239 results on '"Vernon, W."'
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2. BNIP3L/Nix-induced mitochondrial fission, mitophagy, and impaired myocyte glucose uptake are abrogated by PRKA/PKA phosphorylation
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da Silva Rosa, Simone C., Martens, Matthew D., Field, Jared T., Nguyen, Lucas, Kereliuk, Stephanie M., Hai, Yan, Chapman, Donald, Diehl-Jones, William, Aliani, Michel, West, Adrian R., Thliveris, James, Ghavami, Saeid, Rampitsch, Christof, Dolinsky, Vernon W., and Gordon, Joseph W.
- Abstract
ABSTRACTLipotoxicity is a form of cellular stress caused by the accumulation of lipids resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance in muscle. Previously, we demonstrated that the mitophagy receptor BNIP3L/Nix is responsive to lipotoxicity and accumulates in response to a high-fat (HF) feeding. To provide a better understanding of this observation, we undertook gene expression array and shot-gun metabolomics studies in soleus muscle from rodents on an HF diet. Interestingly, we observed a modest reduction in several autophagy-related genes. Moreover, we observed alterations in the fatty acyl composition of cardiolipins and phosphatidic acids. Given the reported roles of these phospholipids and BNIP3L in mitochondrial dynamics, we investigated aberrant mitochondrial turnover as a mechanism of impaired myocyte insulin signaling. In a series of gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments in rodent and human myotubes, we demonstrate that BNIP3L accumulation triggers mitochondrial depolarization, calcium-dependent activation of DNM1L/DRP1, and mitophagy. In addition, BNIP3L can inhibit insulin signaling through activation of MTOR-RPS6KB/p70S6 kinase inhibition of IRS1, which is contingent on phosphatidic acids and RHEB. Finally, we demonstrate that BNIP3L-induced mitophagy and impaired glucose uptake can be reversed by direct phosphorylation of BNIP3L by PRKA/PKA, leading to the translocation of BNIP3L from the mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol. These findings provide insight into the role of BNIP3L, mitochondrial turnover, and impaired myocyte insulin signaling during an overfed state when overall autophagy-related gene expression is reduced. Furthermore, our data suggest a mechanism by which exercise or pharmacological activation of PRKA may overcome myocyte insulin resistance.Abbreviations:BCL2: B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2; BNIP3L/Nix: BCL2/adenovirus E1B interacting protein 3-like; DNM1L/DRP1: dynamin 1-like; FUNDC1: FUN14 domain containing 1; IRS1: insulin receptor substrate 1; MAP1LC3A/LC3: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 alpha; MFN1: mitofusin 1; MFN2: mitofusin 2; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; OPA1: OPA1 mitochondrial dynamin like GTPase; PDE4i: phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor; PLD1: phospholipase D1; PLD6: phospholipase D family member 6; PRKA/PKA: protein kinase, AMP-activated; PRKCD/PKCδ: protein kinase C, delta; PRKCQ/PKCθ: protein kinase C, theta; RHEB: Ras homolog enriched in brain; RPS6KB/p70S6K: ribosomal protein S6 kinase; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; YWHAB/14-3-3β: tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein beta
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- 2021
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3. Case Sends Message that Plaintiffs Will Travel to Sue Sporting Goods Manufacturers.
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Epstein, Timothy Liam and Thomas, Vernon W.
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- 2022
4. Nonnutritive sweetener consumption during pregnancy, adiposity, and adipocyte differentiation in offspring: evidence from humans, mice, and cells
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Azad, Meghan B., Archibald, Alyssa, Tomczyk, Mateusz M., Head, Alanna, Cheung, Kyle G., de Souza, Russell J., Becker, Allan B., Mandhane, Piushkumar J., Turvey, Stuart E., Moraes, Theo J., Sears, Malcolm R., Subbarao, Padmaja, and Dolinsky, Vernon W.
- Abstract
Background: Obesity often originates in early life, and is linked to excess sugar intake. Nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) are widely consumed as “healthier” alternatives to sugar, yet recent evidence suggests NNS may adversely influence weight gain and metabolic health. The impact of NNS during critical periods of early development has rarely been studied. We investigated the effect of prenatal NNS exposure on postnatal adiposity and adipocyte development. Methods: In the CHILD birth cohort (N= 2298), we assessed maternal NNS beverage intake during pregnancy and child body composition at 3 years, controlling for maternal BMI and other potential confounders. To investigate causal mechanisms, we fed NNS to pregnant C57BL6J mice at doses relevant to human consumption (42 mg/kg/day aspartame or 6.3 mg/kg/day sucralose), and assessed offspring until 12 weeks of age for: body weight, adiposity, adipose tissue morphology and gene expression, glucose and insulin tolerance. We also studied the effect of sucralose on lipid accumulation and gene expression in cultured 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells. Results: In the CHILD cohort, children born to mothers who regularly consumed NNS beverages had elevated body mass index (mean z-score difference +0.23, 95% CI 0.05–0.42 for daily vs. no consumption, adjusted for maternal BMI). In mice, maternal NNS caused elevated body weight, adiposity, and insulin resistance in offspring, especially in males (e.g., 47% and 15% increase in body fat for aspartame and sucralose vs. controls, p< 0.001). In cultured adipocytes, sucralose exposure at early stages of differentiation caused increased lipid accumulation and expression of adipocyte differentiation genes (e.g., C/EBP-α, FABP4, and FASN). These genes were also upregulated in adipose tissue of male mouse offspring born to sucralose-fed dams. Conclusion: By triangulating evidence from humans, mice, and cultured adipocytes, this study provides new evidence that maternal NNS consumption during pregnancy may program obesity risk in offspring through effects on adiposity and adipocyte differentiation.
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- 2020
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5. Intrauterine exposure to diabetes and risk of cardiovascular disease in adolescence and early adulthood: a population-based birth cohort study
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Guillemette, Laetitia, Wicklow, Brandy, Sellers, Elizabeth A.C., Dart, Allison, Shen, Garry X., Dolinsky, Vernon W., Gordon, Joseph W., Jassal, Davinder S., Nickel, Nathan, Duhamel, Todd A., Chateau, Dan, Prior, Heather J., and McGavock, Jonathan
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BACKGROUND:It is unclear whether intrauterine exposure to maternal diabetes is associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and related end points in adulthood. We examined this potential association in a population-based birth cohort followed up to age 35 years.METHODS:We performed a cohort study of offspring born between 1979 and 2005 (n= 293 546) and followed until March 2015 in Manitoba, Canada, using registry-based administrative data. The primary exposures were intrauterine exposure to gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The primary outcome was a composite measure of incident cardiovascular disease events, and the secondary outcome was a composite of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in offspring followed up to age 35 years.RESULTS:The cohort provided 3 628 576 person-years of data (mean age at latest follow-up 20.5 [standard deviation 6.4] years, 49.3% female); 2765 (0.9%) of the offspring experienced a cardiovascular disease end point, and 12 673 (4.3%) experienced a cardiovascular disease risk factor. After propensity score matching, the hazard for cardiovascular disease end points was elevated in offspring exposed to gestational diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–1.79) but not type 2 diabetes (adjusted HR 1.40, 95% CI 0.98–2.01). A similar association was observed for cardiovascular disease risk factors (gestational diabetes: adjusted HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.75–2.11; type 2 diabetes: adjusted HR 3.40, 95% CI 3.00–3.85).INTERPRETATION:Intrauterine exposure to maternal diabetes was associated with higher morbidity and risk related to cardiovascular disease among offspring up to 35 years of age.
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- 2020
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6. Gestational Diabetes Adversely Affects Pancreatic Islet Architecture and Function in the Male Rat Offspring.
