed the frequency of mutations in 17 predisposition genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, in a large cohort of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) unselected for family history of breast or ovarian cancer to determine the utility of germline genetic testing for those with TNBC. Patients and Methods Patients with TNBC (N = 1,824) unselected for family history of breast or ovarian cancer were recruited through 12 studies, and germline DNA was sequenced to identify mutations. Results Deleterious mutations were identified in 14.6% of all patients. Of these, 11.2% had mutations in the BRCA1 (8.5%) and BRCA2 (2.7%) genes. Deleterious mutations in 15 other predisposition genes were detected in 3.7% of patients, with the majority observed in genes involved in homologous recombination, including PALB2 (1.2%) and BARD1, RAD51D, RAD51C, and BRIP1 (0.3% to 0.5%). Patients with TNBC with mutations were diagnosed at an earlier age (P < .001) and had higher-grade tumors (P = .01) than those without mutations. Conclusion Deleterious mutations in predisposition genes are present at high frequency in patients with TNBC unselected for family history of cancer. Mutation prevalence estimates suggest that patients with TNBC, regardless of age at diagnosis or family history of cancer, should be considered for germline genetic testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2. Although mutations in other predisposition genes are observed among patients with TNBC, better cancer risk estimates are needed before these mutations are used for clinical risk assessment in relatives. PMID:25452441

Hereditary factors are unlikely behind unusual pattern of early - Onset colorectal cancer in Egyptians: A study of family history and pathology features in Egyptians with large bowel cancer (cross-sectional study).

PubMed

Abou-Zeid, Ahmed A; Jumuah, Wael A; Ebied, Essam F; Abd El Samee Atia, Karim Sabry; El Ghamrini, Yasser; Somaie, Dina A

2017-08-01

Colorectal cancer in Egypt has a higher incidence in young patients compared to western countries, where the disease is more prevalent in the old age group. This difference has been attributed to higher incidence of hereditary cancers in young Egyptian patients. The aim of this study is to compare the family history criteria and pathology features of tumors in young (≤40 years) and old (>40 years) Egyptian patients with adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum. This is the analysis of our prospectively collected data on the pathology features of tumors in 313 consecutive patients (133 young, 180 old) with colorectal cancer presenting to the Department of Surgery within an eight-year period. A detailed family history was obtained from 258 patients (112 young, 146 old). 41 young and 48 old patients reported family history of cancer, the difference was not statistically significant. Ten young patients (9%) reported a family history of colorectal cancer in a first degree relative (3 fitting into Amsterdam criteria, 7 fitting into less strict criteria) which was not significantly different from the old age group. The pathologic features of tumors in both groups resembled sporadic rather than hereditary cancer and there was no significant difference between groups in tumor location, degree of differentiation, mucin production, synchronous and metachronous colorectal tumors or polyps and grossly stricturing or ulcerating tumors. Extracolonic tumors developed in one young and two old patients. The characteristics of large bowel cancer in young Egyptian patients do not differ significantly from those in older patients. Despite the high incidence of large bowel cancer in young Egyptian patients, family history and pathologic features of tumors do not support a hereditary origin of colorectal cancer in this age group in Egypt. Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Family-Based Approaches to Cardiovascular Health Promotion.

PubMed

Vedanthan, Rajesh; Bansilal, Sameer; Soto, Ana Victoria; Kovacic, Jason C; Latina, Jacqueline; Jaslow, Risa; Santana, Maribel; Gorga, Elio; Kasarskis, Andrew; Hajjar, Roger; Schadt, Eric E; Björkegren, Johan L; Fayad, Zahi A; Fuster, Valentin

2016-04-12

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the world, and the increasing burden is largely a consequence of modifiable behavioral risk factors that interact with genomics and the environment. Continuous cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention throughout the lifespan is critical, and the family is a central entity in this process. In this review, we describe the potential rationale and mechanisms that contribute to the importance of family for cardiovascular health promotion, focusing on: 1) mutual interdependence of the family system; 2) shared environment; 3) parenting style; 4) caregiver perceptions; and 5) genomics. We conclude that family-based approaches that target both caregivers and children, encourage communication among the family unit, and address the structural and environmental conditions in which families live and operate are likely to be the most effective approach to promote cardiovascular health. We describe lessons learned, future implications, and applications to ongoing and planned studies. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ingredients in Nutrition Education: Family Involvement, Reading and Race.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunseri, Albert J.; And Others

1984-01-01

The Chicago Heart Health Curriculum Program was implemented in a large urban school to compare the differential involvement of four race/ethnic groups in family intervention and to evaluate the program's impact on students' nutrition knowledge. Results indicate success in conducting family intervention with an educationally and racially diverse…

Familial occurrence of cervical artery dissection--coincidence or sign of familial predisposition?

