A Preliminary Study of FTIR Spectroscopy as a Potential Non-Invasive Screening Tool for Pediatric Precursor B Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Early detection of the most common pediatric neoplasm, B-cell precursor lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), is challenging and requires invasive bone marrow biopsies. The purpose of this study was to establish new biomarkers for early screening to detect pediatric leukemia. In this small cohort study, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were obtained from blood sera of 10 patients with BCP-ALL and were compared with the control samples from 10 children with some conditions other than neoplasm.

NANOS1 and PUMILIO2 bind microRNA biogenesis factor GEMIN3, within chromatoid body in human germ cells.

Nanos and pumilio bind each other to regulate translation of specific mRNAs in germ cells of model organisms, such as D. melanogaster or C. elegans.

The highly conserved NANOS2 protein: testis-specific expression and significance for the human male reproduction.

The highly conserved Nanos gene was found to encode a translational repressor necessary for germ-cell development in lower organisms. The mammalian homologue, Nanos2, was recently found to be expressed in the mouse germ cells. Since its disruption caused infertility exclusively in males, we sought to study the significance of this gene in human male reproduction.

Polymorphisms of the human PUMILIO2 gene and male sterility.

The highly conserved Pumilio protein plays crucial roles in fertility of many organisms acting as a repressor of translation, and causing infertility when mutated. Although one of two human Pumilio homologs, PUMILIO2 is expressed mainly in the germ line, its role in mammalian germ cell development has not been reported yet. To shed light on the role of PUMILIO2 in development of the human male germ line, we screened this gene for mutations in 137 patients presenting a variety of phenotypes with spermatogenic failure.

Hypertension prevalence awareness, treatment and control in North Nashville.

North Nashville is a largely African-American community known to suffer from increased cardiovascular mortality compared with whites in the same area of Davidson County. The burden of hypertension, a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular death, has not been fully described for this population. To quantify the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the North Nashville community, we screened 132 patients aged 18 and older at the 2005 Juneteenth festival on Jefferson Street.

A familial X/Y translocation: cytogenetic and molecular study.

In this study we describe a 3-generation family carrying a (X;Y)(p22.3;q11.2) translocation in seven individuals of both sexes.

Conservation of a Pumilio-Nanos complex from Drosophila germ plasm to human germ cells.

Germ cells are the cells which ultimately give rise to mature sperm and eggs. In model organisms such as flies and worms, several genes that are required for formation and maintenance of germ cells have been identified and their interactions are rapidly being delineated. By contrast, little is known of the genes required for development of human germ cells and it is not clear whether findings from model organisms will translate into knowledge of human germ cell development, especially given observations that reproductive pathways may evolve more rapidly than somatic pathways.

Incomplete masculinisation of XX subjects carrying the SRY gene on an inactive X chromosome.

46,XX subjects carrying the testis determining SRY gene usually have a completely male phenotype. In this study, five very rare cases of SRY carrying subjects (two XX males and three XX true hermaphrodites) with various degrees of incomplete masculinisation were analysed in order to elucidate the cause of sexual ambiguity despite the presence of the SRY gene. PCR amplification of 20 Y chromosome specific sequences showed the Yp fragment to be much longer in XX males than in true hermaphrodites.

[Androblastoma in a female patient with the signs of virility: a clinical-morphological and genetic study].

We report a case of 24 year old patient with secondary amenorrhea, virilization and elevated serum testosterone concentration, in which cystic-solid tumor in right ovary was found. Surgical treatment was applied--adnexectomy. Histopathologic examination supported suspicion of androblastoma.

A region of human chromosome 9p required for testis development contains two genes related to known sexual regulators.

Deletion of the distal short arm of chromosome 9 (9p) has been reported in a number of cases to be associated with gonadal dysgenesis and XY sex reversal, suggesting that this region contains one or more genes required in two copies for normal testis development. Recent studies have greatly narrowed the interval containing this putative autosomal testis-determining gene(s) to the distal portion of 9p24.3.