Selective Desensitization of Growth Factor Signaling by Cell Adhesion to Fibronectin

Cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix is required to execute growth factor (GF)-mediated cell behaviors, such as proliferation. A major underlying mechanism is that cell adhesion enhances GF-mediated intracellular signals, such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk). However, because GFs use distinct mechanisms to activate Ras-Erk signaling, it is unclear whether adhesion-mediated enhancement of Erk signaling is universal to all GFs. We examined this issue by quantifying the dynamics of Erk signaling induced by epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. Adhesion to fibronectin-coated surfaces enhances Erk signaling elicited by epidermal growth factor but not by bFGF or PDGF. Unexpectedly, adhesion is not always a positive influence on GF-mediated signaling. At critical subsaturating doses of PDGF or bFGF, cell adhesion ablates Erk signaling; that is, adhesion desensitizes the cell to GF stimulation, rendering the signaling pathway unresponsive to GF. Interestingly, the timing of growth factor stimulation proved critical to the desensitization process. Erk activation significantly improved only when pre-exposure to adhesion was completely eliminated; thus, concurrent stimulation by GF and adhesion was able to partially rescue adhesion-mediated desensitization of PDGF- and bFGF-mediated Erk and Akt signaling. These findings suggest that adhesion-mediated desensitization occurs with rapid kinetics and targets a regulatory point upstream of Ras and proximal to GF receptor activation. Thus, adhesion-dependent Erk signaling is not universal to all GFs but, rather, is GF-specific with quantitative features that depend strongly on the dose and timing of GF exposure

Beyond the flagship: politics & transatlantic trade in American department stores, 1900-1945

Historians have long viewed American department stores as barometers of social change, anchors of modern urban life, and purveyors of a new kind of consumer capitalist culture. In its heyday, from the late nineteenth century to the middle twentieth century, the department store was all of these things, but it was also much more. This dissertation draws on business, government, and family papers to reveal how a new kind of businessman, the department store retailer, pioneered powerful political and trade networks that were deeply embedded in Washington and stretched across the Atlantic into the increasingly volatile capitals of Europe. As campaign contributors, trade policy advisors, and political appointees, retailers like John Wanamaker, Isidor Straus, Louis Kirstein, and Ira Hirschmann regularly moved through the inner circles of the national government. They could just as easily be found on Capitol Hill, or at trade offices located in London or Paris, as behind their own desks in the upper floors of Wanamaker’s or Filene’s. Retailers’ command of vast transatlantic trade networks, now largely forgotten, made them key participants in pressing debates about everything from tariff reform and economic recovery to wartime mobilization and the plight of refugees. Yet retailers approached politics and commerce with profoundly different sensibilities than executives at other major American corporations, such as Ford, United Fruit, or Coca Cola. In the retail industry, commercial expansion depended not on the domination of foreign markets and foreign workers, but rather on transnational cooperation and the development of policies and business methods that upheld both the sovereignty and distinctiveness of other nations—and their goods. In this complex era, as the imperatives of trade routinely collided with politics and other large forces, from devastating world wars and widespread depression to the rise of new radical ideologies, retailers did much more than market desire. They brokered vital connections between Americans, Washington, and the world

The relationship between dietary acid load and intensity of musculoskeletal pain condition:A population‐based study

Pain is a globally prevalent problem, and a comprehension of its pathophysiology is important with respect to patient's health. Musculoskeletal pain conditions (MPs) may be associated with physical, lifestyle, and nutrition status, while dietary acid load (DAL) may be inversely associated with musculoskeletal health in adults. This cross‐sectional study consisted of 175 adults experiencing pain. Anthropometric measurements, physical activity (PA), and pain intensity were assessed via specific questionnaires. Dietary data were collected using a 7‐day 24‐h recall. Foods and beverages were analyzed with Nutritionist IV software for extracting the total energy and nutrients. Net endogenous acid production (NEAP) and potential renal acid load (PRAL) were evaluated for assessing the DAL. Linear regression and Spearman correlation were used to investigate the association of exposure and input variables. Linear regression showed a positive relationship between PRAL and NEAP and pain intensity in the crude model. This significant positive relationship remained after adjusting for all confounders. A lower consumption of potassium, magnesium, vitamin B9 and C, and fiber was seen in the following quartiles of PRAL and NEAP. In addition, MPs intensity and PRAL and NEAP had a weak, positive correlation. This study suggests that a higher DAL may be associated with MPs. However, further research is needed

