Obesity remodels activity and transcriptional state of a lateral hypothalamic brake on feeding

The current obesity epidemic is a major worldwide health concern. Despite the consensus that the brain regulates energy homeostasis, the neural adaptations governing obesity are unknown. Using a combination of high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing and longitudinal in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, we surveyed functional alterations of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) - a highly conserved brain region that orchestrates feeding - in a mouse model of obesity. The transcriptional profile of LHA glutamatergic neurons was affected by obesity, exhibiting changes indicative of altered neuronal activity. Encoding properties of individual LHA glutamatergic neurons were then tracked throughout obesity, revealing greatly attenuated reward responses.These data demonstrate how diet disrupts the function of an endogenous feeding suppression system to promote overeating and obesity

Variabilidade isoenzimática em oito raças de milho Isoenzyme variation among eight races of maize

Com o objetivo de avaliar a variabilidade genética e as relações de afinidade entre dezenove populações de oito raças de milho (Zea mays L.) - as comerciais antigas Cateto Sulino, Cateto Sulino Grosso, Cateto Nortista e Canario de Ocho, e as raças indígenas Moroti, Lenha, Entrelaçado e Caingang - analisaram-se os seguintes sistemas enzimáticos: glutamato oxalacetato transaminase (GOT), esterase (EST) e malato desidrogenase (MDH). Observou-se maior semelhança entre as raças pertencentes a um mesmo grupo, mas as populações analisadas não se agruparam de acordo com as raças, classificadas anteriormente segundo caracteres morfológicos. Os sistemas enzimáticos utilizados não permitiram a caracterização individual de cada uma das raças analisadas. As indígenas apresentaram maior variabilidade do que as comerciais antigas quanto ao número de alelos por loco e à porcentagem de locos polimórficos.<br>The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic variability and affinity relationships among eight races of maize (Zea mays L.): four ancient varieties (Cateto Sulino, Cateto Sulino Grosso, Cateto Nortista and Canario de Ocho) and four indigenous (Moroti, Lenha, Entrelaçado and Caingang), through isoenzymatic polymorphisms. The following isoenzymatic systems were evaluated: Glutamate Oxaloacetate Transaminase (GOT), Esterase (EST) and Malate Dehydrogenase (MDH). It was observed a higher identity among races belonging to the same racial group; however, populations within each race were not grouped according, to previous morphological classification. Indigenous races showed higher average number of alleles per loci and percentage of polymorphic loci than the ancient varieties. This fact might be due to the selection the ancient varieties had been gone through

Prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder in adult survivors of childhood cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have found that a subset of young adult survivors of childhood cancer report posttraumatic stress symptoms in response to their diagnosis and treatment. However, it is unclear if these symptoms are associated with impairment in daily functions and/or significant distress, thereby resulting in a clinical disorder. Furthermore, it is unknown whether this disorder continues into very long-term survivorship, including the 3(rd) and 4(th) decades of life. This study hypothesized that very long-term survivors of childhood cancer would be more likely to report symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, with functional impairment and/or clinical distress, compared to a group of healthy siblings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 6,542 childhood cancer survivors over the age of 18 who were diagnosed between 1970 and 1986 and 368 siblings of cancer survivors completed a comprehensive demographic and health survey. RESULTS: 589 survivors (9%) and 8 siblings (2%) reported functional impairment and/or clinical distress in addition to the set of symptoms consistent with a full diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Survivors had more than a four-fold risk of PTSD compared to siblings (OR=4.14, 95%CI: 2.08-8.25). Controlling for demographic and treatment variables, increased risk of PTSD was associated with educational level of high school or less (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.16-1.98), being unmarried (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.58-2.50), annual income less than $20,000 (OR=1.63, 95% CI=1.21-2.20), and being unemployed (OR=2.01, 95% CI=1.62-2.51). Intensive treatment was also associated with increased risk of full PTSD (OR=1.36, 95% CI 1.06 -1.74). CONCLUSIONS: Posttraumatic stress disorder is reported significantly more often by childhood cancer survivors than by sibling controls. Although most survivors are apparently doing well, a subset report significant impairment that may warrant targeted intervention