Regulation of Memory Formation by the Transcription Factor XBP1.

Contextual memory formation relies on the induction of new genes in the hippocampus. A polymorphism in the promoter of the transcription factor XBP1 was identified as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and bipolar disorders. XBP1 is a major regulator of the unfolded protein response (UPR), mediating adaptation to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.

The Histaminergic Tuberomamillary Nucleus Is Involved in Appetite for Sex, Water and Amphetamine.

The histaminergic system is one component of the ascending arousal system which is involved in wakefulness, neuroendocrine control, cognition, psychiatric disorders and motivation. During the appetitive phase of motivated behaviors the arousal state rises to an optimal level, thus giving proper intensity to the behavior. Previous studies have demonstrated that the histaminergic neurons show an earlier activation during the appetitive phase of feeding, compared to other ascending arousal system nuclei, paralleled with a high increase in arousal state.

Identification of repressive and active epigenetic marks and nuclear bodies in Entamoeba histolytica.

Background: In human hosts, Entamoeba histolytica cysts can develop into trophozoites, suggesting that the life cycle of this parasite are regulated by changes in gene expression. To date, some evidence has suggested that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modification are involved in the regulation of gene expression in Entamoeba. Some post-translational modifications (PTMs) at the N-terminus of E.

Psychological hardiness predicts cardiovascular health.

Many, but not all people experience diminished health, performance and well-being as a function of exposure to stress. However, the underlying neurophysiological processes which characterize hardy or resilient people are not well understood. This study examines psychological hardiness and several indicators of cardiovascular health, including body mass index (BMI) and blood cholesterol markers in a sample of 338 middle-aged adults enrolled in a national security education program.

mRNA-seq reveals skeletal muscle atrophy in response to handling stress in a marine teleost, the red cusk-eel (Genypterus chilensis).

Background: Fish reared under intensive conditions are repeatedly exposed to stress, which negatively impacts growth. Although most fish follow a conserved pattern of stress response, with increased concentrations of cortisol, each species presents specificities in the cell response and stress tolerance. Therefore, culturing new species requires a detailed knowledge of these specific responses.

Fast evolutionary rates associated with functional loss in class I glucose transporters of Schistosoma mansoni.

Background: The trematode parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, has evolved to switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis in the presence of glucose immediately after invading the human host. This metabolic switch is dependent on extracellular glucose concentration. Four glucose transporters are encoded in the genome of S.

Regulation of the Immune Response to α-Gal and Vector-borne Diseases.

Vector-borne diseases (VBD) challenge our understanding of emerging diseases. Recently, arthropod vectors have been involved in emerging anaphylactic diseases. In particular, the immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody response to the carbohydrate Galα1-3Galβ1-(3)4GlcNAc-R (α-gal) following a tick bite was associated with allergies to red meat, cetuximab, and gelatin.

Gene expression changes in the salivary glands of Anopheles coluzzii elicited by Plasmodium berghei infection.

Background: Malaria is a devastating infectious disease caused by Plasmodium parasites transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Salivary glands are the only mosquito tissue invaded by Plasmodium sporozoites, being a key stage for the effective parasite transmission, making the study of Anopheles sialome highly relevant.

Methods: RNA-sequencing was used to compare differential gene expression in salivary glands of uninfected and Plasmodium berghei-infected Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes.

Mapping the plasmonic response of gold nanoparticles embedded in TiO₂ thin films.

We present the mapping of the plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles that are embedded in a TiO2 thin film deposited over two different substrates, glass and silicon. An improved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) imaging technique was used to extract plasmon maps with nanometre resolution. Several representative cases of randomly dispersed NPs have been examined to carefully evaluate surrounding effects on the optical response of such nanostructured material.

Trace metal variability in coastal waters of San Jorge Bay, Antofagasta, Chile: An environmental evaluation and statistical approach to propose local background levels.

Between 2008 and 2011, twelve metals from 384 coastal waters samples from San Jorge Bay (Antofagasta, northern Chile) were collected and analyzed. The goal was to evaluate the quality of the bay's water bodies according to the current Chilean Quality Guideline and to establish background levels for these metals. The result suggests that the coastal waters of San Jorge Bay are of very good quality suitable for recreational activities involving human body contact.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide induces rainbow trout myotube atrophy via Akt/FoxO1/Atrogin-1 signaling pathway.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is considered as a powerful inducer of muscle atrophy in higher vertebrates due to skeletal muscle cell recognition of the endotoxin and a consequent activation of catabolic signaling pathways. In contrast, there is no evidence of LPS directly inducing skeletal muscle atrophy in lower vertebrates, such as fish. For years it has been assumed that fish are resistant to LPS, mainly due to differences in the key features of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways when compared with mammals.

Site trimer percolation on square lattices.

Percolation of site trimers (k-mers with k=3) is investigated in a detailed way making use of an analytical model based on renormalization techniques in this problem. Results are compared to those obtained here by means of extensive computer simulations. Five different deposition possibilities for site trimers are included according to shape and orientation of the depositing objects.

