P-117 Pre-selected for an award: Bioinformatic analysis of NRF2 in the study of association of NRF2 variant and male infertility related to smoking status

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Aydos ◽  
O S Aydos ◽  
Y Yukselten ◽  
A Sunguroglu ◽  
K Aydos
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Male Infertility ◽  
Mirna Expression ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Variants ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Differentially Expressed Mirnas

Abstract Study question Could Nrf2 polymorphism (-617C>A; rs6721961) and oxidative stress (OS)-induced changes of signature seminal plasma (SP) miRNAs related to Nrf2 provide possible biomarkers of male infertility? Summary answer -617C>A SNP is associated with infertility through sperm OS DNA damage and miR-582-5p and miR-20a-5p, differentially represented between spermatozoa of smokers-non-smokers, might regulate Nrf2/ARE axis. What is known already As an extrinsic factor causing OS, smoking decreases male infertility by causing sperm membrane damage and DNA fragmentation. Expression of proteins related to the antioxidant defense system and phase 2 detoxifying enzymes controlled mainly by Nrf2/ARE pathway components is vital in managing OS-induced DNA damage. miRNAs, which multiple of are produced abundantly in male germ cells throughout spermatogenesis, have been detected in SP and contribute to multiple biological processes related to male reproductive events. miRNA-expression alterations may be induced in response to OS and without involving DNA sequence changes, miRNAs can provide additional mechanism of regulating the Nrf2 gene expression. Study design, size, duration Wild-type (WT) and SNP (-617) alleles in the Nrf2 gene were studied in 100 infertile cases and 100 controls and their associations with seminal parameters in relation to smoking status were assessed. In infertile cases, sperm DNA damage level was determined and compared among Nrf2 genotypes. Interactions between differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIs) in response to smoking and Nrf2/ARE pathway components were visualized on a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network using CluePedia (v1.5.7) plugin of Cytoscape software (v3.8.2). Participants/materials, setting, methods Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was utilized to genotype the Nrf2 SNP (-617). DNA damages were analyzed by Comet assay. DEMIs were identified by a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis using the miRNA expression dataset GSE44134 downloaded from the GEO database. Predicted targets of DEMIs in smokers were identified by mirDIP portal. Known interactions between Nrf2 and its first neighbors were visualized after selecting STRING-actions, miRTarBase and miRecords validated miRNA source files from CluePedia panel. Main results and the role of chance There was significant difference for Nrf2 polymorphism between fertile and infertile males. The A allele was detected more frequently in the patient group; (P = 0.001). The frequencies of the C and A alleles of the Nrf2 were 62% and 38% in patients, and 78% and 44% in control group. The AA genotype was higher in the infertiles; 14% vs. 3% (P = 0.001). In smokers, sperm quality decreased significantly in AA genotype. The risk of DNA damage was highest with 224.58 AU in the AA genotype group, whereas it is the lowest with 164.56 AU in those carrying the CC genotype (P < 0.005). 21 differentially expressed miRNAs (including 7 downregulated and 14 upregulated in smokers) were identified. Among the upregulated DEMIs, miR-582-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-573, miR-186-5p, miR-499a-5p were found to target the Nrf2 mRNA, suggesting their usage as biomarkers capable of indicating the antioxidant ability of the male reproductive system. The interrelations between Nrf2/Nrf2 direct interactors and DEMIs revealed the regulatory role of hsa-miR-20a-5p in SQSTM1/p62-Keap1-Nrf2 axis linked to selective autophagy. hsa-miR-582-5p was found to regulate the JNK/Jun/caspase-3 pathway, previously shown to be activated in response to OS, in which JUN can activate or suppress the Nrf2 expression. Limitations, reasons for caution Small number of cases while evaluating the effect of smoking weakens our ability to generalize the results. Including other coexisting factors and larger patient groups carrying other functional variants of Nrf2 as well as confirming the results at the protein level would further strengthen the results of the study. Wider implications of the findings This study is the first to report -617C>A polymorphism in the Nrf2 gene in the Turkish population and such a SNP may cause impaired fertility in men, especially in smokers, through oxidative metabolism. Considering these data may be valuable in determining risk groups. Trial registration number N/A

P–117 Bioinformatic analysis of NRF2 in the study of association of NRF2 variant and male infertility related to smoking status

