Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crosstalk from cAMP to ERK1/2 emerges during postnatal maturation of nociceptive neurons and is maintained during aging

ABSTRACT Maturation of nociceptive neurons depends on changes in transcription factors, ion channels and neuropeptides. Mature nociceptors initiate pain in part by drastically reducing the activation threshold via intracellular sensitization signaling. Whether sensitization signaling also changes during development and aging remains so far unknown. Using a novel automated microscopy approach, we quantified changes in intracellular signaling protein expression and in their signaling dynamics, as well as changes in intracellular signaling cascade wiring, in sensory neurons from newborn to senescent (24 months of age) rats. We found that nociceptive subgroups defined by the signaling components protein kinase A (PKA)-RIIβ (also known as PRKAR2B) and CaMKIIα (also known as CAMK2A) developed at around postnatal day 10, the time of nociceptor maturation. The integrative nociceptor marker, PKA-RIIβ, allowed subgroup segregation earlier than could be achieved by assessing the classical markers TRPV1 and Nav1.8 (also known as SCN10A). Signaling kinetics remained constant over lifetime despite in part strong changes in the expression levels. Strikingly, we found a mechanism important for neuronal memory – i.e. the crosstalk from cAMP and PKA to ERK1 and ERK2 (ERK1/2, also known as MAPK3 and MAPK1, respectively) – to emerge postnatally. Thus, maturation of nociceptors is closely accompanied by altered expression, activation and connectivity of signaling pathways known to be central for pain sensitization and neuronal memory formation. Summary: Differentiation of nociceptors relies on transcription factors, receptors and neuropeptides. We identify the importance of intracellular signaling, including pathways involved in neuronal memory, for postnatal nociceptor maturation.
Palm and partially hydrogenated soybean oils adversely alter lipoprotein profiles compared with soybean and canola oils in moderately hyperlipidemic subjects.

BACKGROUND Partially hydrogenated fat has an unfavorable effect on cardiovascular disease risk. Palm oil is a potential substitute because of favorable physical characteristics. OBJECTIVE We assessed the effect of palm oil on lipoprotein profiles compared with the effects of both partially hydrogenated fat and oils high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. DESIGN Fifteen volunteers aged > or =50 y with LDL cholesterol > or =130 mg/dL were provided with food for each of 4 diets (35 d/phase) varying in type of fat (partially hydrogenated soybean, soybean, palm, or canola; two-thirds fat, 20% of energy). Plasma fatty acid profiles, lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein(a), glucose, insulin, HDL subfractions, and indicators of lipoprotein metabolism (HDL-cholesterol fractional esterification rate, cholesteryl ester transfer protein, phospholipid transfer protein, and paraoxonase activities) were measured at the end of each phase. RESULTS Plasma fatty acid profiles reflected the main source of dietary fat. Partially hydrogenated soybean and palm oils resulted in higher LDL-cholesterol concentrations than did soybean (12% and 14%, respectively; P < 0.05) and canola (16% and 18%; P < 0.05) oils. Apolipoprotein B (P < 0.05) and A-I (P < 0.05) concentrations mirrored the pattern of LDL- and HDL-cholesterol concentrations, respectively. No significant effect on the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio was observed for palm oil compared with the other dietary fats. HDL3 cholesterol was higher after palm oil than after partially hydrogenated and soybean oils (P < 0.05). Differences in measures of glucose and HDL intravascular processing attributable to dietary fat were small. CONCLUSION Palm and partially hydrogenated soybean oils, compared with soybean and canola oils, adversely altered the lipoprotein profile in moderately hyperlipidemic subjects without significantly affecting HDL intravascular processing markers.
Interaction of fat availability and sex on postprandial satiety and cholecystokinin after mixed-food meals.

