Correlates of Smoking Status among Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence: Substance Use, Posttraumatic Stress, and Coping [post-print]

Background and Objectives Smoking prevalence among women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) is two to three times higher than the prevalence among women nationally. Yet, research on cigarette smoking among this population of women is scarce. Methods This study examined differences between daily smokers and non-smokers among a sample of 186 IPV-victimized women. Comparing these groups may identify key factors that could inform future research, and ultimately, smoking cessation interventions to improve women\u27s health. Results Results showed that smokers and non-smokers differed in terms of alcohol and drug use problem severity, posttraumatic stress symptom severity, psychological and physical IPV victimization severity, and severity of use of psychological and physical IPV. Smokers fared worse on all domains where differences emerged. Findings of a logistic regression demonstrated that alcohol problem severity was related to daily smoking status; post hoc analysis revealed that the effect of alcohol problem severity was moderated by the level of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) avoidance symptom severity. Discussion and Conclusions Findings suggest a sub-population of women experiencing IPV who smoke and incur additional risk for psychiatric symptom severity and maladaptive behaviors. This study suggests the need to examine factors such as IPV and its negative sequelae to inform smoking cessation research for women. Scientific Significance This study contributes to the scarce literature examining the intersections of PTSD, alcohol and drug use, and smoking. Examining these factors in the context of IPV, which is a highly prevalent problem, is critical to informing future treatment development investigations. (Am J Addict 2015;24:546–553

Imaging suicidal thoughts and behaviors: a comprehensive review of 2 decades of neuroimaging studies

Funder: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100001455Funder: Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100000874Funder: MQ Brighter Futures Award MQBFC/2, International Bipolar Foundation, For the Love of Travis Foundation, Women's Health Research at Yale, John and Hope Furth EndowmentFunder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)Funder: Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation)Funder: Robert E. Leet and Clara Guthrie Patterson Trust (Robert E. Leet & Clara Guthrie Patterson Trust); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100000938Funder: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Department of Veterans Affairs); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100000738Abstract: Identifying brain alterations that contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are important to develop more targeted and effective strategies to prevent suicide. In the last decade, and especially in the last 5 years, there has been exponential growth in the number of neuroimaging studies reporting structural and functional brain circuitry correlates of STBs. Within this narrative review, we conducted a comprehensive review of neuroimaging studies of STBs published to date and summarize the progress achieved on elucidating neurobiological substrates of STBs, with a focus on converging findings across studies. We review neuroimaging evidence across differing mental disorders for structural, functional, and molecular alterations in association with STBs, which converges particularly in regions of brain systems that subserve emotion and impulse regulation including the ventral prefrontal cortex (VPFC) and dorsal PFC (DPFC), insula and their mesial temporal, striatal and posterior connection sites, as well as in the connections between these brain areas. The reviewed literature suggests that impairments in medial and lateral VPFC regions and their connections may be important in the excessive negative and blunted positive internal states that can stimulate suicidal ideation, and that impairments in a DPFC and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) system may be important in suicide attempt behaviors. A combination of VPFC and DPFC system disturbances may lead to very high risk circumstances in which suicidal ideation is converted to lethal actions via decreased top-down inhibition of behavior and/or maladaptive, inflexible decision-making and planning. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and insula may play important roles in switching between these VPFC and DPFC systems, which may contribute to the transition from suicide thoughts to behaviors. Future neuroimaging research of larger sample sizes, including global efforts, longitudinal designs, and careful consideration of developmental stages, and sex and gender, will facilitate more effectively targeted preventions and interventions to reduce loss of life to suicide

Oxygen-regulated gene expression in murine cumulus cells

Oxygen is an important component of the environment of the cumulus–oocyte complex (COC), both in vivo within the ovarian follicle and during in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM). Cumulus cells have a key role in supporting oocyte development, and cumulus cell function and gene expression are known to be altered when the environment of the COC is perturbed. Oxygen-regulated gene expression is mediated through the actions of the transcription factors, the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). In the present study, the effect of oxygen on cumulus cell gene expression was examined following in vitro maturation of the murine COC at 2%, 5% or 20% oxygen. Increased expression of HIF-responsive genes, including glucose transporter-1, lactate dehydrogenase A and BCL2/adenovirus E1B interacting protein 3, was observed in cumulus cells matured at 2% or 5%, compared with 20% oxygen. Stabilisation of HIF1α protein in cumulus cells exposed to low oxygen was confirmed by western blot and HIF-mediated transcriptional activity was demonstrated using a transgenic mouse expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of a promoter containing hypoxia response elements. These results indicate that oxygen concentration influences cumulus cell gene expression and support a role for HIF1α in mediating the cumulus cell response to varying oxygen.Karen L. Kind, Kimberley K. Y. Tam, Kelly M. Banwell, Ashley D. Gauld, Darryl L. Russell, Anne M. Macpherson, Hannah M. Brown, Laura A. Frank, Daniel J. Peet and Jeremy G. Thompso

