bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Attenuation of post-myocardial infarction depression in rats byn-3 fatty acids or probiotics starting after the onset of reperfusion
Authors: Gilbert Kim , Arseneault-Bréard Jessica , Flores Monaco Fabio , Beaudoin Alexanne , Bah Thierno Madjou , Tompkins Thomas A. , Godbout Roger , Rousseau Guy 
Published: October 2012

Proinflammatory cytokines play a central role in depression-like behaviour and apoptosis in the limbic system after myocardial infarction (MI). A PUFAn-3 diet or the combination ofLactobacillus helveticusR0052 andBifidobacterium longumR0175 probiotics, when given before the ischaemic period, reduce circulating proinflammatory cytokines as well as apoptosis in the limbic system. The present study was designed to determine if the same nutritional interventions maintain their beneficial effects when started after the onset of the reperfusion period and attenuate depression-like behaviour observed after MI. MI was induced by the occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 40 min in rats. After the onset of reperfusion, animals were fed with a high- or low-PUFAn-3 diet, combined or not with one billion live bacteria ofL. helveticusandB. longum. At 3 d post-MI, caspase-3 enzymatic activities and terminal 2′-deoxyuridine, 5′-triphosphate (dUTP) nick-end labelling (TUNEL)-positive cells were decreased in the CA1, dentate gyrus (DG) and amygdala with the high-PUFAn-3 diet, as compared to the three other diets. Probiotics attenuated caspase-3 activity and TUNEL-positive cells in the DG and the medial amygdala. At 2 weeks post-MI, depression-like behaviour was observed in the low-PUFAn-3 diet without probiotics-group, and this behaviour was attenuated with the high-PUFAn-3 diet or/and probiotics. These results indicate that a high-PUFAn-3 diet or the administration of probiotics, starting after the onset of reperfusion, are beneficial to attenuate apoptosis in the limbic system and post-MI depression in the rat.
Tomato juice consumption reduces systemic inflammation in overweight and obese females
Authors: Ghavipour Mahsa , Saedisomeolia Ahmad , Djalali Mahmoud , Sotoudeh Giti , Eshraghyan Mohammad Reza , Moghadam Ali Malekshahi , Wood Lisa G. 
Published: October 2012

Tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene, a potent antioxidant. Tomato products improve antioxidant defences and reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases, at least partly, due to the presence of lycopene. Lycopene, as an anti-inflammatory agent, prevents the production of inflammatory cytokines. Obesity is a chronic inflammatory condition in which the increased level of body fat leads to an increase in circulating inflammatory mediators. We hypothesised that the consumption of a lycopene-rich food would reduce inflammation in people who are overweight or obese. A total of 106 overweight or obese female students of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences were enrolled and randomly allocated to an intervention group (n 53) or a control group (n 53) consuming 330 ml/d of tomato juice or water, respectively, for 20 d. At baseline and day 20, serum concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and TNF-α were analysed by ELISA and compared between the groups. Serum concentrations of IL-8 and TNF-α decreased significantly in the intervention group compared with the control group and with baseline. Subgroup analysis indicated that this effect was confined to subjects who were overweight. Among obese subjects, serum IL-6 concentration was decreased in the intervention group compared with the control group, with no differences in IL-8 and TNF-α observed. Tomato juice reduces inflammation in overweight and obese females. Thus, increasing tomato intake may provide a useful approach for reducing the risk of inflammatory diseases such as CVD and diabetes, which are associated with obesity.
Sequence variability in four mitochondrial genes amongBunostomum trigonocephalumisolates from four provinces in China
Authors: Wang C.R. , Gao J.F. , Chang Q.C. , Zou F.C. , Zhao Q. , Zhu X.Q. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe present study examined sequence variability in four mitochondrial genes, namely cytochromecoxidase subunit (cox1), cytochromeb(cytb) and NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1 and 5 (nad1 andnad5), amongBunostomum trigonocephalumisolates from four different geographic regions in China. TenB. trigonocephalumsamples were collected from each of the four provinces (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Shaanxi and Yunnan), China. A part of thecox1 (pcox1),cytb (pcytb),nad1 andnad5 genes (pnad1 and pnad5) were amplified separately from individual hookworms by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and were subjected to direct sequencing in order to define sequence variations and their phylogenetic relationships. The intra-specific sequence variations withinB. trigonocephalumwere 0–1.9% for pcox1, 0–2.0% for pcytb, 0–1.6% for pnad1 and 0–1.7% for pnad5. The A+T contents of the sequences were 69.6–70.4% (pcox1), 71.9–72.7 (pcytb), 70.4–71.1% (pnad1) and 72.0–72.6% (pnad5). However, the inter-specific sequence differences among members of the family Ancylostomatidae were significantly higher, being 12.1–14.2% for pcox1, 13.7–16.0 forcytb, 17.6–19.4 fornad1 and 16.0–21.6 fornad5. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined partial sequences ofcox1,cytb,nad1 andnad5 using three inference methods, namely Bayesian inference (Bayes), maximum likelihood (ML) and maximum parsimony (MP), revealed that all theB. trigonocephalumsamples form monophyletic groups, but samples from the same geographical origin did not always cluster together, suggesting that there was no obvious geographical distinction withinB. trigonocephalumbased on sequences of the four mtDNA genes. These results demonstrated the existence of low-level intra-specific variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences amongB. trigonocephalumisolates from different geographic regions.
Investigating the role of wild carnivores in the epidemiology of bovine neosporosis
Authors: STUART PETER , ZINTL ANNETTA , WAAL THEO DE , MULCAHY GRACE , HAWKINS CONALL , LAWTON COLIN 
Published: October 2012

