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Purpose It has been reported that cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO.sub.2) measured by near infrared spectroscopy is low in dialysis patients. We compared the rSO.sub.2 values of dialysis patients before living donor kidney transplantation and their donors as controls by using three spectroscopes that utilize different principals, the INVOS 5100C (spatially resolved spectroscopy), FORE-SIGHT ELITE (modified Beer-Lambert law) and tNIRS-1 (time-resolved spectroscopy). Methods Before induction of anesthesia, the sensors of one of the three spectroscopes were placed on the forehead and rSO.sub.2 values were recorded followed by the same measurement using the other two spectroscopes. The primary objective was to compare the rSO.sub.2 values of the dialysis patients and controls using the three spectroscopes by the unpaired t test. Then we compared the rSO.sub.2 values among the spectroscopes in both dialysis patients and controls by one-way ANOVA. Finally, we examined the relations between the rSO.sub.2 values and the physiological values by using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results Fifteen pairs of dialysis patients and controls were studied. With the INVOS 5100 C, the values of the dialysis patients (59.7 ± 9.7% (mean ± standard deviation) were 13% lower than those of the controls (73.3 ± 6.9%) (P < 0.01). With the tNIRS-1, the values were 57.8 ± 4.8% in the dialysis patients and 63.3 ± 3.5% in the controls (P < 0.01). Almost no differences were observed with the FORE-SIGHT ELITE (71.6 ± 4.9% [dialysis patients] vs. 70.8 ± 4.3% [Controls]) (P = 0.62). Among the spectroscopes, the values were significantly different in both dialysis patients and controls. For the INVOS 5100C and tNIRS-1, correlation coefficients between rSO.sub.2 values and blood Hb and serum Alb were more than 0.5. Conclusions The rSO.sub.2 values for comparisons between the dialysis patients and the controls were different according to differences of the principles of the near infrared spectroscopes. In the INVOS 5100C and tNIRS-1, rSO.sub.2 values may be related to blood Hb and serum Alb., Author(s): Yasunori Yagi [sup.1], Yasunori Kubo [sup.1], Koji Hoshino [sup.1], Kazufumi Okada [sup.2], Kiyohiko Hotta [sup.3], Nobuo Shinohara [sup.3], Yuji Morimoto [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/0419drx70, grid.412167.7, 0000 0004 0378 [...]

The majority of calcium filtered by the glomerulus is reabsorbed along the nephron. Most is reabsorbed from the proximal tubule (> 60%) via a paracellular pathway composed of the tight junction proteins claudins-2 and -12, a process driven by sodium and consequently water reabsorption. The thick ascending limb reabsorbs the next greatest amount of calcium (20-25%), also by a paracellular pathway composed of claudins-16 and -19. This pathway is regulated by the CaSR, whose activity increases the expression of claudin-14, a protein that blocks paracellular calcium reabsorption. The fine tuning of urinary calcium excretion occurs in the distal convoluted and connecting tubule by a transcellular pathway composed of the apical calcium channel TRPV5, the calcium shuttling protein calbindin-D.sub.28K and the basolateral proteins PMCA1b and the sodium calcium exchanger, NCX. Not surprisingly, mutations in a subset of these genes cause monogenic disorders with hypercalciuria as a part of the phenotype. More commonly, 'idiopathic' hypercalciuria is encountered clinically with genetic variations in CLDN14, the CASR and TRPV5 associating with kidney stones and increased urinary calcium excretion. An understanding of the molecular pathways conferring kidney tubular calcium reabsorption is employed in this review to help explain how dietary and medical interventions for this disorder lower urinary calcium excretion., Author(s): Mallory L Downie [sup.1] [sup.2] , R. Todd Alexander [sup.3] [sup.4] [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.83440.3b, 0000000121901201, Department of Renal Medicine, University College London, , London, UK (2) grid.424537.3, [...]

Several respiratory viruses can circulate during the same period and can concurrently or sequentially infect the respiratory tract, leading to virus-virus interactions. At the host level, the course of infection [...]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review of research on oral and laryngeal diadochokinesis (DDK) in children and adults, either typically developing/developed or with a clinical diagnosis. Method: Searches were conducted with PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and legacy sources in retrieved articles. Search terms included the following: DDK, alternating motion rate, maximum repetition rate, sequential motion rate, and syllable repetition rate. Results: Three hundred sixty articles were retrieved and included in the review. Data source tables for children and adults list the number and ages of study participants, DDK task, and language(s) spoken. Cross-sectional data for typically developing children and typically developed adults are compiled for the monosyllables /pA/, /tA/, and /kA/; the trisyllable /pAtAkA/; and laryngeal DDK. In addition, DDK results are summarized for 26 disorders or conditions. Discussion: A growing number of multidisciplinary reports on DDK affirm its role in clinical practice and research across the world. Atypical DDK is not a well-defined singular entity but rather a label for a collection of disturbances associated with diverse etiologies, including motoric, structural, sensory, and cognitive. The clinical value of DDK can be optimized by consideration of task parameters, analysis method, and population of interest., The word diadochokinesis (DDK) is derived from the Greek diadochos (succeeding) + kinesis (movement). In the general study of body movements, DDK or diadochokinesia is defined as the ability to [...]

