Cortical Acetylcholine Response to Deep Brain Stimulation of the Basal Forebrain in Mice.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) using electrical stimulation of neuronal tissue in the basal forebrain to enhance release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is under consideration to improve executive function in patients with dementia. While some small studies indicate a positive response in the clinical setting, the relationship between DBS and acetylcholine pharmacokinetics is incompletely understood. We examined the cortical acetylcholine response to different stimulation parameters of the basal forebrain.

Sustained caloric restriction potentiates insulin action by activating prostacyclin synthase.

Objective: Caloric restriction (CR) is known to enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of metabolic disorders; however, its molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. This study aims to elucidate specific proteins and pathways responsible for these benefits.

Methods: We examined adipose tissue from participants in the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy Phase 2 (CALERIE 2) study, comparing proteomic profiles from individuals after 12 and 24 months of CR with baseline and an ad libitum group.

Cortical Acetylcholine Response to Deep Brain Stimulation of the Basal Forebrain.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS), the direct electrical stimulation of neuronal tissue in the basal forebrain to enhance release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, is under consideration as a method to improve executive function in patients with dementia. While some small studies indicate a positive response in the clinical setting, the relationship between DBS and acetylcholine pharmacokinetics is incompletely understood.

Objective: We examined the cortical acetylcholine response to different stimulation parameters of the basal forebrain.

UBXN9 governs GLUT4-mediated spatial confinement of RIG-I-like receptors and signaling.

The cytoplasmic RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) recognize viral RNA and initiate innate antiviral immunity. RLR signaling also triggers glycolytic reprogramming through glucose transporters (GLUTs), whose role in antiviral immunity is elusive. Here, we unveil that insulin-responsive GLUT4 inhibits RLR signaling independently of glucose uptake in adipose and muscle tissues.

Health Assessment of Free-Ranging Eastern Indigo Snakes (Drymarchon couperi) from Hydrologic Restoration Construction Sites in South Florida, USA.

There is a paucity of information regarding the health status of free-ranging eastern indigo snakes (EIS; Drymarchon couperi) in heavily modified and developing landscapes. As a component of regional Florida Everglades restoration efforts, several areas occupied by EIS are being converted from agricultural lands to reservoirs. From 2020 to 2022, 28 EIS were opportunistically captured at two of these sites and brought into captivity to join a captive breeding colony; however, 11 snakes died within 5 mo of capture.

The intracellular helical bundle of human glucose transporter GLUT4 is important for complex formation with ASPL.

Glucose transporters (GLUTs) are responsible for transporting hexose molecules across cellular membranes. In adipocytes, insulin stimulates glucose uptake by redistributing GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. In unstimulated adipose-like mouse cell lines, GLUT4 is known to be retained intracellularly by binding to TUG protein, while upon insulin stimulation, GLUT4 dissociates from TUG.

Histological Findings in Captive Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches () and a Literature Review.

Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHC, ) are members of the Blaberidae (giant cockroaches) family of the Insecta class. They are native to the African island of Madagascar where they live within leaf litter on the rainforest floor. Due to their large size, relative tameness, and general easy keeping, they have become popular in classrooms, zoological collections, museums, research laboratories, and as private exotic pets; however, descriptions of diseases of MHC in the literature are rare.

Analytical and Clinical Evaluation of Two Methods for Measuring Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in Eastern Indigo Snakes ().

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a hematological test that can detect inflammatory activity within the body. Although not specific for any particular disease, ESR is often used as a screening "sickness indicator" due to its reliability and low cost. The Westergren method is a manual ESR technique commonly used but requires special graduated pipettes and over 1mL of whole blood, precluding its use in smaller patients where limited sample volumes can be obtained.

Cryptosporidium serpentis Surveillance in Free-Ranging Snakes to Inform a Reintroduction Strategy for the Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi).