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Agarwal, Prasoon, Brar, Navdeep, Morriseau, Taylor S, Kereliuk, Stephanie M, Fonseca, Mario A, Cole, Laura K, Jha, Aruni, Xiang, Bo, Hunt, Kristin L, Seshadri, Nivedita, Hatch, Grant M, Doucette, Christine A, and Dolinsky, Vernon W
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Fetal exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and poor postnatal diet are strong risk factors for type 2 diabetes development later in life, but the mechanisms connecting GDM exposure to offspring metabolic health remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine how GDM interacts with the postnatal diet to affect islet function in the offspring as well as characterize the gene expression changes in the islets. GDM was induced in female rats using a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFS) diet, and litters from lean or GDM dams were weaned onto a low-fat (LF) or HFS diet. Compared with the lean control offspring, GDM exposure reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in islets isolated from 15-week-old offspring, which was additively worsened when GDM exposure was combined with postnatal HFS diet consumption. In the HFS diet-fed offspring of lean dams, islet size and number increased, an adaptation that was not observed in the HFS diet-fed offspring of GDM dams. Islet gene expression in the offspring of GDM dams was altered in such categories as inflammation (e.g., Il1b, Ccl2), mitochondrial function/oxidative stress resistance (e.g., Atp5f1, Sod2), and ribosomal proteins (e.g., Rps6, Rps14). These results demonstrate that GDM exposure induced marked changes in gene expression in the male young adult rat offspring that cumulatively interact to worsen islet function, whole-body glucose homeostasis, and adaptations to HFS diets.
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- 2019
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7. Uncoupling protein 2 regulates daily rhythms of insulin secretion capacity in MIN6 cells and isolated islets from male mice.
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Seshadri, Nivedita, Jonasson, Michael E., Hunt, Kristin L., Xiang, Bo, Cooper, Steven, Wheeler, Michael B., Dolinsky, Vernon W., and Doucette, Christine A.
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Objective Upregulation of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is associated with impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), which is thought to be an important contributor to pathological β cell failure in obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, the physiological function of UCP2 in the β cell remains undefined. It has been suggested, but not yet tested, that UCP2 plays a physiological role in β cells by coordinating insulin secretion capacity with anticipated fluctuating nutrient supply, such that upregulation of UCP2 in the inactive/fasted state inhibits GSIS as a mechanism to prevent hypoglycemia. Therefore, we hypothesized that daily cycles of GSIS capacity are dependent on rhythmic and predictable patterns of Ucp2 gene expression such that low Ucp2 in the active/fed phase promotes maximal GSIS capacity, whereas elevated Ucp2 expression in the inactive/fasted phase supresses GSIS capacity. We further hypothesized that rhythmic Ucp2 expression is required for the maintenance of glucose tolerance over the 24 h cycle. Methods We used synchronized MIN6 clonal β cells and isolated mouse islets from wild type (C57BL6) and mice with β cell knockout of Ucp2 ( Ucp2- βKO; and respective Ins2 -cre controls) to determine the endogenous expression pattern of Ucp2 over 24 h and its impact on GSIS capacity and glucose tolerance over 24 h. Results A dynamic pattern of Ucp2 mRNA expression was observed in synchronized MIN6 cells, which showed a reciprocal relationship with GSIS capacity in a time-of-day-specific manner. GSIS capacity was suppressed in islets isolated from wild type and control mice during the light/inactive phase of the daily cycle; a suppression that was dependent on Ucp2 in the β cell and was lost in islets isolated from Ucp2- βKO mice or wild type islets treated with a UCP2 inhibitor. Finally, suppression of GSIS capacity by UCP2 in the light phase was required for the maintenance of normal patterns of glucose tolerance. Conclusions Our study suggests that Ucp2 /UCP2 in the β cell is part of an important, endogenous, metabolic regulator that controls the temporal capacity of GSIS over the course of the day/night cycle, which, in turn, regulates time-of-day glucose tolerance. Targeting Ucp2 /UCP2 as a therapeutic in type 2 diabetes or any other metabolic condition must take into account the rhythmic nature of its expression and its impact on glucose tolerance over 24 h, specifically during the inactive/fasted phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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8. High-dose metformin (420 mg/kg daily p.o.) increases insulin sensitivity but does not affect neointimal thickness in the rat carotid balloon injury model of restenosis.
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Guo, June, Pereira, Troy J., Dalvi, Prasad, Yeung, Lucy Shu Nga, Swain, Nathan, Breen, Danna M., Lam, Loretta, Dolinsky, Vernon W., and Giacca, Adria
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METFORMIN ,INSULIN resistance ,CAROTID body ,CORONARY restenosis ,ARTERIAL diseases ,HIGH-fat diet - Abstract
Objective Our laboratory has shown that insulin's effect to decrease neointimal thickness after arterial injury is greatly diminished in insulin resistant conditions. Thus, in these conditions, a better alternative to insulin could be to use an insulin sensitizing agent. Metformin, the most commonly prescribed insulin sensitizer, has a cardiovascular protective role. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential benefit of metformin on neointimal area after arterial injury in a rat model of restenosis. Methods Rats fed with either normal or high fat diet and treated with or without oral metformin (420 mg/kg daily) underwent carotid balloon injury. Effects of metformin on clamp-determined insulin sensitivity, vessel AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) phosphorylation (activation marker) and neointimal area were evaluated. Results Metformin increased insulin sensitivity, but did not affect neointimal thickness in either the normal fat or high fat diet-fed rats. Furthermore, metformin activated AMPK in uninjured but not in injured vessels. Similarly, 10 mmol/L metformin inhibited proliferation and activated AMPK in smooth muscle cells of uninjured but not injured vessels, whereas 2 mmol/L metformin did not have any effect. Conclusion In rats, metformin does not decrease neointimal growth after arterial injury, despite increasing whole body insulin sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2017
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9. Hyaluronidase 2 Deficiency Causes Increased Mesenchymal Cells, Congenital Heart Defects, and Heart Failure.
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Chowdhury, Biswajit, Bo Xiang, Liu, Michelle, Hemming, Richard, Dolinsky, Vernon W., and Triggs-Raine, Barbara
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Background—Hyaluronan (HA) is required for endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and normal heart development in the mouse. Heart abnormalities in hyaluronidase 2 (HYAL2)–deficient (Hyal2
−/− ) mice and humans suggested removal of HA is also important for normal heart development. We have performed longitudinal studies of heart structure and function in Hyal2−/− mice to determine when, and how, HYAL2 deficiency leads to these abnormalities. Methods and Results—Echocardiography revealed atrial enlargement, atrial tissue masses, and valvular thickening at 4 weeks of age, as well as diastolic dysfunction that progressed with age, in Hyal2−/− mice. These abnormalities were associated with increased HA, vimentin-positive cells, and fibrosis in Hyal2−/− compared with control mice. Based on the severity of heart dysfunction, acute and chronic groups of Hyal2−/− mice that died at an average of 12 and 25 weeks respectively, were defined. Increased HA levels and mesenchymal cells, but not vascular endothelial growth factor in Hyal2−/− embryonic hearts, suggest that HYAL2 is important to inhibit endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Consistent with this, in wild-type embryos, HYAL2 and HA were readily detected, and HA levels decreased with age. Conclusions—These data demonstrate that disruption of normal HA catabolism in Hyal2−/− mice causes increased HA, which may promote endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and proliferation of mesenchymal cells. Excess endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, resulting in increased mesenchymal cells, is the likely cause of morphological heart abnormalities in both humans and mice. In mice, these abnormalities result in progressive and severe diastolic dysfunction, culminating in heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
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10. Myocardin regulates mitochondrial calcium homeostasis and prevents permeability transition
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Mughal, Wajihah, Martens, Matthew, Field, Jared, Chapman, Donald, Huang, Jianhe, Rattan, Sunil, Hai, Yan, Cheung, Kyle G., Kereliuk, Stephanie, West, Adrian R., Cole, Laura K., Hatch, Grant M., Diehl-Jones, William, Keijzer, Richard, Dolinsky, Vernon W., Dixon, Ian M., Parmacek, Michael S., and Gordon, Joseph W.