BACKGROUND Cholecystokinin (CCK) is associated with fat-induced satiety. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of the present study was to determine, in an acute meal setting, whether the availability of dietary fat for alimentary processing, and hence the stimulation of CCK, affects the postmeal satiety response in men and women. DESIGN In a within-subjects design, subjects (8 men, 7 women) consumed 1 of 3 isoenergetic mixed-food test meals 1 wk apart in random order. The test meals contained 30% of energy from fat, of which more than two-thirds was derived from whole almonds, almond oil, or a mix of safflower and corn oils. Visual analogue scales were used to assess indexes of satiety at defined time points up to 6 h after meal consumption. Blood was sampled at corresponding time points for measurement of CCK, glucose, insulin, and triacylglycerol. Subsequent food intake was also assessed. RESULTS All meals suppressed hunger and induced a pattern of satiety that was sex-specific and corresponded with the CCK response. Women had higher plasma CCK concentrations and experienced greater satiety after the almond oil and control meals (fat as oil) than after the whole almond meal (fat in whole food structure). Men showed no differential response among meals for CCK and satiety. Plasma triacylglycerol differed by time among meals but not by sex, and no significant differences in glucose and insulin were found. CONCLUSIONS The satiety response to dietary fat provided in oil or whole food form is influenced by sex and is dependent on the availability of fat to stimulate CCK release in women but not in men.
Short- and long-term conditioning of a temperate marine diatom community to acidification and warming

Ocean acidification and greenhouse warming will interactively influence competitive success of key phytoplankton groups such as diatoms, but how long-term responses to global change will affect community structure is unknown. We incubated a mixed natural diatom community from coastal New Zealand waters in a short-term (two-week) incubation experiment using a factorial matrix of warming and/or elevated pCO2 and measured effects on community structure. We then isolated the dominant diatoms in clonal cultures and conditioned them for 1 year under the same temperature and pCO2 conditions from which they were isolated, in order to allow for extended selection or acclimation by these abiotic environmental change factors in the absence of interspecific interactions. These conditioned isolates were then recombined into ‘artificial’ communities modelled after the original natural assemblage and allowed to compete under conditions identical to those in the short-term natural community experiment. In general, the resulting structure of both the unconditioned natural community and conditioned ‘artificial’ community experiments was similar, despite differences such as the loss of two species in the latter. pCO2 and temperature had both individual and interactive effects on community structure, but temperature was more influential, as warming significantly reduced species richness. In this case, our short-term manipulative experiment with a mixed natural assemblage spanning weeks served as a reasonable proxy to predict the effects of global change forcing on diatom community structure after the component species were conditioned in isolation over an extended timescale. Future studies will be required to assess whether or not this is also the case for other types of algal communities from other marine regimes.
Thermoelectric properties of a single graphene sheet and its derivatives

The thermoelectric properties of pristine graphene and H2S adsorbed onto bridge, hollow and top sites of a graphene sheet are investigated using the semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. The average values of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, figure of merit (ZT) and the average value of the power factor (Pav) are reported and discussed in detail. While pristine graphene is a zero band gap semiconductor, adsorption of H2S onto the bridge site opens up a direct energy gap of about 0.04 eV, adsorption of a H2S molecule onto the top site opens up a gap of 0.3 eV, and adsorption of H2S onto the hollow site makes it metallic. The investigation of ZT and power factor values suggests that a top-site configuration could be a potential candidate for thermoelectric applications in the range 300–600 K.
A multi-centre evaluation of oral cancer in Southern and Western Nigeria: an African oral pathology research consortium initiative