Acitretin is a member of vitamin A-derived retinoids, and its effect on vascular smooth muscle had not yet been studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of acitretin, a retinoid, on vascular smooth muscle contractility. Thoracic aorta preparations obtained from 34 male Sprague-Dawley rats (355 [+ or -] 15 g) were studied in isolated organ baths containing Krebs-Henseleit solution. The relaxation responses were obtained with acitretin ([10.sup.-12]-[10.sup.- 4] M) in endothelium-preserved and endothelium-denuded aorta preparations precontracted with submaximal concentration of phenylephrine ([10.sup.-6] M). The role of retinoic acid receptors (RARs), nitric oxide, adenylyl, and guanylyl cyclase enzymes, and potassium channels in these relaxation responses were investigated. Acitretin produced concentration-dependent relaxations, which were independent of its solvent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), in endothelium-denuded phenylephrine-precontracted thoracic aorta preparations. While incubation with the RAR antagonist (AGN193109, [10.sup.-5] M) had no effect on these relaxations; nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (L-[N.sup.G]-Nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), [10.sup.-4] M), adenylyl cyclase inhibitor (SQ2253, [10.sup.-5] M), guanylyl cyclase inhibitor (oxadiazolo [4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), [10.sup.-6] M), and potassium channel blocker (tetraethylammonium (TEA), [10.sup.-2] M) significantly eliminated the relaxation responses induced by acitretin. Acitretin induces relaxation in rat isolated thoracic aorta preparations without endothelium, which may be mediated by nitric oxide, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent kinases and potassium channels. Key words: retinoids, acitretin, vascular smooth muscle, aorta, relaxation, dimethylsulfoxide. L'acitretine est un membre de la famille des retinoides derives de la vitamin A, et ses effets sur le muscle lisse vasculaire n'ont pas encore ete etudies. Cette etude portait sur l'effet de l'acitretine, un retinoide, sur la contractilite du muscle lisse vasculaire. Nous avons obtenu des preparations d'aorte thoracique de 34 rats Sprague-Dawley males (355 [+ or -] 15 g) dans des bains d'organe contenant une solution de Krebs-Henseleit. Nous avons obtenu des reactions de relaxation avec de l'acitretine ([10.sup.-12]-[10.sup.-4] M) dans des preparations d'aorte dont l'endothelium etait preserve ou supprime precontractees en presence de concentrations sous-maximales de phenylephrine ([10.sup.-6] M). Nous avons etudie les roles des recepteurs de l'acide retinoique (RAR), de l'oxyde nitrique, des enzymes adenylyl et guanylyl cyclases et des canaux potassiques dans ces reactions de relaxation. L'acitretine a permis d'obtenir des relaxations proportionnelles aux concentrations qui etaient independantes de leur solvant de dimethylsulfoxyde dans des preparations d'aortes thoraciques precontractees par la phenylephrine dont l'endothelium avait ete supprime. Tandis que l'incubation avec un antagoniste des RAR (AGN193109, [10.sup.-5] M) n'avait aucun effet sur ces relaxations, l'inhibiteur de l'oxyde nitrique synthase (L-NAME, [10.sup.-4] M), l'inhibiteur de l'adenylyl cyclase (SQ2253, [10.sup.-5] M), l'inhibiteur de la guanylyl cyclase (ODQ, [10.sup.-6] M) et le bloqueur des canaux potassiques (tetraethylammonium (TEA), [10.sup.-2] M) permettaient d'inhiber de facon marquee les reactions de relaxation provoquees par l'acitretine. L'acitretine permet d'entrainer la relaxation des preparations d'aortes thoraciques isolees sans endothelium, ce qui pourrait etre medie par l'oxyde nitrique, les kinases dependantes du monophosphate d'adenosine cyclique et du monophosphate de guanosine cyclique, de meme que les canaux potassiques. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: retinoides, acitretine, muscle lisse vasculaire, aorte, relaxation, dimethylsulfoxyde., Introduction Acitretin is a retinoid that contains vitamin A derivatives or chemically related compounds (Orfanos et al. 1997). Retinoids include first (retinol, retinal, tretinoin (retinoic acid), isotretinoin), second (etretinate and [...]

The early metastasis of cervical cancer is a multistep process requiring the cancer cells to adapt to the signal input from different tissue environments, including hypoxia. Hypoxia-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a critical role in the ability to invade surrounding tissues. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying EMT in cervical cancer remain to be elucidated. Herein, we show that hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1[alpha]) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) are recruited to the human coilin-interacting nuclear ATPase protein (hCINAP) promoter and initiate hCINAP expression in hypoxia. Ablation of hCINAP decreased the migratory capacity and EMT of cervical cancer cells under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, hCINAP regulated EMT through the Akt--mTOR signaling pathway, and inhibits hypoxia-induced p53-dependent apoptosis. Our data collectively show that hCINAP may have essential roles in the metastasis of cervical cancer and could be a potential target for curing cervical cancer. Key words: hCINAP, hypoxia, Akt--mTOR, HIF-1[alpha]--ARNT, p53. La metastase precoce du cancer du col de l'uterus est un processus en plusieurs etapes qui exige que les cellules cancereuses s'adaptent aux signaux emis par differents environnements tissulaires, y compris l'hypoxie. La transition epithelio-mesenchymateuse (TEM) induite par l'hypoxie joue un role essentiel dans l'acquisition de la capacite a envahir les tissus environnants. Cependant, le mecanisme moleculaire sous-jacent a la TEM dans le cancer du col de l'uterus reste a elucider. Les auteurs ont montre ici que HIF-1[alpha] et ARNT sont recrutes sur le promoteur de hCINAP et qu'ils initient l'expression de hCINAP en hypoxie. L'ablation de l'hCINAP diminuait la capacite migratoire et la TEM des cellules cancereuses du col de l'uterus en hypoxie. Par ailleurs, hCINAP regule la TEM par la signalisation Akt--mTOR et inhibe l'apoptose dependante de p53 induite par l'hypoxie. Ces donnees ont collectivement montre que hCINAP pourrait jouer un role essentiel dans la metastase du cancer du col de l'uterus et pourrait etre une cible potentielle pour la guerison de ce cancer. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : hCINAP, hypoxie, Akt--mTOR, HIF-1[alpha]--ARNT, p53., Introduction Hypoxia, a hallmark of solid tumors, is an important aspect of the tumor microenvironment (Ji 2014). Hypoxia is associated with tumorigenesis, spoor prognosis, increased angiogenesis, and tumor growth. Hypoxia [...]

