Newer parts of sex chromosomes, neo-sex chromosomes, offer unique possibilities for studying gene degeneration and sequence evolution in response to loss of recombination and population size decrease. We have recently described a neo-sex chromosome system in Sylvioidea passerines that has resulted from a fusion between the first half (10 Mb) of chromosome 4a and the ancestral sex chromosomes. I...

Previously this laboratory characterized Slc39a8-encoded ZIP8 as a Zn(2+)/(HCO(3)(-))(2) symporter; yet, the overall physiological importance of ZIP8 at the whole-organism level remains unclear. Herein we describe the phenotype of the hypomorphic Slc39a8(neo/neo) mouse which has retained the neomycin-resistance gene in intron 3, hence causing significantly decreased ZIP8 mRNA and protein levels...

AIM To compare Five-Factor personality traits in patients maintaining abstinence and relapsed patients (i.e. those who relapsed within a year after treatment), following eight weeks of in-house treatment and three months of out-patient treatment. METHOD In longitudinal studies, a sample of 190 patients was analysed (49 females and 141 males; mean age: 43). The patients participated in therape...

OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the prevalence and progression of neo-aortic root dilation and valvar regurgitation after staged reconstruction for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). BACKGROUND In HLHS, the pulmonary valve functions as the neo-aortic valve. Neo-aortic valve dysfunction has been observed after arterial switch operation and the Ross procedure. METHODS Patients with HLHS b...

While all students face a range of mental health concerns, it is important to consider undergraduate students as a distinct group. Because these students face a unique set of circumstances which play an intricate role in the manifestation of mental health problems. Thus the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of different personality factors and family problems on mental health...

Cell cycle checkpoints are evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways that uphold genomic integrity. Complete inactivation of the mouse checkpoint gene Hus1 results in chromosomal instability, genotoxin hypersensitivity, and embryonic lethality. To determine the functional consequences of partial Hus1 impairment, we generated an allelic series in which Hus1 expression was incrementally reduced...

OBJECTIVE After the arterial switch operation (ASO), disproportional neo-aortic growth during childhood has been reported. Even though it has been suggested neo-aortic dilation will stabilise in adulthood, data are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the change in neo-aortic dimensions, prevalence of neo-aortic dilation >40 mm and long-term outcome in adults who underwent ASO in childh...

BACKGROUND Modeling neo-aortic valve for arterial switch surgical planning to simulate the neo-aortic valve closure performance. METHODS We created five geometrical models of neo-aortic valve, namely model A, model B, model C, model D and model E with different size of sinotubular junction or sinus. The nodes at the ends of aorta and left ventricle duct fixed all the degrees of freedom. Trans...

The Abridged Big Five-Dimensional Circumple~ (ABSC; Hofstee, de Raad, & Goldberg, 1992) was used to locate consensus across different conceptualizations of the "Big Five" or Five-Factor ModeL Trait rating data from instruments representing four different versions of the Big Five (Goldberg, 1992; Hogan & Johnson, 1981; McCrae & Costa, 1985; Norman, 1963) were subjected to separate ABSC analyses ...