Ixodes ricinus defensins attack distantly-related pathogens.

Antimicrobial peptides are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic innate immunity. Defensins are a well-known family of antimicrobial peptides, widely distributed in ticks, insects, plants and mammals, showing activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast and protozoan parasites. Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick species in Europe and is a vector of pathogens affecting human and animal health.

Transcriptional dynamics of immune, growth and stress related genes in skeletal muscle of the fine flounder (Paralichthys adpersus) during different nutritional statuses.

The effects of stress on immune activity and growth in early vertebrates have not been studied in detail. The present study used fine flounder (Paralichthys adspersus) skeletal muscle as a model to evaluate molecules involved in the stress response, including the glucocorticoid receptors, foxo1/3, and the target genes of these. Additionally, immune markers (il-1β and tnfα) and effector molecules of atrophy (bnip3, caspase-3, and lc3) were assessed.

Aborted sudden cardiac death associated with an anomalous right coronary artery.

Coronary artery anomalies arising from the opposite sinus of Valsalva and having an interarterial course between the aorta (AO) and pulmonary artery (PA) are the second most common cause of sudden cardiac death among young athletes, after hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The right coronary artery (RCA) originating from the AO above the left sinus of Valsalva (LSV) is an extremely rare anomaly. We report the first case of a RCA arising from the AO above the LSV that subsequently runs between the AO and the PA, discovered by a 64-slice multidetector coronary CT, in a patient who was successfully resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest while running in a marathon race.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 suppresses the Myostatin signaling pathway during myogenic differentiation.

Myogenic differentiation is a complex and well-coordinated process for generating mature skeletal muscle fibers. This event is autocrine/paracrine regulated by growth factors, principally Myostatin (MSTN) and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). Myostatin, a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth in vertebrates that exerts its inhibitory function by activating Smad transcription factors.

Nucleoside inhibitors of tick-borne encephalitis virus.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a leading cause of human neuroinfections in Europe and Northeast Asia. There are no antiviral therapies for treating TBEV infection. A series of nucleoside analogues was tested for the ability to inhibit the replication of TBEV in porcine kidney cells and human neuroblastoma cells.

Offline reactivation of experience-dependent neuronal firing patterns in the rat ventral tegmental area.

In a rest period immediately after a task, neurons in the hippocampus, neocortex, and striatum exhibit spatiotemporal correlation patterns resembling those observed during the task. This reactivation has been proposed as a neurophysiological substrate for memory consolidation. We provide new evidence that rodent ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons are selective for different types of food stimuli and that stimulus-sensitive neurons strongly reactivate during the rest period following a task that involved those stimuli.

Lack of phonotactic preferences of female frogs and its consequences for signal evolution.

Sexual selection is one of the main evolutionary forces that drive signal evolution. In previous studies, we have found out that males of Pleurodema thaul, a frog with an extensive latitudinal distribution in Chile, emits advertisement calls that show remarkable variation among populations. In addition, this variation is related to intense inter-male acoustic competition (intra-sexual selection) occurring within each population.

Accuracy of body mass index for age to diagnose obesity in Mexican schoolchildren.

Objective: To compare the accuracy of three BMI-forage references (World Health Organization reference, WHO; the updated International Obesity Task Force reference, IOTF; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts) to diagnose obesity in Mexican children.

Methods: A convenience sample of Mexican schoolchildren (n = 218) was assessed. The gold standard was the percentage of body fat estimated by deuterium dilution technique.

Psychological Effects of Urban Crime Gleaned from Social Media.

Exposure to frequent crime incidents has been found to have a negative bearing on the well-being of city residents, even if they are not themselves a direct victim. We pursue the research question of whether naturalistic data shared on Twitter may provide a "lens" to understand changes in psychological attributes of urban communities (1) immediately following crime incidents, as well as (2) due to long-term exposure to crime. We analyze half a million Twitter posts from the City of Atlanta in 2014, where the rate of violent crime is three times of the national average.

Analysis of olfactory sensitivity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reveals their ability to detect lactic acid, pyruvic acid and four B vitamins.

Salmonid fishes like the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss have a highly developed olfactory sense that allows them to perceive some odorants at very low concentrations, such as certain amino acids and bile salts. Previous behavioral and electrophysiological studies in salmonids have shown strong responses to human skin odor. Because this stimulus represents a complex and heterogeneous mixture of components, we sought to determine which odorants contribute to the sensitive detection of human skin odor by salmonids.

Neutrophil migration in the activation of the innate immune response to different Flavobacterium psychrophilum vaccines in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Flavobacterium psychrophilum is a Gram-negative bacterium, responsible for the bacterial cold-water disease and the rainbow trout fry syndrome in freshwater salmonid fish. At present, there is only one commercial vaccine in Chile, made with two Chilean F. psychrophilum isolates and another licensed in Europe.

A review of 2014 cancer drug approvals, with a look at 2015 and beyond.

The number of cancer medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration has risen steadily in recent years. This article provides a concise overview of drugs and indications added to the cancer armamentarium in 2014 and to date in 2015.