bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Hippocampal Volume, Entorhinal Cortical Thickness and Memory in Healthy Elderly Humans
Authors: Lotaibi Razan A , Nauer R. , Dunne M. F. , Schon K. 
Published: June 2021

It is well‐established that physical exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness are beneficial to brain health. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can attenuate both the neurobiological and cognitive consequences of age‐related decline. Although rodent research has provided strong evidence that exercise positively affects the neuronal system involved in learning and memory, human research has mostly focused on the effect of exercise and CRF on executive function, rather than hippocampal and entorhinal cortex (EC)‐dependent memory function. In a cross‐sectional study using established behavioral tasks known to recruit the hippocampus and EC and structural MRI of healthy older adults, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) CRF levels are positively associated with hippocampus‐dependent memory task performance; (2) CRF levels are positively associated with the structure of the hippocampus and EC. Healthy older adult (age 55–85 years, N = 23) underwent a standard graded submaximal treadmill test to determine CRF (Modified‐Balke protocol to estimate VO2max). FreeSurfer MRI analytic software was used to calculate cortical thickness and volume of T1‐weighted MR images. A multiple linear regression model showed that greater aerobic fitness was associated with greater volumes in the left and right hippocampus, but not with EC thickness or behavioral task performance. Our results indicate that higher fitness predicts greater hippocampal volume and therefore may be protective against loss of hippocampal volume with aging.Support or Funding InformationR00 AG 036845This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Prenatal EDC Exposure Followed by Chronic Treatment with Estradiol Affects Brain Monoamine Levels in Female Rats
Authors: Kaimal Amrita , Hooversmith Jessica M. , Almansi Maryam Hazim , Holmes Philip V. , MohanKumar Sheba M. J. , MohanKumar Puliyur Seshadri 
Published: June 2021

In utero exposure to low doses of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), in particular the widely prevalent plasticizers bisphenol A (BPA) and di(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), has been shown to produce long‐lasting behavioral effects in rats. Additionally, changes in estrogen are associated with the development of affective disorders in women; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. A previous study from our lab found that chronic estradiol treatment led to decreased dopamine (DA) levels within the central amygdala (CeA). This study was conducted to further examine the cumulative effects of prenatal exposure to EDCs followed by chronic estradiol exposure in adult female rats on DA levels in stress‐related brain areas. Dams were orally administered saline (control; 10 μL/kg), BPA (B; 5 μg/kg), DEHP (D; 7.5 mg/kg) or a combination of BPA+DEHP (B+D) during days 6 through 21 of pregnancy. Adult female offspring were sham‐implanted or implanted with pellets that release 17β‐estradiol (E2) for 90 days (20 ng/day; Innovative Research America). The offspring then underwent a battery of behavioral tests at the end of treatment. Brains collected from the offspring were sectioned and the CeA, hippocampus (HC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were microdissected and analyzed for levels of DA using High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Prenatal exposure to DEHP and/or B+D, but not B, was significantly associated with reductions in DA levels in the CeA and PFC. Within the CeA, only B+D‐E2 treated offspring showed a significant decrease in DA (p<0.05) in comparison with control offspring. Levels of DA were found to be lower in the PFC as well, particularly in D‐sham (p<0.05), D‐E2 (p<0.01), and B+D‐E2 (p<0.05) offspring compared to controls. No differences were observed in hippocampal DA levels in any of the treatment groups. These results indicate that prenatal exposure to DEHP or a mixture of EDCs in females may lead to alterations in monoamine levels in a region‐specific manner, and E2 treatment in adulthood may exacerbate these effects.Support or Funding InformationUniversity of Georgia Research Foundation and start‐up funds.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Comparison of hippocampal neuron spine densities in acute and perfusion‐fixed slices using the lipophilic dye DiI
Authors: Paredes Juan Sebastian Trivino , Christie Brian , Nahirney Patrick 
Published: June 2021

