Effect of Local Cold Application During Exercise on Gene Expression Related to Mitochondrial Homeostasis

Exercise training increases mitochondrial content in active skeletal muscle. Previous work suggests that mitochondrial-related genes respond favorably to exercise in cold environments. However, the impact of localized tissue cooling is unknown. The purpose is to determine the impact of local muscle cooling during endurance exercise on human skeletal muscle mitochondrial-related gene expression. Twelve subjects (age 286 y) cycled at 65% Wpeak. One leg was cooled (C) for 30 minutes before and during exercise with a thermal wrap while the other leg was wrapped but not cooled, room temperature (RT). Muscle biopsies were taken from each VL before and 4 hours post-exercise for the analysis of gene expression. Muscle temperature was lower in C (29.20.7C) than RT (34.10.3C) after pre-cooling for 30 minutes before exercise (pThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Restoration Monitoring on the McKenzie River, Oregon

11 pagesIn the spring of 2012, we, the Stream Stewardship Team from the University of Oregon's Environmental Leadership Program (ELP), conducted post-monitoring surveys at a side channel of the Middle McKenzie River (side channel 4) to compare with baseline monitoring data collected by the 2011 ELP Restoration Stewardship Team. The goal of this restoration project was to enhance juvenile spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) rearing habitat within the channel. In 2011 the U. S. Forest Service placed large woody debris (LWD) in five sections of the channel after baseline monitoring to increase the complexity of the streambed within the channel and to create a distribution of sediment optimal for salmon spawning habitat. We conducted pebble counts, cross-channel surveys, and a longitudinal profile of the stream to observe changes since the addition of LWD. Median pebble size decreased downstream of the LWD placements at gravel count 1 and increased upstream at gravel count 2. The percent of embedded sediment decreased at both gravel count sites. We also detected noticeable changes in the stream morphology at four of the five crosssectional surveys as well as along the longitudinal profile. Sediment size distribution and the formation of pools at the downstream end of the channel showed an initial change in stream morphology since 2011, but further monitoring is warranted in order to fully assess the effects of LWD on streambed complexity and salmon spawning habitat.The McKenzie Watershed Council and the University of Oregon Environmental Studies Program provided funding, equipment and technical support

Role of autophagy during methamphetamine neurotoxicity

Methamphetamine causes nigrostriatal denervation and striatal dopamine loss, while sparing nigral cell bodies. Nigral dopamine neurons feature autophagic vacuoles and cytoplasmic alpha-synuclein-, ubiquitin- and parkin-positive inclusion-like bodies. On that basis, autophagy was considered essential in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity, but its neurotoxic or protective role has never been addressed. Here we review the gap between the descriptive evidence on activation of autophagy and the lack of knowledge about its role during methamphetamine intoxication. Our preliminary findings rule out a detrimental role for autophagy; this represents the first step in understanding the consequence of activation of autophagy in methamphetamine toxicity