Evidence suggests there may be increased risk for suicidal behavior among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An emerging body of research explores social factors that may contribute to increased risk, however little is known about the potential role of biological factors. The current project addresses this knowledge gap through a preliminary study of genes associated with both ASD and suicidal behavior. Gene set enrichment tests of eight genes strongly associated with both ASD and suicidal behavior revealed overrepresentation of nine biological processes, including cognition and synapse function, and 14 cellular components, including the neuron, the synapse, and the synaptic and postsynaptic membrane. These results can be used to inform future investigations of the biological underpinnings of suicidal behavior and ASD., Author(s): Emily DiBlasi [sup.1] , Anne V. Kirby [sup.2] , Eoin Gaj [sup.1] , Anna R. Docherty [sup.1] , Brooks R. Keeshin [sup.3] [sup.4] , Amanda V. Bakian [sup.1] , [...]

Emerging research suggests that adiponectin, a cytokine produced by adipose tissue, may be implicated in ASD. In this prospective birth cohort study (n = 847), we assessed the association between cord, early childhood plasma adiponectin and the risk of developing ASD. ASD was defined based on ICD codes of physician diagnosis. Cord adiponectin levels were inversely associated with ASD risk (aOR 0.50; 95% CI 0.33, 0.77), independent of preterm birth, early childhood adiponectin and other known ASD risk factors. Early childhood adiponectin, assessed prior to ASD diagnosis, was associated with lower risk of ASD, which attenuated after adjusting for cord adiponectin, indicating the relative importance of cord adiponectin in ASD risk. Further research is warranted to confirm our findings and elucidate biological mechanisms., Author(s): Ramkripa Raghavan [sup.1] , M. Daniele Fallin [sup.2] , Xiumei Hong [sup.1] , Guoying Wang [sup.1] , Yuelong Ji [sup.1] , Elizabeth A. Stuart [sup.2] [sup.3] , David Paige [...]

Purpose: We assessed the potential direct and indirect (mediated) influences of 4 cognitive mechanisms we believe are theoretically relevant to canonical and noncanonical sentence comprehension of school-age children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD).Method: One hundred seventeen children with DLD and 117 propensity-matched typically developing (TD) children participated. Comprehension was indexed by children identifying the agent in implausible sentences. Children completed cognitive tasks indexing the latent predictors of fluid reasoning (FLD-R), controlled attention (CATT), complex working memory (cWM), and long-term memory language knowledge (LTM-LK).Results: Structural equation modeling revealed that the best model fit was an indirect model in which cWM mediated the relationship among FLD-R, CATT, LTM-LK, and sentence comprehension. For TD children, comprehension of both sentence types was indirectly influenced by FLD-R (pattern recognition) and LTM-LK (linguistic chunking). For children with DLD, canonical sentence comprehension was indirectly influenced by LTM-LK and CATT, and noncanonical comprehension was indirectly influenced just by CATT.Conclusions: cWM mediates sentence comprehension in children with DLD and TD children. For TD children, comprehension occurs automatically through pattern recognition and linguistic chunking. For children with DLD, comprehension is cognitively effortful. Whereas canonical comprehension occurs through chunking, noncanonical comprehension develops on a word-byword basis.Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha. 7178939, We have been engaged in a two-pronged research program, one centering on better understanding the syntactic comprehension of children with developmental language disorder (DLD)1 and the other centering on the [...]

Zeb1, a zinc finger E-box binding homeobox epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor, confers properties of 'sternness,' such as self-renewal, in cancer. Yet little is known about the function of Zeb1 in adult stem cells. Here, we used the hematopoietic system as a well-established paradigm of stem cell biology to evaluate Zeb1-mediated regulation of adult stem cells. We employed a conditional genetic approach using the Mx1- Cre system to specifically knock out (KO) Zeb1 in adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their downstream progeny. Acute genetic deletion of Zeb1 led to rapid-onset thymic atrophy and apoptosis-driven loss of thymocytes and T cells. A profound cell-autonomous self-renewal defect and multilineage differentiation block were observed in Zeb1-KO HSCs. Loss of Zeb1 in HSCs activated transcriptional programs of deregulated HSC maintenance and multilineage differentiation genes and of cell polarity consisting of cytoskeleton-, lipid metabolism/lipid membrane-, and cell adhesion-related genes. Notably, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression was prodigiously upregulated in Zeb1-KO HSCs, which correlated with enhanced cell survival, diminished mitochondrial metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, and differentiation capacity and an activated transcriptomic signature associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) signaling. ZEB1 expression was downregulated in AML patients, and Zeb1 KO in the malignant counterparts of HSCs--leukemic stem cells (LSCs)--accelerated MLL-AF9- and Meis1a/Hoxa9-driven AML progression, implicating Zeb1 as a tumor suppressor in AML LSCs. Thus, Zeb1 acts as a transcriptional regulator in hematopoiesis, critically coordinating HSC self-renewal, apoptotic, and multilineage differentiation fates required to suppress leukemic potential in AML., Introduction Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex process that organizes specific changes in cellular fate and phenotype and is usually accompanied by loss of cell polarity and adhesion and increased [...]

