The Gut Microbiota of Wild Mice

The gut microbiota profoundly affects the biology of its host. The composition of the microbiota is dynamic and is affected by both host genetic and many environmental effects. The gut microbiota of laboratory mice has been studied extensively, which has uncovered many of the effects that the microbiota can have. This work has also shown that the environments of different research institutions can affect the mouse microbiota. There has been relatively limited study of the microbiota of wild mice, but this has shown that it typically differs from that of laboratory mice (and that maintaining wild caught mice in the laboratory can quite quickly alter the microbiota). There is also inter-individual variation in the microbiota of wild mice, with this principally explained by geographical location. In this study we have characterised the gut (both the caecum and rectum) microbiota of wild caught Mus musculus domesticus at three UK sites and have investigated how the microbiota varies depending on host location and host characteristics. We find that the microbiota of these mice are generally consistent with those described from other wild mice. The rectal and caecal microbiotas of individual mice are generally more similar to each other, than they are to the microbiota of other individuals. We found significant differences in the diversity of the microbiotas among mice from different sample sites. There were significant correlations of microbiota diversity and body weight, a measure of age, body-mass index, serum concentration of leptin, and virus, nematode and mite infection

Probiotic treatment reduces appetite and glucose level in the zebrafish model.

The gut microbiota regulates metabolic pathways that modulate the physiological state of hunger or satiety. Nutrients in the gut stimulate the release of several appetite modulators acting at central and peripheral levels to mediate appetite and glucose metabolism. After an eight-day exposure of zebrafish larvae to probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus, high-throughput sequence analysis evidenced the ability of the probiotic to modulate the microbial composition of the gastrointestinal tract. These changes were associated with a down-regulation and up-regulation of larval orexigenic and anorexigenic genes, respectively, an up-regulation of genes related to glucose level reduction and concomitantly reduced appetite and body glucose level. BODIPY-FL-pentanoic-acid staining revealed higher short chain fatty acids levels in the intestine of treated larvae. These results underline the capability of the probiotic to modulate the gut microbiota community and provides insight into how the probiotic interacts to regulate a novel gene network involved in glucose metabolism and appetite control, suggesting a possible role for L. rhamnosus in the treatment of impaired glucose tolerance and food intake disorders by gut microbiota manipulation

Systematic review of the effects of the intestinal microbiota on selected nutrients and non-nutrients

The systematic review demonstrates that the IM plays a major role in the breakdown and transformation of the dietary substrates examined. However, recent human data are limited with the exception of data from studies examining fibres and polyphenols. Results observed in relation with dietary substrates were not always consistent or coherent across studies and methodological limitations and differences in IM analyses made comparisons difficult. Moreover, non-digestible components likely to reach the colon are often not well defined or characterised in studies making comparisons between studies difficult if not impossible. Going forward, further rigorously controlled randomised human trials with well-defined dietary substrates and utilizing omic-based technologies to characterise and measure the IM and their functional activities will advance the field. Current evidence suggests that more detailed knowledge of the metabolic activities and interactions of the IM hold considerable promise in relation with host health

Search for dark matter produced in association with heavy-flavor quark pairs in proton-proton collisions at √s=13TeV

A search is presented for an excess of events with heavy-flavor quark pairs (tt ¯ and bb ¯) and a large imbalance in transverse momentum in data from proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 2.2fb −1 collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. No deviations are observed with respect to standard model predictions. The results are used in the first interpretation of dark matter production in tt ¯ and bb ¯ final states in a simplified model. This analysis is also the first to perform a statistical combination of searches for dark matter produced with different heavy-flavor final states. The combination provides exclusions that are stronger than those achieved with individual heavy-flavor final states

The Factors of Investment Activity (On the Example of Tyumen Region)

В работе проводится анализ различных научных подходов о роли государства в экономике в целом, и в инвестиционной политике в частности. В настоящее время во всем мире роль государства в экономике возрастает. Показано, что научные концепции условно длятся на два глобальные направления. Первые считают, что государственная политика может оказать либо положительное, либо отрицательное влияние на экономический рост в зависимости от приоритетов или выбранных инструментов. Эмпирические данные представляют инвестиции в основной капитал и прямые иностранные инвестиции на уровне Тюменской области, а также проводится сравнение с другими регионами Уральского федерального округа. Показано, что в настоящее время в Тюменской области наблюдается снижение уровня физического объема инвестиций в основной капитал. Структура инвестиций за последние 15 лет полностью перестроилась. Данная перестройка привела к созданию угрозы торможения дальнейшего развития региона, неэффективности работы инфраструктуры поддержки инвестиционной деятельности. Отмечено, что имеются принципиальные расхождения в оценке деятельности в инвестиционной сфере элит Тюменского региона и проправительственных агентств. Наши результаты находят отражение в результатах других независимых агентств (например, RAEX («Эксперт РА»). Риски инвестиционной деятельности в Тюменской области носят в основном институциональный характер. Однако имеют место и социальные риски, вызванные перекосом трудовых предпочтений работников.This paper analyzes various scientific approaches on the state’s role in economy in general and in investment policy in particular. Now the role of the state in economy is growing all over the world. It is shown that scientific concepts follow conditionally two global directions. The first of them presumes that public policy can have either a positive or a negative impact on economic growth, depending on the priorities or selected tools. The second direction supposes that states aim at extracting rent, that all their activities are illegitimate as they try to maximize their share in the national income and, thereby, they take away resources from the private sector; they participate in investing, but intervene in conflicts and provide protection to privileged workers’ groups. Empirical data represents investments in fixed assets and foreign direct investment at the level of the Tyumen Region, in comparison with other regions of the Urals Federal District. It is shown that at the present time in the Tyumen Region there is a decrease in the level of physical volume of investments in fixed assets. The structure of investment has been completely rebuilt over the past 15 years. This restructuring led to a threat of braking the further development of the region, the ineffectiveness of the infrastructure for supporting investment activities. It is noted that there are fundamental differences in the evaluation of the investment activities of the elites of the Tyumen Region and pro-government agencies. Our results are reflected in the results of other independent agencies, e.g., RAEX («RA Expert»). The risks of investment activity in the Tyumen region are mainly of an institutional nature. However, there are also social risks caused by skewed labor preferences of workers

Methods for generating and colonizing gnotobiotic zebrafish

Vertebrates are colonized at birth by complex and dynamic communities of microorganisms that can contribute significantly to host health and disease. The ability to raise animals in the absence of microorganisms has been a powerful tool for elucidating the relationships between animal hosts and their microbial residents. The optical transparency of the developing zebrafish and relative ease of generating germ-free zebrafish makes it an attractive model organism for gnotobiotic research. Here we provide a protocol for: generating zebrafish embryos; deriving and rearing germ-free zebrafish; and colonizing zebrafish with microorganisms. Using these methods, we typically obtain 80–90% sterility rates in our germ-free derivations with 90% survival in germ-free animals and 50–90% survival in colonized animals through larval stages. Obtaining embryos for derivation requires approximately 1–2 hours with a 3–8 hour incubation period prior to derivation. Derivation of germ-free animals takes 1–1.5 hours, and daily maintenance requires 1–2 hours