- Abstract
Myocardin is a transcriptional co-activator required for cardiovascular development, but also promotes cardiomyocyte survival through an unclear molecular mechanism. Mitochondrial permeability transition is implicated in necrosis, while pore closure is required for mitochondrial maturation during cardiac development. We show that loss of myocardin function leads to subendocardial necrosis at E9.5, concurrent with elevated expression of the death gene Nix. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that myocardin knockdown reduces microRNA-133a levels to allow Nix accumulation, leading to mitochondrial permeability transition, reduced mitochondrial respiration, and necrosis. Myocardin knockdown elicits calcium release from the endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum with mitochondrial calcium accumulation, while restoration of microRNA-133a function, or knockdown of Nix rescues calcium perturbations. We observed reduced myocardin and elevated Nix expression within the infarct border-zone following coronary ligation. These findings identify a myocardin-regulated pathway that maintains calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial function during development, and is attenuated during ischemic heart disease. Given the diverse role of Nix and microRNA-133a, these findings may have broader implications to metabolic disease and cancer.
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- 2018
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11. Mitochondrial Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) Prevents Doxorubicin-Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy by Modulating Protein Acetylation and Oxidative Stress.
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Tomczyk, Mateusz M., Cheung, Kyle G., Xiang, Bo, Tamanna, Nahid, Fonseca Teixeira, Ana L., Agarwal, Prasoon, Kereliuk, Stephanie M., Spicer, Victor, Lin, Ligen, Treberg, Jason, Tong, Qiang, and Dolinsky, Vernon W.
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Background: High doses of doxorubicin put cancer patients at risk for developing dilated cardiomyopathy. Previously, we showed that doxorubicin treatment decreases SIRT3 (sirtuin 3), the main mitochondrial deacetylase and increases protein acetylation in rat cardiomyocytes. Here, we hypothesize that SIRT3 expression can attenuate doxorubicin induced dilated cardiomyopathy in vivo by preventing the acetylation of mitochondrial proteins. Methods: Nontransgenic, M3-SIRT3 (truncated SIRT3; short isoform), and M1-SIRT3 (full-length SIRT3; mitochondrial localized) transgenic mice were treated with doxorubicin for 4 weeks (8 mg/kg body weight per week). Echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac structure and function and validated by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence (n=4–10). Mass spectrometry was performed on cardiac mitochondrial peptides in saline (n=6) and doxorubicin (n=5) treated hearts. Validation was performed in doxorubicin treated primary rat and human induced stem cell derived cardiomyocytes transduced with adenoviruses for M3-SIRT3 and M1-SIRT3 and deacetylase deficient mutants (n=4–10). Results: Echocardiography revealed that M3-SIRT3 transgenic mice were partially resistant to doxorubicin induced changes to cardiac structure and function whereas M1-SIRT3 expression prevented cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. In doxorubicin hearts, 37 unique acetylation sites on mitochondrial proteins were altered. Pathway analysis revealed these proteins are involved in energy production, fatty acid metabolism, and oxidative stress resistance. Increased M1-SIRT3 expression in primary rat and human cardiomyocytes attenuated doxorubicin-induced superoxide formation, whereas deacetylase deficient mutants were unable to prevent oxidative stress. Conclusions: Doxorubicin reduced SIRT3 expression and markedly affected the cardiac mitochondrial acetylome. Increased M1-SIRT3 expression in vivo prevented doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction, suggesting that SIRT3 could be a potential therapeutic target for mitigating doxorubicin-induced dilated cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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12. Test of CPT and Lorentz Invariance from Muonium Spectroscopy.
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Beig, R., Ehlers, J., Frisch, U., Hepp, K., Hillebrandt, W., Imboden, D., Jaffe, R. L., Kippenhahn, R., Lipowsky, R., Löhneysen, H. v., Ojima, I., Weidenmüller, H. A., Wess, J., Zittartz, J., Karshenboim, Savely G., Bassani, F., Pavone, F.S., Inguscio, M., Hänsch, T.W., and Hughes, Vernon W.
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Following a suggestion of Kostelecký et al. we have evaluated a test of CPT and Lorentz invariance from the microwave spectrosopy of muonium. Precise measurements have been reported for the transition frequencies v12 and v34 for ground state muonium in a magnetic field H of 1.7 T, both of which involve principally muon spin flip. These frequencies depend on both the hyperfine interaction and Zeeman effect. Hamiltonian terms beyond the standard model which violate CPT and Lorentz invariance would contribute shifts δv12 and δv34. The nonstandard theory indicates that v12 and v34 should oscillate with the earth's sidereal frequency and that δv12 and δv34 would be anticorrelated. We find no time dependence in v12—v34 at the level of 20 Hz, which is used to set an upper limit on the size of CPT and Lorentz violating parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
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13. Association Between Artificially Sweetened Beverage Consumption During Pregnancy and Infant Body Mass Index
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Azad, Meghan B., Sharma, Atul K., de Souza, Russell J., Dolinsky, Vernon W., Becker, Allan B., Mandhane, Piushkumar J., Turvey, Stuart E., Subbarao, Padmaja, Lefebvre, Diana L., and Sears, Malcolm R.
- Abstract
IMPORTANCE: The consumption of artificial sweeteners has increased substantially in recent decades, including among pregnant women. Animal studies suggest that exposure to artificial sweeteners in utero may predispose offspring to develop obesity; however, to our knowledge, this has never been studied in humans. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether maternal consumption of artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy is associated with infant body mass index (BMI [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared]). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study included 3033 mother-infant dyads from the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study, a population-based birth cohort that recruited healthy pregnant women from 2009 to 2012. Women completed dietary assessments during pregnancy, and their infants’ BMI was measured at 1 year of age (n = 2686; 89% follow-up). Statistical analysis for this study used data collected after the first year of follow-up, which was completed in October 2013. The data analysis was conducted in August 2015. EXPOSURES: Maternal consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages during pregnancy, determined by a food frequency questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Infant BMI z score and risk of overweight at 1 year of age, determined from objective anthropometric measurements and defined according to World Health Organization reference standards. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of the 3033 pregnant women was 32.4 (4.7) years, and their mean (SD) BMI was 24.8 (5.4). The mean (SD) infant BMI z score at 1 year of age was 0.19 (1.05), and 5.1% of infants were overweight. More than a quarter of women (29.5%) consumed artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy, including 5.1% who reported daily consumption. Compared with no consumption, daily consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was associated with a 0.20-unit increase in infant BMI z score (adjusted 95% CI, 0.02-0.38) and a 2-fold higher risk of infant overweight at 1 year of age (adjusted odds ratio, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.23-3.88). These effects were not explained by maternal BMI, diet quality, total energy intake, or other obesity risk factors. There were no comparable associations for sugar-sweetened beverages. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: To our knowledge, we provide the first human evidence that maternal consumption of artificial sweeteners during pregnancy may influence infant BMI. Given the current epidemic of childhood obesity and widespread use of artificial sweeteners, further research is warranted to confirm our findings and investigate the underlying biological mechanisms, with the ultimate goal of informing evidence-based dietary recommendations for pregnant women.
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- 2016
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14. Bcl-2 Regulates Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling and a Redox-Sensitive Mitochondrial Proton Leak in Mouse Pancreatic β-Cells
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Aharoni-Simon, Michal, Shumiatcher, Rose, Yeung, Anthony, Shih, Alexis Z. L., Dolinsky, Vernon W., Doucette, Christine A., and Luciani, Dan S.
