Endothelial transcription factor KLF2 negatively regulates liver regeneration via induction of activin A.

Endothelial cells (ECs) not only are important for oxygen delivery but also act as a paracrine source for signals that determine the balance between tissue regeneration and fibrosis. Here we show that genetic inactivation of flow-induced transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) in ECs results in reduced liver damage and augmentation of hepatocyte proliferation after chronic liver injury by treatment with carbon tetrachloride (CCl). Serum levels of GLDH3 and ALT were significantly reduced in CCl-treated EC-specific KLF2-deficient mice.

The tired hippocampus: the molecular impact of sleep deprivation on hippocampal function.

Memory consolidation, the process by which information is stored following training, consists of synaptic consolidation and systems consolidation. It is widely acknowledged that sleep deprivation has a profound effect on synaptic consolidation, particularly for memories that require the hippocampus. It is unclear, however, which of the many molecular changes associated with sleep deprivation directly contribute to memory deficits.

Functional hemispherotomy in Rasmussen syndrome in the absence of classic MRI findings.

A 7-year-old previously healthy girl presented with a left-sided focal seizure without impaired consciousness and subsequently developed epilepsia partialis continua. Initial MRI was normal, and the subsequent images only showed a focal T2/FLAIR hyperintense area without cortical atrophy. She was diagnosed with Rasmussen syndrome by pathology and promptly treated with functional hemispherotomy.

Caspase-3 and GFAP as early markers for apoptosis and astrogliosis in shRNA-induced hippocampal cytotoxicity.

Genetic manipulation of cells and tissue by RNA interference has significantly contributed to the functional characterization of individual proteins and their role in physiological processes. Despite its versatility, RNA interference can have detrimental side effects, including reduced cell viability. We applied recombinant adeno-associated viruses by stereotaxic injection into the murine hippocampus to express different short hairpin RNA (shRNA) constructs along with eGFP.

Direct Current Stimulation Modulates LTP and LTD: Activity Dependence and Dendritic Effects.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been reported to improve various forms of learning in humans. Stimulation is often applied during training, producing lasting enhancements that are specific to the learned task. These learning effects are thought to be mediated by altered synaptic plasticity.

Social inequality in adolescents' healthy food intake: the interplay between economic, social and cultural capital.

Background: Current explanations of health inequalities in adolescents focus on behavourial and economic determinants and rarely include more meaningful forms of economic, cultural, and social capital. The aim of the study was to investigate how the interplay between capitals constitutes social inequalities in adolescent healthy food intake.

Methods: Data were collected in the 2013/14 Flemish Health Behavior among School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, which is part of the international WHO HBSC survey.

Social inequalities in health information seeking among young adults in Montreal.

Over their lifecourse, young adults develop different skills and preferences in relationship to the information sources they seek when having questions about health. Health information seeking behaviour (HISB) includes multiple, unequally accessed sources; yet most studies have focused on single sources and did not examine HISB's association with social inequalities. This study explores 'multiple-source' profiles and their association with socioeconomic characteristics.

Targeting expression to megakaryocytes and platelets by lineage-specific lentiviral vectors.

Unlabelled: Essentials Platelet phenotypes can be modified by lentiviral transduction of hematopoietic stem cells. Megakaryocyte-specific lentiviral vectors were tested in vitro and in vivo for restricted expression. The glycoprotein 6 vector expressed almost exclusively in megakaryocytes.

Pharmacological Activators of the NR4A Nuclear Receptors Enhance LTP in a CREB/CBP-Dependent Manner.

Nr4a nuclear receptors contribute to long-term memory formation and are required for long-term memory enhancement by a class of broad-acting drugs known as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate these genes and identifying ways to increase their activity may provide novel therapeutic approaches for ameliorating cognitive dysfunction. In the present study, we find that Nr4a gene expression after learning requires the cAMP-response element binding (CREB) interaction domain of the histone acetyltransferase CREB-binding protein (CBP).

Just a subtle difference? Findings from a systematic review on definitions of nutrition literacy and food literacy.

Nutrition literacy and food literacy have become increasingly important concepts in health promotion. Researchers use one or the other term to describe the competencies needed to maintain a healthy diet. This systematic review examines whether these terms are synonymous or if their meanings are substantially different.

Hyperactivity and male-specific sleep deficits in the 16p11.2 deletion mouse model of autism.

Sleep disturbances and hyperactivity are prevalent in several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Evidence from genome-wide association studies indicates that chromosomal copy number variations (CNVs) are associated with increased prevalence of these neurodevelopmental disorders. In particular, CNVs in chromosomal region 16p11.

The interaction of sorafenib and regorafenib with membranes is modulated by their lipid composition.

Sorafenib and regorafenib are small-molecule kinase inhibitors approved for the treatment of locally recurrent or metastatic, progressive, differentiated thyroid carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma (sorafenib) and of colorectal cancer (regorafenib). As of now, the mechanisms, which are responsible for their antitumor activities, are not completely understood. Given the lipophilic nature of the molecules, it can be hypothesized that the pharmacological impact is mediated by the interaction with cellular membranes as it is true for many pharmacologically active molecules.

Sociability Deficits and Altered Amygdala Circuits in Mice Lacking Pcdh10, an Autism Associated Gene.