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Aydos ◽  
O S Aydos ◽  
Y Yukselten ◽  
A Sunguroglu ◽  
K Aydos
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Male Infertility ◽  
Mirna Expression ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Variants ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Differentially Expressed Mirnas

Abstract Study question Could Nrf2 polymorphism (–617C>A; rs6721961) and oxidative stress (OS)-induced changes of signature seminal plasma (SP) miRNAs related to Nrf2 provide possible biomarkers of male infertility? Summary answer –617C>A SNP is associated with infertility through sperm OS DNA damage and miR–582–5p and miR–20a–5p, differentially represented between spermatozoa of smokers-non-smokers, might regulate Nrf2/ARE axis. What is known already As an extrinsic factor causing OS, smoking decreases male infertility by causing sperm membrane damage and DNA fragmentation. Expression of proteins related to the antioxidant defense system and phase 2 detoxifying enzymes controlled mainly by Nrf2/ARE pathway components is vital in managing OS-induced DNA damage. miRNAs, which multiple of are produced abundantly in male germ cells throughout spermatogenesis, have been detected in SP and contribute to multiple biological processes related to male reproductive events. miRNA-expression alterations may be induced in response to OS and without involving DNA sequence changes, miRNAs can provide additional mechanism of regulating the Nrf2 gene expression. Study design, size, duration Wild-type (WT) and SNP (–617) alleles in the Nrf2 gene were studied in 100 infertile cases and 100 controls and their associations with seminal parameters in relation to smoking status were assessed. In infertile cases, sperm DNA damage level was determined and compared among Nrf2 genotypes. Interactions between differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIs) in response to smoking and Nrf2/ARE pathway components were visualized on a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network using CluePedia (v1.5.7) plugin of Cytoscape software (v3.8.2). Participants/materials, setting, methods Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was utilized to genotype the Nrf2 SNP (–617). DNA damages were analyzed by Comet assay. DEMIs were identified by a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis using the miRNA expression dataset GSE44134 downloaded from the GEO database. Predicted targets of DEMIs in smokers were identified by mirDIP portal. Known interactions between Nrf2 and its first neighbors were visualized after selecting STRING-actions, miRTarBase and miRecords validated miRNA source files from CluePedia panel. Main results and the role of chance There was significant difference for Nrf2 polymorphism between fertile and infertile males. The A allele was detected more frequently in the patient group; (P = 0.001). The frequencies of the C and A alleles of the Nrf2 were 62% and 38% in patients, and 78% and 44% in control group. The AA genotype was higher in the infertiles; 14% vs. 3% (P = 0.001). In smokers, sperm quality decreased significantly in AA genotype. The risk of DNA damage was highest with 224.58 AU in the AA genotype group, whereas it is the lowest with 164.56 AU in those carrying the CC genotype (P < 0.005). 21 differentially expressed miRNAs (including 7 downregulated and 14 upregulated in smokers) were identified. Among the upregulated DEMIs, miR–582–5p, miR–20a–5p, miR–573, miR–186–5p, miR–499a–5p were found to target the Nrf2 mRNA, suggesting their usage as biomarkers capable of indicating the antioxidant ability of the male reproductive system. The interrelations between Nrf2/Nrf2 direct interactors and DEMIs revealed the regulatory role of hsa-miR–20a–5p in SQSTM1/p62-Keap1-Nrf2 axis linked to selective autophagy. hsa-miR–582–5p was found to regulate the JNK/Jun/caspase–3 pathway, previously shown to be activated in response to OS, in which JUN can activate or suppress the Nrf2 expression. Limitations, reasons for caution Small number of cases while evaluating the effect of smoking weakens our ability to generalize the results. Including other coexisting factors and larger patient groups carrying other functional variants of Nrf2 as well as confirming the results at the protein level would further strengthen the results of the study. Wider implications of the findings: This study is the first to report –617C>A polymorphism in the Nrf2 gene in the Turkish population and such a SNP may cause impaired fertility in men, especially in smokers, through oxidative metabolism. Considering these data may be valuable in determining risk groups. Trial registration number N/A

Next-generation sequencing analysis reveals segmental patterns of microRNA expression in yak epididymis