We consider processes of emergence within the conceptual framework of the Information Loss principle and the concepts of (1) systems conserving information; (2) systems compressing information; and (3) systems amplifying information. We deal with the supposed incompatibility between emergence and computability tout-court. We distinguish between computational emergence, when computation acquires properties, and emergent computation, when computation emerges as a property. The focus is on emergence processes occurring within computational processes. Violations of Turing-computability such as non-explicitness and incompleteness are intended to represent partially the properties of phenomenological emergence, such as logical openness, given by the observer's cognitive role; structural dynamics where change regards rules rather than only values; and multi-modelling where multiple non-equivalent models are required to model such structural dynamics. In this way, we validate, from an epistemological viewpoint, models and simulations of phenomenological emergence where the sequence of events constitutes the natural, analogical non-Turing computation which a cognitive complex system can reproduce through learning. Reproducibility through learning is different from Turing-like computational iteration. This paper aims to open a new, non-reductionist understanding of the conceptual relationship between emergence and computability., Author(s): Ignazio Licata [sup.1] , Gianfranco Minati [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) Institute for Scientific Methodology (ISEM), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy (2) Italian Systems Society (AIRS), Via [...]

Magnesium is essential to the proper functioning of numerous cellular processes. Magnesium ion (Mg.sup.2+) deficits, as reflected in hypomagnesemia, can cause neuromuscular irritability, seizures and cardiac arrhythmias. With normal Mg.sup.2+ intake, homeostasis is maintained primarily through the regulated reabsorption of Mg.sup.2+ by the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop and distal convoluted tubule of the kidney. Inadequate reabsorption results in renal Mg.sup.2+ wasting, as evidenced by an inappropriately high fractional Mg.sup.2+ excretion. Familial renal Mg.sup.2+ wasting is suggestive of a genetic cause, and subsequent studies in these hypomagnesemic families have revealed over a dozen genes directly or indirectly involved in Mg.sup.2+ transport. Those can be classified into four groups: hypercalciuric hypomagnesemias (encompassing mutations in CLDN16, CLDN19, CASR, CLCNKB), Gitelman-like hypomagnesemias (CLCNKB, SLC12A3, BSND, KCNJ10, FYXD2, HNF1B, PCBD1), mitochondrial hypomagnesemias (SARS2, MT-TI, Kearns-Sayre syndrome) and other hypomagnesemias (TRPM6, CNMM2, EGF, EGFR, KCNA1, FAM111A). Although identification of these genes has not yet changed treatment, which remains Mg.sup.2+ supplementation, it has contributed enormously to our understanding of Mg.sup.2+ transport and renal function. In this review, we discuss general mechanisms and symptoms of genetic causes of hypomagnesemia as well as the specific molecular mechanisms and clinical phenotypes associated with each syndrome., Author(s): Daan H. H. M Viering [sup.1] [sup.2] , Jeroen H. F. de Baaij [sup.2] , Stephen B. Walsh [sup.1] , Robert Kleta [sup.1] [sup.3] , Detlef Bockenhauer [sup.1] [sup.3] [...]

Abstract: A series of new fluorene-based π-conjugated polymers having coumarin derivatives as part of dendritic side chains were designed and prepared using the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. A new coumarin derivative [...]

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to determine if sarpogrelate hydrochloride (SPG), a serotonin 5HT2A receptor antagonist, prevented the development of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) and hypertensive pulmonary vascular remodeling. Methods Forty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia (380 mmHg, 10 % oxygen) or room air and administered 50 mg/kg SPG or vehicle by gavage once daily from day -2 to day 14. The mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) were measured. Hypertensive pulmonary vascular remodelings were assessed morphometrically by light microscopy. Serotonin-induced contraction was determined in isolated pulmonary artery rings from 24 rats. In another set of rats, Western blotting, real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescent staining (n = 9) for lung tissue were performed. Results Chronic hypoxia induced a rise in mean PAP and RVH, increased the percentage of muscularized arteries in peripheral pulmonary arteries and medial wall thickness in small muscular arteries, and potentiated serotonin-induced contraction, each of which was significantly (p < 0.05) ameliorated by SPG. Chronic hypoxia significantly increased the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and phosphorylated eNOS (peNOS) protein levels, cyclic guanosine monophosphate, and matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) mRNA levels in whole lung tissues. SPG increased peNOS expression in the immunofluorescent staining of peripheral pulmonary arteries from chronic hypoxic rats and decreased the MMP-13 mRNA in lung tissue in chronic hypoxic rats. Conclusions The administration of SPG ameliorated the development of chronic hypoxic PH and hypertensive pulmonary vascular changes., Author(s): Erquan Zhang[sup.1] , Junko Maruyama[sup.1] [sup.4] , Ayumu Yokochi[sup.1] , Yoshihide Mitani[sup.2] , Hirofumi Sawada[sup.1] [sup.2] , Masakatsu Nishikawa[sup.3] , Ning Ma[sup.5] , Kazuo Maruyama[sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) Department [...]