The hippocampus is a key brain structure involved in learning and memory. Hippocampal acute slices are widely used in ex vivo electrophysiological experiments to study cellular mechanisms of synaptic transmission and plasticity. Many approaches have been used to optimize slice viability and to maintain accurate in vivo physiological conditions during experimental procedures. Several different variables such as the age of the animal, the composition of the artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF), the maintenance conditions in recording chambers, temperature and slice cutting methodology, among others, can affect hippocampal slices features. Specifically, by using electron microscopy and two‐photon microscopy it has been previously reported that dendritic spines, crucial neuronal structures that receive most of the excitatory synaptic inputs in the brain, show increased numbers in acute hippocampal slices compared to perfusion‐fixed sections. These alterations in dendritic spines could be one of the underlying mechanism explaining differences in ex vivo and in vivo electrophysiological experiments, as for instance success rates in long‐term depression (LTD) induction protocols. In our experiments, we have compared dendritic spine density in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) and dentate gyrus (DG) between hippocampal acute slices and aldehyde perfusion‐fixed hippocampi of Sprague‐Dawley (both males and females) using the lipophilic carbocyanine dye 1,1′‐Dioctadecyl‐3,3,3′,3′‐Tetramethylindocarbocyanine Perchlorate (DiI). We observed an increase in a range of 37–68% in dendritic spine density in the acute hippocampal slices when compared to aldehyde perfusion‐fixed sections independent of sex. These data suggest that spine plasticity in ex vivo electrophysiological experiments may not be reflective of the in vivo situation and interpretation of data should take this into account.Support or Funding InformationCanadian Institutes of Health ResearchNatural Sciences and Engineering Research CouncilThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Ronin (Thap11) Deficiency Results in a Disease Impacting both Vitamin B12 Metabolism and Ribosome Biogenesis
Authors: Achilleos Annita , Tong Xuefei , Chern Tiffany , Hill Matthew , Zhang Min , Chaudhury Arindam , Neilson Joel , Sun Jenny , Ray Russell , Watkins David , Rosenblatt David , Martin James F , Poché Ross 
Published: June 2021

Combined methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinuria (cblC type), a form of inherited intracellular vitamin B12 deficiency, is a rare metabolic and multi‐systemic disorder caused by mutations in MMACHC. Patients with cblC can have severe neurodevelopmental defects including microcephaly, hydrocephaly and seizures as well as renal, cardiac and hematological defects. Mutations in MMACHC have been the sole known causes of cblC, until recently when an X‐linked variant of the disease was described, termed cblX. This variant was found to be due to mutations in the X‐linked gene coding for the transcription cofactor HCFC1, which is known to be an obligatory partner for the transcription factor RONIN (THAP11). Intriguingly, a single patient exhibiting cblX‐like findings has been found to carry a mutation in RONIN. Patients, with both HCFC1 and RONIN mutations, were shown to have a dramatic reduction in MMACHC transcription. We have previously shown that the Hcfc1/Ronin transcriptional complex directly regulates mouse Mmachc expression. These findings suggest that cblX and the new Ronin (THAP11) disorder comprise a novel family of rare and severe cblC‐like disorders that are transcriptional in nature. As a result, we have generated a mouse model that carries the human mutation in Ronin (RoninF80L), in an effort to better understand the cellular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of these devastating neurodevelopmental diseases. Here we report the generation of the first mouse model, RoninF80L along with its phenotypic and molecular characterization. RoninF80L homozygous mice die soon after birth and exhibit severe brain developmental defects that recapitulate those observed in the human cblX and Ronin‐deficient patients. Moreover, consistent with a vitamin B12 deficiency, cells from RoninF80L homozygous embryos exhibit defects in cobalamin metabolism. Surprisingly however, RNA‐seq and ChIP‐seq analyses also revealed a role for ribosome biogenesis in the pathophysiology of the disease. Furthermore, we were able to show that there is also a functional deficit in ribosome biogenesis and hence protein translation. This identifies for the first time, a role for Ronin in ribosome biogenesis. Together the phenotypic and molecular data confirm that the RoninF80L mouse model will serve as a powerful tool to further uncover the pathophysiology of this complex family of diseases.Support or Funding InformationBaylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics (Seed)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Lateral Growth in the Basicranium in Bushbabies: Role of Synchondroses and Brain Growth
Authors: Hughes Gabriel K , Reynolds Rebecca L , Vinyard Christopher J , DeLeon Valerie B , Smith Timothy D 
Published: June 2021