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1067
Author(s):  
Wangsheng Zhao ◽  
Eugene Quansah ◽  
Meng Yuan ◽  
Pengcheng Li ◽  
Chuanping Yi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Mirna Expression ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed Mirnas ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Cauda Epididymidis ◽  
Caput Epididymidis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potent regulators of gene expression and are widely expressed in biological systems. In reproduction, they have been shown to have a significant role in the acquisition and maintenance of male fertility, whereby deletion of Dicer in mouse germ cells leads to infertility. Evidence indicates that this role of miRNAs extends from the testis into the epididymis, controlling gene expression and contributing to regional variations in gene expression. In this study, RNA sequencing technology was used to investigate miRNA expression patterns in the yak epididymis. Region-specific miRNA expression was found in the yak epididymis. In all, 683 differentially expressed known miRNAs were obtained; 190, 186 and 307 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified for caput versus corpus, corpus versus cauda and caput versus cauda region pairs respectively. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes results showed endocytosis as the most enriched pathway across region pairs, followed by protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, phagosome, spliceosome and biosynthesis of amino acids in region pair-specific hierarchical order. Gene ontology results showed varied enrichment in terms including cell, biogenesis, localisation, binding and locomotion across region pairs. In addition, significantly higher miR-34c expression was seen in the yak caput epididymidis relative to the corpus and cauda epididymidis.

scholarly journals The Role of microRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Erdheim-Chester Disease and Their Potential Use As Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis of the Disease

Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 2397-2397
Author(s):  
Ran Weissman ◽  
Nir Pilar ◽  
Benjamin H Durham ◽  
Michelle Ki ◽  
Roei D Mazor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Expression Pattern ◽  
Mirna Expression ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Mirna Expression Pattern ◽  
Differentially Expressed Mirnas ◽  
Potential Use ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

Abstract Background: Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare hematological malignancy, belonging to the L-group histiocytoses. ECD is characterized by multi-systemic proliferations of mature histiocytes in a background of inflammatory stroma. The inflammatory and neoplastic characteristics of the disease comprise a complex medical challenge for its diagnosis and treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are short non-coding RNAs (~22 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression in a sequence specific manner and play an important role in cancer development and progression. Since miRNAs are released into the blood by tumor cells, they may be used as biomarkers to distinguish between cancer patients and healthy individuals and to assist in determining treatment response. Moreover, miRNA-mRNA interactions can determine the molecular mechanism by which miRNAs and their target genes are involved in ECD and may suggest novel therapeutic options for these patients. To date, this is the first study elucidating the role of miRNA in ECD. Aims: The main focus of this study is to identify miRNAs that are differentially expressed in ECD patients compared to healthy controls and any clinical utility they have as potential biomarkers in ECD diagnosis, as well as to investigate their role in ECD pathogenesis, which may lead to new therapeutic options. Preliminary results: Using the nCounter Human miRNA Expression Assay (NanoString Technologies), we analyzed the plasma miRNA expression profiles of 6 ECD patients (BRAF V600E) compared to 6 healthy individuals. Of the 800 mature miRNAs analyzed, 234 miRNAs showed different expression levels in these samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to experimental quality control. The miRNAs from healthy donors were clustered separately from the ECD samples indicating a distinct miRNA expression pattern between these groups (Fig. 1A, 1B). Among the 131 miRNAs remaining in the final analysis (FDR<0.05),110 miRNAs were downregulated in ECD patients compared to those of healthy controls, and 21 miRNAs were upregulated in ECD samples compared to those of the controls. We validated the analysis method by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and found a positive correlation between miRs-15a, 16, 125a, 223, 21, 34a, 155 and miR-630 expression obtained by the NanoString array. This may indicate the potential use of miRNAs as biomarkers in ECD. To determine potential target genes and signaling pathways implicated in ECD, we analyzed the predicted pathways of the top 30 downregulated miRNAs that were differentially expressed between the two groups using the Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis (IPA) and DIANA-miRPath v3.0 database. Reassuringly, the analysis identified cancer, inflammatory disease, and inflammatory response (p<0.01) as the main disease and disorder related with the miRNA expression pattern, as well as oncogenic pathways such as MAPK, PI3K-AKT, RAS, ErbB, Hippo, and mTOR as the main molecular pathways related to the differentially-expressed miRNAs (p<0.009). This finding suggests that low expression of miRNAs results in up regulation of target genes that participate in cell survival signaling. These augmented pathways may be inhibited by novel therapeutic treatments such as PI3K inhibitors, mTOR pathway inhibitors, and MEK inhibitors in ECD patients. Next, we examined if there is any correlation between the predicted target genes of the miRNAs (obtained by IPA) and the experimentally validated gene expression pattern in ECD patients. To that end, we downloaded RNA-seq results of ECD patients from the GEO database (GSE74442 deposited by Diamond et al) and compared this list to our predicted miRNA targets in ECD patients, using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). We found a positive correlation between the gene expression reported in the literature and the predicted target of our deregulated miRNAs (Fig. 2), indicating that the predicted target genes are enriched in this data set, suggesting that the differentially expressed miRNAs might have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of ECD. Conclusions: Our preliminary data highlight the unique inflammatory and neoplastic features characteristic of ECD. These deregulated miRNAs may highlight new candidate gene targets allowing for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of ECD and propose novel therapeutic treatments for these patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Analyzing the impact of 900 MHz EMF short-term exposure to the expression of 667 miRNAs in human peripheral blood cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Lamkowski ◽  
Matthias Kreitlow ◽  
Jörg Radunz ◽  
Martin Willenbockel ◽  
Marcus Stiemer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mirna Expression ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Electromagnetic Spectrum ◽  
Peripheral Blood Cells ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
Differentially Expressed Mirnas ◽  
The Impact