Background: Behavioral symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been attributed to abnormal neuronal connectivity, but the molecular bases of these behavioral and brain phenotypes are largely unknown. Human genetic studies have implicated PCDH10, a member of the δ2 subfamily of nonclustered protocadherin genes, in ASD. PCDH10 expression is enriched in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region implicated in the social deficits of ASD.

Compartmentalized PDE4A5 Signaling Impairs Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Long-Term Memory.

Unlabelled: Alterations in cAMP signaling are thought to contribute to neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders. Members of the cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) family, which contains >25 different isoforms, play a key role in determining spatial cAMP degradation so as to orchestrate compartmentalized cAMP signaling in cells. Each isoform binds to a different set of protein complexes through its unique N-terminal domain, thereby leading to targeted degradation of cAMP in specific intracellular compartments.

Sleep deprivation causes memory deficits by negatively impacting neuronal connectivity in hippocampal area CA1.

Brief periods of sleep loss have long-lasting consequences such as impaired memory consolidation. Structural changes in synaptic connectivity have been proposed as a substrate of memory storage. Here, we examine the impact of brief periods of sleep deprivation on dendritic structure.

Dendritic diameter influences the rate and magnitude of hippocampal cAMP and PKA transients during β-adrenergic receptor activation.

In the hippocampus, cyclic-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) form a critical signaling cascade required for long-lasting synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. Plasticity and memory are known to occur following pathway-specific changes in synaptic strength that are thought to result from spatially and temporally coordinated intracellular signaling events. To better understand how cAMP and PKA dynamically operate within the structural complexity of hippocampal neurons, we used live two-photon imaging and genetically-encoded fluorescent biosensors to monitor cAMP levels or PKA activity in CA1 neurons of acute hippocampal slices.

Adenosine Differentially Modulates Synaptic Transmission of Excitatory and Inhibitory Microcircuits in Layer 4 of Rat Barrel Cortex.

Adenosine is considered to be a key regulator of sleep homeostasis by promoting slow-wave sleep through inhibition of the brain's arousal centers. However, little is known about the effect of adenosine on neuronal network activity at the cellular level in the neocortex. Here, we show that adenosine differentially modulates synaptic transmission between different types of neurons in cortical layer 4 (L4) through activation of pre- and/or postsynaptically located adenosine A1 receptors.

Activation of basolateral amygdala in juvenile C57BL/6J mice during social approach behavior.

There is a strong need to better understand the neurobiology of juvenile sociability (tendency to seek social interaction), a phenotype of central relevance to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although numerous genetic mouse models of ASD showing reduced sociability have been reported, and certain brain regions, such as the amygdala, have been implicated in sociability, there has been little emphasis on delineating brain structures and circuits activated during social interactions in the critical juvenile period of the mouse strain that serves as the most common genetic background for these models-the highly sociable C57BL/6J (B6) strain. We measured expression of the immediate early genes Fos and Egr-1 to map activation of brain regions following the Social Approach Test (SAT) in juvenile male B6 mice.

The contribution of travel-related urban zones, cycling and pedestrian networks and green space to commuting physical activity among adults - a cross-sectional population-based study using geographical information systems.

Background: The current political agenda aims to promote active environments and physical activity while commuting to work, but research on it has provided mixed results. This study examines whether the proximity of green space and people's residence in different travel-related urban zones contributes to commuting physical activity.

Methods: Population-based cross-sectional health examination survey, Health 2011 study, and geographical information system (GIS) data were utilized.

The Role of κ Opioid Receptor in Brain Ischemia.

Objectives: Our previous studies indicated that highly selective κ opioid receptor agonists could protect the brain, indicating an important role of κ opioid receptor agonist in brain ischemia. In this study, we investigated the role and related mechanisms of κ opioid receptor agonists in brain ischemia in a middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model.

Design: Animal model.

Contextual fear conditioning induces differential alternative splicing.

The process of memory consolidation requires transcription and translation to form long-term memories. Significant effort has been dedicated to understanding changes in hippocampal gene expression after contextual fear conditioning. However, alternative splicing by differential transcript regulation during this time period has received less attention.

Sleep deprivation impairs memory by attenuating mTORC1-dependent protein synthesis.

Sleep deprivation is a public health epidemic that causes wide-ranging deleterious consequences, including impaired memory and cognition. Protein synthesis in hippocampal neurons promotes memory and cognition. The kinase complex mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) stimulates protein synthesis by phosphorylating and inhibiting the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 2 (4EBP2).

[Effects of low calorie sweeteners based on data from clinical trials, in vitro and animal studies].

Low calorie sweeteners are used by many consumers as they can provide the sweet taste without calories and, therefore, they may have a beneficial effect on weight management. These positive outcomes are often questioned and accused of keeping up or increasing a liking for sweetness and leading to overconsumption of sugar containing food and beverages. The most recent studies failed to find any positive correlation between usage of low calorie sweeteners and craving for sweet taste.

Beta modulation reflects name retrieval in the human anterior temporal lobe: an intracranial recording study.

Naming people, places, and things is a fundamental human ability that is often impaired in patients with language-dominant anterior temporal lobe (ATL) dysfunction or ATL resection as part of epilepsy treatment. Convergent lines of evidence point to the importance of the ATL in name retrieval. The physiologic mechanisms that mediate name retrieval in the ATL, however, are not well understood.