The aim of this study was to verify the presence of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) in the adrenal gland of male rats of 2 different strains, and to test the hypothesis that treatment with mGluR5 antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP) affects hormone release and adrenal gene expression of mGluR5 under conditions of stress. The results clearly show the gene expression of mGluR5 in the adrenal gland in both the adrenal cortex and medulla. Treatment with the glutamate release inhibitor riluzole (4 mg x [(kg body mass).sup.-1] x [day.sup.-1] for 2 weeks) failed to modify mRNA levels of either the mGluR5 or NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor in the adrenal glands, as measured by real-time PCR. Blockade of mGluR5 with MPEP (1 mg x [kg.sup.-1] for 4 days) increased corticosterone but not catecholamine release during restraint stress (20 min). Treatment with MPEP had no effect on mRNA levels coding for steroidogenic factors StAR and SF-1, and decreased mGluR5 gene expression in the adrenal gland. In conclusion, mGluR5 is not likely to play a significant role in stress-induced catecholamine release. Pharmacological blockade of mGluR5 has a modest influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, as reflected in adrenal hypertrophy and increased corticosterone concentrations. Key words: glutamate receptors, stress, adrenal gland, stress hormones, steroidogenic factors. Les objectifs des presentes etudes consistaient a verifier la presence du recepteur du glutamate metabotropique du sous-type 5 (mGluR5) dans la surrenale de rats males appartenant a deux souches differentes, et a tester l'hypothese qu'un traitement avec un antagoniste du mGluR5, la 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP) a un impact sur la liberation d'hormones et l'expression genique du mGluR5 dans les surrenales en condition de stress. Les resultats demontrent clairement l'expression genique du mGluR5 dans la surrenale, tant dans le cortex que dans la medulla. Un traitement avec un inhibiteur de la liberation de glutamate, le riluzole (4 mg x [(kg de masse corporelle).sup.-1] x [jour.sup.-1] pendant 2 semaines) ne parvenait pas a modifier les niveaux d'ARNm de mGluR5 et de la sous-unite NR1 du recepteur NMDA dans les surrenales, mesures par PCR en temps reel. Le blocage du mGluR5 par la MPEP (1 mg x [kg.sup.-1] pendant 4 jours) augmentait la liberation de corticosterone, contrairement aux catecholamines, durant un stress de contention (20 minutes). Le traitement a la MPEP n'avait pas d'effet sur les niveaux d'ARNm des facteurs steroidogenes StAR et SF-1, et diminuait l'expression genique de mGluR5 dans la surrenale. En conclusion, les recepteurs du glutamate mGluR5 ne jouent probablement pas un role significatif dans la liberation de catecholamines induite par le stress. Le blocage pharmacologique du mGluR5 n'exerce qu'une influence modeste sur l'axe hypothalamo-hypophyso-surrenalien, refletee par une hypertrophie surrenalienne et des concentrations accrues de corticosterone. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: recepteurs du glutamate, stress, glande surrenale, hormones de stress, facteurs steroidogenes., Introduction Glutamate is one of neurotransmitters involved in the control of neuroendocrine functions. The involvement of central ionotropic glutamate receptors in the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis is well [...]

The concept of renoprotection has evolved significantly, driven by improved understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the advent of novel treatment options. Glomerular hyperfiltration, hypertension and proteinuria represent key mediators of CKD progression. It is increasingly recognized that proteinuria may actually be pathological and etiological in CKD progression and not just symptomatic. It initiates a sequence of events involving activation of proinflammatory and profibrotic signaling pathways in proximal tubular epithelial cells with transmission of the disease to the tubulointerstitium and progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Although the etiology and epidemiology of pediatric CKD differs to that in adults, studies in the various animal models of kidney disease, from obstructive uropathy to glomerulonephritis, have revealed that many common proinflammatory and profibrotic pathways are induced in progressive proteinuric CKD, irrespective of the primary disease. This pathomechanistic overlap therefore translates into the potential for common treatment targets for a wide spectrum of kidney diseases. In this review we therefore discuss the experimental and clinical evidence for an array of prospective future drug treatments of CKD progression. While conceptually promising, clear definitive evidence beyond preclinical data does not exist for many of these treatments, and others are limited by serious adverse effects. More studies are needed before general recommendations can be given. Keywords Chronic kidney disease * Proteinuria * Treatment, Introduction By the end of the last century, the concept of renoprotection had evolved from the early strategies of dietary protein restriction and blood pressure control, to renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) [...]

This study aimed to investigate the effect of downhill walking on muscle damage and glucose metabolism in healthy subjects. All ten healthy young men and women (age, 24.0 [+ or -] 1.4 years) performed rest, uphill walking, and downhill walking trials. In the exercise trials, uphill (+ 5%) or downhill (- 5%) treadmill walking was performed at 6 km/h for 30 min. On the next day, muscle soreness was significantly higher in the downhill trial than in the uphill trial (P < 0.01). Respiratory metabolic performance did not differ between trials. However, carbohydrate oxidation was negatively correlated with plasma creatine kinase (r = - 0.41) and muscle soreness (r = - 0.47). Fasting blood glucose was significantly lower in the uphill trial than in the rest trial (P < 0.01) but not in the downhill trial. These observations suggest that downhill but not uphill walking causes mild delayed-onset muscle damage, which did not cause marked impairment in glucose metabolism. However, higher muscle damage responders might exhibit lower glucose metabolism. Keywords: Walking, Skeletal muscle, Delayed-onset muscle damage, Glucose metabolism, Insulin sensitivity, Author(s): Airi Nakayama[sup.1], Wataru Aoi[sup.1], Maki Takami[sup.1], Nariyuki Hirano[sup.1], Yumi Ogaya[sup.1], Sayori Wada[sup.1] and Akane Higashi[sup.1] Introduction Exercise induces a drastic change in metabolic events in the body, particularly those [...]

The Editors of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research sincerely thank the following reviewers for their contributions from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015. We apologize for any errors [...]

