Voluntary resistance wheel exercise from mid-life prevents sarcopenia and increases markers of mitochondrial function and autophagy in muscles of old male and female C57BL/6J mice.

Background: There is much interest in the capacity of resistance exercise to prevent the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia. This study investigates the molecular basis underlying the benefits of resistance exercise in aging C57BL/6J mice of both sexes.

Results: This study is the first to demonstrate that long-term (34 weeks) voluntary resistance wheel exercise (RWE) initiated at middle age, from 15 months, prevents sarcopenia in selected hindlimb muscles and causes hypertrophy in soleus, by 23 months of age in both male and female C57BL/6J mice.

Rapid dynamics of cell-shape recovery in response to local deformations.

It is vital that cells respond rapidly to mechanical cues within their microenvironment through changes in cell shape and volume, which rely upon the mechanical properties of cells' highly interconnected cytoskeletal networks and intracellular fluid redistributions. While previous research has largely investigated deformation mechanics, we now focus on the immediate cell-shape recovery response following mechanical perturbation by inducing large, local, and reproducible cellular deformations using AFM. By continuous imaging within the plane of deformation, we characterize the membrane and cortical response of HeLa cells to unloading, and model the recovery via overdamped viscoelastic dynamics.

Effects of Neonatal Dexamethasone Exposure on Adult Neuropsychiatric Traits in Rats.

The effects of early life stress in utero or in neonates has long-term consequences on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis function and neurodevelopment. These effects extend into adulthood and may underpin a variety of mental illnesses and be related to various developmental and cognitive changes. We examined the potential role of neonatal HPA axis activation on adult psychopathology and dopamine sensitivity in the mature rat using neonatal exposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid receptor agonist and stress hormone, dexamethasone.

Significant changes in endogenous retinal gene expression assessed 1 year after a single intraocular injection of AAV-CNTF or AAV-BDNF.

Use of viral vectors to deliver therapeutic genes to the central nervous system holds promise for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and neurotrauma. Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or ciliary derived neurotrophic factor (CNTF) promote the viability and regeneration of injured adult rat retinal ganglion cells. However, these growth-inducing transgenes are driven by a constitutively active promoter, thus we examined whether long-term AAV-mediated secretion of BDNF or CNTF affected endogenous retinal gene expression.

The effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in an animal model of tinnitus.

Tinnitus (phantom auditory perception associated with hearing loss) can seriously affect wellbeing. Its neural substrate is unknown however it has been linked with abnormal activity in auditory pathways. Though no cure currently exists, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to reduce tinnitus in some patients, possibly via induction of cortical plasticity involving brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Geographic distribution of point-in-time access to subsidised dental services in Western Australia.

Dental Health Services (DHS) is the largest public primary oral healthcare provider in WA. The objective of this study was to calculate probable distance patients are expected to travel to the nearest clinic, gauge utilisation rates and predict the direction of likely changes in future demand for subsidised dental care. Eligible population data was collected from the Department of Human Services and the Australian Bureau of Statistics websites and integrated with the waiting list and the recall list data provided by the DHS.

The extracellular microscape governs mesenchymal stem cell fate.

Each cell forever interacts with its extracellular matrix (ECM); a stem cell relies on this interaction to guide differentiation. The stiffness, nanotopography, protein composition, stress and strain inherent to any given ECM influences stem cell lineage commitment. This interaction is dynamic, multidimensional and reciprocally evolving through time, and from this concerted exchange the macroscopic tissues that comprise living organisms are formed.

Eating disorders in the context of preconception care: fertility specialists' knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practices.

Objective(s): To gauge fertility specialists' knowledge, clinical practices, and training needs in regard to eating disorders.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Settings: Fertility clinics.

Silk fibroin scaffolds with muscle-like elasticity support in vitro differentiation of human skeletal muscle cells.

Human adult skeletal muscle has a limited ability to regenerate after injury and therapeutic options for volumetric muscle loss are few. Technologies to enhance regeneration of tissues generally rely upon bioscaffolds to mimic aspects of the tissue extracellular matrix (ECM). In the present study, silk fibroins from four Lepidoptera (silkworm) species engineered into three-dimensional scaffolds were examined for their ability to support the differentiation of primary human skeletal muscle myoblasts.

Digestibility, ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites and antioxidant status in ewes supplemented with DL-methionine or hydroxy-4 (methylthio) butanoic acid isopropyl ester.