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In pancreatic β-cells, controlling the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is critical to counter oxidative stress, dysfunction and death under nutrient excess. Moreover, the fine-tuning of ROS and redox balance is important in the regulation of normal β-cell physiology. We recently demonstrated that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, in addition to promoting survival, suppress β-cell glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the nonapoptotic roles of endogenous Bcl-2 extend to the regulation of β-cell ROS and redox balance. We exposed mouse islet cells and MIN6 cells to the Bcl-2/Bcl-xLantagonist Compound 6 and the Bcl-2-specific antagonist ABT-199 and evaluated ROS levels, Ca2+responses, respiratory control, superoxide dismutase activity and cell death. Both acute glucose stimulation and the inhibition of endogenous Bcl-2 progressively increased peroxides and stimulated superoxide dismutase activity in mouse islets. Importantly, conditional β-cell knockout of Bcl-2 amplified glucose-induced formation of peroxides. Bcl-2 antagonism also induced a mitochondrial proton leak that was prevented by the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine and, therefore, secondary to redox changes. We further established that the proton leak was independent of uncoupling protein 2 but partly mediated by the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Acutely, inhibitor-induced peroxides promoted Ca2+influx, whereas under prolonged Bcl inhibition, the elevated ROS was required for induction of β-cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our data reveal that endogenous Bcl-2 modulates moment-to-moment ROS signaling and suppresses a redox-regulated mitochondrial proton leak in β-cells. These noncanonical roles of Bcl-2 may be important for β-cell function and survival under conditions of high metabolic demand.
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- 2016
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15. Becoming-Other: Foucault, Deleuze, and the Political Nature of Thought.
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Cisney, Vernon W.
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HUMAN beings ,THOUGHT & thinking - Abstract
In this paper I employ the notion of the 'thought of the outside' as developed by Michel Foucault, in order to defend the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze against the criticisms of 'elitism,' 'aristocratism,' and 'political indifference'-famously leveled by Alain Badiou and Peter Hallward. First, I argue that their charges of a theophanic conception of Being, which ground the broader political claims, derive from a misunderstanding of Deleuze's notion of univocity, as well as a failure to recognize the significance of the concept of multiplicity in Deleuze's thinking. From here, I go on to discuss Deleuze's articulation of the 'dogmatic image of thought,' which, insofar as it takes 'recognition' as its model, can only ever think what is already solidified and sedimented as true, in light of existing structures and institutions of power. Then, I examine Deleuze's reading of Foucault and the notion of the 'thought of the outside,' showing the 'outside' as the unthought that lies at the heart of thinking itself, as both its condition and its impossibility. Insofar as it is essential to thinking itself, finally, I argue that the passage of thought to the outside is not an absolute flight out of this world, as Hallward claims, but rather, a return of the different that constitutes the Self for Deleuze. Thinking is an ongoing movement of deterritorialization and reterritorialization, or as Foucault says, death and life. Thinking, as Deleuze understands it, is essentially creative; it reconfigures the virtual, thereby literally changing the world. Thinking is therefore, according to Deleuze, thoroughly political. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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16. High precision atomic spectroscopy of muonium and simple muonic atoms.
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Araki, H., Beig, R., Ehlers, J., Frisch, U., Hepp, K., Jaffe, R. L., Kippenhahn, R., Weidenmüller, H. A., Wess, J., Zittartz, J., Beiglböck, W., Lehr, Sabine, Jungmann, Klaus Peter, Kowalski, Joachim, Reinhard, Irene, Träger, Frank, and Hughes, Vernon W.
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- 1997
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17. Physical Therapy Workforce in the United States: Forecasting Nationwide Shortages.
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Zimbelman, Janice L., Juraschek, Stephen P., Zhang, Xiaoming, and Lin, Vernon W.-H.
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PHYSICAL therapists ,SUPPLY & demand ,PHYSICAL therapy ,SCARCITY ,PREDICTION models ,STAKEHOLDERS - Abstract
Objective: To examine current and future physical therapy (PT) job surplus/shortage trends across the United States. Design: Forecast models and grading methodology previously published for nursing were used to evaluate individual state PT job shortages from 2008 to 2030. Setting: Not applicable. Participants: Not applicable. Methods: The forecast model used to project PT job supply and demand accounted for changes in age and population size on the basis of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau for each of the 50 states. PT shortages were assigned letter grades on the basis of shortage ratios (difference between demand and supply per 10,000 people) to evaluate PT shortages and describe the changing PT workforce in each state. Results: On the basis of current trends, demand for PT services will outpace the supply of PTs within the United States. Shortages are expected to increase for all 50 states through 2030. By 2030, the number of states receiving below-average grades for their PT shortages will increase from 12 to 48. States in the Northeast are projected to have the smallest shortages, whereas states in the south and west are projected to have the largest shortages. Conclusion: These data serve to provide health professionals, policy makers, and stakeholders with a means of assessing current and future PT needs. Discussion of the issues surrounding PT shortages and ongoing assessment of supply and demand must ensue to mitigate projected shortages. Although our model has several limitations and may be oversimplified, it is the first attempt to use available, creditable data to examine both supply and demand for the entire country. Follow-up studies that use more complex modeling are needed to adequately forecast future trends beyond that accomplished in the current article. Monitoring trends over time is critical to maintain an appropriate balance between PT supply and demand that meets the population needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
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18. Calorie restriction prevents hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.
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Dolinsky, Vernon W., Morton, Jude S., Oka, Tatsujiro, Robillard-Frayne, Isabelle, Bagdan, Mariel, Lopaschuk, Gary D., Des Rosters, Christine, Walsh, Kenneth, Davidge, Sandra T., Dyck, Jason R. B., and Des Rosiers, Christine
- Abstract
Because recent evidence demonstrated that calorie restriction (CR) has numerous beneficial cardiovascular effects, we investigated whether short-term CR could reduce hypertension and prevent cardiac hypertrophy inherent to the nonobese spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). After 5 weeks of either ad libitum feeding or short-term CR, SHRs subjected to short-term CR had lower systolic blood pressure (BP) and reduced left ventricular wall thickness as assessed by noninvasive tail-cuff BP measurements and echocardiography, respectively. In addition, ultrasound measurements of the femoral artery revealed that flow-mediated vasodilation was significantly improved in SHRs with CR compared to controls. Moreover, pressure myography of isolated mesenteric arteries and subsequent histological and biochemical analysis of these arteries demonstrated that short-term CR improved vascular compliance, increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and nitric oxide bioavailability, and reduced vascular remodeling compared to ad libitum-fed SHRs. Although these effects are likely multifactorial, they were associated with elevated levels of the circulating adipokine, adiponectin, and enhanced AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity. To provide evidence that elevated adiponectin levels in the SHR is sufficient to prevent an increase in BP, adenoviral-mediated overexpression of adiponectin increased circulating levels of adiponectin, reduced BP, and activated the AMPK/eNOS pathway in the absence of CR. Overall, our findings provide compelling evidence that short-term CR exerts beneficial effects in the SHR via stimulation of an adiponectin/AMPK/eNOS signaling axis. As a result, CR may serve as an effective nonpharmacological treatment of hypertension, and targeting the adiponectin/AMPK/eNOS pathway may improve treatment of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
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19. Loss of TGH/Ces3 in Mice Decreases Blood Lipids, Improves Glucose Tolerance, and Increases Energy Expenditure.
- Author
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Wei, Enhui, Ben Ali, Yassine, Lyon, James, Wang, Huajin, Nelson, Randy, Dolinsky, Vernon W., Dyck, Jason R.B., Mitchell, Grant, Korbutt, Gregory S., and Lehner, Richard
- Subjects
ESTERASES ,GLYCERIDES ,HYDROLASES ,BLOOD lipids ,BLOOD sugar ,METABOLIC disorders ,BODY weight ,LABORATORY mice ,DISEASE risk factors - Abstract
Summary: Excessive accumulation of triacylglycerol in peripheral tissues is tightly associated with obesity and has been identified as an independent risk factor for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular complications. Here we show that ablation of carboxylesterase 3 (Ces3)/triacylglycerol hydrolase (TGH) expression in mice (Tgh
−/− ) results in decreased plasma triacylglycerol, apolipoprotein B, and fatty acid levels in both fasted and fed states. Despite the attenuation of very low-density lipoprotein secretion, TGH deficiency does not increase hepatic triacylglycerol levels. Tgh−/− mice exhibit increased food intake, respiratory quotient, and energy expenditure without change in body weight. These metabolic changes are accompanied by improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Tgh−/− mice have smaller sized pancreatic islets but maintain normal glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. These studies demonstrate the potential of TGH as a therapeutic target for lowering blood lipid levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. What is the evidence for the continuation of core podiatry services in the National Health Service: a review of foot surveys?