AbstractMore than ever before, people around the world are frequently exposed to different sections of the electromagnetic spectrum, mainly emitted from wireless modern communication technologies. Especially, the level of knowledge on non-thermal biological EMF effects remains controversial. New technologies allow for a more detailed detection of non-coding RNAs which affect the post-transcriptional control. Such method shall be applied in this work to investigate the response of human blood cells to electromagnetic irradiation. In this ex vivo in vitro study, we exposed peripheral blood cells from 5 male donors to a continuous wave of 900 MHz EMF for 0, 30, 60 and 90 min. Significant micro RNA (miRNA) expression changes (p ≤ 0.05) above or below the SHAM exposed samples were evaluated using a quantitative real time PCR platform for simultaneous detection of 667 miRNAs called low density array. Only significant miRNA expression changes which were detectable in at least 60% of the samples per exposure group were analyzed. The results were compared with data from room temperature + 2 °C (RT + 2 °C) samples (here referred to as hyperthermia) to exclude miRNA expression altered by hyperthermia. The validation study by using the same donors and study design was performed after an interval of 2 years. When analyzing a total of 667 miRNAs during the screening study, 2 promising candidate miRNAs were identified, which were down regulated almost twice and showed a complete separation from the unexposed control group (miR-194 at 30 min and miR-939 at 60 min). The p-values even survived the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (p = 0.0007 and p = 0.004, respectively). None of these miRNAs were expressed at a second time point after EMF exposure. Following an alternative analysis approach, we examined for miRNAs revealing an expected significant association of differential miRNA expression with the dose-time EMF exposure product, separately for each donor. Donors 2 and 3 revealed 11 and 10 miRNA species being significantly associated with EMF exposure which differed significantly from the other donors showing a minor number of differentially expressed miRNAs and could identify donors 2 and 3 as particularly EMF-responsive. The measurements were repeated after 2 years. The number of expressed/non-expressed miRNAs was almost similar (97.4%), but neither the number nor the previously differentially expressed miRNAs could be reproduced. Our data neither support evidence of early changes at miRNA expression level in human whole blood cells after 900 MHz EMF exposure nor the identification of EMF-responsive individuals.

Effectiveness Of Toilet Training Education On Mother's Behavior And Toddler Age Toilet Training Ability (18-36 Months)

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-55
Author(s):  
Hafiko Andresni ◽  
Zahtamal Zahtamal ◽  
Winda Septiani ◽  
Mitra Mitra ◽  
Lita Lita
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Technique ◽  
T Test ◽  
The Body ◽  
Toilet Training ◽  
Wilcoxon Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Maternal Knowledge ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Significant Difference

ABSTRACT Toilet training is an effort to train children to be able to control and urinate (BAK) and defecate (BAB). Toilet training is one of the main tasks of children at toddler age. Toilet training is one of the main tasks of children in toddler age which is very important to be done to create independence in children in controlling BAK and BAB and children know the parts of the body and their functions. Data in 2012 shows that ± 60% of parents do not teach toilet training to children from an early age. The aim of the study was to find out the effectiveness of toilet training education on maternal behavior and toilet skills in toddler age training (18-36 months). The study was conducted in July-August 2018. This type of quantitative research used the design of the Quasy pretest and posttest experiment with non-equivalent control group design. Samples were 36 mothers and 36 children with purposive sampling technique. Data analysis used Paired t test, Wilcoxon test, Man-Whitney test an Independent t test. The results showed that toilet training education through lecture methods, modules and maze games was more effective than toilet training education through lecture and leaflet methods on children's knowledge and abilities. Conversely, for the role of mothers in supervision there is no significant difference in effectiveness. Health education is recommended in health promotion programs to increase maternal knowledge, the role of mothers and the ability of toilet training children independently. Keywords: Toilet training, Lecture method, Module, Maze game, Leaflet, Knowledge, Role of mother, Children's ability.

