Effects of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Circulating sTLR and sRAGE Profiles in Normoglycemic and Insulin-Resistant Individuals

Impaired blood glucose regulation as a consequence of insulin resistance is linked to development of many clinical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and skeletal muscle wasting via inflammatory processes. Recent evidence suggests circulating solubilized Toll-Like Receptor (sTLR) and Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts (sRAGE) originate from skeletal muscle and are related to glucose management and inflammation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to explore 1) relationships among sTLR and sRAGE profiles and indices of metabolic health and 2) sTLR and sRAGE responses to an acute bout of aerobic exercise (AE) in normoglycemic (NG) and insulin-resistant (IR) individuals. We hypothesized sTLR and sRAGE would be related to indices of health and acute AE would increase circulating sTLR and sRAGE to a greater degree in the IR than NG group. METHODS: BMI-matched NG (n=10; 41±12 y; 36±1 kg/m2) and IR (n=16; 51±10 y; 34±2 kg/m2) participants were studied during 2 visits separated by at least 72 h. The first visit included an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), DEXA scan, and VO2max test. The second visit consisted of a baseline blood draw, treadmill exercise at 65% VO2max for 30 min, and a 30 min post AE blood draw. sTLRs, sRAGE and isoforms were assessed in plasma via ELISA. RESULTS: IR individuals exhibited greater (P0.05) at baseline. Acute AE did not change (P\u3e0.05) sTLR, sRAGE and isoform levels. Baseline sTLR2 was correlated (P2max (r=0.414), while sTLR4 was correlated (PCONCLUSION:These novel findings show the circulating soluble receptor profile is disrupted in individuals with insulin resistance and related to indices of metabolic health

Ashutosh Misra, & Michael E. Clarke (Eds.). Pakistan’s stability paradox: Domestic, regional and international dimensions. Milton Park, UK: Routledge. 2012.

Book review

Challenger J Hockey Prosthesis Final Design Report

The content of this report is withheld as confidential. QL+ is the owner of the intellectual property created throughout the duration of this project. Dr. Tom Mase (mechanical engineering) maintains a full copy of the report and intends to disseminate it upon completion of the necessary intellectual property protection measures

Modelling and simulation of rail passengers to evaluate methods to reduce dwell times

The paper outlines a feasibility study using modelling and simulation to reduce dwell times and increase rail network capacity. We use agent based modelling, where passengers are treated as a separate entities, basing their movements on rules from the Social Force Model (SFM), proposed by Helbing to model pedestrian dynamics. Implementing this SFM, together with a novel decision making system for passengers' door choices, a mesoscopic model is produced of the platform, train and passengers. An outline of the modelling process is presented, along with a critical analysis of the final model. Analyses are conducted to evaluate novel concepts in train and platform design, to reduce loading times, using passengers with a range of attributes. In a simulation experiment, four concepts (wider doors, designated boarding/alighting doors, and an active passenger information system) are assessed, with the latter two giving reductions in loading times of 7.0% and 7.3%

Implementing an interdisciplinary student centric approach to work-integrated learning

This paper describes the implementation of an innovative approach to work-integrated learning using interdisciplinary projects within a university Faculty of Business. Further, it discusses the implementation of integrated and authentic assessments involving academic units in the marketing, urban planning and business communication disciplines. The authors reflect on issues involved with the introduction of interdisciplinary teaching and learning strategies, representing a shift from traditional silo approaches in tertiary education. The paper considers how a student-centered learning approach can support innovation in higher education. It highlights the importance of providing students with an integrated, in situ approach to learning within the context of their own learning institution. The paper concludes by asserting that universities can provide business students with authentic and relevant business problems, the opportunity to access the resources of the university and engage with staff and students across a range of disciplines to facilitate a project-based learning environment on-campus

Integrating the academic experience: An inter-disciplinary approach to the authentic marketing research experience

