Lithium inhibits oxidative stress-induced neuronal senescence through miR-34a

Molecular Biology Reports - Neuronal senescence, triggered by telomere shortening, oncogene activation, DNA damage, or oxidative stress, has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases’...     

Impact of relative humidity and water availability on the life history of the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii

The predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is currently used as an efficient biological control agent of thrips, whiteflies and spider mites, which are economically damaging pests of ornamental plants and vegetable crops grown in greenhouses and fields worldwide. Currently, the effects of relative humidity (RH) and water availability on the optimal growth of A. swirskii are unknown. Here, we test the combined effects of different levels of RH (33%, 53%, 73% and 92%) and water availability on the development and reproduction of male and female A. swirskii feeding on the dried fruit mite, Carpoglyphus lactis (Linnaeus). While eggs failed to hatch at 33% RH, the survival rates of the immature stages at?≥?53% RH increased solely in response to water availability and not due to changes in RH. Regarding growth and development, low RH extended the egg–adult duration and pre-oviposition period. We also found that the negative effects of low RH on fecundity were partially or completely eliminated when drinking water was available. For the life table parameters, the highest values of net reproductive rate (R₀) and intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) were achieved at the highest RH and when drinking water was available. Overall, water availability mitigated the negative effect of low RH on female reproduction, and female development was more sensitive to water availability than male development. Lastly, a comparison of similar research on A. swirskii suggested that water availability and RH are more influential on r than food source or temperature.

     

Late Quaternary Environmental and Human Impacts on the Mitochondrial DNA Diversity of Four Commensal Rodents in Myanmar

Journal of Mammalian Evolution - We addressed the spatiotemporal characteristics of four commensal rodent species occurring in Myanmar in comparison with other areas of the Indo-Malayan region. We...     

In vitro propagation, histochemistry, and analysis of essential oil from conventionally propagated and in vitro-propagated plants of Varronia curassavica Jacq

Varronia curassavica is cultivated for the production of an essential oil useful in the pharmaceutical industry for its strong anti-inflammatory effect. Despite a growing demand, only a few studies have evaluated alternative sources of obtaining plantlets or ways to increase the yield of essential oil from this species. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize the in vitro multiplication rate and analyze the histochemistry and sesquiterpene production potential of conventionally propagated V. curassavica plants, in vitro shoots, and acclimatized plants derived from in vitro shoots. For axillary bud proliferation, Murashige and Skoog medium was supplemented with 6-benzyladenine and thidiazuron alone or in combination with naphthalene acetic acid. Axillary bud proliferation was obtained from culture of nodal or apical segments on medium containing half-strength Murashige and Skoog salts without growth regulators. After 35 d of culture, an average of five buds developed per explant. Elongation and rooting of shoots also occurred in this medium. After the transfer of rooted plants to ex vitro conditions, 100% of the plantlets survived. Histochemical analysis of leaf tissue showed the presence of lipids, acidic lipids, essential oil, phenols, and flavonoids. The essential oils from conventionally propagated and acclimatized plants were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed using gas chromatography. The essential oil from acclimatized plants had a similar profile to that from ex vitro plants, but with a higher concentration of the anti-inflammatory compound alpha-humulene.     

Corticosterone regulates multiple colour traits in Lacerta [Zootoca] vivipara males

Ornamental colours usually evolve as honest signals of quality, which is supported by the fact that they frequently depend on individual condition. It has generally been suggested that some, but not all types of ornamental colours are condition dependent, indicating that different evolutionary mechanisms underlie the evolution of multiple types of ornamental colours even when these are exhibited by the same species. Stress hormones, which negatively affect condition, have been shown to affect colour traits based on different pigments and structures, suggesting that they mediate condition dependence of multiple ornament types both among and within individuals. However, studies investigating effects of stress hormones on different ornament types within individuals are lacking, and thus, evidence for this hypothesis is scant. Here, we investigated whether corticosterone mediates condition dependence of multiple ornaments by manipulating corticosterone levels and body condition (via food availability) using a two‐factorial design and by assessing their effect on multiple colour traits in male common lizards. Corticosterone negatively affected ventral melanin‐ and carotenoid‐based coloration, whereas food availability did not affect coloration, despite its significant effect on body condition. The corticosterone effect on melanin‐ and carotenoid‐based coloration demonstrates the condition dependence of both ornaments. Moreover, corticosterone affected ventral coloration and had no effect on the nonsexually selected dorsal coloration, showing specific effects of corticosterone on ornamental ventral colours. This suggests that corticosterone simultaneously mediates condition dependence of multiple colour traits and that it therefore accounts for covariation among them, which may influence their evolution via correlational selection.     

