Cloning,characterization of two female-specific AFLP markers and development of PCR-based sex identification method for the half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis

Two female-specific AFLP(amplified fragment length polymorphism)markers(named CseF464 and CseF136)were isolated by using one selective primer combination(E-AGC/M-CTG)from the genomic DNA of 20 females and 20 males of the half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis.Both the markers were re-amplified,recovered from the agarose gels,cloned and sequenced.Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the length of the two markers were 468 bp and 134 bp,respectively,and the sequences showed no similarity to each other,as well as to the known sequences deposited in the GenBank database using BLASTn.Two pairs of SCAR(sequence characterized amplified regions)primers were designed based on the sequences of the two female-specific markers.Furthermore,PCR-based genetic sex identification method was developed in Cynoglossus semilaevis.A specific fragment was amplified in all females but not in any males by using these SCAR primers on the initial 20 female and 20 male individuals of Cynoglossus semilaevis.The feasibility of the two SCAR primer pairs was confirmed in additional 100 individuals(50 females and 50 males).This allowed for reliable,rapid molecular identification of genetic sex of the species,genetic mapping on the sex chromosomes and better understanding of the sex determination and sex differentiation in the half-smooth tongue sole.

Female-specific vs conventional knee prostheses after total knee arthroplasty:A meta-analysis

AIM： To study whether female-specifc prostheses are superior to conventional prostheses after total knee arthroplasty （TKA） by conducting this meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of the 2 different designs.METHODS： A systematic electronic search was con-ducted in the databases of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library for prospective and retrospective trials. Meta-analysis was performed for the outcomes, includ-ing range of motion （ROM）, Knee Society score, Hospi-tal for Special Surgery scores （HSS） and complications including deep infection, manipulation under anesthesia （MUA）, revisions, anterior knee pain, deep vein throm-bosis and overhang rate. Meta-analysis was conductedwhere applicable. Weighted mean difference （WMD） and odds ratio were calculated according to study type.RESULTS： Seven studies including 1174 knees wereeligible for data extraction and pooled analysis. The overhang rate of female-specifc prostheses was signif-cantly lower than the conventional ones （WMD, 3.25; 95%CI： 0.00-0.27; P = 0.001）. ROM in the female-spe-cifc prostheses group after TKA tended to be greater than the conventional prostheses group; however, with insignifcant difference （WMD, 2.48; 95%CI： -0.83-5.78; P = 0.14）. HSS （WMD, 0.48; 95%CI： -1.45-0.88; P = 0.63） and complications including deep infection （WMD, 0.39; 95%CI： 0.19-3.08; P =0 .70）, MUA （WMD, 1.53; 95%CI： 0.02-1.61; P = 0.13） and revisions （WMD, 0.55; 95%CI： 0.07-4.34; P = 0.13） were all comparable be-tween the two groups with at least 1 year follow-up. Other indexes were revealed to be similar between the two treatments with a descriptive analytical method.CONCLUSION： Although the overhang rate is lower with female-specific prostheses, the current evidence does not support that female-specific prostheses out-weigh conventional ones after TKA.

Women’s health issues in solid organ transplantation:Breast and gynecologic cancers in the post-transplant population

The success of solid organ transplant has steadily improved which has led to a unique set of post-transplant issues.The rates of de novo cancer in the solid organ transplant recipient population are higher than those in the general population.There is growing evidence that breast and gynecologic cancers may have a higher mortality rate in post-transplant patients.Cervical and vulvovaginal cancers specifically have a significantly higher mortality in this population.Despite this increased mortality risk,there is currently no consistent standard in screening and identifying these cancers in post-transplant patients.Breast,ovarian and endometrial cancers do not appear to have significantly increased incidence.However,the data on these cancers remains limited.Further studies are needed to determine if more aggressive screening strategies would be of benefit for these cancers.Here we review the cancer incidence,mortality risk and current screening methods associated with breast and gynecologic cancers in the post-solid organ transplant population.

Male mate choice as differential investment in contest competition is affected by female ornament expression

High male mating effort and high variation in female quality select for male mate choice, which may be expressed as differential investment of reproductive effort based on female value. Male reproductive effort includes investment in direct contest competition with rival males for access to females, yet variation in male-male contest behavior is rarely examined in the context of male mate choice. We examine such male response to variation in female body size, reproductive state, and female-specific ornamentation in the striped plateau lizard, Sceloporus virgatus. We housed lizards in trios of 2 size-matched males and one female for 5 days, such that all 3 lizards were physi- cally isolated and the males could see the female but not each other. We then placed males simultaneously into the female＇s cage and scored the interaction. Male-male aggression was not significantly affected by female body size, reproductive state, nor ornament color, but was influenced by ornament size which reliably signals the phenotypic quality of the female and her off- spring. In the presence of larger-ornamented females, males engaged in more male-male aggressive display behavior more quickly, and performed fewer high-intensity contact behaviors but were equally likely to escalate to this riskier level of fighting. Our data suggest that males adjust their energetic investment during intrasexual competitive interactions in response to variation in the contested female which, assuming males gain direct or indirect benefits from their strategic allocation of reproductive effort, fits the modern understanding of male mate choice.

Notch signaling in female cancers: a multifaceted node to overcome drug resistance

Drug resistance is one of the main challenges in cancer therapy,including in the treatment of female-specific malignancies,which account for more than 60%of cancer cases among women.Therefore,elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms is an urgent need in gynecological cancers to foster novel therapeutic approaches.Notably,Notch signaling,including either receptors or ligands,has emerged as a promising candidate given its multifaceted role in almost all of the hallmarks of cancer.Concerning the connection between Notch pathway and drug resistance in the afore-mentioned tumor contexts,several studies focused on the Notch-dependent regulation of the cancer stem cell(CSC)subpopulation or the induction of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition(EMT),both features implicated in either intrinsic or acquired resistance.Indeed,the present review provides an up-to-date overview of the published results on Notch signaling and EMT-or CSC-driven drug resistance.Moreover,other drug resistance-related mechanisms are examined such as the involvement of the Notch pathway in drug efflux and tumor microenvironment.Collectively,there is a long way to go before every facet will be fully understood;nevertheless,some small pieces are falling neatly into place.Overall,the main aim of this review is to provide strong evidence in support of Notch signaling inhibition as an effective strategy to evade or reverse resistance in female-specific cancers.