This paper describes the evolution of an innovative inter–disciplinary approach to teaching and learning in a University Faculty of Business. Further, it reviews the implementation of a series of unique, integrated and authentic assessments involving units based in the marketing, urban planning and business communication disciplines. The project has used the production of Revitalization Plans for the University‘s campuses as the basis for integrating student teaching and learning. It has championed an approach which moves away from the traditional ‗silo‘ methods of academic assessment to integrated, contextualised learning which develops both generic and discipline-specific skills such as client/consultation roles, business communications and knowledge in marketing, urban planning, and management. The paper concludes by reflecting on the issues involved with the introduction of the inter-disciplinary approach to teaching and learning with the University

Genomic mapping of social behavior traits in a F2 cross derived from mice selectively bred for high aggression

BACKGROUND: Rapid response to selection was previously observed in mice selected for high levels of inter-male aggression based on number of attacks displayed in a novel social interaction test after isolation housing. Attack levels in this high aggression line (NC900) increased significantly within just four generations of selective breeding, suggesting the presence of a locus with large effect. We conducted an experiment using a small (n ≈ 100) F(2 )cross between the ICR-derived, non-inbred NC900 strain and the low aggression inbred strain C57BL/6J, genotyped for 154 fully informative SNPs, to determine if a locus with large effect controls the high-aggression selection trait. A second goal was to use high density SNP genotyping (n = 549,000) in the parental strains to characterize residual patterns of heterozygosity within NC900, and evaluate regions that are identical by descent (IBD) between NC900 and C57BL/6J, to determine what impacts these may have on accuracy and resolution of quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping in the F(2 )cross. RESULTS: No evidence for a locus with major effect on aggressive behavior in mice was identified. However, several QTL with genomewide significance were mapped for aggression on chromosomes 7 and 19 and other social behavior traits on chromosomes 4, 7, 14, and 19. High density genotyping revealed that 28% of the genome is still segregating among the six NC900 females used to originate the F(2 )cross, and that segregating regions are present on every chromosome but are of widely different sizes. Regions of IBD between NC900 and C57BL/6J are found on every chromosome but are most prominent on chromosomes 10, 16 and X. No significant differences were found for amounts of heterozygosity or prevalence of IBD in QTL regions relative to global analysis. CONCLUSIONS: While no major gene was identified to explain the rapid selection response in the NC900 line, transgressive variation (i.e. where the allele from the C57BL/6J increased attack levels) and a significant role for dominant gene action were hallmarks of the genetic architecture for aggressive behavior uncovered in this study. The high levels of heterozygosity and the distribution of minor allele frequency observed in the NC900 population suggest that maintenance of heterozygosity may have been under selection in this line

Long-term cleaning patterns of the sharknose goby (Elacatinus evelynae)

Cleaning interactions, which involve a cleaner removing ectoparasites and other material from the body of a heterospecific (client), are iconic symbiotic interactions observed on coral reefs worldwide. These small cleaners play a disproportionately large role in the structuring and function of coral reefs, influencing species interaction networks, client health and biodiversity. Cleaning patterns, however, are likely to be context-dependent and highly heterogeneous, and although we have some understanding about their spatial variation, longer-term temporal changes in cleaning interactions have remained understudied. Given that coral reefs are globally threatened and are currently experiencing large shifts in their biodiversity, it is vital that we determine which clients are consistently most important for maintaining cleaning. Using a long-term, 8-yr data set (2010–17) on the cleaning behaviour of the predominant Caribbean cleaner, the sharknose goby (Elacatinus evelynae), we investigated whether cleaner fish from the same reef show consistent patterns in their interactions with client species over time. Here we conclusively show that cleaning behaviour is highly plastic, as no single species or family was cleaned consistently more than others, in terms of cleaning frequency and duration, across all years. Only 40% of the species were cleaned more than others, and we also observed ca. one-third of species experience inconsistent cleaning patterns across years. Our study thus quantifies how dynamic cleaner–client relationships are on the same reef across years and highlights the importance of long-term data