Introduction Oral cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among African populations. Lack of standard cancer registries and under-reporting has inaccurately depicted its magnitude in Nigeria. Development of multi-centre collaborative oral pathology networks such as the African Oral Pathology Research Consortium (AOPRC) facilitates skill and expertise exchange and fosters a robust and systematic investigation of oral diseases across Africa. Methods In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we have leveraged the auspices of the AOPRC to examine the burden of oral cancer in Nigeria, using a multi-centre approach. Data from 4 major tertiary health institutions in Western and Southern Nigeria was generated using a standardized data extraction format and analysed using the SPSS data analysis software (version 20.0; SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL). Results Of the 162 cases examined across the 4 centres, we observed that oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) occurred mostly in the 6th and 7th decades of life and maxillary were more frequent than mandibular OSCC lesions. Regional variations were observed both for location, age group and gender distribution. Significant regional differences was found between poorly, moderately and well differentiated OSCC (p value = 0.0071). Conclusion A multi-centre collaborative oral pathology research approach is an effective way to achieve better insight into the patterns and distribution of various oral diseases in men of African descent. The wider outlook for AOPRC is to employ similar approaches to drive intensive oral pathology research targeted at addressing the current morbidity and mortality of various oral diseases across Africa.
The Error-Related Negativity

We look back on the events surrounding the genesis of our 1993 article on the error-related negativity (ERN), a component of the event-related brain potential that accompanies errors in the performance of speeded-response tasks. Our reminiscences focus on the personal friendships, intellectual influences, and chance occurrences that shaped the article. To put our work in historical context, we consider subsequent trends in neuroimaging, computational modeling, and psychiatry that gave the ERN high visibility and contributed to the longevity of its scientific interest.
Dietary inulin suppresses azoxymethane-induced preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci in mature Fisher 344 rats.

Preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are generally accepted as reliable markers for colon carcinogenesis in animal models. Rat model ACF studies, however, use younger rats, and there are no published reports on the suitability of adult rats for ACF studies. In this study, inulin, a known suppressor of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced ACF, was tested for its ability to suppress ACF formation in mature rats. After a 2-wk acclimation period, 12-mo-old Fisher 344 retired male breeders received two subcutaneous injections of AOM dissolved in saline at weekly intervals. In experiment 1, six groups received 0, 4, 8, 10, 12 and 16 mg AOM/kg body at each injection and were fed AIN-93M diet. In experiment 2, four groups of rats were fed 10 mg AOM/kg body at each injection based on the results of experiment 1, and were fed 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 g long-chain inulin diets/100 g. All the rats were killed after 11-wk feeding periods. In experiment 1, there was a significant (P < 0.05) AOM dose response on ACF formation. Rats fed >10 mg of AOM had greater (P < 0.05) mortality. In experiment 2, there was a significant increase in cecal weight and a decrease in cecal pH from 7.17 in the control group to 6.87, 6.61 and 5.76 in the groups fed inulin at 2.5, 5.0 and 10 g/100 g, respectively. Long-chain inulin dose-dependently reduced ACF incidence in the colon (P < 0.01). Compared with rats fed the control diet, the percentage reductions of ACF in rats fed 2.5, 5.0 and 10 g inulin diets/100 g were 25, 51, and 65, respectively. The results of this study indicate that mature rats can be used as models in ACF studies, and dietary long-chain inulin dose-dependently suppresses AOM-induced ACF formation in Fisher 344 mature male rats.
Heat acclimation increases the basal HSP72 level and alters its production dynamics during heat stress.

It has been previously shown that heat acclimation leads to an elevated basal level of 72-kDa heat shock protein (HSP72). Augmented expression of HSP72 is considered as a cytoprotective response. This led us to hypothesize that alterations in the heat shock protein (HSP) defense pathway are an integral part of the heat acclimation repertoire. To investigate this, we studied the temporal profile of basal HSP expression upon acclimation and the dynamics of their accumulation subsequent to acute heat stress (HS). In parallel, HSP72 mRNA level before and after HS was measured. For comparison, HSC mRNA [the constitutive member of 70-kDa HSP (HSP70) family] was measured in similar conditions. Heat acclimation was attained by continuous exposure of rats to 34°C for 0, 1, 2, and 30 days. HS was attained by exposure to 41 or 43°C for 2 h. Thermoregulatory capacity of the rats was defined by rectal temperature, heating rate, and the cumulative heat strain invoked during HS. HSP72 and HSP70 gene transcripts were measured in the left ventricle of the heart by means of Western immunoblotting and semiquantitative RT-PCR, respectively. The resultant acclimatory change comprised a higher resting level of the encoded 72-kDa protein (Δ175%, P < 0.0001). After HS, peak HSP72 mRNA level was attained, 40 and 20 min post-HS at 41 and 43°C, respectively, vs. 60 and 40 min in the nonacclimated group. The subsequent HSP synthesis, however, was dependent on the severity of the cumulative heat strain. At the initial phase of heat acclimation, augmented HSP72 transcription unaccompanied by HSP synthesis was observed. It is concluded that upon heat acclimation, the HSP defense pathway is predisposed to a faster response. At the initial phases of heat acclimation, inability to elevate the HSP cytosolic level rules out their direct cytoprotective role.
Persistent organic pollutants and haematological markers in Greenlandic pregnant women: the ACCEPT sub-study

