The genome of the colonial hydroid reveals that their stem cells use a toolkit of evolutionarily shared genes with all animals.

is a colonial marine hydroid that shows remarkable biological properties, including the capacity to regenerate its entire body throughout its lifetime, a process made possible by its adult migratory stem cells, known as i-cells. Here, we provide an in-depth characterization of the genomic structure and gene content of two species, and , placing them in a comparative evolutionary framework with other cnidarian genomes. We also generated and annotated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas for adult male and identified cell-type markers for all major cell types, including key i-cell markers.

The genome of the colonial hydroid reveals their stem cells utilize a toolkit of evolutionarily shared genes with all animals.

is a colonial marine hydroid that exhibits remarkable biological properties, including the capacity to regenerate its entire body throughout its lifetime, a process made possible by its adult migratory stem cells, known as i-cells. Here, we provide an in-depth characterization of the genomic structure and gene content of two species, and , placing them in a comparative evolutionary framework with other cnidarian genomes. We also generated and annotated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas for adult male and identified cell type markers for all major cell types, including key i-cell markers.

Repeat Age Decomposition Informs an Ancient Set of Repeats Associated With Coleoid Cephalopod Divergence.

In comparison with other molluscs and bilaterians, the genomes of coleoid cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, and octopus) sequenced so far show remarkably different genomic organization that presumably marked the early evolution of this taxon. The main driver behind this genomic rearrangement remains unclear. About half of the genome content in coleoids is known to consist of repeat elements; since selfish DNA is one of the powerful drivers of genome evolution, its pervasiveness could be intertwined with the emergence of cephalopod-specific genomic signatures and could have played an important role in the reorganization of the cephalopod genome architecture.

Giant lungfish genome elucidates the conquest of land by vertebrates.

Lungfishes belong to lobe-fined fish (Sarcopterygii) that, in the Devonian period, 'conquered' the land and ultimately gave rise to all land vertebrates, including humans. Here we determine the chromosome-quality genome of the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri), which is known to have the largest genome of any animal. The vast size of this genome, which is about 14× larger than that of humans, is attributable mostly to huge intergenic regions and introns with high repeat content (around 90%), the components of which resemble those of tetrapods (comprising mainly long interspersed nuclear elements) more than they do those of ray-finned fish.

Expansion of a single transposable element family is associated with genome-size increase and radiation in the genus .

Transposable elements are one of the major contributors to genome-size differences in metazoans. Despite this, relatively little is known about the evolutionary patterns of element expansions and the element families involved. Here we report a broad genomic sampling within the genus , a freshwater cnidarian at the focal point of diverse research in regeneration, symbiosis, biogeography, and aging.

RepeatCraft: a meta-pipeline for repetitive element de-fragmentation and annotation.

Summary: Repetitive elements comprise large proportion of many genomes. They have impact on both genome evolution and regulation. Their classification and the study of evolutionary history is a major emerging field.

Online examiner calibration across specialties.

Background: Integrating undergraduate medical curricula horizontally across clinical medical specialties may be a more patient-centred and learner-centred approach than rotating students through specialty-specific teaching and assessment, but requires some interspecialty calibration of examiner judgements. Our aim was to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of an online pilot of interdisciplinary examiner calibration. Fair clinical assessment is important to both medical students and clinical teachers METHODS: Clinical teachers were invited to rate video-recorded student objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) performances and join subsequent online discussions using the university's learning management system.

"On the same page"? The effect of GP examiner feedback on differences in rating severity in clinical assessments: a pre/post intervention study.

Background: Robust and defensible clinical assessments attempt to minimise differences in student grades which are due to differences in examiner severity (stringency and leniency). Unfortunately there is little evidence to date that examiner training and feedback interventions are effective; "physician raters" have indeed been deemed "impervious to feedback". Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of a general practitioner examiner feedback intervention, and explore examiner attitudes to this.

Effect of mid-follicular phase recombinant LH versus urinary HCG supplementation in poor ovarian responders undergoing IVF - a prospective double-blinded randomized study.

Luteinizing hormone (LH) is crucial for the development of follicular growth and oocyte maturation, especially in the management of poor ovarian responders (PORs). This study presents the results of a prospective double-blinded randomized study to compare the effect of mid-follicular phase recombinant LH (rLH) supplementation with urinary human chorionic gonadotrophin (uHCG) supplementation when using a fixed gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol in IVF cycles. A total of 49 women with poor ovarian response (POR) according to the Bologna criteria were recruited.

Inferior Alveolar Nerve Injury in Trauma-Induced Mandible Fractures.

Purpose: This prospective observational cohort study sought to determine the prevalence of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury after mandibular fractures before and after treatment and to elucidate factors associated with the incidence of post-treatment IAN injury and time to normalization of sensation.

Materials And Methods: Consenting patients with mandibular fractures (excluding dentoalveolar, pathologic, previous fractures, or mandibular surgery) were prospectively evaluated for subjective neurosensory disturbance (NSD) and underwent neurosensory testing before treatment and then 1 week, 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment.

C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism interferes with the effects of folic acid and zinc sulfate on sperm concentration.

Objective: To determine the frequency of C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism in fertile and subfertile males, and the MTHFR-dependent response of sperm concentration after folic acid and/or zinc sulfate intervention.

Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study. Two outpatient fertility clinics and nine midwifery practices in The Netherlands.

New evidence of the influence of exogenous and endogenous factors on sperm count in man.

Objective: To examine the association between individual exposures due to occupation, environment and lifestyle on sperm count, we conducted a case-control study among 92 fertile and 73 sub-fertile Caucasian males.

Study Design: Data from questionnaires were analysed using simple univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.

Results: At risk for oligozoospermia are men exposed to pesticides (odds ratio (OR) 8.

Glutathione and glutathione S-transferases A1-1 and P1-1 in seminal plasma may play a role in protecting against oxidative damage to spermatozoa.

Objective: To study the levels of glutathione, glutathione S-transferase A1-1, and glutathione S-transferase P1-1 in seminal fluid of fertile and subfertile men.

Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Setting: Departments of gastroenterology, obstetrics and gynecology, and epidemiology and biostatistics in a university medical center.

Effects of folic acid and zinc sulfate on male factor subfertility: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: To study the effects of folic acid and zinc sulfate treatment on semen variables in fertile and subfertile men.

Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled interventional study.

Setting: Two outpatient fertility clinics and nine midwifery practices in The Netherlands.