Serum MMP‐3 and its association with central arterial stiffness among young adults is moderated by smoking and BMI

Central arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease. It is characterized by a marked reduction in the elastin-collagen ratio of the arterial wall extracellular matrix (ECM), and is largely the result of degradation of various ECM components. Matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) may contribute to central arterial stiffness via its involvement in ECM homeostasis and remodeling. This study examined the association between serum MMP-3 concentrations and central arterial stiffness and potential interactions of MMP-3 and traditional cardiovascular risk factors in a population of healthy young adults. A total of 206 participants (n = 109 females) aged 19–25 years were included in the current study. Central arterial stiffness was measured non-invasively as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) (m/s). MMP-3 concentrations (ng/ml) were measured using ELISA techniques. Regression analyses were used to examine the association between cfPWV and MMP-3, adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), instantaneous mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate, and serum C-reactive protein. Interactions between MMP-3 with smoking, BMI, sex, and MAP were analyzed in subsequent regression models. MMP-3 was an independent predictor of cfPWV (β = 0.187, p = 0.007), and significant interactions between MMP-3 and regular smoking (β = 0.291, p = 0.022), and MMP-3 and BMI (β = 0.210, p = 0.013) were observed. Higher serum MMP-3 concentrations were associated with a faster cfPWV and thus, greater central arterial stiffness. Interactions between MMP-3 and smoking, and MMP-3 and BMI may, in part, drive the association between MMP-3 and central arterial stiffness.Canadian Institutes of Health Researc

A Transdisciplinary Approach to Determining the Provenience of a Distorted, Pre-Columbian Skull Recovered in Rural Idaho

Transdisciplinary research involves cooperation, exchange of information, sharing of resources and integration of disciplines to achieve a common scientific goal. In this study, collaborators utilized tools and knowledge of materials science, anthropology, archaeology, geosciences and biology in an attempt to determine the provenience of skeletal remains of unknown origin. The exchange of ideas and skills along with the crossing of disciplines in this study sucessfully allowed the incorporation of expertise from many team members. This transdisciplinary approach to research provided a more comprehensive and detailed analysis than any one field alone could provide. An archaeological assessment of a human skull recovered in rural Idaho recognized cranial deformation and post-mortem application of a red pigment. A combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) identified the major and trace elements present in the red post-mortem pigment as cinnabar and rare earth metals. Analysis via carbon and oxygen stable isotopes from teeth and bone to provided insight into the diet and habitat for distinct segments of the individual’s life, indicating a regional separation in early life versus late adulthood. Radiocarbon dating determined the approximate age of the skull to be between 600-700 years old and a forensic mtDNA assessmentcategorized a mitochondrial haplogroup for the remains as originating from the East African or Arabian Peninsula

Genetic variant rs1205 is associated with COVID-19 outcomes: The Strong Heart Study and Strong Heart Family Study

Background Although COVID-19 infection has been associated with a number of clinical and environmental risk factors, host genetic variation has also been associated with the incidence and morbidity of infection. The CRP gene codes for a critical component of the innate immune system and CRP variants have been reported associated with infectious disease and vaccination outcomes. We investigated possible associations between COVID-19 outcome and a limited number of candidate gene variants including rs1205. Methodology/Principal findings The Strong Heart and Strong Heart Family studies have accumulated detailed genetic, cardiovascular risk and event data in geographically dispersed American Indian communities since 1988. Genotypic data and 91 COVID-19 adjudicated deaths or hospitalizations from 2/1/20 through 3/1/23 were identified among 3,780 participants in two subsets. Among 21 candidate variants including genes in the interferon response pathway, APOE, TMPRSS2, TLR3, the HLA complex and the ABO blood group, only rs1205, a 3’ untranslated region variant in the CRP gene, showed nominally significant association in T-dominant model analyses (odds ratio 1.859, 95%CI 1.001–3.453, p = 0.049) after adjustment for age, sex, center, body mass index, and a history of cardiovascular disease. Within the younger subset, association with the rs1205 T-Dom genotype was stronger, both in the same adjusted logistic model and in the SOLAR analysis also adjusting for other genetic relatedness. Conclusion A T-dominant genotype of rs1205 in the CRP gene is associated with COVID-19 death or hospitalization, even after adjustment for relevant clinical factors and potential participant relatedness. Additional study of other populations and genetic variants of this gene are warranted