Understanding risk factors associated with reintroductions is important for making informed decisions within an adaptive framework. Biosecurity measures minimizing the risk of the introduction or spread of transmissible diseases are a priority when considering the release of captive-reared wildlife. Eastern indigo snake (EIS; Drymarchon couperi) reintroductions have been occurring in Alabama since 2010 and in Florida since 2017.

Ubiquitin-like processing of TUG proteins as a mechanism to regulate glucose uptake and energy metabolism in fat and muscle.

In response to insulin stimulation, fat and muscle cells mobilize GLUT4 glucose transporters to the cell surface to enhance glucose uptake. Ubiquitin-like processing of TUG (Aspscr1, UBXD9) proteins is a central mechanism to regulate this process. Here, recent advances in this area are reviewed.

Evaluation of a probe hybridization quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for Cryptosporidium serpentis in eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi).

A probe-hybridization quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay specific for Cryptosporidium serpentis (qPCR) has been developed and shown to be extremely sensitive in the laboratory, but clinical sensitivity and specificity for this test are lacking. To approximate the sensitivity and specificity of the C. serpentis qPCR, the medical records from a captive snake colony were reviewed, and between November 2015 and June 2021, 63 eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi) were necropsied.

Inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis cause Glut4 translocation and increase glucose uptake in adipocytes.

Insulin stimulates glucose uptake in adipocytes by triggering translocation of glucose transporter 4-containg vesicles to the plasma membrane. Under basal conditions, these vesicles (IRVs for insulin-responsive vesicles) are retained inside the cell via a "static" or "dynamic" mechanism. We have found that inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis, actinomycin D and emetine, stimulate Glut4 translocation and glucose uptake in adipocytes without engaging conventional signaling proteins, such as Akt, TBC1D4, or TUG.

MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometric Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Using Cellulose Sulfate Ester Enrichment and Hot Acid Treatment.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here we report a novel strategy for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 based on an enrichment approach exploiting the affinity between the virus and cellulose sulfate ester functional groups, hot acid hydrolysis, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Virus samples were enriched using cellulose sulfate ester microcolumns.

The deployment of mobile diagnostic laboratories for Ebola virus disease diagnostics in Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Background: Ebola virus emerged in West Africa in December 2013. The ease of mobility, porous borders, and lack of public health infrastructure led to the largest Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak to date.

Intervention: The 2013 EVD outbreak signalled the need for laboratory diagnostic capabilities in areas without strong public health systems.

A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF DYSTOCIA IN EASTERN INDIGO SNAKES ().

Medical and husbandry records of eastern indigo snakes (EIS) () housed at the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation (OCIC) were reviewed to determine risk factors for developing dystocia. Thirty-four cases of dystocia were identified out of 104 successful breeding events between 2010 and 2020. The number of breeding events, age, body weight, housing, and selected blood parameters were reviewed for the female EIS successfully bred at OCIC between 2010 and 2020.

Insulin-stimulated endoproteolytic TUG cleavage links energy expenditure with glucose uptake.

TUG tethering proteins bind and sequester GLUT4 glucose transporters intracellularly, and insulin stimulates TUG cleavage to translocate GLUT4 to the cell surface and increase glucose uptake. This effect of insulin is independent of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and its physiological relevance remains uncertain. Here we show that this TUG cleavage pathway regulates both insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in muscle and organism-level energy expenditure.

Granular detail of β cell structures for insulin secretion.

Pancreatic β cells secrete insulin in response to increased glucose concentrations. Müller et al. (2021.

Precise Definition of a "Monolayer Point" in Polymer Brush Films for Fabricating Highly Coherent TiO Thin Films by Vapor-Phase Infiltration.

In this work, we show that in order to fabricate coherent titania (TiO) films with precise thickness control, it is critical to generate a complete polymer brush monolayer. To date, demonstrations of such dense polymer monolayer formation that can be utilized for inorganic infiltration have been elusive. We describe a versatile bottom-up approach to covalently and rapidly (60 s processing) graft hydroxyl-terminated poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (P2VP-OH) polymers on silicon substrates.