SUMMARYNeospora caninumis a protozoan parasite, primarily associated with bovine abortion. The only definitive hosts discovered to date are carnivores. This study aimed to identify the role of mammalian carnivores in the epidemiology of bovine neosporosis. A sample bank of serum, fecal and brain samples was established: American mink (Mustela vison), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), pine martens (Martes martes), badgers (Meles meles), stoats (Mustela erminea), otters (Lutra lutra) and feral ferrets (Mustela putorius). Approximately 1% of mink and 1% of fox samples were positive by IFAT. According to PCR analysis of DNA extracted from brain tissue, 3% of the mink, 4% of the otters and 6% of the foxes examined were infected withN. caninum.All fecal samples tested negative forN. caninumDNA (n = 311), suggesting that the species that tested positive were intermediate not definitive hosts. This is the first time that tissues from mustelids have tested positive forN. caninum. The need to test 2 relatively large (∼200 mg) targeted parts of the brain to avoid false negatives was also identified. The relatively low prevalence ofN. caninumin Irish carnivores suggests that the local ecology of a species has an important influence on its epidemiological role.
Managing the working body: active ageing and limits to the ‘flexible’ firm
Authors: BROOKE ELIZABETH , TAYLOR PHILIP , MCLOUGHLIN CHRISTOPHER , DI BIASE TIA 
Published: October 2012

ABSTRACTWorkforce ageing is considered in the context of four Australian employing organisations which are each in the process of change. In these organisations, perceptions regarding the relationship between the declining body and productivity led to a depreciation of the value of older workers and their consignment to less productive edges of organisations. While this was viewed as benefiting older workers, it was also acknowledged that workforce ageing will place severe constraints on the use of such practices, already regarded with suspicion by operational managers responsible for cost containment. Policies which aim to restrain biological and psychological decline, by supporting individual functional capacity and health, workplace design and ergonomics and developing the work community are advocated.
Exploring motivation for exercise and its relationship with health-related quality of life in adults aged 70 years and older
Authors: FERRAND CLAUDE , MARTINENT GUILLAUME , BONNEFOY MARC 
Published: October 2012

ABSTRACTThe health benefits of regular exercise participation have been widely acknowledged. Drawing upon self-determination theory, the purpose of our study was to identify the motivational profiles for exercise among older adults aged 70 years and older who regularly participated in sporting programmes, and to relate the motivational profiles to health-related quality of life measures (HRQoL). A random sample of 100 older adults (mean age = 75.34 years, standard deviation = 4.89; 57 women and 43 men) belonging to French sports clubs was recruited for the aim of the study. Participants completed a survey including measures of motivation and health-related quality of life, and socio-demographic and health variables. Cluster analyses revealed two distinct motivational profiles among participants: ‘highly self-determined’ (high levels of self-determined motivation and introjected regulation as well as low levels of external regulation and amotivation), and ‘moderately introjected’ (low levels of self-determined motivation, moderate level of introjected regulation and low levels of external regulation and amotivation). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) results revealed that the most self-determined group reported significantly higher values in four domains of HRQoL, namely role limitations due to physical health, bodily pain, social functioning and role limitations due to emotional health (p = 0.01). These data suggest the importance of taking into account the motivational perspective and considering exercise maintenance among older adults as an important public health challenge.
Optimal torque distribution method for a redundantly actuated 3-RRR parallel robot using a geometrical approach
Authors: Shim Ho-Seok , Seo TaeWon , Lee Jeh Won 
Published: October 2012