Nitrous oxide and methane in the Atlantic Ocean between 50 degrees North and 52 degrees South: Latitudinal distribution and sea-to-air flux

We discuss nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) distributions in 49 vertical profiles covering the upper 300 m of the water column along two 13,500 km transects between 50°N and 52°S during the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) programme (AMT cruises 12 and 13). Vertical N2O profiles were amenable to analysis on the basis of common features coincident with Longhurst provinces. In contrast, CH4 showed no such pattern. The most striking feature of the latitudinal depth distributions was a well-defined “plume” of exceptionally high N2O concentrations coincident with very low levels of CH4, located between 23.5°N and 23.5°S; this feature reflects the upwelling of deep waters containing N2O derived from nitrification, as identified by an analysis of N2O, apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and NO3-, and presumably depleted in CH4 by bacterial oxidation. Sea-to-air emissions fluxes for a region equivalent to 42% of the Atlantic Ocean surface area were in the range 0.40–0.68 Tg N2O yr-1 and 0.81–1.43 Tg CH4 yr-1. Based on contemporary estimates of the global ocean source strengths of atmospheric N2O and CH4, the Atlantic Ocean could account for 6–15% and 4–13%, respectively, of these source totals. Given that the Atlantic Ocean accounts for around 20% of the global ocean surface, on unit area basis it appears that the Atlantic may be a slightly weaker source of atmospheric N2O than other ocean regions but it could make a somewhat larger contribution to marine-derived atmospheric CH4 than previously thought

Peripartum cardiomyopathy: diagnosis and management

No abstract available

Existing Policies for the Education of Refugees in Greece

The present herein work introduces the existing policies for the inclusion of children of immigrant or refugee background in the educational system of Greece. The goal of the Greek educational system is the inclusive education of these categories of students. Consequently, the special characteristics of refugees are studied for this purpose and proposals to strengthen the inclusion policies are presented

Prevalence, Risks and Antibiotic Resistance of Salmonella in Poultry Production Chain

Salmonella spp. are bacteria that cause salmonellosis, a common form of foodborne illness with major impact on human health and huge financial losses in poultry industry. The incidence of notified cases of salmonellosis has declined from a peak of 24 per 100,000 in 2009 to 20.4 reported cases per 100,000 population in 2013, with S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium being the most commonly reported serovar in EU. Salmonella spp. has been detected in a range of foods, and outbreaks have predominantly been associated with animal products such as eggs, poultry and dairy products, but also with plant origin food such as salad dressing, fruit juice and sesame. At the time of slaughter, Salmonella-infected poultry may have high numbers of organisms in their intestines as well as on the outside of the bird and are therefore an important source of contamination. Nowadays, food safety has become an important concern for the European society and governments; therefore, more strict and harmonized regulations are being implemented throughout the poultry production chain with the aim to guarantee and increase the consumer confidence in foodstuffs of animal origin. Furthermore, increasing antimicrobial resistance in non-typhoid Salmonella species has been a serious problem for public health worldwide

The Association Between Dietary Energy Density and Musculoskeletal Pain in Adult Men and Women

Musculoskeletal pains (MPs), defined as persistent or recurrent pain, is a complex health problem. High overall calorie and fat intake have been related to obesity and MPs. Dietary energy density (DED), defined as energy content of food and beverages (in kcal) per unit total weight, has been associated with chronic muscle, cartilage, bone damage and pain. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the association between DED and MPs in adult men and women. A total of 175 men and women (> 18 years) with MP participated in the study. A validated short form physical activity (PA) questionnaire, demographic, and McGill Pain Questionnaire were used. Anthropometric measurements were evaluated via standard protocols. Furthermore, a seven-day 24-hour recall of diet was used to determine the dietary intake. Total DED was calculated and divided into quartiles. Linear regression was used to discern the association between DED and MPs in adults. Participants assigned in the highest category of DED were characterized by lower intake of potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, folate, and fiber. However, results showed displayed higher intake of sodium, vitamin E, vitamin B3, fat, protein, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (p < 0.001). Finally, after adjustment for confounders such as age, gender, PA, body mass index, waist circumference, education, job, marital status, history of some chronic diseases and vitamin C supplementation, a significant positive association was detected between DED and pain intensity. There was no significant association between DED and pain frequency in all models