Wild waterfowl form the main reservoir of influenza A viruses, from which transmission occurs directly or indirectly to various secondary hosts, including humans (1). Direct avian-to-human transmission has been observed for viruses of subtypes A(H5N1), A(H7N2), A(H7N3), A(H7N7), A(H9N2) and A(H10N7) upon human exposure to poultry (2-7), but a lack of sustained human-to-human transmission has prevented these viruses from causing new pandemics. Recently, avian A(H7N9) viruses were transmitted to humans, causing severe respiratory disease and deaths in China (8). Because transmission via respiratory droplets and aerosols (hereafter referred to as airborne transmission) is the main route for efficient transmission between humans, it is important to gain an insight into airborne transmission of the A(H7N9) virus. Here we show that although the A/Anhui/1/2013 A(H7N9) virus harbours determinants associated with human adaptation and transmissibility between mammals, its airborne transmissibility in ferrets is limited, and it is intermediate between that of typical human and avian influenza viruses. Multiple A(H7N9) virus genetic variants were transmitted. Upon ferret passage, variants with higher avian receptor binding, higher pH of fusion, and lower thermostability were selected, potentially resulting in reduced transmissibility. This A(H7N9) virus outbreak highlights the need for increased understanding of the determinants of efficient airborne transmission of avian influenza viruses between mammals., At the end of March 2013, the World Health Organization was notified by the Chinese authorities of three human cases of infection with a novel avian-origin influenza A(H7N9) virus (9). [...]

Author(s): Mathilde Richard [sup.1] , Eefje J. A. Schrauwen [sup.1] , Miranda de Graaf [sup.1] , Theo M. Bestebroer [sup.1] , Monique I. J. Spronken [sup.1] , Sander van Boheemen [...], An investigation into the transmissibility of the H7N9 influenza A virus in ferrets finds that although the virus has some determinants associated with human adaptation and transmissibility between mammals, the airborne transmission between ferrets is limited. Transmission of emerging H7N9 virus By 20 July 2013, there had been 134 laboratory-confirmed human cases of infection with avian influenza A H7N9 virus infection, including 43 deaths. Yoshihiro Kawaoka and colleagues characterize the biology of two recent isolates of the virus. They provide a wealth of data from infections in mice, pigs, macaques and ferrets. H7N9 virus is shown to be less sensitive to neuraminidase inhibitors than pandemic H1N1 virus, but equally susceptible to an experimental polymerase inhibitor. Terrence Tumpey and colleagues determine the capacity of two clinical H7N9 isolates to cause disease and transmit between mammals. They show that the virus can replicate in human airway cells and in the respiratory tract of ferrets to a higher level than can seasonal H3N2 virus, and show higher lethality in mice than genetically related H7N9 and H9N2 viruses. In transmission studies, the H7N9 virus showed limited transmission in ferrets by respiratory droplets. Ron Fouchier and colleagues investigate the transmissibility of H7N9 virus between ferrets. They show that airborne transmission can occur, but inefficiently. They also show that on passage in ferrets, virus variants that have higher avian receptor binding, higher pH of fusion and lower thermostability are selected, and they suggest that these characteristics may result in reduced transmissibility. Wild waterfowl form the main reservoir of influenza A viruses, from which transmission occurs directly or indirectly to various secondary hosts, including humans.sup.1. Direct avian-to-human transmission has been observed for viruses of subtypes A(H5N1), A(H7N2), A(H7N3), A(H7N7), A(H9N2) and A(H10N7) upon human exposure to poultry.sup.2,3,4,5,6,7, but a lack of sustained human-to-human transmission has prevented these viruses from causing new pandemics. Recently, avian A(H7N9) viruses were transmitted to humans, causing severe respiratory disease and deaths in China.sup.8. Because transmission via respiratory droplets and aerosols (hereafter referred to as airborne transmission) is the main route for efficient transmission between humans, it is important to gain an insight into airborne transmission of the A(H7N9) virus. Here we show that although the A/Anhui/1/2013 A(H7N9) virus harbours determinants associated with human adaptation and transmissibility between mammals, its airborne transmissibility in ferrets is limited, and it is intermediate between that of typical human and avian influenza viruses. Multiple A(H7N9) virus genetic variants were transmitted. Upon ferret passage, variants with higher avian receptor binding, higher pH of fusion, and lower thermostability were selected, potentially resulting in reduced transmissibility. This A(H7N9) virus outbreak highlights the need for increased understanding of the determinants of efficient airborne transmission of avian influenza viruses between mammals.

Epidemiologic studies have suggested that magnesium intake may be associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the findings have been inconsistent. We aimed to assess this association by conducting a meta-analysis of prospective studies. We performed a literature search on PubMed database through July 2012 to identify prospective studies of magnesium intake in relation to CRC risk. Reference lists of the retrieved articles were also reviewed. A random-effects model was used to compute the summary risk estimates. Eight prospective studies containing 338979 participants and 8000 CRC cases met the inclusion criteria. The summary relative risk (RR) for the highest vs lowest category of magnesium intake for CRC was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.79-1.00), with little evidence of heterogeneity. Restricting the analysis to six studies that have adjusted for calcium intake yielded a similar result. For colon and rectal cancer, the pooled RR was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.70-0.93) and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.72-1.24), respectively. In the dose-response analyses, the summary RRs for an increment of magnesium intake of 50mg/day for colorectal, colon and rectal cancer were, respectively, 0.95 (95% CI, 0.89-1.00), 0.93 (95% CI, 0.88-0.99) and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.83-1.04), and there was some evidence of heterogeneity; omitting one study that substantially contributed to the heterogeneity yielded generally similar results, but with low heterogeneity. We detected no indication of publication bias. On the basis of the findings of this meta-analysis, a higher magnesium intake seems to be associated with a modest reduction in the risk of CRC, in particular, colon cancer. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2012.135; published online 3 October 2012 Keywords: prospective studies; colorectal cancer; magnesium; meta-analysis, INTRODUCTION Colorectal cancer (CRC) comprises at least 13% of all cancer patients in Europe, and remains the third most common type of cancer in the United States. (1,2) Diet and [...]

