Different Effects of Maternal Low-Isoflavone Soy Protein and Genistein Consumption on Hepatic Lipid Metabolism of 21-Day-Old Male Rat Offspring.

Amino acid composition and isoflavone are alleged contributors to the beneficial effects of soy protein isolate (SPI) on lipid metabolism. Therefore, we investigated the contributing component(s) of SPI in a maternal diet to the regulation of lipid metabolism in offspring. We also determined serum parameters in dams to investigate specific maternal cues that might be responsible for this regulation. Female rats were fed either a casein (CAS), a low-isoflavone SPI, or a casein plus genistein (GEN, 250 mg/kg) diet for two weeks before mating, as well as during pregnancy and lactation. Male offspring (CAS, SPI and GEN groups) were studied 21 days after birth. The SPI group had lower serum triglyceride levels than the other groups. Serum cholesterol was reduced in both the SPI and GEN groups compared with the CAS group. Expressions of target genes of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α were altered in the SPI group. Serum aromatic amino acid levels in dams were associated with serum triglyceride in offspring. In conclusion, the maternal consumption of a low-isoflavone SPI diet or a casein diet containing genistein has different effects on the lipid metabolism of their offspring; however, more profound effects were observed in the SPI group. Therefore, the altered lipid metabolism of offspring may be attributed to amino acid composition in maternal dietary protein sources

What Can Sociology Say About Grit? A Cross-Cultural Exploration of the Relationships between Socioeconomic Status, Sense of Control, and Grit

Despite growing interest from the public, little attention has been directed toward grit in sociology. By disaggregating grit into its component factors (i.e., perseverance of effort and consistency of interest) on the basis of a measurement test, the author examines the potentially contrasting relations of grit to socioeconomic status. Using survey data from the United States and South Korea, the author finds that those with higher socioeconomic status partially translate their structural advantages into grit, particularly into the perseverance-of-effort dimension of grit in South Korea, via their stronger beliefs in personal control over their lives (i.e., sense of control). This study also reveals a negative association between one’s own or parental education and the consistency-of-interest dimension of grit, suggesting that stick-to-it-iveness can be a potential supplementary psychological resource for those who may lack other resources.</p

Are Gritty People Happier than Others?: Evidence from the United States and South Korea

Grit, which refers to perseverance and passion to pursue long-term goals, has been highlighted as a predictor of better life outcomes, including subjective well-being. For grit to be useful for well-being research, we need to know more about its properties across cultures and determine whether it has a relationship to well-being outcomes beyond other existing psychological measures. Using survey data from the United States and South Korea (N = 1008), this study examines the measurement of grit across cultures as having two dimensions: perseverance of effort and consistency of interest. It then explores the distinctive utility of grit in explaining an individual’s subjective well-being beyond well-established psychological measures such as conscientiousness and sense of control. The results show that gritty people report better subjective well-being; this positive relationship between grit and subjective well-being is largely driven by the perseverance dimension of grit. This dimension accounts for a unique variance in subjective well-being beyond the sense of control in both country samples and variance beyond conscientiousness in the US sample. By contrast, the consistency dimension of grit adds little to our understanding of subjective well-being in either country. Relying on the global grit score, which aggregates the scores of the two dimensions, may obscure the unique role of the perseverance dimension in understanding subjective well-being.</p

Lack of Association between Apolipoprotein E Polymorphism with Age at Onset of Subcortical Vascular Dementia

Background and Purpose: The relationship between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and onset of vascular dementia remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ApoE polymorphism and the onset of subcortical vascular dementia (SVaD) compared to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and normal controls. Methods: The study was comprised of 61 patients with SVaD (42 Binswanger type, 19 lacunar type) and 112 patients with AD (16 early-onset AD, 96 late-onset AD) as well as 284 age-, gender- and education-matched normal controls. The diagnosis of SVaD was based on modified NINDS-AIREN criteria, and the diagnosis of AD was based on NINCDS-ADRDA criteria. ApoE polymorphism was genotyped in all participants. Results: None of the three ApoE alleles was more prevalent in SVaD patients compared to normal controls, which was the case when both Binswanger and lacunar types were analyzed separately. ApoE &#917;4 did not accelerate the onset of SVaD (OR 1.66, 95% CI: 0.8–3.4), in contrast to a significant relation with late-onset AD (OR 3.78, 95% CI: 2.2–6.5). Conclusion: Our results suggest that ApoE polymorphism is not associated with the onset of SVaD and that the two subtypes of SVaD may share similar pathophysiologies

A Novel Measure of Moral Boundaries: Testing Perceived In-Group/Out-Group Value Differences in a Midwestern Sample