Role of Nutrition Counseling and Lifestyle Modification in Managing Prediabetes

2021 ◽  
pp. 037957212110254
Author(s):  
Harleen Kaur ◽  
Neerja Singla ◽  
Rohini Jain
Keyword(s):  
Hemoglobin A1c ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
Fasting Blood Glucose ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Population Prevalence ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

Objective: India is the second country after China having the highest population prevalence of diabetes. Several research studies investigating diabetes have been done, but not much work has been done on prediabetes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of nutrition and lifestyle modification on prediabetic females. Methods: A total of 120 prediabetic females from Ludhiana city were divided into 2 matched groups: control group (n = 60) and experimental group (n = 60). Impact of nutrition intervention for dietary and lifestyle modification (for 3 months) was assessed on the anthropometric, dietary, biochemical parameters, and diabetes risk score of the experimental group and control group (no intervention). Results: All the selected 120 subjects completed the study (experimental group = 60; control group = 60). There was significant difference in the changes between the 2 groups throughout the study. The fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin A1c levels of the experimental group subjects reduced significantly ( P ≤ .01). However, no change was observed among the control group subjects. The lipid profile of the experimental group showed a significant improvement ( P ≤ .01). Conclusion: Nutrition counselling of the prediabetics regarding dietary and lifestyle modification is recommended so as to improve their metabolic control, thus preventing them from being diabetics.

scholarly journals Role of vitamin D serum levels in prevention of primary and recurrent melanoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lombardo ◽  
A. Vigezzi ◽  
G. Ietto ◽  
C. Franchi ◽  
V. Iori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Mitotic Rate ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Histological Subtype ◽  
Melanoma Diagnosis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Tumour Location

AbstractPatients afflicted with melanoma show lower vitamin D serum levels (VDSL) than the healthy population. This hypothesis agrees with its well-known antiproliferative features. An observational study was carried out to collect VDSL in patients suffering from melanoma. Our aim was to identify a potential connection between low VDSL and the risk to incur melanoma. Furthermore, we studied the association between VDSL at the diagnosis of melanoma and other germane prognostic factors. The population held in regard was composed of 154 patients with a diagnosis of melanoma between 2016 and 2019. These patients were retrospectively collected from our follow-up storage. We compared VDSL to clinical and pathological parameters (age, sex, tumour location, Breslow’s depth, Clark’s level, histological subtype, ulceration, et aliqua). Moreover, we recruited a control group with negative melanoma history. Mean and median of VDSL were significantly lower in the melanoma group. Instead, we found a negative association between melanoma and VDSL > 30 ng/L (OR 0.11; p < 0.0001). No correlation between VDSL and both Breslow’s depth and Clark’s level was discovered, but the VDSL comparison between thin (depth ≤ 1 mm) and thick tumours (depth > 1 mm) revealed a statistically significant difference (21.1 ± 8.2 ng/L vs 17.8 ± 8.1; p = 0.01). Moreover, VDSL were significantly lower in melanomas with mitotic rate ≥ 1/mm2 (22.1 ± 8.3 ng/L; p < 0007). Nevertheless, no connection was found between VDSL and both ulceration and positive sentinel nodes (p = 0.76; p = 0.74). Besides, our study revealed no association between VDSL and histological subtype (p = 0.161). Lower VDSL correlate with thick and high mitotic rate tumours. Future prospective studies would investigate if appropriate upkeep of suitable VDSL can decrease the risk of primary and recurrent melanoma diagnosis.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Efficiency in Teacher Correction Strategies in Iranian EFL Learners’ Speaking Improvement

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
Roya Keshavarz ◽  
Amin Marzban
Keyword(s):  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Moderator Variable ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Feedback Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Control