- Author
-
Farndon L, Vernon W, and Parry A
- Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate what evidence exists to support core podiatry services by reviewing foot survey data on the amount and type of foot conditions suffered in different populations. Twenty six articles published between 1967 and 2004 inclusively were appraised. The most common conditions reported were problem nails, corns, callus and toe deformities, though some complex functional foot problems were not screened for in many of the studies. Results from the combined surveys suggest many of the foot problems found would require core podiatry care. This however, is currently being phased out in some National Health Service (NHS) podiatry departments. Further research is required to assess outcomes on foot health after receiving core podiatry to increase the evidence-base of this central podiatric role. This should be carried out in conjunction with implementing more preventative strategies to reduce the development of some common foot problems and developing assistant practitioners in podiatry to provide much of this core work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
21. UNCERTAINTY ESTIMATES IN COLD CRITICAL EIGENVALUE PREDICTIONS.
- Author
-
Karve, Atul A., Moore, Brian R., Mills, Vernon W., and Marrotte, Gary N.
- Subjects
NUCLEAR reactors ,STRAINS & stresses (Mechanics) ,EIGENVALUES ,MATRICES (Mathematics) ,MATHEMATICAL functions ,UNCERTAINTY - Abstract
A recent cycle of a General Electric boiling water reactor performed two beginning-of-cycle local cold criticals. The eigenvalues estimated by the core simulator were 0.99826 and 1.00610. The large spread in them (= 0.00784) is a source of concern, and it is studied here. An analysis process is developed using statistical techniques, where first a transfer function relating the core observable Y (eigenvalue) to various factors (X's) is established. Engineering judgment is used to recognize the best candidates for X's. They are identified as power-weighted assembly k∞'s of selected assemblies around the withdrawn rods. These are a small subset of many X's that could potentially influence Y. However, the intention here is not to do a comprehensive study by accounting for all the X's. Rather, the scope is to demonstrate that the process developed is reasonable and to show its applicability to performing detailed studies. Variability in X's is obtained by perturbing nodal k∞'s since they directly influence the buckling term in the quasi-two-group diffusion equation model of the core simulator. Any perturbations introduced in them are bounded by standard well-established uncertainties. The resulting perturbations in the X's may not necessarily be directly correlated to physical attributes, but they encompass numerous biases and uncertainties credited to input and modeling uncertainties. The "vital few" from the "unimportant many" X's are determined, and then they are subgrouped according to assembly type, location, exposure, and control rod insertion. The goal is to study how the subgroups influence Y in order to have a better understanding of the variability observed in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Mitochondrial Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) Prevents Doxorubicin-Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy by Modulating Protein Acetylation and Oxidative Stress
- Author
-
Tomczyk, Mateusz M., Cheung, Kyle G., Xiang, Bo, Tamanna, Nahid, Fonseca Teixeira, Ana L., Agarwal, Prasoon, Kereliuk, Stephanie M., Spicer, Victor, Lin, Ligen, Treberg, Jason, Tong, Qiang, and Dolinsky, Vernon W.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Controversy about agricultural technology lessons from the green revolution.
- Author
-
Ruttan, Vernon W.
- Subjects
GREEN Revolution ,TRANSGENIC organisms ,BIOTECHNOLOGY ,GENETIC engineering ,INDUSTRIAL productivity ,FOOD industry - Abstract
The development and introduction of transgenically modified organisms to enhance crop and animal production has generated considerable controversy about potential food safety and environmental impacts. The introduction, in tropical Latin America and Asia, of high yielding varieties of wheat, maize and rice beginning in the late 1960s was also controversial. Critics argued that the new technology was biased against the poor -- it would make the rich richer and the poor poorer. In this paper I review the equity and productivity impacts of the 'green revolution' technology and draw several inferences about evaluation of the effects of the new biotechnologies in agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. From Heroes to Villains: The Case of U.S. Military Deserters in Sweden.
- Author
-
Boggs Sr., Vernon W.
- Subjects
EMIGRATION & immigration ,MILITARY desertion ,TRANSNATIONALISM ,SWEDISH social conditions ,SOCIETIES - Abstract
The article presents information about the transnational migration of American Military deserters who sought asylum in Sweden in 1960s. This type of migration is frequently characterized by stages in the migrants' and integration into the host society. The stage of assimilation in most cases is a desirable outcome for both the host society and the immigrant. It informs that prior studies of this group of approximately 800 men suggested that they would eventually adapt to the host society. It also mentions that the group eventually failed to assimilate. It gives reason for the group's failure in assimilation as lack of a sound assimilation policy on the part of the host government. It also mentions sometimes it is caused due to the men's individual pathologies. The men eventually indulge in criminal behavior. It mentions about negative public reaction caused by these types of incidents, further reduces the possibility of assimilation. As a result by 1984 around 95 percent of the men had been deported or had left Sweden voluntarily.
- Published
- 1987
25. Induced innovation and path dependence: A reassessment with respect to agricultural development...
- Author
-
Ruttan, Vernon W.
- Subjects
TECHNOLOGICAL innovations - Abstract
Examines two models of technical change. Argument that the two models are complementary forces; Approaches to induced innovation; Influence of path-dependent model to the direction of technical change; Outline of a more general theory; Relationship of technology and environment; Integration of all models.
- Published
- 1996
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. The Sociology of Development and Under Development: Are There Lessons for Economics?
- Author
-
Ruttan, Vernon W.
- Subjects
SOCIOLOGY ,SOCIOECONOMICS ,DEVELOPMENT economics ,METATHEORY ,RESEARCH - Abstract
Copyright of International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture & Food is the property of Research Committee on Sociology of Agriculture & Food and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 1992
27. Arylacetamide deacetylase attenuates fatty-acid-induced triacylglycerol accumulation in rat hepatoma cells
- Author
-
Lo, Vivien, Erickson, Bruce, Thomason-Hughes, Michaela, Ko, Kerry W. S., Dolinsky, Vernon W., Nelson, Randy, and Lehner, Richard
- Abstract
Mobilization of hepatic triacylglycerol stores provides substrates for mitochondrial β-oxidation and assembly of VLDLs; however, the identity of lipolytic enzymes involved in the regulation of this process remains largely unknown. Arylacetamide deacetylase (AADA) shares homology with hormone-sensitive lipase and therefore could potentially participate in hepatic lipid metabolism, including the regulation of hepatic triacylglycerol levels. We have established McArdle-RH7777 (rat hepatoma) cell lines stably expressing mouse AADA cDNA and performed metabolic labeling as well as lipid mass analyses. Expression of AADA cDNA in McArdle-RH7777 cells significantly reduced intracellular triacylglycerol levels and apolipoprotein B secretion and increased fatty acid oxidation.
- Published
- 2010
28. Arylacetamide deacetylase attenuates fatty-acid-induced triacylglycerol accumulation in rat hepatoma cells
- Author
-
Lo, Vivien, Erickson, Bruce, Thomason-Hughes, Michaela, Ko, Kerry W.S., Dolinsky, Vernon W., Nelson, Randy, and Lehner, Richard
- Abstract
Mobilization of hepatic triacylglycerol stores provides substrates for mitochondrial β-oxidation and assembly of VLDLs; however, the identity of lipolytic enzymes involved in the regulation of this process remains largely unknown. Arylacetamide deacetylase (AADA) shares homology with hormone-sensitive lipase and therefore could potentially participate in hepatic lipid metabolism, including the regulation of hepatic triacylglycerol levels. We have established McArdle-RH7777 (rat hepatoma) cell lines stably expressing mouse AADA cDNA and performed metabolic labeling as well as lipid mass analyses. Expression of AADA cDNA in McArdle-RH7777 cells significantly reduced intracellular triacylglycerol levels and apolipoprotein B secretion and increased fatty acid oxidation.
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Uncertainty Estimates in Cold Critical Eigenvalue Predictions
- Author
-
Karve, Atul A., Moore, Brian R., Mills, Vernon W., and Marrotte, Gary N.
