Pyridoxamine Treatment Ameliorates Large Artery Stiffening and Cerebral Artery Endothelial Dysfunction in Old Mice

Age-related increases in large artery stiffness are associated with cerebrovascular dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Pyridoxamine treatment prevents large artery stiffening with advancing age, but the effects of pyridoxamine treatment on the cerebral vasculature or cognition is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pyridoxamine on blood pressure, large artery stiffness, cerebral artery function, and cognitive function in old mice. Old male C57BL/6 mice consumed either pyridoxamine (2 g/L) or vehicle control in drinking water for ∼7.5 months and were compared with young male C57BL/6 mice. From pre- to post-treatment, systolic blood pressure increased in old control mice, but was maintained in pyridoxamine treated mice. Large artery stiffness decreased in pyridoxamine-treated mice but was unaffected in control mice. Pyridoxamine-treated mice had greater cerebral artery endothelium-dependent dilation compared with old control mice, and not different from young mice. Old control mice had impaired cognitive function; however, pyridoxamine only partially preserved cognitive function in old mice. In summary, pyridoxamine treatment in old mice prevented age-related increases in blood pressure, reduced large artery stiffness, preserved cerebral artery endothelial function, and partially preserved cognitive function. Taken together, these results suggest that pyridoxamine treatment may limit vascular aging

Indicadores de calidad edáfica en cultivos antecesores consociados y monocultivo de batata

Un experimento con batata cv Arapey, fue implantado en 2011 en Argiudoles evaluando diferentes tipos de manejo de suelos. Fueron comparados los manejos de mayor adopción como monocultivo y antecesor barbecho desnudo, con otras prácticas de manejo conservacionistas como antecesores de variedades de maíz (cv. Blanco Duro, cv. Caiano, cv Azteca), sorgo forrajero (cv. Talero), leguminosas subtropicales (Canavalia ensiformis, Mucuna cinza) y cultivo de batata (cv Arapey) de forma consociada en hileras con estos (cv Blanco Duro, Cv Caiano, Canavalia ensiformis). Fueron implementados 12 tratamientos y tres repeticiones, en diseño en bloques aleatorizados (DBCA) en un ensayo con objetivo de larga duración en la EEA San Pedro. Las batatas fueron trasplantadas, en 2011, 2012, 2013, siendo aquí comunicados los resultados de las primeras dos cosechas. En el primer año se cosecharon y registraron los rendimientos (ha) de los tratamientos de batata monocultivo, batata consociada con variedades maíz (cv Blanco Duro, cv. Caiano) y batata con leguminosas (Canavalia ensiformis). En el segundo año se cosecharon los tratamientos luego de los antecesores, barbecho desnudo, maíz (cv. Blanco Duro, cv. Caiano, cv Azteca), sorgo (cv. Talero) y leguminosas (Canavalia ensiformis). En cada situación fueron levantadas para la determinación las variables edáficas, físicas, químicas, biológicas: densidad aparente (DAP), infiltración básica (IB), porosidad total (PT), distribución de macroporos (MP), mesoporos (MSP), microporos (MCP), estabilidad de agregados (EA), pH, conductividad eléctrica (CE), carbono orgánico total (COT), nitrógeno total (NT), fósforo extractable (Pe), calcio (Ca), magnesio (Mg), potasio (K), sodio (Na), capacidad de intercambio catiónico (CIC), respiración (AB), carbono en la biomasa microbiana (CBM), coeficientes metabólicos (qCO2), fluoresceína difosfato (FDA) , fosfatasa ácida (Pasa), glomalinas (PROT) e hifas (H) arbúsculos (A) y vesículas (V) de micorrizas. El objetivo del trabajo fue conocer en qué medida el conjunto de variables-indicadores, permitían diferenciar las situaciones de manejo. En el análisis ANOVA, en el primer año 2012 los rendimientos de batata no difirieron significativamente, mientras que en el segundo 2013, la batata monocultivo, el antecesor barbecho desnudo, sorgo (cv. Talero) y leguminosa (Canavalia ensiformis), superaron significativamente a las batatas consociadas en hileras con variedades de maíz (cv Blanco Duro, Cv Caiano) y Canavalia ensiformis. El análisis de regresión múltiple (stepwise) en el primer año 2012, demostró un alta relación del rendimiento de batata con las variables biológicas, (CBM), (PROT), (qCO2) (R²= 0.65) y las físicas (MP), (MCP) (R²= 0.66). En el segundo año 2013, los rendimientos de batata presentaron una baja relación en sentido negativa con las variables biológicas (FDA) (Pasa), (PROT) (R²= 0.40), y las físicas (EA) (MSP) (R²= 0.26), pero una alta relación positiva con el Nt (R²= 0.85). El análisis de componentes principales separó mediante el CP1 (38,7% de la variación ocurrida), los tratamientos consociados del monocultivo, demostrando los consociados agruparse en un cuadrante junto a los rendimientos de batata 2012, la (FDA), (Pasa), (PROT), (MCP), (EA). Por el contrario, los de monocultivo se agruparon junto a los rendimientos de batata 2013, las variables químicas en su totalidad, las físicas (MP), (MSP) y micorrizas (H), (A), (V) en otro extremo.EEA San PedroFil: Ullé, Jorge Angel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Pedro; ArgentinaFil: Marti, Héctor Rubén.Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Pedro; ArgentinaFil: Faggioli, Valeria Soledad. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Marcos Juarez; ArgentinaFil: Darder, María Liliana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Dalpiaz, María Jimena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Farroni, Abel Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Rimatori Fernando Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Colombini, F. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Villalba, D. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Fortunato. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Investigación Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Agricultura Familiar Región NEA; ArgentinaFil: Ortega y Villasana, Pilar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Investigación Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Agricultura Familiar Región NEA; Argentin

