Anatomical Organization and Distinction of the Sympathetic Inputs to Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue and Inguinal White Adipose Tissue in the Mouse

Adipose tissue is a dynamic endocrine organ that contains both the problem and the solution to discovering new therapies for individuals with obesity. Excessive adipose tissue disrupts energy balance and causes a host of comorbidities like insulin resistance and hypertension. On the other hand, adipose tissue is essential for life. During periods of energy demand, sympathetic nerve activity in brown and white adipose tissue stimulates thermogenesis and lipolysis; both of which decrease body weight and improve metabolic health. Therefore, comprehensive insight into the organization of sympathetic innervation and how it communicates with adipocytes is critical in order to utilize its capacity to reduce body weight and improve metabolic health. Recent literature enhances the confusion about the neuronal origin of postganglionic sympathetic innervation, and little is known about preganglionic inputs. Here we inject a retrograde transsynaptic tracer, pseudorabies virus (PRV), into the right interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) pad and the inguinal WAT (iWAT) pad of mice to label pre- and postganglionic neurons that innervate iBAT and iWAT, respectively. To ensure a thorough investigation into the sympathetic structures, we established a whole-body tissue clearance method combined with a double immunohistological detection to identify sympathetic nerves and adipose tissue-related sympathetic circuits. Three-dimensional images generated with light sheet microscopy allowed for an unprecedented view of abdominal sympathetic structures. iBAT postganglionic innervation was found to be restricted to sympathetic chain ganglia (SChG) from the stellate ganglion (SG) to thoracic ganglion 5 (T5), while preganglionic innervation was found from T1-T5. iWAT postganglionic innervation was found at T12 to lumbar ganglion 1 (L1), while preganglionic innervation was found from T7-T10. Importantly, PRV labeling was not identified in the prevertebral celiac ganglia. These novel observations demonstrate that the population of pre- and postganglionic neurons innervating iBAT and iWAT are distinct from one another

The Hamburg Port Health Center: history, organisation, activities

Controlling hygiene conditions and the state of health on incoming vessels and in ports are the tasks of port health authorities. In Hamburg, the respective department (also responsible for the local airport) is combined with the research department Maritime Medicine. Both departments represent the Hamburg Port Health Center and are part of the Central Institute and Professorship of Occupational Medicine (“ZfA”). This arrangement has proven to be very effective since it connects routine control activities with research on the work related health risks of seafarers and dockers, and their minimalization. Examples are the improvement of various work conditions on board and of life saving equipment including telemedicine devices, investigations of action of toxic substances and allergic disorders caused by the transport of hazardous cargo. The recent activities of the Center are presented in detail in this paper. The Central Institute of Occupational Medicine (“ZfA”), Department Science and Health of the Free and Hanseatic Town of Hamburg, is affiliated with the Medical Faculty of Hamburg University and is a WHO Collaborating Centre on Occupational Health. An essential task of the institute is conducting of scientific and practice-oriented investigations on the relations between the health of seafarers and dockers and their work and on prevention of accidents and diseases among them. The Institute pursues its tasks in the field of research, education, consultation and care of patients as well as in training of students, physicians and scientists in the departments Clinical Occupational Medicine, Occupational Toxicology and Molecular Biology, Allergology, and Mental Stress and Strain. The Hamburg Port Health Center with its Port and Airport Health Authority and Maritime Medicine department is also part of the Institute (ZfA). The activities are presented

Global leadership is shared leadership: How smart global leaders build cultures of collaboration to drive results and get things done

Globalization has changed the way we work. The nature of leadership must adapt as our organizations grow to encompass more geographies, cultures, languages, and ways of working. Shared leadership emerges in these complex environments as a means of managing the interdependency of boundary-spanning work; but enacting shared leadership means shifting the bases of power on which leaders historically relied. It may also require shifting organizational structure to accommodate more voices. Scholars and executives alike must adapt quickly to keep pace with the changes of our ever more global world

Chemical contamination of potable water in ship tanks

Introduction. Unpleasant odour from drinking water in newly built ships is increasingly documented by the German Port Health Authority during sanitary inspections. Chemical contaminations are assumed to originate from washed off solvents of tank coatings due to the non-maintenance of required drying periods. The aim of this study was to explore the frequency of drinking water contamination by chemicals in a selected sample of vessels and to assess the usefulness of recommended control measures. Methods. The available analyses of chemicals in drinking water from container ships which were taken by the Port Health Officers of the Hamburg Port Health Center in the last three years were summarized and analysed. Each analysis was initiated due to aromatic odour. The analysis spectrum comprised 22 different volatile halogenated hydrocarbons and solvents. Results. Drinking water analyses of 21 container ships with a maximal age of one year were available. The guideline value (GV) of chemical substances in drinking water was exceeded on five different ships (23.8 %) (ship no 1: xylene 770 μg/l (GV 500 μg/l), ethyl benzene 590 μg/l (GV 300 μg/l), vinyl chloride 0.6 μg/l (GV 0.5 μg/l); ship no 2: xylene 510 μg/l, ethyl benzene 400 μg/l; ship no 3: xylene 860 μg/l; ship no 4: xylene 540 μg/l; ship no 5: benzene 1.0 μg/l (GV 1.0 μg/l)). In 70% of ships with follow-up analyses, the chemical concentrations in potable water decreased as consequence of appropriate intervention measures (complete discharge and ventilation of the tanks for at least 14 days). Conclusions. The study shows that an aromatic odour on newly built ships indicates a potential hazard to human health due to chemical solvents. In order to control possible adverse health effects to seafarer suitable codes of practice in the handling of coatings need to be observed by manufacturers. Public Health Officers, ship masters and other persons responsible for health and safety on board have to be aware of the problem and to initiate surveillance and control measures. Recommended measures include the complete emptying of potable water tanks, the accelerated drying of tank coatings by means of ventilators for at least 14-21 days and the thorough cleaning of tanks with acetic acid

