A multifunctional Wnt regulator underlies the evolution of rodent stripe patterns.

Animal pigment patterns are excellent models to elucidate mechanisms of biological organization. Although theoretical simulations, such as Turing reaction-diffusion systems, recapitulate many animal patterns, they are insufficient to account for those showing a high degree of spatial organization and reproducibility. Here, we study the coat of the African striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) to uncover how periodic stripes form.

Rotator Interval vs Posterior Approach Ultrasound-guided Corticosteroid Injections in Primary Frozen Shoulder: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of rotator interval (RI) vs posterior approach (PA) ultrasound (US) guided corticosteroid injections into the glenohumeral (GH) joint in primary frozen shoulder (PFS).

Data Sources: A systematic literature search for all relevant studies on Medline, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central, up to January 2023 was conducted.

Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials that directly compared the US-guided corticosteroid injection into the RI and GH joint using PA in patients clinically and radiographically diagnosed with PFS.

Effects of a Computer Training to Teach Spanish Book-Sharing Strategies to Mothers of Emergent Bilinguals at Risk of Developmental Language Disorders: A Single-Case Design Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of a computer app-based training program for caregivers on caregiver behavior to enhance Spanish language in emergent bilinguals at risk for developmental language disorders.

Method: This study followed a single-case, multiple-baseline design. An app-based language training program was developed based on the Teach-Model-Coach-Review adult learning instructional approach.

Efficacy of whole-body cryotherapy in the treatment of chronic low back pain: Quasi-experimental study.

Study Design: Single arm, quasi-experimental study design.

Background: To describe the effects of whole-body cryotherapy on pain, disability, and serum inflammatory markers in patients with chronic low back pain.

Methods: A quasi-experimental trial was performed on adult patients between 18 and 65 years with chronic low back pain.

5'-Modifications improve potency and efficacy of DNA donors for precision genome editing.

Nuclease-directed genome editing is a powerful tool for investigating physiology and has great promise as a therapeutic approach to correct mutations that cause disease. In its most precise form, genome editing can use cellular homology-directed repair (HDR) pathways to insert information from an exogenously supplied DNA-repair template (donor) directly into a targeted genomic location. Unfortunately, particularly for long insertions, toxicity and delivery considerations associated with repair template DNA can limit HDR efficacy.

Student Stories: Microaggressions in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Purpose Microaggressions and how they affect underrepresented college students have been frequently documented. However, there is a lack of literature on the experiences of underrepresented communication sciences and disorders (CSD) students. The purpose of this study is to understand how underrepresented post baccalaureate, undergraduate, and graduate students in CSD experience microaggressions in their academic programs.

Epigallocatechin 3-Gallate Has a Neuroprotective Effect in Retinas of Rabbits with Ischemia/Reperfusion through the Activation of Nrf2/HO-1.

Retinal ischemia-reperfusion (rI/R) generates an oxidative condition causing the death of neuronal cells. Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Nonetheless, its correlation with the pathway of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1) for the protection of the retina is unknown.

CK2-Dependent Phosphorylation of the Brg1 Chromatin Remodeling Enzyme Occurs during Mitosis.

Brg1 (Brahma-related gene 1) is one of two mutually exclusive ATPases that can act as the catalytic subunit of mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SfigureNF) chromatin remodeling enzymes that facilitate utilization of the DNA in eukaryotic cells. Brg1 is a phospho-protein, and its activity is regulated by specific kinases and phosphatases. Previously, we showed that Brg1 interacts with and is phosphorylated by casein kinase 2 (CK2) in a manner that regulates myoblast proliferation.

Pre-Columbian zoonotic enteric parasites: An insight into Puerto Rican indigenous culture diets and life styles.

The pre-Columbian Huecoid and Saladoid cultures were agricultural ethnic groups that supplemented their diets by fishing, hunting and scavenging. Archaeological deposits associated to these cultures contained a variety of faunal osseous remains that hinted at the cultures' diets. The present study identified zoonotic parasites that may have infected these two cultures as a result of their diets.

Microbiota dispersion in the Uyuni salt flat (Bolivia) as determined by community structure analyses.

Soil microbial communities are an important component of biological diversity and terrestrial ecosystems which is responsible for processes such as decomposition, mineralization of nutrients, and accumulation of organic matter. One of the factors that provide information on the mechanisms regulating biodiversity is spatial scaling. We characterized the microbial communities using 16S rRNA gene sequences from DNA isolated from halite at various locations and correlated these to geographic distance in the Uyuni salt flat (Bolivia).

A Compact, High-Accuracy Cas9 with a Dinucleotide PAM for In Vivo Genome Editing.

CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has transformed biotechnology and therapeutics. However, in vivo applications of some Cas9s are hindered by large size (limiting delivery by adeno-associated virus [AAV] vectors), off-target editing, or complex protospacer-adjacent motifs (PAMs) that restrict the density of recognition sequences in target DNA. Here, we exploited natural variation in the PAM-interacting domains (PIDs) of closely related Cas9s to identify a compact ortholog from Neisseria meningitidis-Nme2Cas9-that recognizes a simple dinucleotide PAM (NCC) that provides for high target site density.