SUMMARYIn this paper, a novel optimal torque distribution method for a redundantly actuated parallel robot is proposed. Geometric analysis based on screw theory is performed to calculate the stiffness matrix of a redundantly actuated 3-RRR parallel robot. The analysis is performed based on statics focusing on low-speed motions. The stiffness matrix consisting of passive and active stiffness is also derived by the differentiation of Jacobian matrix. Comparing two matrices, we found that null-space vector is related to link geometry. The optimal distribution torque is determined by adapting mean value of minimum and maximum angles as direction angles of null-space vector. The resulting algorithm is validated by comparing the new method with the minimum-norm method and the weighted pseudo-inverse method for two different paths and force conditions. The proposed torque distribution algorithm shows the characteristics of minimizing the maximum torque.
Passive and dynamic gait measures for biped mechanism: formulation and simulation analysis
Authors: Mummolo Carlotta , Kim Joo H. 
Published: October 2012

SUMMARYUnderstanding and mimicking human gait is essential for design and control of biped walking robots. The unique characteristics of normal human gait are described as passive dynamic walking, whereas general human gait is neither completely passive nor always dynamic. To study various walking motions, it is important to quantify the different levels of passivity and dynamicity, which have not been addressed in the current literature. In this paper, we introduce the initial formulations of Passive Gait Measure (PGM) and Dynamic Gait Measure (DGM) that quantify passivity and dynamicity, respectively, of a given biped walking motion, and the proposed formulations will be demonstrated for proof-of-concepts using gait simulation and analysis. The PGM is associated with the optimality of natural human walking, where the passivity weight functions are proposed and incorporated in the minimization of physiologically inspired weighted actuator torques. The PGM then measures the relative contribution of the stance ankle actuation. The DGM is associated with the gait stability, and quantifies the effects of inertia in terms of the Zero-Moment Point and the ground projection of center of mass. In addition, the DGM takes into account the stance foot dimension and the relative threshold between static and dynamic walking. As examples, both human-like and robotic walking motions during single support phase are generated for a planar biped system using the passivity weights and proper gait parameters. The calculated PGM values show more passive nature of human-like walking as compared with the robotic walking. The DGM results verify the dynamic nature of normal human walking with anthropomorphic foot dimension. In general, the DGMs for human-like walking are greater than those for robotic walking. The resulting DGMs also demonstrate their dependence on the stance foot dimension as well as the walking motion; for a given walking motion, smaller foot dimension results in increased dynamicity. Future work on experimental validation and demonstration will involve actual walking robots and human subjects. The proposed results will benefit the human gait studies and the development of walking robots.
Developmental genetics and psychopathology: Some new feathers for a fine old hat
Authors: Johnson Wendy 
Published: October 2012

AbstractWithout even knowing of their existence, Mendel discovered how genes operate when they are completely penetrant, although they rarely are, at least with respect to human personality and psychopathology; yet quantitative genetics results have conclusively demonstrated their substantial macrolevel influence. Now we need to understand just how incompletely penetrant genes make their contributions to psychopathology. Exciting new developments in molecular genetics and epigenetics provide new insight into gene action in principle but have been of limited value so far in understanding the emergence of psychopathology. Some of the most helpful postulates might come from evolutionary and developmental biology and agricultural breeding experiments. I describe the all but forgotten evolutionary mechanisms articulated by Schmalhausen, a Russian evolutionary biologist whose work was suppressed by Stalin in the 1940s. I focus on Schmalhausen's law, the observation that organisms living in conditions at the boundary of their tolerance in any one aspect of existence will be vulnerable to expression of genetic liabilities related to all other aspects of existence. I show how Schmalhausen's ideas are relevant to the results of a century-long corn-breeding experiment and the current concepts of facilitated variation and cryptic genetic variation. I then discuss the relevance of all of these to understanding genetic influences on personality and psychopathology.
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism moderates early deprivation effects on attention problems
Authors: Gunnar Megan R. , Wenner Jennifer A. , Thomas Kathleen M. , Glatt Charles E. , Mckenna Morgan C. , Clark Andrew G. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAdverse early care is associated with attention regulatory problems, but not all so exposed develop attention problems. In a sample of 612 youth (girls = 432,M= 11.82 years,SD= 1.5) adopted from institutions (e.g., orphanages) in 25 countries, we examined whether the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene moderates attention problems associated with the duration of institutional care. Parent-reported attention problem symptoms were collected using the MacArthur Health and Behavior Questionnaire. DNA was genotyped for the brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met (rs6265) single nucleotide polymorphism. Among youth from Southeast (SE) Asia, the predominant genotype was valine/methionine (Val/Met), whereas among youth from Russia/Europe and Caribbean/South America, the predominant genotype was Val/Val. For analysis, youth were grouped as carrying Val/Val or Met/Met alleles. Being female, being from SE Asia, and being younger when adopted were associated withfewerattention regulatory problem symptoms. Youth carrying at least one copy of the Met allele were more sensitive to the duration of deprivation, yielding an interaction that followed a differential susceptibility pattern. Thus, youth with Val/Met or Met/Met genotypes exhibited fewer symptoms than Val/Val genotypes when adoption was very early and more symptoms when adoption occurred later in development. Similar patterns were observed when SE Asian youth and youth from other parts of the world were analyzed separately.
Developmental psychopathology: The role of structural variation in the genome
Authors: Gill Michael 
Published: October 2012