Background Pulmonary sarcoidosis has a variable course ranging from self-limiting disease to progressive fibrosis. Activation of fibroblasts, myofibroblast transformation, and matrix production may contribute to pulmonary damage in sarcoidosis. These processes are influenced by pulmonary cytokines which can be measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In order to clarify the incompletely understood fibrotic process in sarcoidosis, we classified activity of sarcoidosis according to WASOG criteria, measured TNF-α, IL-6, and HGF in BALF, and assessed the effect of HGF and BALF on proliferation and matrix production of human lung fibroblasts. Results BALF was obtained from 34 consecutive patients with sarcoidosis. BALF of active sarcoidosis contained elevated levels of TNF-α, HGF, and IL-6 and stimulated fibroblast proliferation. BALF of inactive sarcoidosis, but not of active sarcoidosis, stimulated the production of matrix proteins. HGF levels in inactive sarcoidosis were below those of control patients. HGF suppressed TGF-β-induced matrix expression and transformation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts. Conclusion Prevention of TGF-β-induced myofibroblast transformation may account for the inhibitory effect of HGF on matrix production. The strong fibrogenic effect of BALF of inactive sarcoidosis corresponds to the worse clinical course of inactive sarcoidosis compared with active disease and may be related to a lack of protective HGF. Keywords Sarcoidosis * HGF * TGF * Fibrosis * Myofibroblast * Extracellular matrix, Introduction Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown cause that affects primarily the lungs (>90%) and lymphatic tissues [1-3]. Pulmonary sarcoidosis leads to restrictive lung function impairment with a [...]

Research on the basic interaction of radiation with biological systems has contributed to human society through various applications in medicine, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and in other technological developments. In the agricultural sciences and food technology sectors, recent research has elucidated the new potential application of radiation for microbial decontamination due to the inhibitory effect of radiation on microbial infestation. The last few decades have witnessed a large number of pertinent works regarding the utilization of radiation with special interest in γ-rays for evolution of superior varieties of agricultural crops of economic importance. In this review, general information will be presented about radiation, such as plant specificity, dose response, beneficial effects, and lethality. A comparison of different studies has clarified how the effects observed after exposure were deeply influenced by several factors, some related to plant characteristics (e.g., species, cultivar, stage of development, tissue architecture, and genome organization) and some related to radiation features (e.g., quality, dose, duration of exposure). There are many beneficial uses of radiation that offer few risks when properly employed. In this review, we report the main results from studies on the effect of γ-irradiations on plants, focusing on metabolic alterations, modifications of growth and development, and changes in biochemical pathways especially physiological behaviour. Key words: growth modulation, metabolic alteration, elicitation. La recherche sur les interactions de base des radiations sur les systemes biologiques a contribue a la societe humaine par ses diverses applications en medecine, agriculture, pharmacie et autres developpements technologiques. En sciences agricoles et technologie des aliments, de recentes recherches ont mis a jour l'application potentielle de la radiation pour la decontamination microbienne exercee par l'effet inhibiteur des radiations sur les infestations microbiennes. Au cours des recentes decades, un grand nombre de travaux pertinents ont vu le jour concernant l'utilisation des radiations avec un interet particulier pour les rayons gamma en vue de la production de varietes superieures de cultures agricoles d'importance agronomique. Dans cette revue, les auteurs presentent des informations generales sur les radiations, comme la specificite des plantes, la reaction aux doses, les effets benefiques et la letalite. Une comparaison de differentes etudes a permis de clarifier comment les effets observes subissent l'influence de plusieurs facteurs, pour certains relies aux caracteristiques des plantes (par ex. espece, cultivar, stade de developpement, architecture des tissus) et pour d'autres relies aux caracteristiques des radiations (par ex. qualite, dose, duree de l'exposition). Il existe de nombreux usages benefiques des radiations offrant peu de risques, lorsqu'employees judicieusement. Les auteurs presentent les principaux resultats d'etudes sur l'effet des rayons gamma sur les plantes, en mettant l'accent sur les alterations metaboliques, les modifications de la croissance et du developpement, les modifications des sentiers biochimiques et surtout le comportement physiologique. Mots-cles : modulation de croissance, alteration metabolique, elicitation. [Traduit par la Redaction], 1. Introduction With the discovery of X-rays by W.C. Roentgen in 1896, there was hope for employing this new technology as a tool in plant improvement programs. Hugo de Varies [...]

ARTICLE INFO Keywords: American ginseng Root of Panax quinquefolius Oxidative stress Endothelial cells NF-κ B ABSTRACT Purpose: Ginseng (Araliaceae), demonstrates widespread biological effects because of its purported antioxidant and other [...]

Treatment of Spicaria elegans with cytochrome P-450 inhibitor resulted in two new deoxy-cytochalasins, 7-de-oxy-cytochalasin [Z.sub.7] (1) and 7-deoxy-cytochalasin [Z,sub.9] (2), which were recognized as plausible precursors of cytochalasins [Z.sub.7] and [Z.sub.9], respectively. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by the conventional Mosher ester method. Their cytotoxicities against two cancer cell lines were evaluated. Key words: cytochalasin, Spicaria elegans, cytochrome P-450 inhibitor, cytotoxicity. Le traitement du Spicaria elegans par l'inhibiteur du cytochrome P-450 conduit a la formation de deux nouvelles desoxycytochalasines, le 7-desoxycytochalasine [Z.sub.7] (1) et 7-desoxycytochalasine [Z.sub.9] (2) qui ont ete reconnues comme des precurseurs plausibles respectivement pour les cytochalasines [Z.sub.7] et cytochalsaines [Z.sub.9]. Les structures des composes 1 et 2 ont ete elucidees par des methodes spectroscopiques et la configuration absolue du produit 1 a ete determinee par la methode conventionnelle de l'ester de Mosher. On a evalue leurs cytotoxicites contre deux series de cellules cancereuses. Mots-cles : cytochalasine, Spicaria elegans, inhibiteur de cytochrome P-450, cytotoxicite. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction In our ongoing search for new bioactive secondary metabolites from marine fungi, a series of cytochalasins has been isolated from the marine-derived fungus Spicaria elegans, some of which exhibited [...]

