Knowledge and Attitude of Nepalese Dental Interns towards Adhesives for Removal Dentures

Background: Denture adhesives play an important role in the retention of removal dentures. This research aimed to study the knowledge and attitude (K&amp;A) of Nepalese dental interns in various Universities/ dental colleges towards adhesives for removal denture (ARDs).&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A survey was conducted among the dental interns of various colleges in Nepal. Pearson’s Chi-square test was carried out to compare the various variables among the Universities/ dental colleges. Rating scale was used for testing the K&amp;A towards denture adhesives.&#x0D; Results: It was found that 86.5% of the dental interns had adequate K&amp;A on ARDs, 87.8% responded that ARD is beneficial for dentures and 95.5% agreed that dentists should regularly inform regarding ARDs to all denture patients.&#x0D; Conclusion: Most of the Nepalese dental interns of various Universities/ dental colleges possessed acceptable K&amp;A on ARDs.</jats:p

LSD1n is an H4K20 demethylase regulating memory formation via transcriptional elongation control

We report that a neuron-specific isoform of LSD1, LSD1n, resulting from an alternative splicing event, acquires a novel substrate specificity targeting histone H4 K20 methylation, both in vitro and in vivo. Selective genetic ablation of LSD1n leads to deficits in spatial learning and memory, revealing the functional importance of LSD1n in the regulation of neuronal activity-regulated transcription in a fashion indispensable for long-term memory formation. LSD1n occupies neuronal gene enhancers, promoters and transcribed coding regions, and is required for transcription initiation and elongation steps in response to neuronal activity, indicating the crucial role of H4K20 methylation in coordinating gene transcription with neuronal function. This study reveals that the alternative splicing of LSD1 in neurons, associated with altered substrate specificity, serves as an underlying mechanism acquired by neurons to achieve more precise control of gene expression in the complex processes underlying learning and memory

Associating transcriptional regulation for rapid germination of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) under low temperature stress through weighted gene co-expression network analysis

Abstract Slow germination speed caused by low temperature stress intensifies the risk posed by adverse environmental factors, contributing to low germination rate and reduced production of rapeseed. The purpose of this study was to understand the transcriptional regulation mechanism for rapid germination of rapeseed. The results showed that seed components and size do not determine the seed germination speed. Different temporal transcriptomic profiles were generated under normal and low temperature conditions in genotypes with fast and slow germination speeds. Using weight gene co-expression network analysis, 37 823 genes were clustered into 15 modules with different expression patterns. There were 10 233 and 9111 differentially expressed genes found to follow persistent tendency of up- and down-regulation, respectively, which provided the conditions necessary for germination. Hub genes in the continuous up-regulation module were associated with phytohormone regulation, signal transduction, the pentose phosphate pathway, and lipolytic metabolism. Hub genes in the continuous down-regulation module were involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Through pairwise comparisons, 1551 specific upregulated DEGs were identified for the fast germination speed genotype under low temperature stress. These DEGs were mainly enriched in RNA synthesis and degradation metabolisms, signal transduction, and defense systems. Transcription factors, including WRKY, bZIP, EFR, MYB, B3, DREB, NAC, and ERF, are associated with low temperature stress in the fast germination genotype. The aquaporin NIP5 and late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) protein genes contributed to the water uptake and transport under low temperature stress during seed germination. The ethylene/H2O2-mediated signal pathway plays an important role in cell wall loosening and embryo extension during germination. The ROS-scavenging system, including catalase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and glutathione S-transferase, was also upregulated to alleviate ROS toxicity in the fast germinating genotype under low temperature stress. These findings should be useful for molecular assisted screening and breeding of fast germination speed genotypes for rapeseed

Determinants of Tree Assemblage Composition at the Mesoscale within a Subtropical Eucalypt Forest

A variety of environmental processes, including topography, edaphic and disturbance factors can influence vegetation composition. The relative influence of these patterns has been known to vary with scale, however, few studies have focused on environmental drivers of composition at the mesoscale. This study examined the relative importance of topography, catchment flow and soil in influencing tree assemblages in Karawatha Forest Park; a South-East Queensland subtropical eucalypt forest embedded in an urban matrix that is part of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network South-East Queensland Peri-urban SuperSite. Thirty-three LTER plots were surveyed at the mesoscale (909 ha), where all woody stems ≥1.3 m high rooted within plots were sampled. Vegetation was divided into three cohorts: small (≥1-10 cm DBH), intermediate (≥10-30 cm DBH), and large (≥30 cm DBH). Plot slope, aspect, elevation, catchment area and location and soil chemistry and structure were also measured. Ordinations and smooth surface modelling were used to determine drivers of vegetation assemblage in each cohort. Vegetation composition was highly variable among plots at the mesoscale (plots systematically placed at 500 m intervals). Elevation was strongly related to woody vegetation composition across all cohorts (R2: 0.69-0.75). Other topographic variables that explained a substantial amount of variation in composition were catchment area (R2: 0.43-0.45) and slope (R2: 0.23-0.61). Soil chemistry (R2: 0.09-0.75) was also associated with woody vegetation composition. While species composition differed substantially between cohorts, the environmental variables explaining composition did not. These results demonstrate the overriding importance of elevation and other topographic features in discriminating tree assemblage patterns irrespective of tree size. The importance of soil characteristics to tree assemblages was also influenced by topography, where ridge top sites were typically drier and had lower soil nutrient levels than riparian areas