PubMed

Grond-Ginsbach, Caspar; de Freitas, Gabriel R; Campos, Cynthia R; Thie, Andreas; Caso, Valeria; Machetanz, Jochen; Kloss, Manja

2012-01-01

dissection events and of long-term (>1 year) recurrent dissections in patients with a familial history of CeAD indicates that a specific predisposition for familial CeAD exists. Since age of onset and affected vessel differ between families, the risk profile for familial CeAD is heterogeneous. A large-scale (whole exome) sequencing analysis of 14 patients from 7 of the analyzed families is currently being performed in order to identify causative genetic variants. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Marching Is for Soldiers: Russian-Born Buriat Children in a Chinese Bilingual School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sartor, Valerie

2015-01-01

This ethnographic study examines the educational struggles of Russian-born Buriat Mongolian children studying in China at a Mongolian/Mandarin school, by emphasizing conflicting educational paradigms between the Russian and Chinese systems. Educational practices are compared. Standardized assessment, teacher-centered classrooms, and group-…

Preservation and Modification of Culture in Family Socialization: Development of Parenting Measures for Korean Immigrant Families

PubMed Central

Choi, Yoonsun; Kim, You Seung; Drankus, Dina; Kim, Hyun Jee

2012-01-01

This study aims to describe the family socialization beliefs and practices of Korean immigrant parents through testing psychometric properties of several newly developed items and scales to assess the major components of the Korean traditional concept of family socialization, ga-jung-kyo-yuk. These new measures were examined for validity and reliability. The findings show that Korean immigrant parents largely preserve their traditional and core parenting values, while also showing meaningful, yet not very dramatic, signs of adopting new cultural traits. The results also suggest that the acculturative process may not be simply bilinear but may generate a new, unique and blended value and behavior set from the two (or more) cultures involved. Culturally appropriate practice requires not only further validation of existing knowledge with minority groups, but the development of a theoretical framework of family socialization that recognizes the cultural uniqueness of immigrant families. PMID:24765236

Family ties: constructing family time in low-income families.

PubMed

Tubbs, Carolyn Y; Roy, Kevin M; Burton, Linda M

2005-03-01

"Family time" is reflected in the process of building and fortifying family relationships. Whereas such time, free of obligatory work, school, and family maintenance activities, is purchased by many families using discretionary income, we explore how low-income mothers make time for and give meaning to focused engagement and relationship development with their children within time constraints idiosyncratic to being poor and relying on welfare. Longitudinal ethnographic data from 61 low-income African American, European American, and Latina American mothers were analyzed to understand how mothers construct family time during daily activities such as talking, play, and meals. We also identify unique cultural factors that shape family time for low-income families, such as changing temporal orientations, centrality of television time, and emotional burdens due to poverty. Implications for family therapy are also discussed.

The Consequences of Witnessing Family Violence on Children and Implications for Family Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Christopher M.

2006-01-01

Although a large number of children are directly abused, an even larger number may indirectly experience the effects of abuse as witnesses of family violence. However, the effects on children who witness such violence have long been unaddressed, although a growing body of research indicates that these children are affected in various domains,…

Family Distance Regulation and School Engagement in Middle-School-Aged Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartle-Haring, Suzanne; Younkin, Felisha Lotspeich; Day, Randal

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how family distance regulation and other family demographic factors influence parenting behavior and family routines, which, in turn, influences the child's school engagement. The data from the project came from a larger study conducted in a large Northwestern urban area and included both two-parent and…

Comparative Analysis of P450 Signature Motifs EXXR and CXG in the Large and Diverse Kingdom of Fungi: Identification of Evolutionarily Conserved Amino Acid Patterns Characteristic of P450 Family

PubMed Central

Syed, Khajamohiddin; Mashele, Samson Sitheni

2014-01-01

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are heme-thiolate proteins distributed across the biological kingdoms. P450s are catalytically versatile and play key roles in organisms primary and secondary metabolism. Identification of P450s across the biological kingdoms depends largely on the identification of two P450 signature motifs, EXXR and CXG, in the protein sequence. Once a putative protein has been identified as P450, it will be assigned to a family and subfamily based on the criteria that P450s within a family share more than 40% homology and members of subfamilies share more than 55% homology. However, to date, no evidence has been presented that can distinguish members of a P450 family. Here, for the first time we report the identification of EXXR- and CXG-motifs-based amino acid patterns that are characteristic of the P450 family. Analysis of P450 signature motifs in the under-explored fungal P450s from four different phyla, ascomycota, basidiomycota, zygomycota and chytridiomycota, indicated that the EXXR motif is highly variable and the CXG motif is somewhat variable. The amino acids threonine and leucine are preferred as second and third amino acids in the EXXR motif and proline and glycine are preferred as second and third amino acids in the CXG motif in fungal P450s. Analysis of 67 P450 families from biological kingdoms such as plants, animals, bacteria and fungi showed conservation of a set of amino acid patterns characteristic of a particular P450 family in EXXR and CXG motifs. This suggests that during the divergence of P450 families from a common ancestor these amino acids patterns evolve and are retained in each P450 family as a signature of that family. The role of amino acid patterns characteristic of a P450 family in the structural and/or functional aspects of members of the P450 family is a topic for future research. PMID:24743800

Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Variable Region and Major Histocompatibility Region Genes Are Linked to Induced Graves' Disease in Females From Two Very Large Families of Recombinant Inbred Mice

PubMed Central

Aliesky, Holly; Banuelos, Bianca; Magana, Jessica; Williams, Robert W.; Rapoport, Basil

2014-01-01

Graves' hyperthyroidism is caused by antibodies to the TSH receptor (TSHR) that mimic thyroid stimulation by TSH. Stimulating TSHR antibodies and hyperthyroidism can be induced by immunizing mice with adenovirus expressing the human TSHR A-subunit. Prior analysis of induced Graves' disease in small families of recombinant inbred (RI) female mice demonstrated strong genetic control but did not resolve trait loci for TSHR antibodies or elevated serum T4. We investigated the genetic basis for induced Graves' disease in female mice of two large RI families and combined data with earlier findings to provide phenotypes for 178 genotypes. TSHR antibodies measured by inhibition of TSH binding to its receptor were highly significantly linked in the BXD set to the major histocompatibility region (chromosome 17), consistent with observations in 3 other RI families. In the LXS family, we detected linkage between T4 levels after TSHR-adenovirus immunization and the Ig heavy chain variable region (Igvh, chromosome 12). This observation is a key finding because components of the antigen binding region of Igs determine antibody specificity and have been previously linked to induced thyroid-stimulating antibodies. Data from the LXS family provide the first evidence in mice of a direct link between induced hyperthyroidism and Igvh genes. A role for major histocompatibility genes has now been established for genetic susceptibility to Graves' disease in both humans and mice. Future studies using arrays incorporating variation in the complex human Ig gene locus will be necessary to determine whether Igvh genes are also linked to Graves' disease in humans. PMID:25051451

Provider, veteran, and family perspectives on family education in Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient facilities.

PubMed

Sherman, Michelle D; Fischer, Ellen P

2012-02-01

The Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system is dedicated to providing high-quality mental health services to all veterans, including the nearly 40% of enrolled veterans living in rural areas. Family education programs regarding mental illness and posttraumatic stress disorder, mandated for delivery in all VA medical centers and some community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), have been developed and provided primarily in large, urban medical centers. This qualitative investigation involved interviews with CBOC providers and veterans and families who live in rural areas and/or seek care in CBOCs to ascertain their perceptions of the benefits, feasibility, structural and cultural barriers, and logistical preferences regarding family education. The perspectives and concerns that emerged in these interviews were combined with expert knowledge to identify the resources and considerations a VAMC would want to address when translating and implementing similar programming into CBOCs. Although institutional, logistic, and attitudinal challenges were described, all three stakeholder groups endorsed the need for family education, did not see the barriers as insurmountable, and provided creative solutions. Administrators and CBOC clinicians may benefit by anticipating and problem solving around the key issues raised when developing family programming.

Family Functioning Differences Across the Deployment Cycle in British Army Families: The Perceptions of Wives and Children.

PubMed

Pye, Rachel E; Simpson, Leanne K

2017-09-01

Military deployment can have an adverse effect on a soldier's family, though little research has looked at these effects in a British sample. We investigated wives' of U.K.-serving soldiers perceptions of marital and family functioning, across three stages of the deployment cycle: currently deployed, postdeployment and predeployed, plus a nonmilitary comparison group. Uniquely, young (aged 3.5-11 years) children's perceptions of their family were also investigated, using the parent-child alliance (PCA) coding scheme of drawings of the family. Two hundred and twenty British military families of regular service personnel from the British Army's Royal Armoured Corps, were sent survey packs distributed with a monthly welfare office newsletter. Wives were asked to complete a series of self-report items, and the youngest child in the family between the ages of 3.5 and 11 years was asked to draw a picture of their family. Complete data were available for 78 military families, and an additional 34 nonmilitary families were recruited via opportunity sampling. Results indicated wives of currently deployed and recently returned personnel were less satisfied with their family and its communication, and children's pictures indicated higher levels of dysfunctional parent-child alliance, whereas predeployed families responded similarly to nonmilitary families. Marital satisfaction was similar across all groups except predeployed families who were significantly more satisfied. Nonmilitary and predeployed families showed balanced family functioning, and currently and recently deployed families demonstrated poor family functioning. In comparison to nonmilitary families, predeployed families showed a large "spike" in the rigidity subscale of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV. Wives' perceptions of family functioning, but not marital satisfaction, differed between the deployment groups. The results from the coded children's drawings correlated with the self