Progesterone-induced changes in the phosphoryl potential during the meiotic divisions in amphibian oocytes: Role of Na/K-ATPase

Background Progesterone triggers resumption of the first meiotic division in the Rana pipiens oocyte by binding to the N-terminal external loop of the catalytic subunit of Na/K-ATPase, releasing a cascade of lipid second messengers. This is followed by internalization of specific membrane proteins, plasma membrane depolarization and nuclear membrane breakdown, culminating in arrest at second metaphase. Results Progesterone initiates an increase in phosphoryl potential during the first meiotic division, resulting in the accumulation of high energy protein phosphate by second metaphase arrest. 31P-NMR, with saturation transfer, demonstrates that the phosphocreatine level rises ~2 fold and that the pseudo first order rate constant for the creatine kinase reaction falls to ~20% of the control by the onset of nuclear membrane breakdown. 32PO4 pulse-labeling reveals a net increase in phosphorylation of yolk protein phosvitin during this period. The increased yolk protein phosphorylation coincides with internalization of membrane Na/K-ATPase and membrane depolarizatio Conclusions These results indicate that progesterone binding to the catalytic subunit of the Na-pump diverts ATP from cation regulation at the plasma membrane to storage of high energy phosphate in yolk protein. Phosvitin serves as a major energy source during fertilization and early cleavage stages and is also a storage site for cations (e.g. Na+, K+, Ca2+, Fe2+/3+) essential for embryonic development

Competitive Orientations and Motives of Adult Sport and Exercise Participants

Participants in four different adult sport and exercise programs (running club, exercise classes, cardiac rehabilitation program, senior games) completed measures of competitive orientation and participation motivation. Our samples were older and more diverse than samples of previous research, and their competitive orientations and motives were similarly diverse. Multivariate analyses revealed gender and sample differences. Males were higher than females on competitiveness and win orientation, and runners were less win-oriented than other groups, but overall, all groups were similar to previous college-age samples in competitive orientation. Groups varied on specific motives, with females rating fitness, flexibility, affiliation, and appearance higher than males did. Generally, participants were diverse in orientations and motives, and positive about their participation. Research and conceptual models of sport orientation must extend beyond achievement motives to capture the diversity of adult participants. Program directors and instructors who offer activities and approaches to match this diversity will encourage wider participation and provide a more satisfying experience for more participants

Visitation to Cottonseed Storage Sites by Feral Swine and Evidence of Gossypol Exposure

Texas ranks first in U.S. cotton production, and southern Texas is a major region of production within the state. Within Kleberg County, for example, approximately 16,147 ha are planted in cotton annually, yielding approximately 68,200 bales, or 15,467 metric tons, of cotton (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 2009). Cotton producers have discovered new uses for cotton ginned by-products, such as hydro-mulch (Holt et al. 2005) used as a protein supplement for range livestock (DelCurto et al. 2000) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; Cooper 2006). Because of this, much of the materials are temporarily stored for later use

NMR and Structural Data for Connexin 32 and Connexin 26 N-terminal Peptides

In this article we present 1H and 13C chemical shift assignments, secondary structural propensity data and normalized temperature coefficient data for N-terminal peptides of Connexin 26(Cx26), Cx26G12R and Cx32G12R mutants seen in syndromic deafness and Charcot Marie Tooth Disease respectively, published in “Structural Studies of N-Terminal Mutants of Connexin 26 and Connexin 32 Using 1HNMR Spectroscopy” (Y.Batir,T.A.Bargiello,T.L.Dowd, 2016)[1]. The mutation G12R affects thestructure of both Cx26 and Cx32 peptides differently. We present data from secondary structure propensity chemical shift analysis which calculates a secondary structurepropensity (SSP) score for both disordered or folded peptides and proteins using the difference between the 13C secondary chemical shifts of the Cα and Cβ protons.This data supplements the calculated NMR structures from NOESY data[1]. We present and compare the SSP data for the Cx26 vs Cx26G12R peptides and the Cx32 and Cx32G12R peptides. In addition,we present plots of temperature coefficients obtained for Cx26, Cx26G12R and Cx32G12R peptides collected previously [1] and normalized to their random coil temperature coefficients, “Random coil 1H chemical shifts obtained as a function of temperature and trifluoroethanol concentration for the peptide series GGXGG” (G. Merutka, H.J.Dyson, P.E.Wright,1995) [2]. Reductions in these normalized temperature coefficients are directly observable for residues in different segments of the peptide and this data informs on solvent accessibility of the NH protons and NH protons which may be more constrained due to the formation of H bonds

The impact of pathogen burden on leukocyte telomere length in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Several infections have been linked to telomere shortening and in some cases these associations have varied by sex. We assessed the association between seropositivity to four persistent pathogens (cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus-1, Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydia pneumoniae), and total pathogen burden on leukocyte telomere length in a diverse US sample. Data came from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a population-based cohort study. We utilized cross-sectional survey data, and biological samples from participants tested for pathogens and telomere length (N = 163). Linear regression was used to examine the association between seropositivity for individual pathogens as well as total pathogen burden and telomere length, adjusting for various confounders. CMV seropositivity and increased total pathogen burden level were significantly associated with shorter telomere length among females (β = -0·1204 (standard error (s.e.) 0·06), P = 0·044) and (β = -0·1057 (s.e. = 0·05), P = 0·033), respectively. There was no statistically significant association among males. Our findings suggest that prevention or treatment of persistent pathogens, in particular CMV, may play an important role in reducing telomere shortening over the life course among women. Future research is needed to confirm these novel findings in larger longitudinal samples

Understanding the differential hygienic behavior towards drone brood in Apis mellifera colonies from Argentina