Paired inspiratory-expiratory chest CT scans to assess for small airways disease in COPD

Background

Gas trapping quantified on chest CT scans has been proposed as a surrogate for small airway disease in COPD. We sought to determine if measurements using paired inspiratory and expiratory CT scans may be better able to separate gas trapping due to emphysema from gas trapping due to small airway disease.

Methods

Smokers with and without COPD from the COPDGene Study underwent inspiratory and expiratory chest CT scans. Emphysema was quantified by the percent of lung with attenuation < −950HU on inspiratory CT. Four gas trapping measures were defined: (1) Exp₋₈₅₆, the percent of lung < −856HU on expiratory imaging; (2) E/I MLA, the ratio of expiratory to inspiratory mean lung attenuation; (3) RVC_856-950, the difference between expiratory and inspiratory lung volumes with attenuation between −856 and −950 HU; and (4) Residuals from the regression of Exp₋₈₅₆ on percent emphysema.

Results

In 8517 subjects with complete data, Exp₋₈₅₆ was highly correlated with emphysema. The measures based on paired inspiratory and expiratory CT scans were less strongly correlated with emphysema. Exp₋₈₅₆, E/I MLA and RVC_856-950 were predictive of spirometry, exercise capacity and quality of life in all subjects and in subjects without emphysema. In subjects with severe emphysema, E/I MLA and RVC_856-950 showed the highest correlations with clinical variables.

Conclusions

Quantitative measures based on paired inspiratory and expiratory chest CT scans can be used as markers of small airway disease in smokers with and without COPD, but this will require that future studies acquire both inspiratory and expiratory CT scans.     

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells from patients with end-stage renal disease are suitable for autologous therapy

Background aimsMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are pluripotent cells that have immunosuppressive and reparative properties in vitro and in vivo. Although autologous bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs are already clinically tested in transplant recipients, it is unclear whether these BM cells are affected by renal disease. We assessed whether renal failure affected the function and therapeutic potential of BM-MSCs.MethodsMSCs from 10 adults with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and 10 age-matched healthy controls were expanded from BM aspirates and tested for phenotype and functionality in vitro.ResultsMSCs from ESRD patients were >90% positive for CD73, CD90 and CD105 and negative for CD34 and CD45 and showed a similar morphology and differentiation capacity as MSCs from healthy controls. Of importance for their clinical utility, growth characteristics were similar in both groups, and sufficient numbers of MSCs were obtained within 4 weeks. Messenger RNA expression levels of self-renewal genes and factors involved in repair and inflammation were also comparable between both groups. Likewise, microRNA expression profiling showed a broad overlap between ESRD and healthy donor MSCs. ESRD MSCs displayed the same immunosuppressive capacities as healthy control MSCs, demonstrated by a similar dose-dependent inhibition of peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation, similar inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ production and a concomitant increase in the production of interleukin-10.ConclusionsExpanded BM-MSCs procured from ESRD patients and healthy controls are both phenotypically and functionally similar. These findings are important for the potential autologous clinical application of BM-MSCs in transplant recipients.     

Residential Selection across the Life Course: Adolescent Contextual and Individual Determinants of Neighborhood Disadvantage in Mid-Adulthood

Background

Numerous cross-sectional studies have examined neighborhood effects on health. Residential selection in adulthood has been stressed as an important cause of selection bias but has received little empirical attention, particularly its determinants from the earlier life course. The present study aims to examine whether neighborhood, family, school, health behaviors and health in adolescence are related to socioeconomic disadvantage of one''s neighborhood of residence in adulthood.

Methods

Based on the prospective Northern Swedish Cohort (analytical N = 971, 90.6% retention rate), information was collected at age 16 years concerning family circumstances, school adjustment, health behaviors and mental and physical health. Neighborhood register data was linked to the cohort and used to operationalize aggregated measures of neighborhood disadvantage (ND) at age 16 and 42. Data was analyzed with linear mixed models, with ND in adulthood regressed on adolescent predictors and neighborhood of residence in adolescence as the level-2 unit.

Results

Neighborhood disadvantage in adulthood was clustered by neighborhood of residence in adolescence (ICC = 8.6%). The clustering was completely explained by ND in adolescence. Of the adolescent predictors, ND (b = .14 (95% credible interval = .07–.22)), final school marks (b = −.18 (−.26–−.10)), socioeconomic disadvantage (b = .07 (.01–.14)), and, with borderline significance, school peer problems (b = .07 (−.00–.13)), were independently related to adulthood ND in the final adjusted model. In sex-stratified analyses, the most important predictors were school marks (b = −.21 (−.32–−.09)) in women, and neighborhood of residence (ICC = 15.5%) and ND (b = .20 (.09–.31)) in men.

Conclusions

These findings show that factors from adolescence – which also may impact on adult health – could influence the neighborhood context in which one will live in adulthood. This indicates that residential selection bias in neighborhood effects on health research may have its sources in early life.