<p>The present study was an attempt to investigate the effect two types of corrective feedback (i.e., recast and metalinguistic) in order to find out which one is more effective on EFL learners’ speaking improvement and also to see if gender could play a role in the relative impact of the two types of corrective feedback on learners’ speaking ability. To this end, 65 EFL learners of intermediate level in one of language institutes in Shiraz, Iran were selected and divided into three groups including two experimental groups and one control. The instruments used to collect the data included IELTS test as the pre and post tests and Oxford Placement Test (OPT) in order to obtain the homogeneity in participants’ English proficiency. The collected data were codified and entered into SPSS Software (Version 22) and were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and Tukey test. The results indicated that although applying these two types of corrective feedback could have made improvement in EFL learners’ speaking ability, there was not observed any significant difference between impacts of recast and metalinguistic on EFL learners’ production. The test results also indicated that there was not any significant difference regarding gender within the three groups. This homogeneity further shows that in this study, the gender variable did not have any effect on the role of corrective feedback and it can be concluded that the observed difference between metalinguistic group, recast group, and control group is just the result of the provided corrective feedback type which has acted as the intervening variable and the moderator variable such as gender did not prove to have any effect in the outcome of this study. The findings can contribute to syllabus design and teaching methodology areas.</p>

scholarly journals MicroRNA expression profiling involved in Borax-induced anti-tumor effect using gene-chip analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lun Wu ◽  
Ying Wei ◽  
Wen-Bo Zhou ◽  
Jiao Zhou ◽  
Li-Hua Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Hepg2 Cells ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Gene Chip ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Differentially Expressed Mirnas

Abstract Background Borax, a boron compound, which is becoming widely recognized for its biological effects, including antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, and potential therapeutic benefits. However, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying borax-induced anti-tumor effect still remain to be to further elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may play key roles in cellular processes including tumor progression, cell apoptosis and cytotoxicity. Thus, this study aimed to investigate, whether miRNAs were involved in the borax-mediated anti-tumor effect using miRNA profiling of a human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) using gene-chip analysis.Methods Total RNA was extracted and purified from HepG2 cells that were treated with 4 mM borax for either 2 or 24 h. The samples underwent microarray analysis using an Agilent Human miRNA Array. Differentially expressed miRNAs were analysed by volcano plot and heatmap, and were validated using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR).ResultsAmong this, 2- or 24-h exposure to borax significantly altered the expression level of miRNAs in HepG2 cells, 4 or 14 were upregulated and 3 were downregulated compared with the control group, respectively (≥2-fold; P<0.05). GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs in HepG2 cells predominantly participated in MAPK signaling pathway, TGF-beta signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, etc; in 2-h borax treatment group, while Ras signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, Cellular senescence, etc; involved in 24-h treatment group.Conclusions Result indicates that borax-induced anti-tumor effect may be associated with alterations in miRNAs.

scholarly journals The association of male infertility with telomere length: A case control study

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-332
Author(s):  
Kate Deepali Rajesh ◽  
Puranam Vatsalaswamy ◽  
Manvikar Purshotam Rao
Keyword(s):  
Male Infertility ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Control Study ◽  
Sperm Telomere Length

To study the relevance of sperm telomere length and infertility in men. : Our case-control study included twenty-five males in couple with sub-fertility/infertility (test group) and twenty five healthy males (control group) with proven paternity in the age group 25 to 35 years. The Absolute Sperm Telomere length (aSTL) was measured by real-time PCR. We investigated whether any significant difference in the aSTL value existed between the groups and analysed the relationship between aSTL and other sperm parameters.The mean (SE) aSTL recorded in the infertile cases was significantly shorter than for the control group being 140.60 (6.66) Kb/genome and 239.63 (12.32) Kb/genome respectively (p &#60;0.001) A weak correlation was eminent between aSTL kb/genome and the total sperm count mil/ml (rho= 0.04, p - 0.86), progressive sperm motility (rho= - 0.02, p=0.934) and sperm viability (rho= - 0.07 p=0.741) in the infertile group. The measurement of aSTL by real-time PCR is a simple and rapid method that offers further paramount information with respective to the quality of sperm. It is befitted for epidemiological studies, hence opening new perspectives in the evaluation of male infertility. Limitations - Our study was confined to men aged between 25 and 35 years. Further comparative studies are needed to explore the significance of STL and infertility in older males. Additional studies will help illumine the significance of aSTL as a prognostic biomarker in assisted reproduction.

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