Risk factors for shoulder pain and stiffness in adults aged 44 and older: an 11-year longitudinal population-based study.

Objective: We conducted a longitudinal observational study over 11 years to identify the risk factors for developing shoulder pain, stiffness, or both.

Method: The study population (n = 1645) was identified from Health 2000 Survey, a nationally representative sample of Finns aged ≥ 44 years, without shoulder pain and stiffness at the start of the study based on a questionnaire. The independent variables included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), education level, diabetes, physical work exposures, and Beck's depression score.

Epigenetic Differences in Long Non-coding RNA Expression in Finnish and Russian Karelia Teenagers With Contrasting Risk of Allergy and Asthma.

Background: Previously, we investigated skin microbiota and blood cell gene expression in Finnish and Russian teenagers with contrasting incidence of allergic conditions. The microbiota and transcriptomic signatures were distinctly different, with high Acinetobacter abundance and suppression of genes regulating innate immune response in healthy subjects.

Objective: Here, we investigated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles of blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy and allergic subjects, to identify lncRNAs that act at the interphase of microbiome-mediated immune homeostasis in allergy/asthma.

Drosophila non-muscle alpha-actinin is localized in nurse cell actin bundles and ring canals, but is not required for fertility.

The single copy Drosophila alpha-actinin gene is alternatively spliced to generate three different isoforms that are expressed in larval muscle, adult muscle and non-muscle cells, respectively. We have generated novel alpha-actinin alleles, which specifically remove the non-muscle isoform. Homozygous mutant flies are viable and fertile with no obvious defects.

Polytene chromosomes show normal gene activity but some mRNAs are abnormally accumulated in the pseudonurse cell nuclei of Drosophila melanogaster otu mutants.

Certain mutant alleles of the ovarian tumor (otu) locus give rise to polytene chromosomes in the pseudonurse cells (PNCs). We have previously shown that the banding pattern of these germ line-derived chromosomes is similar to that in the larval salivary gland chromosomes. In this study, we have examined the gene activity of these chromosomes.

Two otu transcripts are selectively localised in Drosophila oogenesis by a mechanism that requires a function of the otu protein.

The ovarian tumour gene (otu) is required for several processes during Drosophila oogenesis. The locus encodes two protein isoforms that have been proposed to act during different stages of oogenesis. Here we show that the corresponding otu mRNAs display a dynamic pattern of expression during oogenesis.