The effects of supplementing ewe diets with either DL-methionine (DL-Met) or 2-hydroxy-4 (methylthio) butanoic acid isopropyl ester (HMBi) were investigated on ruminal in situ degradability of grain and forage diets, in vivo digestibility, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites and antioxidant status. Six ruminally cannulated ewes were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 28-day periods. The dietary treatments were as follows: (i) no supplemental Met (control; CON), (ii) DL-Met at 1.

Energetic costs of mange in wolves estimated from infrared thermography.

Parasites, by definition, extract energy from their hosts and thus affect trophic and food web dynamics even when the parasite may have limited effects on host population size. We studied the energetic costs of mange (Sarcoptes scabiei) in wolves (Canis lupus) using thermal cameras to estimate heat losses associated with compromised insulation during the winter. We combined the field data of known, naturally infected wolves with a data set on captive wolves with shaved patches of fur as a positive control to simulate mange-induced hair loss.

HLA Class I and II alleles, heterozygosity and HLA-KIR interactions are associated with rates of genital HSV shedding and lesions.

Variation at HLA and KIR loci is associated with the severity of viral infections. To assess associations of genital HSV-2 infection with human HLA and KIR genetic loci, we measured the frequencies of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA detection and of genital lesions in HSV-2 seropositive persons. We followed 267 HSV-2 seropositive persons who collected daily genital swabs and recorded lesions for ⩾30 days.

Leptin Levels Are Higher in Whole Compared to Skim Human Milk, Supporting a Cellular Contribution.

Human milk (HM) contains a plethora of metabolic hormones, including leptin, which is thought to participate in the regulation of the appetite of the developing infant. Leptin in HM is derived from a combination of de novo mammary synthesis and transfer from the maternal serum. Moreover, leptin is partially lipophilic and is also present in HM cells.

Application of the Kvaal method for adult dental age estimation using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT).

Different non-invasive methods have been proposed for dental age estimation in adults, with the Kvaal et al. method as one of the more frequently tested in different populations. The purpose of this study was to apply the Kvaal et al.

SPArking Interest in the Long Noncoding RNA World: A New Class of 5' SnoRNA-Stabilized LncRNA that Influences Alternative Splicing.

Delving deeply into the locus deleted in Prader-Willi syndrome, in this issue of Molecular Cell, Wu et al. (2016) identify SPA RNAs, a new class of 5' snoRNA-capped lncRNAs that sequester RNA binding proteins and influence alternative splicing.

Human altruistic tendencies vary with both the costliness of selfless acts and socioeconomic status.

Altruism toward strangers is considered a defining feature of humans. However, manifestation of this behaviour is contingent on the costliness of the selfless act. The extent of altruistic tendencies also varies cross-culturally, being more common in societies with higher levels of market integration.

Specific combinations of ion channel inhibitors reduce excessive Ca influx as a consequence of oxidative stress and increase neuronal and glial cell viability in vitro.

Combinations of Ca channel inhibitors have been proposed as an effective means to prevent excess Ca flux and death of neurons and glia following neurotrauma in vivo. However, it is not yet known if beneficial outcomes such as improved viability have been due to direct effects on intracellular Ca concentrations. Here, the effects of combinations of Lomerizine (Lom), 2,3-dioxo-7-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)6-nitro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-quinoxalinyl]acetic acid monohydrate (YM872), 3,5-dimethyl-1-adamantanamine (memantine (Mem)) and/or adenosine 5'-triphosphate periodate oxidized sodium salt (oxATP) to block voltage-gated Ca channels, Ca permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors, NMDA receptors and purinergic P2X receptors (P2XR) respectively, on Ca concentration and viability of rat primary mixed cortical (MC) cultures exposed to hydrogen peroxide (HO) insult, were assessed.

Thermal implications of interactions between insulation, solar reflectance, and fur structure in the summer coats of diverse species of kangaroo.

Not all of the solar radiation that impinges on a mammalian coat is absorbed and converted into thermal energy at the coat surface. Some is reflected back to the environment, while another portion is reflected further into the coat where it is absorbed and manifested as heat at differing levels. Substantial insulation in a coat limits the thermal impact at the skin of solar radiation, irrespective where in the coat it is absorbed.

Neuroendocrine and neurotrophic signaling in Huntington's disease: Implications for pathogenic mechanisms and treatment strategies.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by an extended polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. Circadian, sleep and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disturbances are observed in HD as early as 15 years before clinical disease onset. Disturbances in these key processes result in increased cortisol and altered melatonin release which may negatively impact on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and contribute to documented neuropathological and clinical disease features.