Bdnf impact on biological markers of depression—role of physical exercise and training

Depression is the most common and devastating psychiatric disorder in the world. Its symptoms, especially during the pandemic, are observed in all age groups. Exercise training (ET) is well known as a non-pharmacological strategy to alleviate clinical depression. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the biological factors whose expression and secretion are intensified in response to ET. BDNF is also secreted by contracted skeletal muscle that likely exerts para-, auto-and endocrine effects, supporting the crosstalk between skeletal muscle and other distant organs/tissues, such as the nervous system. This finding suggests that they communicate and work together to induce improvements on mood, cognition, and learning processes as BDNF is the main player in the neurogenesis, growth, and survival of neurons. Therefore, BDNF has been recognized as a therapeutic factor in clinical depression, especially in response to ET. The underlying mechanisms through which ET impacts depression are varied. The aim of this review was to provide information of the biological markers of depression such as monoamines, tryptophan, endocannabinoids, markers of inflammatory processes (oxidative stress and cytokines) stress and sex hormones and their relationship to BDNF. In addition, we reviewed the effects of ET on BNDF expression and how it impacts depression as well as the potential mechanisms mediating this process, providing a better understanding of underlying ET-related mechanisms in depression.Internal grant of University School of Physical Education. Project No. 503 62/05 Effectiveness of various therapeutic forms and their influence on nervous, muscular and vascular plasticity in patients after ischemic stroke”

Quantitative Methods for Tracking Cognitive Change 3 Years After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Background: The analysis and interpretation of change in cognitive function test scores after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). Longitudinal studies with multiple outcomes present considerable statistical challenges. Application of hierarchical linear statistical models can estimate the effects of a surgical intervention on the time course of multiple biomarkers. Methods: We use an analyze then summarize approach whereby we estimate the intervention effects separately for each cognitive test and then pool them, taking appropriate account of their statistical correlations. The model accounts for dropouts at follow-up, the chance of which may be related to past cognitive score, by implicitly imputing the missing data from individuals’ past scores and group patterns. We apply this approach to a study of the effects of CABG on the time course of cognitive function as measured by 16 separate neuropsychological test scores, clustered into 8 cognitive domains. The study includes measurements on 140 CABG patients and 92 nonsurgical controls at baseline, and 3, 12, and 36 months. Including a nonsurgical control group allows comparison of changes in cognition over time between the surgery group and patients with similar risk factors, controlling for potential effects of aging and vascular disease. Results: We find that CABG patients have very longitudinal changes from baseline in cognitive function similar to those observed for nonsurgical controls. Any small differences tend to favor greater improvement in CABG patients than in the nonsurgical controls. Conclusions: The methods used have application to a wide range of intervention studies in which multiple biomarkers are followed over time to quantify health effects. Software to implement the methods in commonly used statistical packages is available from the authors at http://www.biostat.jhsph.edu/research/software.shtml

Identification of FAK substrate peptides via colorimetric screening of a one‐bead one‐peptide combinatorial library

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110814/1/psc2751.pd

Programming of embryonic development

Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) and parental nutritional status have profound effects on embryonic/fetal and placental development, which are probably mediated via “programming” of gene expression, as reflected by changes in their epigenetic landscape. Such epigenetic changes may underlie programming of growth, development, and function of fetal organs later in pregnancy and the offspring postnatally, and potentially lead to long-term changes in organ structure and function in the offspring as adults. This latter concept has been termed developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), or simply developmental programming, which has emerged as a major health issue in animals and humans because it is associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases in the offspring, including metabolic, behavioral, and reproductive dysfunction. In this review, we will briefly introduce the concept of developmental programming and its relationship to epigenetics. We will then discuss evidence that ART and periconceptual maternal and paternal nutrition may lead to epigenetic alterations very early in pregnancy, and how each pregnancy experiences developmental programming based on signals received by and from the dam. Lastly, we will discuss current research on strategies designed to overcome or minimize the negative consequences or, conversely, to maximize the positive aspects of developmental programming