Sensitization in Transplantation: Assessment of Risk (STAR) 2017 Working Group Meeting Report

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144684/1/ajt14752_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144684/2/ajt14752.pd

Natural killer cells: walking three paths down memory lane

Immunological memory has traditionally been regarded as a unique feature of the adaptive immune response, mediated in an antigen-specific manner by T and B lymphocytes. All other hematopoietic cells, including natural killer (NK) cells, are classified as innate immune cells, which have been considered short-lived but can respond rapidly against pathogens in a manner not thought to be driven by antigen. Interestingly, NK cells have recently been shown to survive long term after antigen exposure and subsequently mediate antigen-specific recall responses. In this review, we address the similarities between, and the controversies surrounding, three major viewpoints of NK memory that have arisen from these recent studies: (i) mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV)-induced memory; (ii) cytokine-induced memory; and (iii) liver-restricted memory cells

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

The relationship between superficial muscle activity during the cranio-cervical flexion test and clinical features in patients with chronic neck pain

Changes in motor behavior are a known feature of chronic mechanical neck pain disorders. This study examined the strength of the association between reported levels of pain and disability from 84 individuals (63 women, 21 men) with chronic mechanical neck pain and levels of electromyographic activity recorded from superficial cervical flexor (sternocleidomastoid; SCM and anterior scalene; AS) muscles during progressive stages of the cranio-cervical flexion muscle test. A significant positive association was observed between superficial muscle activity and pain intensity (P 0.5) or perceived disability (P > 0.21). The strongest relationship between pain intensity and superficial muscle activity occurred at the final increment of the cranio-cervical flexion test (inner-range test position) for both the SCM and AS muscles (R(2) - 0.16). Although a positive and significant relationship between pain intensity and superficial muscle activity was shown, the relationship was only modest (16% explained variance), indicating that multiple factors contribute to the altered motor function observed in individuals with chronic mechanical neck pain. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Adverse childhood experiences and the cardiovascular health of children: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, household dysfunction, and neglect, have been shown to increase adults’ risk of developing chronic conditions and risk factors for chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Much less work has investigated the effect of ACEs on children’s physical health status that may lead to adult chronic health conditions. Therefore, the present study examined the relationship between ACEs and early childhood risk factors for adult cardiovascular disease. Methods 1 234 grade six to eight students participated in school-based data collection, which included resting measures of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Parents of these children completed an inventory of ACEs taken from the Childhood Trust Events Survey. Linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between experiencing more than 4 ACEs experienced, systolic BP, HR, BMI and WC. In additional analysis, ACEs were assessed ordinally in their relationship with systolic BP, HR, and BMI as well as clinical obesity and hypertension status. Results After adjustment for family education, income, age, sex, physical activity, and parental history of hypertension, and WC for HR models, four or more ACEs had a significant effect on HR (b = 1.8 bpm, 95% CI (0.1-3.6)) BMI (b =1.1 kg/m2, 95% CI (0.5-1.8)), and WC (b = 3.6 cm, 95% CI (1.8-5.3)). A dose–response relationship between ACE accumulation and both BMI and WC was also found to be significant. Furthermore, accumulation of 4 or more ACEs was significantly associated with clinical obesity (95th percentile), after controlling for the aforementioned covariates. Conclusions In a community sample of grade six to eight children, accumulation of 4 or more ACEs significantly increased BMI, WC and resting HR. Therefore, risk factors related to reported associations between ACEs and cardiovascular outcomes among adults are identifiable in childhood suggesting earlier interventions to reduce CVD risk are required

Social Preferences of Developing Guinea Pigs (\u3cem\u3eCavia porcellus\u3c/em\u3e) from the Preweaning to the Periadolescent Period

Preference tests in a novel environment (Experiment 1) and unobtrusive observations in a specialized living environment (Experiment 2) examined the attractiveness of various classes of conspecifics for maturing guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). It was found that (a) the young continued to remain near the mother well beyond weaning; (b) there was increased time spent with unrelated adult females, but not males, after weaning; (c) male and female offspring behaved similarly; and (d) littermates spent considerable time with each other. These results provide no evidence that guinea pigs approaching sexual maturity begin to associate preferentially with novel animals or potential breeding partners. Choices were largely predictable from earlier findings of the ability of various classes of conspecifics to reduce hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity of the young