Multiscale characterization of hierarchically organized porous hybrid materials

International audienceIn this work, monolithic hybrid materials exhibiting both meso- and macropores of controlled size have been prepared using the hydrolysis-condensation of modified silicon alkoxide in the presence of a surfactant. These materials have been thoroughly characterized using gas sorption, mercury intrusion porosimetry, small angle X-ray scattering and electronic microscopies both in scanning and transmission modes. Using these hierarchically porous samples, it has been possible to demonstrate for the very first time that the thermoporosimetry (TPM) technique, based on the measurement of transitions of confined liquids, is indeed valid over a very wide pore size range (from few nm up to several hundred nm) to characterize the porosity in solids. This first experimental evidence is a major breakthrough because it offers a unique technique covering the whole range from mesopores to macropores, filling the known gap from standard techniques. This unique combination of smart design of hierarchically porous materials and advanced calorimetric characterization of porous solids has also brought the first true calibration data for TPM on such a large size scale

The International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI): 2020 Report

Objectives: To summarize the major activities of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI) in the 2020 time period and to welcome its 2020 Class of Fellows. Method: Report from the members of the Academy's Board. Results: Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, both Plenary meetings in 2020 had to be organized as virtual meetings. Scientific discussions, focusing on mobilizing computable biomedical knowledge and on data standards and interoperability formed major parts of these meetings. A statement on the use of informatics in pandemic situations was elaborated and sent to the World Health Organization. A panel on data standards and interoperability started its work. 34 Fellows were welcomed in the 2020 Class of Fellows so that the Academy now consists of 179 members. Conclusions: There was a shift from supporting to strategic activities in the Academy's work. After having achieved organizational stability, the Academy can now focus on its strategic work and so on its main objective.S

Galanin-expressing GABA neurons in the lateral hypothalamus modulate food reward and noncompulsive locomotion

© 2017 the authors. The lateral hypothalamus (LHA) integrates reward and appetitive behavior and is composed of many overlapping neuronal populations. Recent studies associated LHA GABAergic neurons (LHAGABA), which densely innervate the ventral tegmental area (VTA), with modulation of food reward and consumption; yet, LHAGABA projections to the VTA exclusively modulated food consumption, not reward. We identified a subpopulation of LHA GABA neurons that coexpress the neuropeptide galanin (LHAGal). TheseLHAGal neurons also modulate food reward, but lack direct VTA innervation. We hypothesized that LHAGal neurons may represent a subpopulation of LHAGABA neurons that mediates food reward independent of direct VTA innervation. We used chemogenetic activation of LHAGal or LHAGABA neurons in mice to compare their role in feeding behavior. We further analyzed locomotor behavior to understand how differentia lVTA connectivity and transmitter release in these LHA neurons influences this behavior. LHAGal or LHAGABA neuronal activation both increased operant food-seeking behavior, but only activation of LHAGABA neurons increased overall chow consumption. Additionally, LHAGal or LHAGABA neuronal activation similarly induced locomotor activity, but with striking differences in modality. Activation of LHAGABA neurons induced compulsive-like locomotor behavior; while LHAGal neurons induced locomotor activity without compulsivity. Thus, LHAGal neurons define a subpopulation of LHAGABA neurons without direct VTA innervation that mediate non compulsive food-seeking behavior. We speculate that the striking difference in compulsive-like locomotor behavior is also based on differential VTA innervation. The downstream neural network responsible for this behavior and a potential role for galanin as neuromodulator remains to be identified

Global Adoption of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: Challenges for the Public Sector

Advances in biotechnology continue to drive the development of a wide range of insect-protected, herbicide-tolerant, stress-tolerant, and nutritionally enhanced genetically modified (GM) crops, yet societal and public policy considerations may slow their commercialization. Such restrictions may disproportionately affect developing countries, as well as smaller entrepreneurial and public sector initiatives. The 2014 IUPAC International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry (San Francisco, CA, USA; August 2014) included a symposium on “Challenges Associated with Global Adoption of Agricultural Biotechnology” to review current obstacles in promoting GM crops. Challenges identified by symposium presenters included (i) poor public understanding of GM technology and the need for enhanced communication strategies, (ii) nonharmonized and prescriptive regulatory requirements, and (iii) limited experience with regulations and product development within some public sector programs. The need for holistic resistance management programs to enable the most effective use of insect-protected crops was also a point of emphasis. This paper provides details on the symposium discussion and provides background information that can be used in support of further adoption of beneficial GM crops. Overall, it emphasizes that global adoption of modern agricultural biotechnology has not only provided benefits to growers and consumers but has great potential to provide solutions to an increasing global population and diminishing agricultural land. This potential will be realized by continued scientific innovation, harmonized regulatory systems, and broader communication of the benefits of the high-yielding, disease-resistant, and nutritionally enhanced crops attainable through modern biotechnology