MED20 is essential for early embryogenesis and regulates NANOG expression.

Mediator is an evolutionarily conserved multi-subunit complex, bridging transcriptional activators and repressors to the general RNA polymerase II (Pol II) initiation machinery. Though the Mediator complex is crucial for the transcription of almost all Pol II promoters in eukaryotic organisms, the phenotypes of individual Mediator subunit mutants are each distinct. Here, we report for the first time, the essential role of subunit MED20 in early mammalian embryo development.

TIP55, a splice isoform of the KAT5 acetyltransferase, is essential for developmental gene regulation and organogenesis.

Regulation of chromatin structure is critical for cell type-specific gene expression. Many chromatin regulatory complexes exist in several different forms, due to alternative splicing and differential incorporation of accessory subunits. However, in vivo studies often utilize mutations that eliminate multiple forms of complexes, preventing assessment of the specific roles of each.

Small RNAs Gained during Epididymal Transit of Sperm Are Essential for Embryonic Development in Mice.

The small RNA payload of mammalian sperm undergoes dramatic remodeling during development, as several waves of microRNAs and tRNA fragments are shipped to sperm during post-testicular maturation in the epididymis. Here, we take advantage of this developmental process to probe the function of the sperm RNA payload in preimplantation development. We generated zygotes via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using sperm obtained from the proximal (caput) versus distal (cauda) epididymis and then characterized the development of the resulting embryos.

Evaluation of VEGF and PEDF in prostate cancer: A preliminary study in serum and biopsies.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) serve an important role in prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the levels of VEGF and PEDF in serum are associated with the severity of PCa, and whether they can differentiate from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Two groups of patients were recruited, patients with PCa or BPH that were newly diagnosed without other comorbidities, and were compared with healthy individuals.

Streamlined ex vivo and in vivo genome editing in mouse embryos using recombinant adeno-associated viruses.

Recent advances using CRISPR-Cas9 approaches have dramatically enhanced the ease for genetic manipulation in rodents. Notwithstanding, the methods to deliver nucleic acids into pre-implantation embryos have hardly changed since the original description of mouse transgenesis more than 30 years ago. Here we report a novel strategy to generate genetically modified mice by transduction of CRISPR-Cas9 components into pre-implantation mouse embryos via recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs).

Forensic Approaches to Detect Possible Agents of Bioterror.

Many biological agents have been strategic pathogenic agents throughout history. Some have even changed history as a consequence of early discoveries of their use as weapons of war. Many of these bioagents can be easily isolated from the environment, and some have recently been genetically manipulated to become more pathogenic for biowarfare.

KAT-Independent Gene Regulation by Tip60 Promotes ESC Self-Renewal but Not Pluripotency.

Although histone-modifying enzymes are generally assumed to function in a manner dependent on their enzymatic activities, this assumption remains untested for many factors. Here, we show that the Tip60 (Kat5) lysine acetyltransferase (KAT), which is essential for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal and pre-implantation development, performs these functions independently of its KAT activity. Unlike ESCs depleted of Tip60, KAT-deficient ESCs exhibited minimal alterations in gene expression, chromatin accessibility at Tip60 binding sites, and self-renewal, thus demonstrating a critical KAT-independent role of Tip60 in ESC maintenance.

From Evolutionary Advantage to Disease Agents: Forensic Reevaluation of Host-Microbe Interactions and Pathogenicity.

As the "human microbiome era" continues, there is an increasing awareness of our resident microbiota and its indispensable role in our fitness as holobionts. However, the host-microbe relationship is not so clearly defined for some human symbionts. Here we discuss examples of "accidental pathogens," meaning previously nonpathogenic and/or environmental microbes thought to have inadvertently experienced an evolutionary shift toward pathogenicity.

Paleomicrobiology: a Snapshot of Ancient Microbes and Approaches to Forensic Microbiology.

Paleomicrobiology, or the study of ancient microorganisms, has raised both fascination and skepticism for many years. While paleomicrobiology is not a recent field, the application of emerging techniques, such as DNA sequencing, is proving essential and has provided novel information regarding the evolution of viruses, antibiotic resistance, saprophytes, and pathogens, as well as ancient health and disease status, cultural customs, ethnic diets, and historical events. In this review, we highlight the importance of studying ancient microbial DNA, its contributions to current knowledge, and the role that forensic paleomicrobiology has played in deciphering historical enigmas.

Maternal expression and early induction of histone gene transcription factor Hinfp sustains development in pre-implantation embryos.

Fidelity of histone gene expression is important for normal cell growth and differentiation that is stringently controlled during development but is compromised during tumorigenesis. Efficient production of histones for packaging newly replicated DNA is particularly important for proper cell division and epigenetic control during the initial pre-implantation stages of embryonic development. Here, we addressed the unresolved question of when the machinery for histone gene transcription is activated in the developing zygote to accommodate temporal demands for histone gene expression.