The literature on group differences and social identities has long assumed that value judgments about groups constitute a basic form of social categorization. However, little research has empirically investigated how values unite or divide social groups. The authors seek to address this gap by developing a novel measure of group values: third-order beliefs about in- and out-group members, building on Schwartz value theory. The authors demonstrate that their new measure is a promising empirical tool for quantifying previously abstract social boundaries. Results from a midwestern sample show an important dichotomy such that in-groups were attributed the more positive and altruistic transcendence and openness values, while out-groups were associated conservation and enhancement, the value domains revolving around a self-focus and social restraint. Furthermore, religious attendance and political ideology also emerged as strong predictors of value boundaries, whereas socioeconomic indicators were less influential. Significance and implications are discussed.</div

Improved hematopoietic differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells via estrogen receptor signaling pathway

Additional file 2: Table S1. Temporal changes (%) of ER-Îą and hematopoietic phenotypes during hiPSC-derived hematopoietic differentiation

Acute perimyocarditis mimicking acute myocardial infarction in a 12-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Differential diagnosis of chest pain in the pediatric population is important but can be challenging. A 12-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy presented with chest pain, cardiac enzyme elevation, and convex ST elevations in the inferior leads with reciprocal ST depression in the anterior leads on electrocardiogram. Echocardiography on admission revealed normal left ventricular function. Suspecting acute myocardial infarction, we performed invasive coronary angiography, which revealed normal coronary arteries. A follow-up electrocardiogram showed an acute pericarditis pattern with concave ST elevations in most leads and PR depression, and follow-up echocardiography revealed global left ventricular dysfunction, suggestive of acute perimyocarditis. Ibuprofen was administered for acute pericarditis, and a continuous milrinone infusion was commenced for myocardial dysfunction. The chest pain improved by the next day, and the ST segment elevations normalized on day 4. Echocardiography on day 9 revealed improved left ventricular function. The patient was discharged on day 11, and he is doing well without chest pain through 12 months of follow-up. The last electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm without ST change. Differential diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and acute perimyocarditis is important for proper treatment strategies and the different prognoses of these two conditions

Genome analysis of Yucatan miniature pigs to assess their potential as biomedical model animals

Objective Pigs share many physiological, anatomical and genomic similarities with humans, which make them suitable models for biomedical researches. Understanding the genetic status of Yucatan miniature pigs (YMPs) and their association with human diseases will help to assess their potential as biomedical model animals. This study was performed to identify non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) in selective sweep regions of the genome of YMPs and present the genetic nsSNP distributions that are potentially associated with disease occurrence in humans. Methods nsSNPs in whole genome resequencing data from 12 YMPs were identified and annotated to predict their possible effects on protein function. Sorting intolerant from tolerant (SIFT) and polymorphism phenotyping v2 analyses were used, and gene ontology (GO) network and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed. Results The results showed that 8,462 genes, encompassing 72,067 nsSNPs were identified, and 118 nsSNPs in 46 genes were predicted as deleterious. GO network analysis classified 13 genes into 5 GO terms (p<0.05) that were associated with kidney development and metabolic processes. Seven genes encompassing nsSNPs were classified into the term associated with Alzheimer’s disease by referencing the genetic association database. The KEGG pathway analysis identified only one significantly enriched pathway (p<0.05), hsa04080: Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, among the transcripts. Conclusion The number of deleterious nsSNPs in YMPs was identified and then these variants-containing genes in YMPs data were adopted as the putative human diseases-related genes. The results revealed that many genes encompassing nsSNPs in YMPs were related to the various human genes which are potentially associated with kidney development and metabolic processes as well as human disease occurrence

Proximity-Directed Labeling Reveals a New Rapamycin-Induced Heterodimer of FKBP25 and FRB in Live Cells

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is a core pathway in cellular metabolism, and control of the mTOR pathway by rapamycin shows potential for the treatment of metabolic diseases. In this study, we employed a new proximity biotin-labeling method using promiscuous biotin ligase (pBirA) to identify unknown elements in the rapamycin-induced interactome on the FK506-rapamycin binding (FRB) domain in living cells. FKBP25 showed the strongest biotin labeling by FRB-pBirA in the presence of rapamycin. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence experiments confirmed that endogenous FKBP25 has a rapamycin-induced physical interaction with the FRB domain. Furthermore, the crystal structure of the ternary complex of FRB-rapamycin-FKBP25 was determined at 1.67-angstrom resolution. In this crystal structure we found that the conformational changes of FRB generate a hole where there is a methionine-rich space, and covalent metalloid coordination was observed at C2085 of FRB located at the bottom of the hole. Our results imply that FKBP25 might have a unique physiological role related to metallomics in mTOR signaling.ope