- Abstract
A recent cycle of a General Electric boiling water reactor performed two beginning-of-cycle local cold criticals. The eigenvalues estimated by the core simulator were 0.99826 and 1.00610. The large spread in them (= 0.00784) is a source of concern, and it is studied here. An analysis process is developed using statistical techniques, where first a transfer function relating the core observable Y(eigenvalue) to various factors (X’s) is established. Engineering judgment is used to recognize the best candidates for X’s. They are identified as power-weighted assembly k∞’s of selected assemblies around the withdrawn rods. These are a small subset of many X’s that could potentially influence Y. However, the intention here is not to do a comprehensive study by accounting for all the X’s. Rather, the scope is to demonstrate that the process developed is reasonable and to show its applicability to performing detailed studies. Variability in X’s is obtained by perturbing nodal k∞’s since they directly influence the buckling term in the quasi-two-group diffusion equation model of the core simulator. Any perturbations introduced in them are bounded by standard well-established uncertainties. The resulting perturbations in the X’s may not necessarily be directly correlated to physical attributes, but they encompass numerous biases and uncertainties credited to input and modeling uncertainties. The “vital few” from the “unimportant many” X’s are determined, and then they are subgrouped according to assembly type, location, exposure, and control rod insertion. The goal is to study how the subgroups influence Yin order to have a better understanding of the variability observed in it.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Regulation of the enzymes of hepatic microsomal triacylglycerol lipolysis and re-esterification by the glucocorticoid dexamethasone
- Author
-
DOLINSKY, Vernon W., DOUGLAS, Donna N., LEHNER, Richard, and VANCE, Dennis E.
- Abstract
Hepatic VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein) assembly is a complex process that is largely regulated by the provision of lipid for apolipoprotein B assembly. Intracellular stored TAG (triacylglycerol) undergoes an initial lipolysis followed by re-esterification of the lipolytic products to form TAG prior to their incorporation into a VLDL particle. TGH (TAG hydrolase) is a lipase that hydrolyses intracellular TAG within the hepatocyte. We have utilized both dexamethasone-injected mouse and primary hepatocyte models to address whether stimulation of TAG biosynthesis by the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, altered hepatic lipolysis and re-esterification and the provision of stored TAG for lipoprotein secretion. Dexamethasone treatment resulted in decreased TGH expression, primarily due to a dexamethasone-induced decrease in TGH mRNA stability. The expression and activities of diacylglycerol acyltransferases 1 and 2 were stimulated by dexamethasone. The combination of reduced intracellular TAG lipolysis and increased TAG biosynthesis contributed to the accumulation of TAG within the livers of dexamethasone-injected mice. The rate of hepatic TAG secretion in dexamethasonetreated mice was maintained at similar levels as in control mice. Our data demonstrate that stimulation of de novo TAG synthesis by dexamethasone increased the proportion of secreted TAG that was derived from de novo sources, while the utilization of stored TAG for secretion was reduced. The results show that, during markedly increased TAG synthesis, some TAGs are diverted from the cytosolic storage pool and are utilized directly for VLDL assembly within the endoplasmic reticulum lumen.
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. The role of the public sector in technology development: generalisations from general purpose technologies
- Author
-
Ruttan, Vernon W.
- Abstract
In the science and technology policy literature that emerged in the early 1980s, it was held that, while public support for science is appropriate, public support for technology development represents an unproductive use of public resources. The perspective that emerges in my recent book, Technology, Growth and Development: An Induced Innovation Perspective (Oxford, 2002) is quite different. Government has played an important role in technology development and transfer in almost every US industry that has become competitive on a global scale.
- Published
- 2004
32. Controversy about agricultural technology lessons from the green revolution
- Author
-
Ruttan, Vernon W.
- Abstract
The development and introduction of transgenically modified organisms to enhance crop and animal production has generated considerable controversy about potential food safety and environmental impacts. The introduction, in tropical Latin America and Asia, of high yielding varieties of wheat, maize and rice beginning in the late 1960s was also controversial. Critics argued that the new technology was biased against the poor – it would make the rich richer and the poor poorer. In this paper, I review the equity andproductivity impacts of the "green revolution" technology and draw several inferences about evaluation of the effects of the new biotechnologies in agricultural production.
- Published
- 2004
33. Pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase in a hibernating mammal. II. Cold-adapted function and differential expression
- Author
-
Squire, Teresa L., Lowe, Mark E., Bauer, Vernon W., and Andrews, Matthew T.
- Abstract
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) exploit the low-temperature activity of pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase (PTL) during hibernation. Lipolytic activity at body temperatures associated with hibernation was examined using recombinant ground squirrel and human PTLs expressed in yeast. Both the human and ground squirrel enzymes displayed high activity at temperatures as low as 0°C and showed Q10values of 1.2–1.5 over a range of 37–7°C. These studies indicate that low-temperature lipolysis is a general property of PTL and does not require protein modifications unique to mammalian cells and/or the hibernating state. Western blots show elevated levels of PTL protein during hibernation in both heart and white adipose tissue (WAT). Significant increases in PTL gene expression are seen in heart, WAT, and testes; but not in pancreas, where PTL mRNA levels are highest. Upregulation of PTL in testes is also accompanied by expression of the PTL-specific cofactor, colipase. The multi-tissue expression of PTL during hibernation supports its role as a key enzyme that shows high activity at low temperatures.
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Peripheral Nerve Grafts and aFGF Restore Partial Hindlimb Function in Adult Paraplegic Rats
- Author
-
Lee, Yu-Shang, Hsiao, Ian, and Lin, Vernon W.
- Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree of functional recovery in adult rats with completely transected spinal cord following experimental treatment regimens that include implantation of peripheral nerve segments and local application of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF). Rats were randomly divided to five groups: (1) spinal cord transection, (2) spinal cord transection and aFGF treatment, (3) spinal cord transection and peripheral nerve grafts, (4) spinal cord transection, aFGF treatment, and peripheral nerve grafts, and (5) sham control (laminectomy only). The locomotor behavior of all rats was analyzed by the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) open field locomotor test over the six months survival time. Immunohistochemisty for neurofilament protein, and somatosensory (SSEP) and motor evoked potentials (MEP) were used to evaluate axon growth across the damage site following the different treatments. The results show four principal findings: (1) Only the combination of peripheral nerve grafts and aFGF treatment improved hindlimb locomotor function after spinal cord transection. (2) The SSEP and MEP demonstrated electrophysiological evidence of both sensory and motor information crossing the damaged site, but only in the combined nerve grafts and aFGF treatment rats. (3) Immunostaining demonstrated neurofilament positive axons extending through the graft area and into distal end of spinal cord, but only in the group with combined nerve grafts and aFGF treatment. (4) Retransection of group 4 rats eliminated the behavioral recovery, MEP, and SSEP responses, indicating that the improvement of hindlimb locomotor activity came from supraspinal control. These results demonstrate the ability of the repair strategy combining peripheral nerve grafts and aFGF treatment to facilitate the regeneration of spinal ascending and descending tracts and also recovery of motor behavior following spinal cord injury.
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. aFGF Promotes Axonal Growth in Rat Spinal Cord Organotypic Slice Co-Cultures
- Author
-
Lee, Yu-Shang, Baratta, Janie, Yu, Jen, Lin, Vernon W., and Robertson, Richard T.
- Abstract
This study developed a slice culture model system to study axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury. This model was tested in studies of the roles of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) and peripheral nerve segments in axonal growth between pieces of spinal cord. Transverse sections of P15–P18 Sprague-Dawley rat spinal cord were collected for organotypic slice cultures. Group I consisted of two slices of spinal cord in contact with each other during the culture period. Group II consisted of two slices that were separated by 3 mm and connected by two segments of intercostal nerves. Group III consisted of single slices for studies of neuron survival. Some cultures from each group included aFGF in the culture medium. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was included in the medium for some cultures. The results showed three principal findings. First, counts of neurofilament-positive cells demonstrated that treatment with aFGF significantly increased the number of surviving neurons in culture. Second, neurofilament immunostaining and DiI tracing demonstrated axons crossing the junction between the two pieces of spinal cord or growing through the intercostal nerve segments, and these axons were seen only in cultures with aFGF treatment. Third, few cells were double stained for neurofilament and BrdU, and these were found only with aFGF treatment. These results demonstrate that (1) organotypic slice cultures present a useful model to study regeneration from spinal cord injury, (2) aFGF rescues neurons and promotes axonal growth in these cultures, and (3) segments of intercostal nerves promote axon growth between slices of spinal cord.