Recently, we described bilateral synchondroses (alisphenoid‐basisphenoid synchondrosis, ABS) within the middle cranial fossa of strepsirrhine primates (lemurs, bushbabies, lorises). These exist as growth centers in late fetal or newborn strepsirrhines, whereas in similarly‐aged monkeys, they are not present. It is unclear whether these joints are critical for active bilateral growth, especially with our current lack of understanding of perinatal brain growth. In the present study, two genera of bushbabies (Otolemur spp., Galago spp.) were studied using paraffin histology and computed tomographic (CT) imaging software (Amira). Endocasts of the cranial cavity were produced by manually tracing the endocranial margin of the cranial cavity of a late fetal and a one‐month‐old specimen. Both genera of bushbabies are confirmed to possess the bilateral ABS. The synchondroses were “bipolar,” with proliferating and hypertrophic chondrocytes at both medial and lateral sides. CT reconstructions of late fetal, newborn, and one‐month‐old Otolemur illustrate that the ABS narrows dramatically in mediolateral width, suggesting a decrease in growth rate. Endocasts suggest that contours of the late fetal brain are rounded. By comparison, the endocast of one‐month‐old suggest greater differentiation of cerebral lobes and a more rostrally projecting olfactory bulb. We hypothesize that bilateral synchondroses of middle cranial base may be important to expansion of basicranial width during fetal growth, during which there is a relatively generalized expansion among all brain regions; postnatally, differential growth of brain regions renders bone modeling a more effective means of lateral basicranial expansion. However, further investigation is required to determine if synchondroses may grow differentially among basicranial regions.Support or Funding InformationBCS‐0959438, BCS‐1231350, BCS‐1231717, BCS‐1728263, BCS‐1830894, and BCS‐1830919This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
The Effect of Behavioral Selection on the Dentition of Russian Silver Foxes and its Implications for Human Dental Evolution
Authors: Wood Emma K. , Maddux Scott D. , Southard Thomas E. , Kharlamova Anastasiya , Trut Lyudmila , Franciscus Robert G. 
Published: June 2021

Animal domestication models have long emphasized that the behavioral transition from ‘wild’ (aggressive) to ‘domestic’ (tame) facilitates the emergence of some un‐selected phenotypic traits like floppy ears, curly tails, and, importantly, dental size reduction. A similar pattern of dental size diminution exists in human evolution. Reduced canine crown dimensions in humans are linked with greater male cooperative behavior compared to primates that exhibit high inter‐male aggression. Moreover, arguments for behavioral evolution toward reduced aggression among humans and bonobos are based, in part, on empirical patterns of dental size reduction from ancestral forms. The Russian fox domestication experiment provides an untapped source for studying this evolutionary dynamic because it provides a controlled, long term study of selection for non‐aggressive behavior and attendant morphological consequences. The objective of this study is to measure dental size variation among these experimental foxes. We employed univariate and multivariate comparisons of maxillary premolar (P4), molar (M1), and canine mesiodistal length, buccolingual breadth, and crown height of the canine, as well as mandibular molar (M1) mesiodistal length and buccolingual breadth. These data were collected in sex‐balanced samples of unselected (n=50), tame (n=49), and aggressive (n=50) experimental strains. Consistent with expectations, tame fox skulls exhibited statistically significantly reduced tooth dimensions in virtually all comparisons relative to both unselected and aggressive strain individuals. This result was most pronounced for the canine tooth measurements. These results in domesticated foxes parallel trends in dental size reduction in humans and bonobos, suggesting that behavioral evolution may play an important role in dental size across mammalian species. Accordingly, these results appear to further support the hypothesis that behavioral evolution influences dental size and highlight the utility of dental evidence as a morphological indicator of reduced aggression.Support or Funding InformationUniversity of Iowa College of Dentistry; University of Missouri; University of North Texas Health Science CenterThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Development of Virtual 3D Stereoscopic Model of the Heart from Computed Tomography Angiography for Anatomy Education
Authors: Griffith Alexis Nicole , Yang Gongchao , Sining Allan R. , Cui Dongmei 
Published: June 2021

The development of 3D stereoscopic models usually requires the acquisition and conversion of voxel‐based CT or MRI data into 3D models. It has been reported recently that the computed tomography angiography (CTA) was used to create vascular models using volume rendering, and surface rendering. CTA images and volume rendering models have been extensively used for vasculature anatomy, detection and evaluation of intracranial aneurysms and diagnosis of ischemic stroke, however, the CTA data has not been well explored for creating heart stereoscopic virtual models using semi‐auto combined rendering for anatomy educational purpose. In this study, we utilize CTA data to develop a stereoscopic heart model using the semi‐auto combined rendering in addition to the volume and surface rendering methods. These CTA imagings happened to come from an individual with left‐sided superior vena cava (0.3–0.5% population). The heart displays good contrast in the CTA due to its rich blood supply, and large vessels were easily selected during the creation process. The visualization of the heart, associated major arteries, and their relationship can be viewed via the stereoscopic presentation. Future studies will include the measure and comparison of students' learning outcomes of anatomy knowledge using the model versus that of a cadaver heart.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
A Computer‐Aided Means of Identifying Carpal Bone Derangement
Authors: Souder Kendall , Zdilla Matthew 
Published: June 2021

