The Effects of a Wild Blueberry Diet on Hepatic and Aortic Morphology in the Obese Zucker Rat, A Model of the Metabolic Syndrome

The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of a wild blueberry diet on pathology of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) by examining the morphological and biochemical properties of the liver and aortic tissue in the obese Zucker rat (OZR), a valid model of the MetS. At 8-weeks of age, 16 Obese Zucker ras (OZR) and 16 lean Zucker rats (LZR) littermates were placed on either an 8% w/w wild blueberry (WB)-enriched isocaloric diet or an isocaloric control (C) diet for a duration of 8-weeks. At 16-weeks of age, the tissues of interest were harvested for the study. The morphological features for hepatic steatosis and glycogen were assessed utilizing a unique series of stains and were analyzed through image analysis and a histopathological review by a pathologist. The accumulation of hepatic triglyceride (TG) was also evaluated for the assessed. For the assessment of morphological features of the thoracic aorta, a series of unique stains were utilized and further analyzed through the use of image analysis to detect collagen and connective tissue, the thickness of the tunica media, the number of nuclei, and the presence of glycosaminoglycans. A significant increase in hepatic steatosis was found in the OZR compared to the LZR after image analysis and histopathological evaluation of the Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain, the Oil Red O (ORO) stain, and hepatic TG concentration. Although non-significant, image analysis of the hepatic triglycerides using the ORO stain found a trend for a decrease in hepatic TG content in the OZR-WB group compared to the OZR-C. Image analysis of the Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) stain revealed a significant increase in hepatic glycogen in the OZR compared to the LZR. Although non-significant, the LZR-WB and OZR-WB tended to have a greater amount of glycogen than the LZR-C and OZR-C groups respectively. Regarding the morphology of the aortic tissues, there were no significant differences found due to rodent model or due to diet after evaluating for connective tissue, medial width, number of nuclei, and glycosaminoglycans. The LZR-WB and OZR-WB groups tended to have less medial width, and a lower percentage of glycosaminoglycans compared to the LZR-C and the OZR-C respectively. Additionally, although non-significant, there was a trend for elevated number of nuclei in the OZR-WB group compared to all other groups. In conclusion, consuming wild blueberries has the potential to alter the morphology of hepatic and aortic tissues and confirms that the OZR continues to act as a reliable model of the MetS

Lower school performance in late chronotypes: underlying factors and mechanisms

Success at school determines future career opportunities. We described a time-of-day specific disparity in school performance between early and late chronotypes. Several studies showed that students with a late chronotype and short sleep duration obtain lower grades, suggesting that early school starting times handicap their performance. How chronotype, sleep duration, and time of day impact school performance is not clear. At a Dutch high school, we collected 40,890 grades obtained in a variety of school subjects over an entire school year. We found that the strength of the effect of chronotype on grades was similar to that of absenteeism, and that late chronotypes were more often absent. The difference in grades between the earliest 20% and the latest 20% of chronotypes corresponds to a drop from the 55th to 43rd percentile of grades. In academic subjects using mainly fluid cognition (scientific subjects), the correlation with grades and chronotype was significant while subjects relying on crystallised intelligence (humanistic/linguistic) showed no correlation with chronotype. Based on these and previous results, we can expand our earlier findings concerning exam times: students with a late chronotype are at a disadvantage in exams on scientific subjects, and when they are examined early in the day

Coupling of a Core Post-Translational Pacemaker to a Slave Transcription/Translation Feedback Loop in a Circadian System

Analysis of the cyanobacterial circadian biological clock reveals a complex interdependence between a transcription/translation feedback loop and a biochemical oscillator

Partial costs of global climate change adaptation for the supply of raw industrial and municipal water: a methodology and application

Despite growing recognition of the importance of climate change adaptation, few global estimates of the costs involved are available for the water supply sector. We present a methodology for estimating partial global and regional adaptation costs for raw industrial and domestic water supply, for a limited number of adaptation strategies, and apply the method using results of two climate models. In this paper, adaptation costs are defined as those for providing enough raw water to meet future industrial and municipal water demand, based on country-level demand projections to 2050. We first estimate costs for a baseline scenario excluding climate change, and then additional climate change adaptation costs. Increased demand is assumed to be met through a combination of increased reservoir yield and alternative backstop measures. Under such controversial measures, we project global adaptation costs of $12 bn p.a., with 83-90$73 bn p.a.), which supports the notion of mainstreaming climate change adaptation into broader policy aims. The method provides a tool for estimating broad costs at the global and regional scale; such information is of key importance in international negotiations. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd

Cross-Talk between the Cellular Redox State and the Circadian System in Neurospora

The circadian system is composed of a number of feedback loops, and multiple feedback loops in the form of oscillators help to maintain stable rhythms. The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa exhibits a circadian rhythm during asexual spore formation (conidiation banding) and has a major feedback loop that includes the FREQUENCY (FRQ)/WHITE COLLAR (WC) -1 and -2 oscillator (FWO). A mutation in superoxide dismutase (sod)-1, an antioxidant gene, causes a robust and stable circadian rhythm compared with that of wild-type (Wt). However, the mechanisms underlying the functions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) remain unknown. Here, we show that cellular ROS concentrations change in a circadian manner (ROS oscillation), and the amplitudes of ROS oscillation increase with each cycle and then become steady (ROS homeostasis). The ROS oscillation and homeostasis are produced by the ROS-destroying catalases (CATs) and ROS-generating NADPH oxidase (NOX). cat-1 is also induced by illumination, and it reduces ROS levels. Although ROS oscillation persists in the absence of frq, wc-1 or wc-2, its homeostasis is altered. Furthermore, genetic and biochemical evidence reveals that ROS concentration regulates the transcriptional function of WCC and a higher ROS concentration enhances conidiation banding. These findings suggest that the circadian system engages in cross-talk with the cellular redox state via ROS-regulatory factors

Genetic variants in RBFOX3 are associated with sleep latency

Time to fall asleep (sleep latency) is a major determinant of sleep quality. Chronic, long sleep latency is a major characteristic of sleep-onset insomnia and/or delayed sleep phase syndrome. In this study we aimed to discover common polymorphisms that contribute to the genetics of sleep latency. We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) including 2 572 737 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) established in seven European cohorts including 4242 individuals. We found a cluster of three highly correlated variants (rs9900428, rs9907432 and rs7211029) in the RNA-binding protein fox-1 homolog 3 gene (RBFOX3) associated with sleep latency (P-values=5.77 × 10-08, 6.59 × 10- 08 and 9.17 × 10- 08). These SNPs were replicated in up to 12 independent populations including 30 377 individuals (P-values=1.5 × 10- 02, 7.0 × 10- 03 and 2.5 × 10- 03; combined meta-analysis P-values=5.5 × 10-07, 5.4 × 10-07 and 1.0 × 10-07). A functional prediction of RBFOX3 based on co-expression with other genes shows that this gene is predominantly expressed in brain (P-value=1.4 × 10-316) and the central nervous system (P-value=7.5 × 10- 321). The predicted function of RBFOX3 based on co-expression analysis with other genes shows that this gene is significantly involved in the release cycle of neurotransmitte