Prolactin delays hair regrowth in mice

Mammalian hair growth is cyclic, with hair-producing follicles alternating between active (anagen) and quiescent (telogen) phases. The timing of hair cycles is advanced in prolactin receptor (PRLR) knockout mice, suggesting that prolactin has a role in regulating follicle cycling. In this study, the relationship between profiles of circulating prolactin and the first post-natal hair growth cycle was examined in female Balb/c mice. Prolactin was found to increase at 3 weeks of age, prior to the onset of anagen 1 week later. Expression of PRLR mRNA in skin increased fourfold during early anagen. This was followed by upregulation of prolactin mRNA, also expressed in the skin. Pharmacological suppression of pituitary prolactin advanced dorsal hair growth by 3.5 days. Normal hair cycling was restored by replacement with exogenous prolactin for 3 days. Increasing the duration of prolactin treatment further retarded entry into anagen. However, prolactin treatments, which began after follicles had entered anagen at 26 days of age, did not alter the subsequent progression of the hair cycle. Skin from PRLR-deficient mice grafted onto endocrine-normal hosts underwent more rapid hair cycling than comparable wild-type grafts, with reduced duration of the telogen phase. These experiments demonstrate that prolactin regulates the timing of hair growth cycles in mice via a direct effect on the skin, rather than solely via the modulation of other endocrine factors

Sealant Effectiveness for Children Receiving a Combination of Preventive Methods in a Fluoridated Community: Two-Year Results

A series of preventive methods in combination have been used to reduce dental caries in children including dental health education, prophylaxes, pit and fissure sealants, topical application of fluoride and restorative care. Prophylaxes, sealant, and fluoride procedures are repeated every six months. Two-year results show reductions of occlusal caries increments of 74.3% for first graders and 77.1% for sixth graders. Sealant loss, as defined in this study, varied from 33% to 90% with the highest loss occurring in the newly erupted permanent molars during the first six months of the project. These high sealant loss rates are thought to be related to the age of the population which was designed to include children at the ages of peak eruption of permanent molar teeth (ages six and twelve). These teeth were often only minimally erupted and maintaining the dry field required for sealant retention was extremely difficult. However, in spite of these high rates of sealant loss, caries reduction on occlusal surfaces was highly significant in comparison to that of children who did not receive sealants.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68154/2/10.1177_00220345770560121801.pd

Exploring the potential of TEM analysis for understanding cooking at prehistoric feasting sites

This study explores the utility of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of bone collagen for investigating prehistoric cooking. Approaches to cooking practices have relied principally on artefactual evidence, macroscopic bone modification, and organic residue analysis. However, direct evidence for cooking of bone has been limited. Richter and Koon successfully applied TEM analysis of collagen to determine heating to modern and medieval bones, but this method has yet to be experimentally tested using prehistoric remains. Collagen will denature at relatively low temperatures, such as during roasting, boiling, or baking. The denaturation of collagen causes predictable structural changes that can be viewed through TEM. Zooarchaeological remains of sheep and pig with minimal taphonomic modifications were analysed from four later prehistoric (c. 800–500BC) sites in Britain (n = 33). Humeri and phalanges were selected to compare elements with high and low meat yields. Samples were classified into ‘Heated’ and ‘Unheated’ groups consistent with previous studies, and variable patterns were observed between different sites and taxa. Analytical limitations have hindered the study of cooking in the past, but this study demonstrates the potential of this taphonomic method for exploring prehistoric cooking practices and provides a springboard for wider studies

DNA profiling of sperm cells by using micromanipulation and whole genome amplification.

The differential extraction method is based on separate lysis of vaginal cells and spermatozoa and was designed to prevent mixed DNA profiles from intimate swabs. However, DNA from the victim can still be present in the sperm fraction, and the suspect's DNA cannot be identified when only minute amounts of spermatozoa are present. Moreover, differential extraction is not effective when swabs contain sperms from more than one individual. Mixed profiles could ideally be overcome by analysing single spermatozoa. However, current multiplex STR kits are not yet sensitive enough to generate DNA profiles from single cells. The aim of this study was to develop a method that enables DNA profiling of up to a single sperm cell. Spermatozoa were isolated through micromanipulation. Spermatozoa were lysed and their DNA was pre-amplified by whole genome amplification (WGA) to generate sufficient template for PCR. To these ends, several WGA methods were first tested on different amounts of genomic DNA (gDNA) and assessed for allele recovery, allele drop-out (ADO) and allele drop-in (ADI). The best WGA method was selected for use on cell material. The REPLI-g method turned out as the only protocol increasing the sensitivity of DNA profiling. Results of WGA performance on gDNA as well as multiple and single cells will be presented