Flux Modulations seen by the Muon Veto of the GERDA Experiment

The GERDA experiment at LNGS of INFN is equipped with an active muon veto. The main part of the system is a water Cherenkov veto with 66~PMTs in the water tank surrounding the GERDA cryostat. The muon flux recorded by this veto shows a seasonal modulation. Two effects have been identified which are caused by secondary muons from the CNGS neutrino beam (2.2 %) and a temperature modulation of the atmosphere (1.4 %). A mean cosmic muon rate of $I^0_{\mu} = (3.477 \pm 0.002_{\textrm{stat}} \pm 0.067_{\textrm{sys}}) \times 10^{-4}$/(s$\cdot$m$^2$) was found in good agreement with other experiments at LNGS at a depth of 3500~meter water equivalent.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Direct and Interactive Effects of Enemies and Mutualists on Plant Performance: A Meta-Analysis

Plants engage in multiple, simultaneous interactions with other species; some (enemies) reduce and others (mutualists) enhance plant performance. Moreover, effects of different species may not be independent of one another; for example, enemies may compete, reducing their negative impact on a plant. The magnitudes of positive and negative effects, as well as the frequency of interactive effects and whether they tend to enhance or depress plant performance, have never been comprehensively assessed across the many published studies on plant–enemy and plant–mutualist interactions. We performed a meta-analysis of experiments in which two enemies, two mutualists, or an enemy and a mutualist were manipulated factorially. Specifically, we performed a factorial meta-analysis using the log response ratio. We found that the magnitude of (negative) enemy effects was greater than that of (positive) mutualist effects in isolation, but in the presence of other species, the two effects were of comparable magnitude. Hence studies evaluating single-species effects of mutualists may underestimate the true effects found in natural settings, where multiple interactions are the norm and indirect effects are possible. Enemies did not on average influence the effects on plant performance of other enemies, nor did mutualists influence the effects of mutualists. However, these averages mask significant and large, but positive or negative, interactions in individual studies. In contrast, mutualists ameliorated the negative effects of enemies in a manner that benefited plants; this overall effect was driven by interactions between pathogens and belowground mutualists (bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi). The high frequency of significant interactive effects suggests a widespread potential for diffuse rather than pairwise coevolutionary interactions between plants and their enemies and mutualists. Pollinators and mycorrhizal fungi enhanced plant performance more than did bacterial mutualists. In the greenhouse (but not the field), pathogens reduced plant performance more than did herbivores, pathogens were more damaging to herbaceous than to woody plants, and herbivores were more damaging to crop than to non-crop plants (suggesting evolutionary change in plants or herbivores following crop domestication). We discuss how observed differences in effect size might be confounded with methodological differences among studies

Placental vascularity and markers of angiogenesis in relation to prenatal growth status in overnourished adolescent ewes.

INTRODUCTION: Placental vascularity may be important in the development of fetal growth restriction (FGR). The overnourished adolescent ewe is a robust model of the condition, with ∼50% of offspring demonstrating FGR (birthweight >2 standard deviations below optimally-fed control mean). We studied whether placental vascularity, angiogenesis and glucose transport reflect FGR severity. METHODS: Singleton pregnancies were established in adolescent ewes either overnourished to putatively restrict fetoplacental growth (n = 27) or control-fed (n = 12). At 131d (term = 145d) pregnancies were interrupted and fetuses classified as FGR (n = 17,  Non-FGR > FGR and fetal:placental weight ratios were higher in overnourished versus Control groups. COT vascular indices were Non-FGR > FGR > Control. COT-CAD, CSD and APC were significantly greater in Non-FGR overnourished versus Control and intermediate in FGR groups. CAR vascularity did not differ. CAR-VEGFA/FLT1/KDR/ANGPT1/ANGPT2/SLC2A1/SLC2A3 mRNA was lower and COT-ANGPT2 higher in overnourished versus Control groups. DISCUSSION: Relative to control-intake pregnancy, overnourished pregnancies are characterised by higher COT vascularity, potentially a compensatory response to reduced nutrient supply, reflected by higher fetal:placental weight ratios. Compared with overnourished pregnancies where fetal growth is relatively preserved, overnourished pregnancies culminating in marked FGR have less placental vascularity, suggesting incomplete adaptation to the prenatal insult