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Primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) is the most prevalent gynecological disorder for women in the reproductive age. PDM patients suffer from lower abdominal pain that starts with the onset of the menstrual flow. Prolonged nociceptive input to the central nervous system can induce functional and structural alterations throughout the nervous system. In PDM, a chronic viscero-nociceptive drive of cyclic nature, indications of central sensitization and altered brain metabolism suggest a substantial central reorganization. Previously, we hypothesized that disinhibition of orbitofrontal networks could be responsible for increased pain and negative affect in PDM. Here, we further tested this hypothesis. We used an optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach to compare total and regional gray matter (GM) increases and decreases in 32 PDM patients with 32 healthy age and menstrual cycle matched (peri-ovulatory phase) controls. Abnormal decreases were found in regions involved in pain transmission, higher level sensory processing, and affected regulation while increases were found in regions involved in pain modulation and in regulation of endocrine function. Moreover, GM changes in regions involved in top-down pain modulation and in generation of negative affect were related to the severity of the experienced PDM pain. Our results demonstrate that abnormal GM volume changes are present in PDM patients even in the absence of pain. These changes may underpin a combination of impaired pain inhibition, increased pain facilitation and increased affect. Our findings highlight that longer lasting central changes may occur not only in sustained chronic pain conditions but also in cyclic occurring pain conditions.

Genomic regions free of nucleosomes, which are hypersensitive to DNase I digestion, are known as DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) and frequently contain cis-regulatory DNA elements. To investigate their prevalence and characteristics in maize (), we developed high-resolution genome-wide DHS maps using a modified DNase-seq technique. Maize DHSs exhibit depletion of nucleosomes and low levels of DNA methylation and are enriched with conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs). We developed a protoplast-based transient transformation assay to assess the potential gene expression enhancer and/or promoter functions associated with DHSs, which showed that more than 80% of DHSs overlapping with CNSs showed an enhancer function. Strikingly, nearly 25% of maize DHSs were derived from transposable elements (TEs), including both class I and class II transposons. Interestingly, TE-derived DHSs (teDHSs) homologous to retrotransposons were enriched with sequences related to the intrinsic cis-regulatory elements within the long terminal repeats of retrotransposons. We demonstrate that more than 80% of teDHSs can drive transcription of a reporter gene in protoplast assays. These results reveal the widespread occurrence of TE-derived cis-regulatory sequences and suggest that teDHSs play a major role in transcriptional regulation in maize.

Background Family caregivers play crucial roles in taking care of people experiencing schizophrenia in the community. The burdens on and needs of caregivers of these patients should be emphasized. This study aimed to explore the perspective of family caregivers of people experiencing schizophrenia in the communities of Beijing in terms of the burdens of care and the acquisition and further need for support in order to provide guidance to health care providers regarding how to target therapeutic interventions for families of individuals experiencing schizophrenia and to provide recommendations for policy makers to tailor countermeasures and services. Methods A total of 20 family caregivers of schizophrenia patients were enrolled in our study. A face-to-face and semi-structured in-depth qualitative interview study was conducted to explore the caregivers’ perspective on the burden on caregivers, support and further needs. This study was conducted in the community health service centres where the family caregivers regularly visit. The study was carried out according to good ethical practices, data analysis and reporting guidelines. Results Most participants reported that they were suffering from heavy life burdens and had negative experiences with respect to obtaining social support, and they emphasized that they would require more support. Economic and daily housework burdens, limited social communication, and psychological stresses were the principal burdens. Support including financial, medical and information and educational support did not satisfy the needs of the caregivers and their patients. More financial support, respect, and rehabilitation institutions were reported to be needs of the caregivers. Conclusions Family caregivers of people experiencing schizophrenia suffer from heavy physical and psychological burdens; however, the current support provided is insufficient. More services and better public attitudes should be considered for people experiencing schizophrenia and their caregivers.

A new strategy to create iridium(iii)-based ECL labels reveals limitations of conventional approaches.

Object Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the surgical procedure of choice for patients with advanced Parkinson disease (PD). The globus pallidus internus (GPi) and the subthalamic nucleus (STN) are commonly targeted by this procedure. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy of DBS in each region. Methods MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Library were searched for English-language studies published before April 2013. Results of studies investigating the efficacy and clinical outcomes of DBS of the GPi and STN for PD were analyzed. Results Six eligible trials containing a total of 563 patients were included in the analysis. Deep brain stimulation of the GPi or STN equally improved motor function, measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Section III (UPDRSIII) (motor section, for patients in on- and off-medication phases), within 1 year postsurgery. The change score for the on-medication phase was 0.68 (95% CI – 2.12 to 3.47, p > 0.05; 5 studies, 518 patients) and for the off-medication phase was 1.83 (95% CI – 3.12 to 6.77, p > 0.05; 5 studies, 518 patients). The UPDRS Section II (activities of daily living) scores for patients on medication improved equally in both DBS groups (p = 0.97). STN DBS allowed medication dosages to be reduced more than GPi DBS (95% CI 129.27–316.64, p < 0.00001; 5 studies, 540 patients). Psychiatric symptoms, measured by Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition scores, showed greater improvement from baseline after GPi DBS than after STN DBS (standardized mean difference −2.28, 95% CI −3.73 to −0.84, p = 0.002; 3 studies, 382 patients). Conclusions GPi and STN DBS improve motor function and activities of daily living for PD patients. Differences in therapeutic efficacy for PD were not observed between the 2 procedures. STN DBS allowed greater reduction in medication for patients, whereas GPi DBS provided greater relief from psychiatric symptoms. An understanding of other symptomatic aspects of targeting each region and long-term observations on therapeutic effects are needed.

A simple, cost-efficient, sensitive and selective fluorescence sensor is developed for sequence-specific recognition of duplex DNA (ds-DNA) in vitro using metal-organic framework (MOF) as the sensing platform. N,N-Bis(2-hydroxy-ethyl)dithiooxamidatocopper(II) (H(2)dtoaCu) was chosen as the example MOF, because it strongly chemisorbs the dye-labeled probe TFO (triplex-forming oligonucleotide), and quenches fluorescence from the dye. In the presence of target ds-DNA (the PPT of HIV RNA, a 16-bp ds-DNA sequence), the TFO could interact with the major groove in ds-DNA (via Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding) to form a rigid triplex structure, resulting in fluorescence recovery. The enhanced fluorescence signal has a relationship with the ds-DNA concentration, the detection limit is as low as 1.3 nmol L(-1) (S/N = 3) with good selectivity, which is lower than that based on a graphene oxide platform and electrochemical-DNA sensor.

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