In 1979, Gilula described three arcs that may aid in diagnosing disruption of the carpal bones in radiographic analysis. The first arc travels along the proximal boundaries of the proximal row of carpals. This study seeks to assess the first arc via geometric morphometric analysis to assess variance and sexual dimorphism. The study also assesses the potential for computer‐aided identification of carpal disruption, specifically, scapholunate ligament disruption. A total of 196 PA hand radiographs of dominant hands were assessed (153 females, 43 males). Discriminant function analysis revealed no significant difference in the contour of the first carpal arc between sexes (Mahalanobis distance = 22.4; T‐square = 16844.3; p = 0.8634). A principle component analysis was performed with the inclusion of an additional three radiographs demonstrating scapholunate ligament disruptions. All three scapholunate ligament disruptions placed outside of the 95% confidence ellipse of shape variance. Therefore, the dataset generated in this study may serve as a promising means of computer‐aided identification of derangement of the carpal bones in both females and males.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Histological Examples of Varied Vallate Papillae Morphotypes
Authors: Maslowski Doug J. , Holmes J. Scott , Rickards Allen A. , Aldawood Ali M. , Zdilla Matthew J. , Lambert H. Wayne 
Published: June 2021

The vallate papillae, commonly referred to as circumvallate papillae, are gustatory papillae located at the posterior dorsum of the tongue that house approximately half of the taste buds located within the tongue. Recently, twelve different gross morphotypes of vallate papillae were identified. Morphological variation of the vallate papillae could be involved with the pathogenesis of oral cancer into the base of the tongue. At present, there has not been histological assessment of the identified twelve vallate papillae morphotypes. This study assessed 30 cadaveric tongues containing approximately 300 vallate papillae by stereoscopic microscopy. The vallate papillae were identified through gross physical inspection, confirmed with the aid of loupes, and then again with a dissecting microscope with an attached digital camera interfaced with a high definition television. Images were taken of each papilla alongside digital calipers fixed to a known distance of 5.00mm, held flush to the papilla. The resulting digital pictures were then be measured with ImageJ software (NIH) by using the 5.00mm calibration as a reference. Papillae were classified based upon their morphology, and then the papillae were resected and processed for histological inspection. This project presents a qualitative gross anatomical and histological analysis of unique vallate papillae morphotypes. The results of this study may aid in differentiating normal tissues from pathological tissues and may translate into an easy, safe, and inexpensive screening tool for identifying morphological variation of the vallate papillae, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of oral cancer into the base of the tongue.Support or Funding InformationWVU Initiation to Research Opportunities (INTRO) ProgramThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Use of a Popular‐press Non‐fiction Book to Improve Student Learning and Vocational Outcomes in a Biochemical Techniques Course
Authors: Hall Bonnie L. 
Published: June 2021

Students in our Biochemistry program are required to take a Biochemical Techniques course, which utilizes a semester‐long project focused on the molecular basis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). Students learn about and perform a range of techniques in order to over‐express and purify the Abl kinase, a key player in the development of CML. They subsequently use their Abl protein to assay the effectiveness of a variety of kinase inhibitors used clinically for treating CML patients. Students enjoy the real‐world connections of the course but struggle to connect the details of the work they complete in class with both the scientific discoveries that led to the development of these drugs, as well as how this story is relevant to their own development as scientists. For the past two years, the course has incorporated the book, “The Philadelphia Chromosome: A Genetic Mystery, a Lethal Cancer, and the Improbable Invention of a Lifesaving Treatment”. The book, written by science journalist J. Wapner, blends patient stories, interviews with scientists, and summaries of major scientific discoveries to tell the story of the first highly effective treatment for CML patients. Students find the story compelling, and specific assignments help them connect the scientists and experiments described in the book to their own laboratory work. Substantial improvements in the quality of the introductions written for the final research paper (in the style of a primary literature journal article) have also been scaffolded off the readings from the book. Ethics discussions have been richer, as students have real‐world situations to analyze; discussions of major scientific discoveries of the past 60 years have been easily embedded into various assignments in ways that allowed students to connect them to their current studies. The course also includes a core curriculum iteration focused on Vocation, intended to help students “identify their calling(s) and to connect to needs in the world for the purpose of being fully engaged with life”. Embedding this reading into the curriculum has provided new opportunities for student to connect more deeply with science as a vocational path. Overall, utilizing “The Philadelphia Chromosome” as part of a Biochemical Techniques course has led to improved student outcomes in content acquisition, vocational discernment, and student understanding of both scientific ethics and science history.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.