Previous research has documented the impact of time of day on vigilance and memory and the moderating influence of circadian typology (morningness-eveningness) on the relationship between time of testing and cognitive processes. This study examined the impact of circadian typology and time of testing on executive functions. Morning-type and evening-type people were randomly assigned to a morning or afternoon testing time, and their performance on neuropsychological tests, including the Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT), the Digit Span test, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was compared. No interactions between circadian typology and time of day were observed on the CPT or Digit Span test. A time of day effect was found on the letter generation portion of the COWAT. More words were generated in the afternoon than in the morning. In contrast, performance on the WCST was best when morning-type participants were tested at their optimal time of day. These findings suggest that circadian typology should be considered when scheduling neuropsychological assessments, rehabilitation training, and critical job tasks., Several investigators have demonstrated that cognitive processing is influenced by the time of day when participants are tested. For example, time of day influences immediate and delayed recall of short [...]

Byline: Sushilkumar. Gupta, Shyam. Shankar, Evan. Stein, Sina. Khasani Sir, Longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is a rare inflammatory disorder causing damage to the spinal cord with varying degrees of [...]

Abstract: Long considered scarcely more than an uninteresting energy depot, adipose tissue has recently achieved star status. Far from being mere fat droplets, the adipocytes secrete a number of hormones [...]

Abstract: In vitro experiments were performed on melanophores bourne on scale slips sampled from three major areas (general background, dark band, and white spot) of the integumentary pattern of winter [...]

Abstract: We investigated the activity of [P.sup.21]-activated kinase-1 (Pakl) on myosin light chain phosphorylation and on thrombin-induced barrier dysfunction in human endothelial cells (HMEC). HMEC were infected with recombinant adenoviruses [...]

Abstract In the cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus, most promoters are regulated by a circadian clock under continuous light (LL) conditions. Nevertheless, the basic circadian oscillation is primarily generated by alternating KaiC [...]

I. Neurogenesis in the Adult Brain: a New Paradigm for Structure- Function Relationships II. From Newly Born Cells to Network A. Definitions B. In vivo evaluation of adult neurogenesis: methodological [...]

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a potent proangiogenic cytokine elevated in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). A new study links impaired vascular regrowth in PAD to increased expression of an antiangiogenic splice variant of VEGF-A., PAD results from blockade of arteries, most often in the legs, due to atherosclerotic lesions. Patients with PAD experience severe pain due to limb ischemia and are at elevated risk [...]

Author(s): Natasha Erdman [1]; Kenneth R. Poeppelmeier [2]; Mark Asta [3]; Oliver Warschkow [4]; Donald E. Ellis [4]; Laurence D. Marks (corresponding author) [1] Oxide surfaces are important for applications [...]

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) in maize (Zea mays L.) silks has been implicated in resistance to corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea Boddie) with a mechanism similar to the flavone, maysin. However, the genetic basis of CGA synthesis is poorly understood. Our goal was to identify candidate loci affecting the biosynthesis of CGA using quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses on three [F.sub.2] populations: (A619 x Mp708)[F.sub.2], (A619 x Mo6)[F.sub.2], and (Mo6 x Mp708)[F.sub.2]. Chlorogenic acid and flavone contents in silks were measured, linkage maps generated, and significant loci identified with composite interval mapping (CIM) and ANOVA multiple-effects models for the three populations. Of the QTLs detected, two exerted major effects; one corresponding to the p1 locus, and the other a novel locus we named qtl2. The main effect of the functional allele at the p1 locus was to increase both CGA and flavones, while the positive allele at the qtl2 locus only increased CGA. An epistatic interaction between p1 and qtl2 alleles in the (A619 x Mo6)[F.sub.2] population caused an increase in CGA with a concomitant decrease in flavones. The rare ability of Mo6 and Mp708 to synthesize CGA in excess of flavones is primarily a result from the effects at the qtl2 locus., CHLOROGENIC ACID is a secondary metabolite synthesized in many plants (Clifford, 1999; Herrmann, 1989). Chlorogenic acid is implicated in free radical scavenging (Chen and Ho, 1997), inhibition of lipid peroxidation [...]

Runoff generation and soil erosion were investigated at the Guadalperalon experimental watershed (western Spain), within the land-use system known as dehesa, or open, managed evergreen forests. Season and type of surface were found to control runoff and soil-loss rates. Five soil units were selected as representative of surface types found in the study area: hillslope grass, bottom grass, tree cover, sheep trails, and shrub cover. Measurements were made in various conditions with simulated rainfall to gain an idea of the annual variation in runoff and soil loss. Important seasonal differences were noted due to surface cover and moisture content of soil, but erosion rates were determined primarily by runoff. Surfaces covered with grass and shrubs always showed less erosion; surfaces covered with holm oaks showed higher runoff rates, due to the hydrophobic character of the soils. Concentrations of runoff sediment during the simulations confirmed that erosion rates at the study site depended directly on the sedi ment available on the soil surface. Keywords: dehesa, erosion, land use, rainfall simulation, runoff, Spain., Dehesas are open, managed evergreen forests in Spain with a predominant over-story of holm oaks and cork oaks (including Quercus rotundifolia, Q. suber, Q.faginea, and Q. pyrenaica). Their structure is [...]

I. INTRODUCTION As early as 1850, a number of light microscopic studies demonstrated the presence of small granules in different types of cells. These were given a variety of names [...]