Efecto de las propiedades físicas, químicas, biológicas del suelo bajo siembra directa y trasplante en combinación con abonos verdes antecesores, sobre la producción de hortalizas en sistemas agroecológicos

Durante los años 2007-2012 fueron analizados dos tratamientos de sistemas de implantación de cultivos hortícolas; uno siembra directa de semillas (SD) y otro transplante de plantines (TR). Estos se combinaron con cuatro antecesores de manejo de suelos. Los tratamientos antecesores fueron: (H1) barbecho desnudo estival antes del policultivo de lechuga, acelga, remolacha, (H2) moha antes del policultivo de lechuga, acelga, remolacha, (H3) sorgo forrajero antes del cultivo de cebolla de verdeo, (H4) avena antes del cultivo de zapallo. El experimento tuvo diseño factorial con dos sistema de implantación, cuatro antecesores y tres repeticiones. En el período 2007-2009 fueron analizadas las variables, físicas, químicas, biológicas de la matriz del suelo: densidad aparente (DAP), infiltración básica (IB), porosidad total (PT), distribución de macroporos (MP), mesoporos (MSP), microporos (MCP), estabilidad de agregados (IEA), pH, conductividad eléctrica (CE), sulfatos (SO4), carbono orgánico total (COT), nitrógeno total (NT), fósforo extractable (Pe), calcio (Ca), magnesio (Mg), potasio (K), sodio (Na), capacidad de intercambio catiónico (CIC), respiración (AB), carbono en la biomasa microbiana (CBM), coeficientes metabólicos (qCO2), fluoresceína difosfato (FDA) y fosfatasa ácida (Pasa). También fueron registrados los rendimientos de las hortalizas luego de los antecesores. El análisis estadístico de todas las variables se realizó mediante dos procedimientos, modelos lineales (ANOVA, STEPWISE) y componentes principales (ACP). Existieron interacciones significativas entre sistema de implantación SD y TR y antecesores H1, H2, H3, H4, pero no fueron tan acentuadas, como la separación de tratamientos de SD y TR mediante ACP, lo que explicó el 83,4% de la variación ocurrida. Las variables biológicas y la IB explicaron en mayor medida los resultados obtenidos al favor del TR en los rendimientos de lechuga y acelga. Por el contrario las variables químicas y el IEA explicaron en mayor medida los resultados obtenidos a favor de la SD en el rendimiento de remolacha.EEA San PedroFil: Ullé, Jorge Angel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Pedro; ArgentinaFil: Faggioli, Valeria Soledad. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Marcos Juarez; ArgentinaFil: Serri, Dannae Lilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Marcos Juárez; ArgentinaFil: Ortega y Villasana, Pilar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Investigación Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Agricultura Familiar Región NEA; ArgentinaFil: Darder, María Liliana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Dalpiaz, María Jimena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: García, Leticia Soledad. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Farroni, Abel Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Rimatori, Fernando Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Colombini, F. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; ArgentinaFil: Villalba, D. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; Argentin

Strict evolutionary conservation followed rapid gene loss on human and rhesus Y chromosomes