Significance of smooth muscle/anti-actin autoantibodies in celiac disease

Introduccion/objetivo: El anticuerpo anti-musculo liso (SMA) dirigido contra la proteína actina, un componente mayor del citoesqueleto de las células epiteliales, es el anticuerpo no-órgano específico más prevalente en enfermedad celíaca (EC). Nuestro objetivo fue explorar la importancia clínica de los anticuerpos anti- actina (AAA) y SMA en una serie de pacientes con EC. Métodos: Evaluamos 92 muestras serológicas de pacientes celíacos adultos recolectadas al momento del diagnóstico y la de 52 individuos controles no celíacos. Los pacientes fueron re-evaluados luego de un tiempo medio de 5 años en tratamiento. Evaluamos AAA tipo IgA mediante ELISA empleando un equipo comercial modificado y SMA IgA por inmunofluorescencia indirecta sobre sustrato de esófago de mono. Resultados: Al momento del diagnóstico, los pacientes celíacos tuvieron valores de AAA significativamente más elevados que los controles (p0.0001). Los AAA presentaron una correlación significativa con los anticuerpos anti-transglutaminasa tisular (r=0.62) y anti-gliadina (r=0.60) (p<0.00001), de igual modo que con la severidad del daño intestinal (p<0.05). Al momento del diagnóstico, se detectó SMA en el suero de 35 pacientes no controles. Los pacientes SMA positivos tuvieron valores significativamente mayores de AAA (p<0.002), un incremento del número de enfermedades autoinmunes asociadas (p<0.04), menarca tardía (p<0.04), niveles bajos de hemoglobina (p<0.01), incremento del clearance de a-1 antitripsina fecal (p<0.01) y mayor severidad de la diarrea (p<0.06). En ellos se evidenció una tendencia al desarrollo de complicaciones más severas durante el seguimiento (p=0.059). Conclusiones: Sugerimos que la presencia de un valor sérico aumentado de AAA tipo IgA podría ser un marcador altamente sensible de las alteraciones histoarquitecturales asociado a la enteropatía celíaca con potencial relevancia en el diagnóstico y seguimiento. La presencia de SMA parece definir un subgrupo de pacientes celíacos con un pronóstico clínico más severo

Past and future climate change effects on thermal regime and oxygen solubility of four peri-alpine lakes

International audienceClimate change modifies the thermal regime and oxygen solubility in lakes globally, resulting in the alteration of lake habitats. The use of 1D lake models has become the standard in lake research to evaluate the effects of climate change. However, the required global scale forcing parameters have several limitations, such as the need of downscaling. Here, we evaluate the possibility to force mechanistic models by following the long-term evolution of shortwave radiation and air temperature while providing realistic seasonal trends for other meteorological parameters. The performance of 1D hydrodynamic lake models was assessed for long-term variations based on 70 years of limnological data collected by the French Observatory of LAkes (OLA). Further the effects of climate change on the thermal regime and oxygen solubility were analyzed in the four-largest French peri-Alpine lakes. Our results show that 1D models forced by air temperature and short-wave radiation accurately predict variations in lake thermal regime, with RMSE of 1.14°C. According to model simulations in the epilimnion and hypolimnion respectively, during the last three decades, water temperatures have increased by 0.46°C/decades (±0.02°C) and 0.33°C/decades (±0.06°C). Accordingly, O2 solubility decreased by -0.104mg/L/decades (±0.005 mg/L) and -0.096mg/L/decades (±0.011 mg/L) due to thermal change. Based on the ssp370 socio-economic pathway of the IPCC, perialpine lakes will face an increase of 3.80°C(±0.20°C) in the future until 2100. These results suggest important degradation in lake thermal and oxygen conditions as well as habitat loss for endemic species

Past and future climate change effects on the thermal regime and oxygen solubility of four peri-alpine lakes