ABSTRACT The Arctic populations have high blood concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Exposure to POPs was related to adverse health effects e.g. immune, neurological and reproductive systems. This study investigates associations between serum POP levels and haematological markers in Greenlandic pregnant women. This cross-sectional study included 189 women enrolled in 2010–2011 at the Greenlandic West coast by the inclusion criteria ≥18 years of age and had lived for 50% or more of their life in Greenland. The associations between the sum of the POP variables polychlorinated biphenyls (sumPCBs), organochlorine pesticides (sumOCPs), perfluoroalkylated substances (sumPFASs) and 24 haematological markers were analysed using linear regression adjusted for age, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, gestation week, plasma-cotinine and alcohol intake. It showed a significantly inverse association between several haematological markers (eosinophil, lymphocyte, neutrophil and white blood cells) and sumPCBs, sumOCPs and sumPFASs. In addition, the monocyte, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, plateletcrit and platelet count markers were significantly inversely associated with sumPFASs, but the haematocrit and mean erythrocyte corpuscular volume were positively associated with sumPFASs. In conclusion, exposure to POPs influenced several haematological markers, especially cell count parameters, suggesting immunosuppressive potential of POPs in Greenlandic pregnant women. The data need further investigations.
Effects of long-term, high-altitude hypoxia on the capillarity of the ovine fetal heart.

To determine the effect of chronic hypoxia on myocardial capillarity, we exposed pregnant ewes to an altitude of 3,820 m from day 30 to day 139 of gestation and compared the fetus to low-altitude (∼300 m) controls. We hypothesized that capillarity would increase in the hypoxic myocardium to optimize oxygen and metabolite flux to hypoxic tissues. Fetal hearts were fixed by retrograde aortic perfusion and processed for microscopy and stereological evaluation. Fiber cross-sectional area and capillary density were measured and standardized to sarcomere length. Capillary volume density and capillary diameter were measured, capillary-to-fiber ratio and capillary length density were calculated, and the capillary anisotropy coefficient was obtained from a table of known values. Capillary-to-fiber ratio, capillary volume density, and the capillary anisotropy coefficient were not different between hypoxia and control groups. Capillary diameter was significantly larger in the right compared with the left ventricle of hypoxic but not control hearts; fiber cross-sectional area tended to be larger in the right ventricle of both groups, but this was not significant. As a result of larger fiber size, capillary density and capillary length density were significantly smaller in the right ventricle of hypoxic but not control fetal hearts. Contrary to our hypothesis, the ovine fetus does not show morphological adaptation in the myocardium after ∼109 days of high-altitude hypoxic stress.
Plasma concentrations of free triiodothyronine predict weight change in euthyroid persons.

