Chronic antioxidant therapy reduces oxidative stress in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Oxidative modifications are a hallmark of oxidative imbalance in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and prion diseases and their respective animal models. While the causes of oxidative stress are relatively well-documented, the effects of chronically reducing oxidative stress on cognition, pathology and biochemistry require further clarification. To address this, young and aged control and amyloid-β protein precursor-over-expressing mice were fed a diet with added R-alpha lipoic acid for 10 months to determine the effect of chronic antioxidant administration on the cognition and neuropathology and biochemistry of the brain. Both wild type and transgenic mice treated with R-alpha lipoic acid displayed significant reductions in markers of oxidative modifications. On the other hand, R-alpha lipoic acid had little effect on Y-maze performance throughout the study and did not decrease end-point amyloid-β load. These results suggest that, despite the clear role of oxidative stress in mediating amyloid pathology and cognitive decline in ageing and AβPP-transgenic mice, long-term antioxidant therapy, at levels within tolerable nutritional guidelines and which reduce oxidative modifications, have limited benefit.     

Single-Cell Sequencing of iPSC-Dopamine Neurons Reconstructs Disease Progression and Identifies HDAC4 as a Regulator of Parkinson Cell Phenotypes

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Quantitatively comparing morphological trends to environment in the fossil record (Cincinnatian series; Upper Ordovician)

Determining whether morphological trends in fossil species represent evolution within a lineage or lateral shifts in morphologically variable populations through time requires a thorough examination of the details of both morphology and paleoenvironment in time and space. The purpose of this study is to explore at high resolution the relationship between morphology of the trilobite Flexicalymene granulosa and paleoenvironmental conditions in Upper Ordovician deposits of southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. This is achieved by using geometric morphometrics to measure high-resolution morphological changes and by using gradient analysis to capture environmental gradients underlying faunal distribution patterns. Quantitatively comparing the outcomes of these two techniques provides an assessment of whether shape changes relates to environment. Results indicate that a significant amount of shape change, seen as an anteromedial movement of the eye region over time, corresponds to ordination scores. This suggests a relationship between certain aspects of morphology and environment. The combination of these quantitative techniques has provided the foundation for determining whether morphological trends within F. granulosa represent evolution or temporal shifts in geographic variation. Future work will involve examining this relationship in greater detail both geographically and stratigraphically.     

The first description of the potentially toxic dinoflagellate, Alexandrium minutum in Hunts Bay, Kingston Harbour, Jamaica

The occurrence and morphology of the potentially toxic dinoflagellate species Alexandrium minutum found for the first time in Jamaica, were examined and described by light and scanning electron microscopy. Classical morphological examinations of whole cells, the thecal plate pattern of intact cells and more importantly the structure of individual thecal plates of squashed cells, were conducted in an attempt to positively identify the species. Characteristics such as a tear-drop shaped apical pore plate with a comma-shaped apical pore and no anterior attachment pore; a narrow sixth precingular plate; a narrow anterior sulcal plate longer than or approximately as long as it is wide; and a posterior sulcal plate wider than long, confirmed the Jamaican species as A. minutum. This dinoflagellate which produces potent neurotoxins responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in humans in many parts of the World, as well as mass mortality of various marine flora and fauna, was identified in water samples collected during an extensive bloom of the species in the brackish to saline water body of Hunts Bay, an estuarine arm of Kingston Harbour, Jamaica in August 1994. The highest cell concentration was 4.6 × 10⁵ cells l⁻¹, a concentration which far exceeds acceptable concentrations (<10³ cells l⁻¹) of PSP-toxin producing A. minutum in several countries including: Spain and Denmark. No PSP human symptoms were reported during the bloom; however it was accompanied by a large kill of small pelagic fish extending across a third of the bay. Since then, smaller blooms of A. minutum have occurred with the most recent in February and April 2004. Hunts Bay is an important fishing, shrimping and to some extent oyster/mussel collection area and provides an important source of livelihood and food for many fishermen in nearby fishing communities as well as an important source of food for members of other communities. Although there are no known records of human illness due to PSP in Jamaica, the occurrence and blooming in Jamaican waters of this potentially toxic dinoflagellate, is great cause for concern.     

Translating chemometric analysis into physiological insights from in vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy of the human stratum corneum

The superficial layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), consists of corneocytes surrounded by lipid regions and acts as a protective barrier for the body against water loss, toxic agents and microorganisms. As most substances permeate the stratum corneum through the lipid regions, lipid organization is considered crucial for the skin barrier function. Here, we investigate the potential of in vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy to describe the composition and organization of the SC. Confocal Raman spectroscopy is finding increasing use in the characterization of skin in biomedical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. In this work, we analyze the spectra using chemometric methods and obtain principal components that correspond to the primary skin constituents: protein (keratin), natural moisturizing factor (NMF), water and lipid contributions in both ordered (orthorhombic) and disordered structural organization. By identifying these important components of the SC, these results highlight the utility of this in vivo, non-invasive, and depth resolved tool at the forefront of skin research.     

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR RESEARCH ETHICS WORKSHOPS FOR COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

To help ensure the ethical conduct of research, many have recommended educational efforts in research ethics to investigators and members of research ethics committees (RECs). One type of education activity involves multi‐day workshops in research ethics. To be effective, such workshops should contain the appropriate content and teaching techniques geared towards the learning styles of the targeted audiences. To ensure consistency in content and quality, we describe the development of a curriculum guide, core competencies and associated learning objectives and activities to help educators organize research ethics workshops in their respective institutions. The curriculum guide is divided into modular units to enable planners to develop workshops of different lengths and choose content materials that match the needs, abilities, and prior experiences of the target audiences. The content material in the curriculum guide is relevant for audiences in the Middle East, because individuals from the Middle East who participated in a Certificate Program in research ethics selected and developed the training materials (e.g., articles, powerpoint slides, case studies, protocols). Also, many of the activities incorporate active‐learning methods, consisting of group work activities analyzing case studies and reviewing protocols. The development of such a workshop training curriculum guide represents a sustainable educational resource to enhance research ethics capacity in the Middle East.