Brood diseases of Apis mellifera colonies constitute a main problem of beekeeping worldwide. Worker bees display a social health mechanism that consists in detecting, uncapping and removing dead or diseased brood from the hive: the hygienic behavior (CH). These activities are induced by olfactory cues and have been described as associated to hygiene of brood parasitized by Varroa destructor. This mite have preference for drone brood, but the efficiency of CH towards their cells is significantly lower compared with cells of worker brood, being left uninspected by workers. Some authors suggest that a possible cause of the CH differences is due to the cell wax cap of drone brood (thicker than worker cells) acting as a barrier to volatile compounds and obstructing disease detection. The aims of this research were to study the differential CH towards worker and drone brood belonging to highly hygienic colonies from Argentina, and to explore the importance of drone cell wax cap as an interfering factor in the transmission of chemical signals. To this end, removal percentages of pin-killed worker and drone brood were recorded and an innovative cell wax cap exchange was implemented in three different treatments: pin-killed worker pupa with a healthy drone cell wax cap; a healthy worker pupa with a pin-killed drone cell wax cap; and a healthy worker pupa covered with a healthy drone cell wax cap (control). Results showed a greater removal towards worker cells than drone cells. For the cell wax cap exchange experiment, we found that the removal of pin-killed worker pupae covered with healthy drone cell wax cap was significantly high, while the removal of healthy worker pupae covered with pin-killed drone opercula was low. These preliminary results confirms a differential behavior between both type of brood cells and suggests that the cell wax cap of drone brood is not interfering the detection of chemical compounds from the diseased brood by worker bees, regardless the thickness. This work contributes to a better understanding of the detection activity of different types of diseased brood and provides information useful to control strategies of varroosis and other brood diseases.Fil: Dowd, D. Duggan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Muntaabski, Irina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. Grupo Vinculado Instituto de Genetica "ewald A. Favret" Al Iabimo | Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. Grupo Vinculado Instituto de Genetica "ewald A. Favret" Al Iabimo.; ArgentinaFil: Russo, R. M.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Landi, L.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: Lanzavecchia, S. B.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Cladera, J. L.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Palacio, M. A.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; ArgentinaFil: Bedascarrabure, E.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion de Agroindustria. Instituto de Ingeniería Rural.; ArgentinaFil: Scannapieco, Alejandra Carla. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. Grupo Vinculado Instituto de Genetica "ewald A. Favret" Al Iabimo | Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. Grupo Vinculado Instituto de Genetica "ewald A. Favret" Al Iabimo.; ArgentinaFil: Liendo, María Clara. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. Grupo Vinculado Instituto de Genetica "ewald A. Favret" Al Iabimo | Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. Grupo Vinculado Instituto de Genetica "ewald A. Favret" Al Iabimo.; Argentina46th Apimondia International Apicultural Congress: Beekeeping together within agricultureQuébecCanadáInternational Federation of Beekeepers' AssociationsCanadian Honey Counci

Neighborhood Effects on the Long-Term Well-Being of Low-Income Adults

Nearly 9 million Americans live in extreme-poverty neighborhoods, places that also tend to be racially segregated and dangerous. Yet, the effects on the well-being of residents of moving out of such communities into less distressed areas remain uncertain. Using data from Moving to Opportunity, a unique randomized housing mobility experiment, we found that moving from a high-poverty to lower-poverty neighborhood leads to long-term (10- to 15-year) improvements in adult physical and mental health and subjective well-being, despite not affecting economic self-sufficiency. A 1–standard deviation decline in neighborhood poverty (13 percentage points) increases subjective well-being by an amount equal to the gap in subjective well-being between people whose annual incomes differ by $13,000—a large amount given that the average control group income is$20,000. Subjective well-being is more strongly affected by changes in neighborhood economic disadvantage than racial segregation, which is important because racial segregation has been declining since 1970, but income segregation has been increasing

Can Medication Free, Treatment-Resistant, Depressed Patients Who Initially Respond to TMS Be Maintained Off Medications? A Prospective, 12-Month Multisite Randomized Pilot Study

AbstractBackgroundRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is efficacious for acute treatment of resistant major depressive disorder (MDD), but there is little information on maintenance TMS after acute response.Objective/hypothesisThis pilot feasibility study investigated 12-month outcomes comparing two maintenance TMS approaches – a scheduled, single TMS session delivered monthly (SCH) vs. observation only (OBS).MethodsAntidepressant-free patients with unipolar, non-psychotic, treatment-resistant MDD participated in a randomized, open-label, multisite trial. Patients meeting protocol-defined criteria for improvement after six weeks of acute TMS were randomized to SCH or OBS regimens. TMS reintroduction was available for symptomatic worsening; all patients remained antidepressant-free during the trial.ResultsSixty-seven patients enrolled in the acute phase, and 49 (73%) met randomization criteria. Groups were matched, although more patients in the SCH group had failed ≥2 antidepressants (p = .035). There were no significant group differences on any outcome measure. SCH patients had nonsignificantly longer time to first TMS reintroduction, 91 ± 66 days, vs. OBS, 77 ± 52 days; OBS patients were nonsignificantly more likely to need reintroduction (odds ratio = 1.21, 95% CI .38–3.89). Reintroduction lasted 14.3 ± 17.8 days (SCH) and 16.9 ± 18.9 days (OBS); 14/18 (78%) SCH and 17/27 (63%) OBS responded to reintroduction. Sixteen patients (32.7%) completed all 53 weeks of the study.ConclusionsMaintaining treatment-resistant depressed patients off medications with periodic TMS appears feasible in some cases. There was no statistical advantage of SCH vs. OBS, although SCH was associated with a nonsignificantly longer time to relapse. Those who initially respond to TMS have a strong chance of re-responding if relapse occurs