Project description:We generated 4 separate subpopulations of selected flies from 1 starting population of a mixture of Canton-S flies. Two of the populations (AggrI and AggrII) were selected for increased aggression by picking males from a population cage that engaged in the most intense fighting (known as escalation behavior). Thirty males were selected every generation (from a total of 120 males per cage) per line and mated with random virgin females from that same generation. Two control populations (NeutrI and NeutrII) were selected by picking random males from the population cage after 15-30 aggressive males were removed. After 21 generations of selection males from the Aggr lines were dramatically more aggressive than males from the Neutr lines. The Neutr lines did not significantly differ from the starting population although a trend of decreased aggression was visible. Keywords: selection for male aggression
Project description:High frequency of physical aggression is the central feature of severe conduct disorder and is associated with a wide range of social, mental and physical health problems. We have previously tested the hypothesis that differential DNA methylation signatures in peripheral T cells are associated with a chronic aggression trajectory in males. Despite the fact that sex differences appear to play a pivotal role in determining the development, magnitude and frequency of aggression, most of previous studies focused on males, so little is known about female chronic physical aggression. We therefore tested here whether or not there is a signature of physical aggression in female DNA methylation and, if there is, how it relates to the signature observed in males. Genome-wide promoter methylation profiles of T cell DNA from adult males and females on a Chronic Physical Aggression (CPA) trajectory during childhood and adolescence were compared to adults on a normative physical aggression trajectories (NPA). Each sample was bisulphite converted gDNA pooled in equimolar amounts. Three different pools of genomic DNA were made per group: male CPA (2 or 3 different subjects per pool), male NPA (4 different subjects per pool), female CPA (2 different subjects per pool) and female NPA (4 or 5 different subjects per pool) . The Illumina Infinium 450k Human DNA methylation Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles of the 2 groups in both sex.
Project description:Genes relevant to manifestion of and variation in aggression behavior might be differentially expressed in lines selected for divergent levels of aggression. Experiment Overall Design: Drosophila males were assessed for their aggression levels in a behavioral assay that quantified aggressive encounters. A subset of the sampled population was selected as parents for the next generation, with High, Low, and Control selection groups maintained. This artificial selection was continued for 28 generations, with a variety of other behavioral and life history traits assessed for correlation with response to selection for aggression. At generation 28, male and female flies were collected for RNA extraction and subsequent gene expression analysis.
Project description:A clinical study of the efficacy of oral alpha-difluoromethylornithine (eflornithine or DFMO) in male and female subjects ages 30-60 with gastric premalignant lesions in two high risk regions of Latin America.
Project description:To examine the impact of gp130-mediated, pro-cholinergic neurokine intervention on the small RNA systems in female and male human neuronal cells, we exposed cultured LA-N-2 cells (female) to 100 ng/ml ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and LAN-5 cells (male) to 10 ng/ml CNTF. RNA sequencing of time points at 30/60 minutes and 2/4 days of CNTF exposure shows a significant response and an “immediate early”/”long term” dichotomy in differentially expressed miRNAs.
Project description:Model with functions depending on Age, Male, BP (Blood Pressure).
There are 3 disease states: Healthy, Sick, and Dead, where the Dead state is terminal. The yearly transition probabilities are: Healthy to Dead: Age/1000; Healthy to Sick: According to function F1 depending on Age and Male and BP; Sick to Healthy: 0.1; Sick to Dead: according to function F2 depending on Age and Male.
Pre-Transition Rules: Age increased by 1 and BP by Age/10 each simulation cycle. Post-Transition Rules: Treatment = BP>140 , becomes 1 when BP crosses 140 threshold; BP =BP-Treatment*10 , meaning a drop of 10 once treatment is applied; CostThisYear = Age + \Treatment*10 , cost depends on age and if treatment was taken; Cost= Cost + CostThisYear , it accumulates cost over time.
Initial conditions: Healthy = (50 Male, 50 Female with Age =1,2,...,50 for each individual), BP =120, Sick = (0,0) and Dead = (0,0).
Output: Number of men and women in each disease state for years 1-10 and their ages and costs in each state. A stratified report by male and female and young – up to age 30 and old above age 30 is produced.
Project description:We generated 4 separate subpopulations of selected flies from 1 starting population of a mixture of Canton-S flies. Two of the populations (AggrI and AggrII) were selected for increased aggression by picking males from a population cage that engaged in the most intense fighting (known as escalation behavior). Thirty males were selected every generation (from a total of 120 males per cage) per line and mated with random virgin females from that same generation. Two control populations (NeutrI and NeutrII) were selected by picking random males from the population cage after 15-30 aggressive males were removed. After 21 generations of selection males from the Aggr lines were dramatically more aggressive than males from the Neutr lines. The Neutr lines did not significantly differ from the starting population although a trend of decreased aggression was visible. Experiment Overall Design: Four populations were analyzed. Two were selected for increased aggression and two were reference groups, selected for a decrease but with no significant effect.
Project description:We studied behavioral, brain transcriptomic and epigenetic responses of honey bees to social challenge. Bees were exposed to two intruders at different intervals. The initial exposure caused two behavioral effects at the individual level: an increase in the intensity of aggression toward a second intruder at 30 and 60 minutes, and an increased probability of responding aggressively toward a second intruder that persisted for two hours. The shorter-lived response was associated with one pattern of gene expression in the mushroom bodies, highlighted by genes related to cytoskeleton remodeling. The longer-lived response was associated with a different pattern; highlighted by genes related to hormones, stress response and transcription factors. Histone profiling revealed few changes in chromatin accessibility in response to social challenge; most differentially expressed genes were “ready” to be activated. These results demonstrate how biological embedding of a social challenge involves changes in the neurogenomic state to influence future behavior.
Project description:High frequency of physical aggression is the central feature of severe conduct disorder and is associated with a wide range of social, mental and physical health problems. We have previously tested the hypothesis that differential DNA methylation signatures in peripheral T cells are associated with a chronic aggression trajectory in males. Despite the fact that sex differences appear to play a pivotal role in determining the development, magnitude and frequency of aggression, most of previous studies focused on males, so little is known about female chronic physical aggression. We therefore tested here whether or not there is a signature of physical aggression in female DNA methylation and, if there is, how it relates to the signature observed in males. Genome-wide promoter methylation profiles of T cell DNA from adult females on a Chronic Physical Aggression (CPA, n=5) trajectory during childhood and adolescence were compared to those on normative physical aggression trajectories (NPA, n=14). Two technical replicates were generated for each individual.
Project description:To identify the molecular impact of SPIO nanoparticle inhalation exposure on lung tissue. Transcriptional responses were measured by global microarray analysis of mouse lung. Male Balb/c mice were exposed to aerosolized SPIO nanoparticles using a nano-aerosol generation and inhalation system . Exposure was performed using two groups of 30 male Balb/c mices (60 total). One group of 30 was exposed to aerosolized SPIO nanopartic