The differential effects of a focus on symptoms versus recovery in reducing stigma of schizophrenia

Although it has been contended that contact with individuals with mental illness is the most effective intervention for stigma reduction, the content of the contact experience is likely to determine whether or not it is beneficial. In the current study, we extend investigations of the impact of whether such contact highlights the potential for recovery versus the nature of acute symptoms. We examine whether any differential impacts persist over a two week period and the extent to which they are mediated by perceptions of similarity and feelings of empathy and/or sympathy. We also measured an overt behaviour, seating distance, at two week follow-up. Using a randomized control design, we found that video exposure to an individual who described his recovery from schizophrenia was generally more effective in improving impressions and reducing preferred level of social distance than when the same person described acute symptoms of schizophrenia or a no-video control condition. These effects persisted up to two weeks. Although the symptom-focused video resulted in great sympathy for the person, this did not translate into positive impressions or reduced social distance. Mediational analyses yielded findings consistent with the benefits of the recovery video being partially mediated by increased perceptions of similarity to the person and lower feelings of sympathy. There were no differential effects of experimental condition on seating distance, but exposure to the recovery-focused video did result in less anxiety in anticipation of meeting the person in the video relative to the control condition

Effects of symptom versus recovery video, similarity, and uncertainty orientation on the stigmatization of schizophrenia

191 participants either watched a video of a person with schizophrenia who discussed his recovery or the symptoms he experienced when acutely ill. Participants were asked to focus either on similarities or differences between themselves and the person depicted. Uncertainty orientation, the extent to which people prefer to resolve uncertainty (uncertainty-orientated) or avoid it in order to main certainty (certainty-orientated) was assessed for each participant. Results showed that for explicit attitudes, the recovery video and uncertainty orientation were significantly associated with more positive responses. The similarity manipulation interacted with video content and uncertainty orientation in influencing implicit attitudes. As expected, compared to those who are uncertainty-oriented, participants who are certainty-oriented were more likely to hold positive implicit attitudes after watching the recovery than symptoms video, particularly when attending to similarities

Chemically Modified Field-Effect Transistors for Measurement of Ion Activities in Aqueous Solution

Chemically modified field effect transistors for the selective detection of several cation and anion activities in aqueous solution are described. For obtaining sensors of high durability, novel polysiloxane membranes have been developed which contain different side groups to tune their intrinsic properties. These polysiloxane membranes show good performance in life time experiments. The ion selectivity has been tuned by incorporation of various novel ion receptor molecules, yielding sensors with high selectivities for sodium, potassium, lead, cupper, cadmium, silver, nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, and dihydrogen phosphate

Inflation and the Scale Dependent Spectral Index: Prospects and Strategies

We consider the running of the spectral index as a probe of both inflation itself, and of the overall evolution of the very early universe. Surveying a collection of simple single field inflationary models, we confirm that the magnitude of the running is relatively consistent, unlike the tensor amplitude, which varies by orders of magnitude. Given this target, we confirm that the running is potentially detectable by future large scale structure or 21 cm observations, but that only the most futuristic measurements can distinguish between these models on the basis of their running. For any specified inflationary scenario, the combination of the running index and unknown post-inflationary expansion history induces a theoretical uncertainty in the predicted value of the spectral index. This effect can easily dominate the statistical uncertainty with which Planck and its successors are expected to measure the spectral index. More positively, upcoming cosmological experiments thus provide an intriguing probe of physics between TeV and GUT scales by constraining the reheating history associated with any specified inflationary model, opening a window into the "primordial dark age" that follows the end of inflation.Comment: 32 pages. v2 and v3 Minor reference updates /clarification

Benchmark Workshop on selected stocks in the Western Waters in 2021 (WKWEST).

The goal of a benchmark is consensus agreement on an assessment methodology that is to be used in future update assessments. This assessment methodology can be an analytical assessment, but can also be non-analytical, for instance based on trends in an assessment or in a selected set of (survey) indicators, with or without forecasts. The result will be the 'best available' method that ICES advice will be based on. WKWEST 2021 dealt with the following stocks: Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) in Subarea 7 (southern Celtic Seas, and the English Channel); Pollack (Pollachius pollachius) in subareas 6-7 (Celtic Seas and the English Channel); Red gurnard (Chelidonichthys cuculus) in subareas 3–8 (Northeast Atlantic); Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) in divisions 7.h–k (Celtic Sea South, southwest of Ireland); Sole (Solea solea) in divisions 8.c and 9.a (Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Iberian waters)