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Thyroxine regulation of monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase activity in rat heart
- Author
-
MUTTER, Thomas, DOLINSKY, Vernon W., MA, Brian J., TAYLOR, William A., and HATCH, Grant M.
- Abstract
Treatment of rats with thyroxine has been shown to elevate the biosynthesis and content of cardiolipin in the heart [Cao, Cheng, Angel and Hatch (1995) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1256, 241-244]. Treatment with thyroxine resulted in a 1.8-fold increase (P < 0.025) in [1-14C]linoleate and a 1.7-fold increase (P < 0.025) in [1-14C]oleate incorporated into cardiolipin in perfused hearts, compared with controls. The mechanism for the elevation in incorporation of unsaturated fatty acids into cardiolipin was a 1.6-fold (P < 0.025) increase in mitochondrial monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase activity. The results demonstrate that the acylation of cardiac monolysocardiolipin is regulated by thyroid hormone. Thus an elevation in cardiolipin biosynthesis is accompanied by an elevation in monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase activity to maintain the appropriate molecular species composition of cardiolipin in the cardiac mitochondrial membrane. We postulate that monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase might be a rate-limiting enzyme for the molecular remodelling of cardiolipin in the heart.
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Basic management for engineers. Part 3: Don't get mad - get assertive
- Author
-
Vernon, W.
- Abstract
As with most other management skills, anyone can learn assertive behaviour. This article introduces some of the main concepts of assertiveness, and offers some practical techniques for approaching a variety of workplace situations-be you a shrinking violet or a savage beast.
- Published
- 2000
38. Tafazzin Deficiency Reduces Basal Insulin Secretion and Mitochondrial Function in Pancreatic Islets From Male Mice
- Author
-
Cole, Laura K, Agarwal, Prasoon, Doucette, Christine A, Fonseca, Mario, Xiang, Bo, Sparagna, Genevieve C, Seshadri, Nivedita, Vandel, Marilyne, Dolinsky, Vernon W, and Hatch, Grant M
- Abstract
Tafazzin (TAZ) is a cardiolipin (CL) biosynthetic enzyme important for maintaining mitochondrial function. TAZ affects both the species and content of CL in the inner mitochondrial membrane, which are essential for normal cellular respiration. In pancreatic β cells, mitochondrial function is closely associated with insulin secretion. However, the role of TAZ and CL in the secretion of insulin from pancreatic islets remains unknown. Male 4-month-old doxycycline-inducible TAZ knock-down (KD) mice and wild-type littermate controls were used. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess β-cell morphology in whole pancreas sections, whereas ex vivo insulin secretion, CL content, RNA-sequencing analysis, and mitochondrial oxygen consumption were measured from isolated islet preparations. Ex vivo insulin secretion under nonstimulatory low-glucose concentrations was reduced ~52% from islets isolated from TAZ KD mice. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption under low-glucose conditions was also reduced ~58% in islets from TAZ KD animals. TAZ deficiency in pancreatic islets was associated with significant alteration in CL molecular species and elevated polyunsaturated fatty acid CL content. In addition, RNA-sequencing of isolated islets showed that TAZ KD increased expression of extracellular matrix genes, which are linked to pancreatic fibrosis, activated stellate cells, and impaired β-cell function. These data indicate a novel role for TAZ in regulating pancreatic islet function, particularly under low-glucose conditions.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Effect of scalpel debridement on the pain associated with plantar hyperkeratosis
- Author
-
Redmond, A, Allen, N, and Vernon, W
- Abstract
Seventy-nine subjects from 14 centers in eight English National Health Service Trusts recorded their levels of preoperative and postoperative pain and perceived change in pain on 100-mm visual analog scales before and after scalpel debridement of painful plantar hyperkeratosis. A significant reduction in pain was reported following treatment, and there were highly significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative scores. There were no age- or sex-related differences in any of the preoperative, postoperative, or perceived-change scores. The objective data support the anecdotal evidence that scalpel debridement of painful plantar hyperkeratosis is immediately effective in the palliative management of such patients.
- Published
- 1999
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Localization of the locus causing Spider Lamb Syndrome to the distal end of ovine Chromosome 6
- Author
-
Cockett, N.E., Shay, T.L., Beever, J.E., Nielsen, D., Albretsen, J., Georges, M., Peterson, K., Stephens, A., Vernon, W., Timofeevskaia, O., South, S., Mork, J., Maciulis, A., and Bunch, T.D.
- Abstract
Abstract.: Spider Lamb Syndrome (SLS) is a semi-lethal congenital disorder, causing severe skeletal abnormalities in sheep. The syndrome has now been disseminated into several sheep breeds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The mode of inheritance for SLS is autosomal recessive, making the identification and culling of carrier animals difficult due to their normal phenotype. Two large pedigrees segregating for the SLS mutation were established, and a genome scan with genetic markers from previously published genome maps of cattle and sheep was used to map the locus causing SLS. Genetic linkage between SLS and several microsatellite markers, OarJMP8, McM214, OarJMP12, and BL1038, was detected, thereby mapping the SLS locus to the telomeric end of ovine Chromosome (Chr) 6. Alignment of ovine Chr 6 with its evolutionary ortholog, human Chr 4, revealed a positional candidate gene, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3).
- Published
- 1999
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. 12 - Investigating the Contribution of the HNF-1αG319S Gene Variant to Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Using MIN6 β-Cells and Mice.
- Author
-
Morriseau, Taylor S., Hunt, Kristin, Nian, Cuilan, Dolinsky, Vernon W., Lynn, Francis C., and Doucette, Christine A.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Magnetic Resonance Features of the Enigmatic Oligodendroglioma
- Author
-
LEE, CHARLES, DUNCAN, VERNON W., and YOUNG, A. BYRON
- Abstract
The authors characterize magnetic resonance (MR) features of oligodendroglioma that permit diagnosis. These features may be used to guide MR stereotactic biopsies.
- Published
- 1998
43. Electrocardiographical, Biochemical and Morphological Effects of Chronic Low Level Cadmium Feeding on the Rat Heart
- Author
-
Kopp, Stephen J., Fischer, Vernon W., Erlanger, Margaret, Perry, Elizabeth F., and Perry, H. Mitchell
- Abstract
Cadmium is known to dissociate myocardial excitation-contraction coupling and to depress the excitability of the cardiac conduction system in vitro(1-7). Short-term feeding experiments concluding that cadmium increases conduction time through the atrioventricular node-His-Purkinje system have partially extended these in vitroobservations to in vivo systems (8, 9). Although the cadmium content of the heart increases with age and exposure (10-14), the effects of cadmium have not been systematically analyzed for possible significance as a contributing factor to degenerative heart disease. This preliminary study was undertaken to investigate electrocardiographical, biochemical, and morphological changes in mammalian hearts associated with long-term, low-level cadmium feeding.Methods.Eighteen weanling female rats of the Long-Evans strain were obtained and housed as described (15). They received a special rye-based, low-cadmium diet and deionized water fortified with Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, and Mo, as described by Schroeder and Vinton (16), for a total of 24 months when all were sacrificed. For half of them, cadmium acetate was added to the water to provide a final concentration of five parts per million (ppm) cadmium; for the half which served as controls, no cadmium was added; however, they were otherwise treated identically (16).For 16 rats (8 cadmium-fed and 8 control), indirect systolic pressures were determined 12, 18, and 21 months after weaning. Eight of the rats (4 cadmium-fed and 4 control) were studied electrocardiographically and their blood pressures determined directly after which they were sacrificed so that the various parts of the heart could be assayed for cadmium and zinc. The phosphate spectrum of hearts from the eight remaining rats (4 cadmium-fed and 4 control) were analyzed by phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P NMR). In addition hearts from a pair of rats not otherwise studied (1 cadmium-fed and 1 control) were examined by electron microscopy.
