Embracing Technology for Capacity Building in Mental Health: New Path,Newer Challenges

Psychiatric Quarterly - Technology driven capacity building initiatives are the way to break the barrier of shortage of mental health human resources in India. This new path, while is a welcome...     

Body size miniaturization in a lineage of colubrid snakes: Implications for cranial anatomy

As body size strongly determines the biology of an organism at all levels, it can be expected that miniaturization comes with substantial structural and functional constraints. Dwarf snakes of the genus Eirenis are derived from big, surface-dwelling ancestors, considered to be similar to those of the sister genus Dolichophis. To better understand the structural implications of miniaturization on the feeding apparatus in Eirenis, the morphology of the cranial musculoskeletal system of Dolichophis schmidti was compared with that of the miniature Eirenis punctatolineatus and E. persicus using high-resolution µCT data. The gape index was compared between D. schmidti and 14 Eirenis species. Our results show a relatively increased neurocranium size and decreased maximal jaw muscle force in E. persicus, compared with the D. schmidti, and an intermediate situation in E. punctatolineatus. A significant negative allometry in gape index relative to body size is observed across the transition from the Dolichophis to Pediophis and Eirenis subgenera. However, the gape index relative to head size showed a significant negative allometry only across the transition from the Dolichophis to Pseudocyclophis subgenus. In Dolichophis–Eirenis dwarfing lineages, different structural patterns are observed through miniaturization, indicating that overcoming the challenge of miniaturization has achieved via different adaptations.     

Population data and genetic characteristics of 12 X-STR loci using the Investigator® Argus X-12 Quality Sensor kit for the Kedayan population of Borneo in Malaysia

International Journal of Legal Medicine - DNA profiling of X-chromosomal short tandem repeats (X-STR) has exceptional value in criminal investigations, especially for complex kinship and incest...     

Molecular signalling of a novel curcumin derivative versus Tadalafil in erectile dysfunction

The efficacy of a novel curcumin derivative (NCD) versus tadalafil in erectile signalling was assessed. Ten control male rats and 50 diabetic male rats were used and divided into the following: diabetic (DM), curcumin (CURC), NCD, tadalafil and NCD combined with tadalafil rat groups. Cavernous tissue gene expression of heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), Nrf2, NF‐B and p38, enzyme activities of heme oxygenase (HO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), cGMP and intracavernosal pressure (ICP)/mean arterial pressure (MAP) were assessed. Results showed that 12 weeks after induction of diabetes, erectile dysfunction (ED) was confirmed by the significant decrease in ICP/MAP, a significant decrease in cGMP, NOS, HO enzyme activities, a significant decrease in HO‐1 gene and a significant increase in NF‐?β, p38 genes. Administration of all therapeutic interventions led to a significant increase in ICP/MAP, cGMP levels, a significant increase in HO‐1 and NOS enzymes, a significant increase in HO‐1, and Nrf2 gene expression, and a significant decrease in NF‐?β, p38 gene expression. NCD or its combination with tadalafil showed significant superiority and more prolonged duration of action. In conclusion, a tendency was observed that CURC and NCD have high efficacy and more prolonged duration of action in enhancing erectile function.     

Inherited IL-17RC deficiency in patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis

Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) is characterized by recurrent or persistent infections of the skin, nail, oral, and genital mucosae with Candida species, mainly C. albicans. Autosomal-recessive (AR) IL-17RA and ACT1 deficiencies and autosomal-dominant IL-17F deficiency, each reported in a single kindred, underlie CMC in otherwise healthy patients. We report three patients from unrelated kindreds, aged 8, 12, and 37 yr with isolated CMC, who display AR IL-17RC deficiency. The patients are homozygous for different nonsense alleles that prevent the expression of IL-17RC on the cell surface. The defect is complete, abolishing cellular responses to IL-17A and IL-17F homo- and heterodimers. However, in contrast to what is observed for the IL-17RA– and ACT1-deficient patients tested, the response to IL-17E (IL-25) is maintained in these IL-17RC–deficient patients. These experiments of nature indicate that human IL-17RC is essential for mucocutaneous immunity to C. albicans but is otherwise largely redundant.In humans, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) is characterized by infections of the skin, nail, digestive, and genital mucosae with Candida species, mainly C. albicans, a commensal of the gastrointestinal tract in healthy individuals (Puel et al., 2012). CMC is frequent in acquired or inherited disorders involving profound T cell defects (Puel et al., 2010b; Vinh, 2011; Lionakis, 2012). Human IL-17 immunity has recently been shown to be essential for mucocutaneous protection against C. albicans (Puel et al., 2010b, 2012; Cypowyj et al., 2012; Engelhardt and Grimbacher, 2012; Huppler et al., 2012; Ling and Puel, 2014). Indeed, patients with primary immunodeficiencies and syndromic CMC have been shown to display impaired IL-17 immunity (Puel et al., 2010b). Most patients with autosomal-dominant (AD) hyper-IgE syndrome (AD-HIES) and STAT3 deficiency (de Beaucoudrey et al., 2008; Ma et al., 2008; Milner et al., 2008; Renner et al., 2008; Chandesris et al., 2012) and some patients with invasive fungal infection and autosomal-recessive (AR) CARD9 deficiency (Glocker et al., 2009; Lanternier et al., 2013) or Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD) and AR IL-12p40 or IL-12Rβ1 deficiency (de Beaucoudrey et al., 2008, 2010; Prando et al., 2013; Ouederni et al., 2014) have low proportions of IL-17A–producing T cells and CMC (Cypowyj et al., 2012; Puel et al., 2012). Patients with AR autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) and AIRE deficiency display CMC and high levels of neutralizing autoantibodies against IL-17A, IL-17F, and/or IL-22 (Browne and Holland, 2010; Husebye and Anderson, 2010; Kisand et al., 2010, 2011; Puel et al., 2010a).These findings paved the way for the discovery of the first genetic etiologies of CMC disease (CMCD), an inherited condition affecting individuals with none of the aforementioned primary immunodeficiencies (Puel et al., 2011; Casanova and Abel, 2013; Casanova et al., 2013, 2014). AR IL-17RA deficiency, AR ACT1 deficiency, and AD IL-17F deficiency were described, each in a single kindred (Puel et al., 2011; Boisson et al., 2013). A fourth genetic etiology of CMCD, which currently appears to be the most frequent, has also been reported: heterozygous gain-of-function (GOF) mutations of STAT1 impairing the development of IL-17–producing T cells (Liu et al., 2011; Smeekens et al., 2011; van de Veerdonk et al., 2011; Hori et al., 2012; Takezaki et al., 2012; Tóth et al., 2012; Al Rushood et al., 2013; Aldave et al., 2013; Romberg et al., 2013; Sampaio et al., 2013; Soltész et al., 2013; Uzel et al., 2013; Wildbaum et al., 2013; Frans et al., 2014; Kilic et al., 2014; Lee et al., 2014; Mekki et al., 2014; Mizoguchi et al., 2014; Sharfe et al., 2014; Yamazaki et al., 2014). We studied three unrelated patients with CMCD without mutations of IL17F, IL17RA, ACT1, or STAT1. We used a genome-wide approach based on whole-exome sequencing (WES). We found AR complete IL-17RC deficiency in all three patients.