BACKGROUND Factors that influence energy metabolism and substrate oxidation, such as thyroid hormones (THs), may be important regulators of body weight. OBJECTIVE We investigated associations of THs cross-sectionally with obesity, energy expenditure, and substrate oxidation and prospectively with weight change. DESIGN Euthyroid, nondiabetic, healthy, adult Pima Indians (n = 89; 47 M, 42 F) were studied. Percentage body fat (%BF) was measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; sleeping metabolic rate (SMR), respiratory quotient, and substrate oxidation rates were measured in a respiratory chamber. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (T(4)), free triiodothyronine (T(3)), and leptin concentrations were measured in fasting plasma samples. RESULTS TSH, but neither free T(3) nor free T(4), was associated with %BF and leptin concentrations (r = 0.27 and 0.29, respectively; both: P <or= 0.01). In multiple regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, fat mass, and fat-free mass, free T(3) was a positive predictor of SMR (P = 0.02). After adjustment for age, sex, %BF, and energy balance, free T(3) was a negative predictor of 24-h respiratory quotient (P < 0.05) and a positive predictor of 24-h lipid oxidation rate (P = 0.006). Prospectively, after an average follow-up of 4 +/- 2 y, the mean increase in weight was 3 +/- 9 kg. Baseline T(3) concentrations were associated with absolute and annual percentage of changes in weight (r = -0.27, P = 0.02, and r = -0.28, P = 0.009, for the age- and sex-adjusted associations, respectively). CONCLUSIONS In euthyroid Pima Indians, lower free T(3) but not free T(4) concentrations were an independent predictor of SMR and lipid oxidation and a predictor of weight gain. This finding indicates that control of T(4)-to-T(3) conversion may play a role in body weight regulation.
Do women using oral contraceptive agents require extra zinc?

Numerous clinical studies conducted during the 1970s revealed that users of oral contraceptives (OCs) had lower plasma zinc levels than nonusers. Although more recent studies have failed to confirm such an effect the issue of whether OC users require extra zinc in their diets has been given serious attention. It was thought that the fall in plasma zinc could reflect a reduction in tissue zinc status due to changes in zinc absorption excretion or tissue turnover. Taken together the research findings suggest that OCs may alter the postabsorptive utilization of zinc. Circulating zinc levels may be reduced while some tissue levels may be increased. In addition the release of zinc from tissues may be depressed in OC users. However there is no evidence that these changes alter the dietary zinc requirement. Estimates of endogenous zinc losses are not increased by OC use an increased incidence of clinical signs of zinc depletion (e.g. diarrhea skin lesions and infection) is not evident in OC users and zinc-dependent functions are not compromised by OC use. Finally there is no evidence that OC use before conception has a negative effect on zinc utilization during subsequent pregnancy and lactation.
Relation of the tocopherol forms to incident Alzheimer disease and to cognitive change.

BACKGROUND High intake of vitamin E from food (tocopherol), but not from supplements (which usually contain alpha-tocopherol), is inversely associated with Alzheimer disease. OBJECTIVE We examined whether food intakes of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol equivalents (a measure of the relative biologic activity of tocopherols and tocotrienols), or individual tocopherols would protect against incident Alzheimer disease and cognitive decline over 6 y in participants of the Chicago Health and Aging Project. DESIGN The 1993-2002 study of community residents aged >or=65 y included the administration of 4 cognitive tests and clinical evaluations for Alzheimer disease. Dietary assessment was by food-frequency questionnaire. RESULTS Tocopherol intake from food was related to the 4-y incidence of Alzheimer disease determined by logistic regression in 1041 participants who were clinically evaluated (n=162 incident cases) and to change in a global cognitive score determined by mixed models in 3718 participants. Higher intakes of vitamin E (relative risk: 0.74 per 5 mg/d increase; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.88) and alpha-tocopherol equivalents (relative risk: 0.56 per 5 mg/d increase; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.98) were associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer disease in separate multiple-adjusted models that included intakes of saturated and trans fats and docosahexaenoic acid. alpha- and gamma-Tocopherol had independent associations. In separate mixed models, a slower rate of cognitive decline was associated with intakes of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol equivalents, and alpha- and gamma-tocopherols. CONCLUSION The results suggest that various tocopherol forms rather than alpha- tocopherol alone may be important in the vitamin E protective association with Alzheimer disease.