AbstractA wide range of developmental disorders present with characteristic psychopathologies and behaviors, with diagnoses including, inter alia, cognitive disorders and learning disabilities, epilepsies, autism, and schizophrenia. Each, to varying extent, has a genetic component to etiology and is associated with cytogenetic abnormalities. Technological developments, particularly array-based comparative genome hybridization and single nucleotide polymorphism chips, has revealed a wide range of rare recurrent and de novo copy number variants (CNVs) to be associated with disorder and psychopathology. It is surprising that many apparently similar CNVs are identified across two or more disorders hitherto considered unrelated. This article describes the characteristics of CNVs and current technological restrictions that make accurately identifying small events difficult. It summarizes the latest discoveries for individual diagnostic categories and considers the implications for a shared neurobiology. It examines likely developments in the knowledge base as well as addressing the clinical implications going forward.
Maternal separation with early weaning: A rodent model providing novel insights into neglect associated developmental deficits
Authors: Carlyle Becky C. , Duque Alvaro , Kitchen Robert R. , Bordner Kelly A. , Coman Daniel , Doolittle Eliza , Papademetris Xenophonios , Hyder Fahmeed , Taylor Jane R. , Simen Arthur A. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractChild neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment in the United States, and poses a serious public health concern. Children who survive such episodes go on to experience long-lasting psychological and behavioral problems, including higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and cognitive deficits. To date, most research into the causes of these life-long problems has focused on well-established targets such as stress responsive systems, including the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis. Using the maternal separation and early weaning model, we have attempted to provide comprehensive molecular profiling of a model of early-life neglect in an organism amenable to genomic manipulation: the mouse. In this article, we report new findings generated with this model using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, diffuse tensor magnetic resonance imaging, and behavioral analyses. We also review the validity of the maternal separation and early weaning model, which reflects behavioral deficits observed in neglected humans including hyperactivity, anxiety, and attentional deficits. Finally, we summarize the molecular characterization of these animals, including RNA profiling and label-free proteomics, which highlight protein translation and myelination as novel pathways of interest.
Childhood adversity and DNA methylation of genes involved in the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis and immune system: Whole-genome and candidate-gene associations
Authors: Bick Johanna , Naumova Oksana , Hunter Scott , Barbot Baptiste , Lee Maria , Luthar Suniya S. , Raefski Adam , Grigorenko Elena L. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractIn recent years, translational research involving humans and animals has uncovered biological and physiological pathways that explain associations between early adverse circumstances and long-term mental and physical health outcomes. In this article, we summarize the human and animal literature demonstrating that epigenetic alterations in key biological systems, the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis and immune system, may underlie such disparities. We review evidence suggesting that changes in DNA methylation profiles of the genome may be responsible for the alterations in hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis and immune system trajectories. Using some preliminary data, we demonstrate how explorations of genome-wide and candidate-gene DNA methylation profiles may inform hypotheses and guide future research efforts in these areas. We conclude our article by discussing the many important future directions, merging perspectives from developmental psychology, molecular genetics, neuroendocrinology, and immunology, that are essential for furthering our understanding of how early adverse circumstances may shape developmental trajectories, particularly in the areas of stress reactivity and physical or mental health.
Age-related changes of gene expression in the neocortex: Preliminary data on RNA-Seq of the transcriptome in three functionally distinct cortical areas
Authors: Naumova Oksana Yu. , Palejev Dean , Vlasova Natalia V. , Lee Maria , Rychkov Sergei Yu. , Babich Olga N. , M. Vaccarino Flora , Grigorenko Elena L. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe study of gene expression (i.e., the study of the transcriptome) in different cells and tissues allows us to understand the molecular mechanisms of their differentiation, development and functioning. In this article, we describe some studies of gene-expression profiling for the purposes of understanding developmental (age-related) changes in the brain using different technologies (e.g., DNA-Microarray) and the new and increasingly popular RNA-Seq. We focus on advancements in studies of gene expression in the human brain, which have provided data on the structure and age-related variability of the transcriptome in the brain. We present data on RNA-Seq of the transcriptome in three distinct areas of the neocortex from different ages: mature and elderly individuals. We report that most age-related transcriptional changes affect cellular signaling systems, and, as a result, the transmission of nerve impulses. In general, the results demonstrate the high potential of RNA-Seq for the study of distinctive features of gene expression among cortical areas and the changes in expression through normal and atypical development of the central nervous system.