International audienceAbstract. Long-term effects of climate change on lakes globally will include a substantial modification in the thermal regime and the oxygen solubility of lakes, resulting in the alteration of ecosystem processes, habitats, and concentrations of critical substances. Recent efforts have led to the development of long-term model projections of climate change effects on lake thermal regimes and oxygen solubility. However, such projections are hardly ever confronted with observations extending over multiple decades. Furthermore, global-scale forcing parameters in lake models present several limitations, such as the need of significant downscaling. In this study, the effects of climate change on thermal regime and oxygen solubility were analyzed in the four largest French peri-alpine lakes over 1850–2100. We tested several one-dimensional (1D) lake models' robustness for long-term variations based on up to 63 years of limnological data collected by the French Observatory of LAkes (OLA). Here, we evaluate the possibility of forcing mechanistic models by following the long-term evolution of shortwave radiation and air temperature while providing realistic seasonal trends for the other variables for which local-scale downscaling often lacks accuracy. Based on this approach, MyLake, forced by air temperatures and shortwave radiations, predicted accurately the variations in the lake thermal regime over the last 4 to 6 decades, with RMSE < 1.95 ∘C. Over the previous 3 decades, water temperatures have increased by 0.46 ∘C per decade (±0.02 ∘C) in the epilimnion and 0.33 ∘C per decade (±0.06 ∘C) in the hypolimnion. Concomitantly and due to thermal change, O2 solubility has decreased by −0.104 mg L−1 per decade (±0.005 mg L−1) and −0.096 mg L−1 per decade (±0.011 mg L−1) in the epilimnion and hypolimnion, respectively. Based on the shared socio-economic pathway SSP370 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), peri-alpine lakes could face an increase of 3.80 ∘C (±0.20 ∘C) in the next 70 years, accompanied by a decline of 1.0 mg L−1 (±0.1 mg L−1) of O2 solubility. Together, these results highlight a critical alteration in lake thermal and oxygen conditions in the coming decades, and a need for a better integration of long-term lake observatories data and lake models to anticipate climate effects on lake thermal regimes and habitats

Past and future climate change effects on thermal regime and oxygen solubility of four peri-alpine lakes

International audienceClimate change modifies the thermal regime and oxygen solubility in lakes globally, resulting in the alteration of lake habitats. The use of 1D lake models has become the standard in lake research to evaluate the effects of climate change. However, the required global scale forcing parameters have several limitations, such as the need of downscaling. Here, we evaluate the possibility to force mechanistic models by following the long-term evolution of shortwave radiation and air temperature while providing realistic seasonal trends for other meteorological parameters. The performance of 1D hydrodynamic lake models was assessed for long-term variations based on 70 years of limnological data collected by the French Observatory of LAkes (OLA). Further the effects of climate change on the thermal regime and oxygen solubility were analyzed in the four-largest French peri-Alpine lakes. Our results show that 1D models forced by air temperature and short-wave radiation accurately predict variations in lake thermal regime, with RMSE of 1.14°C. According to model simulations in the epilimnion and hypolimnion respectively, during the last three decades, water temperatures have increased by 0.46°C/decades (±0.02°C) and 0.33°C/decades (±0.06°C). Accordingly, O2 solubility decreased by -0.104mg/L/decades (±0.005 mg/L) and -0.096mg/L/decades (±0.011 mg/L) due to thermal change. Based on the ssp370 socio-economic pathway of the IPCC, perialpine lakes will face an increase of 3.80°C(±0.20°C) in the future until 2100. These results suggest important degradation in lake thermal and oxygen conditions as well as habitat loss for endemic species

Biomarkers of hippocampal gene expression in a mouse restraint chronic stress model

Objective: Acute stress provides many beneficial effects whereas chronic stress contributes to a variety of human health issues including anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal problems, cardiac disease, sleep disorders and obesity. The goal of this work was to identify, using a rodent model, hippocampal gene signatures associated with prolonged chronic stress representing candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets for early diagnosis and pharmacological intervention for stress induced disease. Materials & methods: Mice underwent 'restraint stress' over 7 consecutive days and hippocampal gene-expression changes were analyzed at 3, 12 and 24 h following the final restraint treatment. Results: Data indicated that mice exposed to chronic restraint stress exhibit a differential gene-expression profile compared with non-stressed controls. The greatest differences were observed 12 and 24 h following the final stress test. Conclusion: Our study indicated that Gpr88, Ttr, Gh and Tac1 mRNAs were modulated in mice exposed to chronic restraint stress. These transcripts represent a panel of biomarkers and druggable targets for further analysis in the context of chronic stress associated disease in humans