Scavenger Receptors and Their Potential as Therapeutic Targets in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Scavenger receptors act as membrane-bound and soluble proteins that bind to macromolecular complexes and pathogens. This diverse supergroup of proteins mediates binding to modified lipoprotein particles which regulate the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic plaques. In vascular tissues, scavenger receptors are implicated in regulating intracellular signaling, lipid accumulation, foam cell development, and cellular apoptosis or necrosis linked to the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. One approach is using gene therapy to modulate scavenger receptor function in atherosclerosis. Ectopic expression of membrane-bound scavenger receptors using viral vectors can modify lipid profiles and reduce the incidence of atherosclerosis. Alternatively, expression of soluble scavenger receptors can also block plaque initiation and progression. Inhibition of scavenger receptor expression using a combined gene therapy and RNA interference strategy also holds promise for long-term therapy. Here we review our current understanding of the gene delivery by viral vectors to cells and tissues in gene therapy strategies and its application to the modulation of scavenger receptor function in atherosclerosis

25th annual computational neuroscience meeting: CNS-2016

The same neuron may play different functional roles in the neural circuits to which it belongs. For example, neurons in the Tritonia pedal ganglia may participate in variable phases of the swim motor rhythms [1]. While such neuronal functional variability is likely to play a major role the delivery of the functionality of neural systems, it is difficult to study it in most nervous systems. We work on the pyloric rhythm network of the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) [2]. Typically network models of the STG treat neurons of the same functional type as a single model neuron (e.g. PD neurons), assuming the same conductance parameters for these neurons and implying their synchronous firing [3, 4]. However, simultaneous recording of PD neurons shows differences between the timings of spikes of these neurons. This may indicate functional variability of these neurons. Here we modelled separately the two PD neurons of the STG in a multi-neuron model of the pyloric network. Our neuron models comply with known correlations between conductance parameters of ionic currents. Our results reproduce the experimental finding of increasing spike time distance between spikes originating from the two model PD neurons during their synchronised burst phase. The PD neuron with the larger calcium conductance generates its spikes before the other PD neuron. Larger potassium conductance values in the follower neuron imply longer delays between spikes, see Fig. 17.Neuromodulators change the conductance parameters of neurons and maintain the ratios of these parameters [5]. Our results show that such changes may shift the individual contribution of two PD neurons to the PD-phase of the pyloric rhythm altering their functionality within this rhythm. Our work paves the way towards an accessible experimental and computational framework for the analysis of the mechanisms and impact of functional variability of neurons within the neural circuits to which they belong

Policy Review of Direct Pharmacy Access of Hormonal Contraception in Utah

In the United States, 45% of pregnancies are unintended, and in Utah, one in five births are from unplanned pregnancies (Utah Department of Health, 2019). Most of these unintended pregnancies result from lack of contraception use or not having access to contraception ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). The use and access to birth control is an essential component to women's health. In 2018, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), supported efforts to increase affordable and reliable access for women to the contraceptives they need and when they need them. It is imperative to women's health that the availability of hormonal contraception (HC) is increased

Simulator sickness incidence and susceptibility during neck motion-controlled virtual reality tasks

To determine the incidence, severity, and predisposing factors to simulator sickness (SS) when using the neck virtual reality (VR) device in asymptomatic individuals to understand the risk of provoking SS in the development of neck VR as a rehabilitation tool. Thirty-two participants used the VR system. Postural stability was measured before and after each VR module [range of motion (ROM), velocity, and accuracy]. The duration of each module was recorded, and participants reported their SS using a visual analogue scale (SS–VAS)/100\ua0mm. Following the VR assessment, participants completed the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (MSSQ) (child and adult subsections) and Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). The incidence of motion sickness during the VR immersion was 28\ua0%, and the mean severity was 17.2\ua0mm on VAS. There was a significant difference in ROM time, total time, MSSQ score, and SSQ score (p\ua

Long-duration transit and food and water deprivation alter behavioral activities and aggressive interactions at the feed bunk in beef feedlot steers

The objective of these experiments was to assess the effects of food and water deprivation and transit duration on the behavior of beef feedlot steers. In Experiment 1, 36 Angus-cross steers (353 ± 10 kg) were stratified to six pens and assigned one of three treatments (n = 12 steers/treatment): control (CON; stayed in home pens with ad libitum access to feed and water), deprived (DEPR; stayed in home pens but deprived of feed and water for 18 h), or transported (TRANS; subjected to 18-h transit event and returned to home pens). In Experiment 2, 60 Angus-cross steers (398 ± 5 kg; 6 steers/pen) were transported either 8 (8H) or 18 (18H) h. Four 8H pens (n = 24 steers) and six 18H pens (n = 36 steers) were used for behavioral analysis. In both experiments, the time to eat, drink, and lay down was recorded for each steer upon return to home pens. Total pen displacements from the feed bunk were also assessed for the two hours following feed access in both experiments. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed of SAS 9.4, with treatment as a fixed effect. Steer was the experimental unit for behavioral activities, while pen was the experimental unit for bunk displacements. Displacements were analyzed as repeated measures with the repeated variable of time. In Experiment 1, time to eat and drink was similar across treatments (P ≥ 0.17). However, TRANS laid down in 16.5 min while DEPR did not lay down until 70.5 min post-arrival to pen (P < 0.01). Deprived steers had greater bunk displacements in the first 70 min post-feed access than CON or TRANS, though displacements among treatments from 100 to 120 min post-feed access were similar (Treatment × Time: P = 0.02). In Experiment 2, both 8H and 18H steers laid down approximately 25 min post-home pen arrival (P = 0.14). There was no effect of transit duration or duration by time on bunk displacements (P ≥ 0.20), though displacements were greater from 0 to 20 min than from 20 to 30 min post-feed access (Time: P = 0.04). Steers that were deprived of feed and water were highly motivated to access those resources, while transported steers prioritized laying down. Producers should consider these priorities when preparing to receive cattle from a long transit event.This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Animal Science following peer review. The version of record: Heiderscheit, Katie J., Alyssa D. Freestone, Aubree M. Beenken, Erin L. Deters, Joshua M. Peschel, and Stephanie L. Hansen. "Long-duration transit and food and water deprivation alter behavioral activities and aggressive interactions at the feed bunk in beef feedlot steers." Journal of Animal Science (2022). is available online at DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac060. Copyright 2022. The Author(s). Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Posted with permission