The human X and Y chromosomes evolved from an ordinary pair of autosomes during the past 200–300 million years[superscript 1, 2, 3]. The human MSY (male-specific region of Y chromosome) retains only three percent of the ancestral autosomes’ genes owing to genetic decay[superscript 4, 5]. This evolutionary decay was driven by a series of five ‘stratification’ events. Each event suppressed X–Y crossing over within a chromosome segment or ‘stratum’, incorporated that segment into the MSY and subjected its genes to the erosive forces that attend the absence of crossing over[superscript 2, 6]. The last of these events occurred 30 million years ago, 5 million years before the human and Old World monkey lineages diverged. Although speculation abounds regarding ongoing decay and looming extinction of the human Y chromosome[superscript 7, 8, 9, 10], remarkably little is known about how many MSY genes were lost in the human lineage in the 25 million years that have followed its separation from the Old World monkey lineage. To investigate this question, we sequenced the MSY of the rhesus macaque, an Old World monkey, and compared it to the human MSY. We discovered that during the last 25 million years MSY gene loss in the human lineage was limited to the youngest stratum (stratum 5), which comprises three percent of the human MSY. In the older strata, which collectively comprise the bulk of the human MSY, gene loss evidently ceased more than 25 million years ago. Likewise, the rhesus MSY has not lost any older genes (from strata 1–4) during the past 25 million years, despite its major structural differences to the human MSY. The rhesus MSY is simpler, with few amplified gene families or palindromes that might enable intrachromosomal recombination and repair. We present an empirical reconstruction of human MSY evolution in which each stratum transitioned from rapid, exponential loss of ancestral genes to strict conservation through purifying selection

The Polyamine Inhibitor Alpha-Difluoromethylornithine Modulates Hippocampus-Dependent Function after Single and Combined Injuries

Exposure to uncontrolled irradiation in a radiologic terrorism scenario, a natural disaster or a nuclear battlefield, will likely be concomitantly superimposed on other types of injury, such as trauma. In the central nervous system, radiation combined injury (RCI) involving irradiation and traumatic brain injury may have a multifaceted character. This may entail cellular and molecular changes that are associated with cognitive performance, including changes in neurogenesis and the expression of the plasticity-related immediate early gene Arc. Because traumatic stimuli initiate a characteristic early increase in polyamine metabolism, we hypothesized that treatment with the polyamine inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) would reduce the adverse effects of single or combined injury on hippocampus structure and function. Hippocampal dependent cognitive impairments were quantified with the Morris water maze and showed that DFMO effectively reversed cognitive impairments after all injuries, particularly traumatic brain injury. Similar results were seen with respect to the expression of Arc protein, but not neurogenesis. Given that polyamines have been found to modulate inflammatory responses in the brain we also assessed the numbers of total and newly born activated microglia, and found reduced numbers of newly born cells. While the mechanisms responsible for the improvement in cognition after DFMO treatment are not yet clear, the present study provides new and compelling data regarding the potential use of DFMO as a potential countermeasure against the adverse effects of single or combined injury

Transcriptome Analysis of Synaptoneurosomes Identifies Neuroplasticity Genes Overexpressed in Incipient Alzheimer's Disease

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), early deficits in learning and memory are a consequence of synaptic modification induced by toxic beta-amyloid oligomers (oAβ). To identify immediate molecular targets downstream of oAβ binding, we prepared synaptoneurosomes from prefrontal cortex of control and incipient AD (IAD) patients, and isolated mRNAs for comparison of gene expression. This novel approach concentrates synaptic mRNA, thereby increasing the ratio of synaptic to somal mRNA and allowing discrimination of expression changes in synaptically localized genes. In IAD patients, global measures of cognition declined with increasing levels of dimeric Aβ (dAβ). These patients also showed increased expression of neuroplasticity related genes, many encoding 3′UTR consensus sequences that regulate translation in the synapse. An increase in mRNA encoding the GluR2 subunit of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) was paralleled by elevated expression of the corresponding protein in IAD. These results imply a functional impact on synaptic transmission as GluR2, if inserted, maintains the receptors in a low conductance state. Some overexpressed genes may induce early deficits in cognition and others compensatory mechanisms, providing targets for intervention to moderate the response to dAβ

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Starting a family business as a career option: The role of the family household in Mexico

This study analyses the determinants of an individual's intention to start up a new venture that involves family members. Building on the family embeddedness perspective, we hypothesize the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of individuals in a family household and the intention to start a family business. Moreover, we argue that this relationship is moderated by the household income and the individual's education level. With supportive empirical results based on data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) from Mexico, our work contributes to research on family embeddedness and entrepreneurial career intentions by identifying the importance of household-level factors in the family business start-up decision, and by depicting such decision as a distinctive career option in terms of self-employment