- Published
- 1978
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Evidence of soft and collinear gluon emission ine+e− hadronic events
- Author
-
Aihara, H., Alston-Garnjost, M., Avery, R. E., Barbaro-Galtieri, A., Barker, A. R., Barnett, B. A., Bauer, D. A., Bay, A., Bobbink, G. J., Buchanan, C. D., Buijs, A., Caldwell, D. O., Chao, H-Y., Chun, S-B., Clark, A. R., Cowan, G. D., Crane, D. A., Dahl, O. I., Daoudi, M., Derby, K. A., Eastman, J. J., Eberhard, P. H., Edberg, T. K., Eisner, A. M., Enomoto, R., Erné, F. C., Fairfield, K. H., Hauptman, J. M., Hofmann, W., Hylen, J., Kamae, T., Kaye, H. S., Kenney, R. W., Khacheryan, S., Kofler, R. R., Langeveld, W. G. J., Layter, J. G., Lin, W. T., Linde, F. L., Loken, S. C., Lynch, G. R., Madaras, R. J., Magnuson, B. D., Masek, G. E., Mathis, L. G., Matthews, J. A. J., Maxfield, S. J., Miller, E. S., Moses, W., Nygren, D. R., Oddone, P. J., Paar, H. P., Park, S. K., Pellett, D. E., Pripstein, M., Ronan, M. T., Ross, R. R., Rouse, F. R., Schwitkis, K. A., Sens, J. C., Shapiro, G., Shen, B. C., Smith, J. R., Steinman, J. S., Stephens, R. W., Stevenson, M. L., Stork, D. H., Strauss, M. G., Sullivan, M. K., Takahashi, T., Toutounchi, S., van Tyen, R., VanDalen, G. J., Vernon, W., Wagner, W., Wang, E. M., Wang, Y-X., Wenzel, W. A., Wolf, Z. R., Yamamoto, H., Yellin, S. J., and Zeitlin, C.
- Abstract
In the study of rapidity distributions of charged pions produced ine
+ e- annihilation at 29 GeV, we observe a significant dip in the rapidity distributions aty˜0 for events with low sphericity. A comparison of data with several QCD-based phenomenological models strongly suggests that this structure is related to the emission of multiple soft and/or collinear gluons.- Published
- 1989
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Placental Infection with Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticumClinical Correlation
- Author
-
EMBREE, JOANNE E., KRAUSE, VERNON W., EMBIL, JUAN A., and MAC DONALD, SHIRLEY
- Abstract
Placentas from a clinical study group of 446 high-risk pregnancies and 108 normal pregnancies were cultured for Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum and examined histologically. Results were compared and correlated with the clinical history. The recovery rate of U urealyticum, but not of M hominis, was significantly higher in the clinical study than in the control group. Isolation of both mycoplasmas was associated with polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration of placental membranes, fetal surface, and umbilical cord. Recovery of mycoplasma was significantly higher with prolonged membrane rupture, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and early neonatal death. Isolation of U urealyticum, but not of M hominis, was associated with prematurity, lower birth weight, and intrauterine growth retardation. (Obstet Gynecol 56475, 1980)
- Published
- 1980
46. Functional magnetic stimulation of the respiratory muscles in dogs
- Author
-
Lin, Vernon W., Romaniuk, Jaroslaw R., and DiMarco, Anthony F.
- Abstract
This study assessed the ability of functional magnetic stimulation (FMS) to activate the respiratory muscles in dogs. With the animal supine, FMS of the phrenic nerves using a high‐speed magnetic stimulator was performed by placing a round magnetic coil (MC) at the carotid triangle. Following hyperventilation‐induced apnea, changes in volume (ΔV) and airway pressure (ΔP) against an occluded airway were determined. FMS of the phrenic nerves produced substantial inspired function (ΔV = 373 ± 20.5 mL and ΔP = −20 ± 2.0 cm H2O). After bilateral phrenectomies, maximal inspired ΔV (219 ± 12.2 mL) and ΔP (−10 ± 1.0 cm H2O) were produced when the MC was placed near the C6–C7 spinous processes, while maximal expired ΔV (−199 ± 22.5 mL) and ΔP (11 ± 2.3 cm H2O) were produced following stimulation near the T9–T10 spinous processes. We conclude: (1) FMS of either the phrenic or upper intercostal nerves results in inspired volume production; (2) FMS of the lower intercostal nerves generates expired volume production; and (3) FMS of the respiratory muscles may be a useful noninvasive tool for artificial ventilation and assisted cough in patients with spinal cord injuries or other neurological disorders. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 21:1048–1057, 1998.
- Published
- 1998
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Characterization of corn oil, soybean oil and sunflowerseed oil nonpolar material
- Author
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Trost, Vernon W.
- Abstract
Normal phase preparative and semi-preparative liquid chromatography were used to isolate fractions of varying polarity from corn, soybean and sunflowerseed oils. Reported here is the composition of one fraction, less polar than triglycerides, determined by isolating the individual «peaks» of a semi-preparative separation using as starting material the mix of compounds obtained from a large scale separation. These peaks were then analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (LC) gas chromatography (GC), mass-spectrometry (MS) with and without GC, in both electron impact (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) modes, and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Semi-quantitative data were obtained for many of the components found in these semi-preparative isolates including hydrocarbons, steryl esters, triterpenyl esters, phytyl esters and geranylgeranyl esters. The weight percent and composition of the preparative fraction differed substantially among the three oils. Corn oil had the greatest amount, at 1.25% of the starting oil, and was composed mostly of steryl and triterpenyl esters. Sunflowerseed oil, at 0.7%, and soybean oil, at 0.3%, showed greater variety in that branched chain esters were included with the steryl/triterpenyl distributions.
- Published
- 1989
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Basic management for engineers. Part 2: Disciplinary procedures
- Author
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Vernon, W.
- Abstract
At some stage in their career, most managers have to deal with unsatisfactory behaviour from their subordinates. Disciplinary procedures can be a minefield, and even experienced human resources managers can get caught out if a case goes to an industrial tribunal. Fortunately for the average engineering manager, especially anyone not regularly involved in personnel issues, ACAS publishes guidelines for disciplinary procedures, suitable for both managers and employees. This article outlines the main features of the guidelines, and their implications for managers, whether they are HRM experts or not.
- Published
- 1998
49. Basic management for engineers. Part 1: Personal management
- Author
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Vernon, W.
- Abstract
An advertising campaign for a well-known software company urged everyone to: `work smarter, not harder. Most `smart' people do not need computer programs to make them effective; they make the best possible use of their time by planning their work. This article describes some time and personal techniques that allow anyone to work `smarter': the need for `harder' then becomes optional.
- Published
- 1998
50. Clinical Evaluation of a New Measles-Mumps-Rubella Trivalent Vaccine
- Author
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Schwarz, Anton J. F., Jackson, Joseph E., Ehrenkranz, N. Joel, Ventura, Arnoldo, Schiff, Gilbert M., and Walters, Vernon W.
- Abstract
• In a series of clinical studies of a combined measles (Schwarz strain), mumps (Jeryl Lynn strain), and rubella (Cendehill strain) vaccine, 1,481 children received the vaccine or a placebo. The vaccine did not cause any significant reactions. The frequencies of mild, transient fever or rash or both in triple-susceptible vaccinees were similar to those that follow use of Schwarz strain measles vaccine alone. Measles, mumps, and rubella seroconversion rates in triple-susceptible vaccinees ranged from 95% to 100%. Geometric mean antibody titers were as high as those that usually result from use of these same virus strains as monovalent vaccines.(Am J Dis Child 129:1408-1412, 1975)
- Published
- 1975
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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