scholarly journals Moderation of the transgenerational transference of antenatal stress-induced anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Or Burstein ◽  
Noam Simon ◽  
Yaarit Simchon-Tenenbaum ◽  
Moshe Rehavi ◽  
Motty Franko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Maternal Anxiety ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Maternal Functioning ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mother And Child ◽  
Antenatal Stress ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractMaternal stress has debilitating implications for both mother and child, including increased risk for anxiety. The current COVID-19 pandemic escalates these phenomena, thus, urging the need to further explore and validate feasible therapeutic options. Unlike the protracted nature of clinical studies, animal models could offer swift evidence. Prominent candidates for treatment are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to the mother, that putatively accommodate maternal functioning, and, thereby, also protect the child. However, SSRIs might have deleterious effects. It is important to assess whether SSRIs and other pharmacotherapies can moderate the transference of anxiety by soothing maternal anxiety and to examine the extent of offspring’s exposure to the drugs via lactation. To our knowledge, the possibility that antenatal stress exacerbates lactation-driven exposure to SSRIs has not been tested yet. Thirty ICR-outbred female mice were exposed to stress during gestation and subsequently administered with either the SSRI, escitalopram, or the novel herbal candidate, shan-zha, during lactation. Upon weaning, both dams’ and pups’ anxiety-like behavior and serum escitalopram levels were assessed. The major findings of the current study show that both agents moderated the antenatal stress-induced transgenerational transference of anxiety by ameliorating dams’ anxiety. Interestingly though, pups’ exposure to escitalopram via lactation was exacerbated by antenatal stress. The latter finding provides a significant insight into the mechanism of lactation-driven exposure to xenobiotics and calls for a further consideration vis-à-vis the administration of other drugs during breastfeeding.

scholarly journals Targeted Metabolomics for Plasma Amino Acids and Carnitines in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome Using HPLC-MS/MS

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-li Gong ◽  
Song Yang ◽  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Fei-fei Han ◽  
Ling-ling Xuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Plasma Amino Acids ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Progression Of Disease ◽  
Validation Set ◽  
Insight Into

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a health disorder characterized by metabolic abnormalities that predict an increased risk to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes. Biomarkers can provide an insight into the novel mechanism for MetS and can be potentially used for personalized response to therapies. We exploited a targeted HPLC-MS/MS method to characterize plasma amino acids and carnitine metabolic profile in MetS patients. A training set (40 cases and 40 controls) and validation set (80 MetS patients and 80 healthy controls) were carried out to find the metabolic profiles. We discovered two carnitine metabolites including hydroxydecanoyl carnitine and methylglutarylcarnitine. Our results indicated that the decreased level of hydroxydecanoyl carnitine and methylglutarylcarnitine may be associated with the risk of MetS. These biomarkers may improve the risk prediction and provide a novel tool for monitoring of the progression of disease and response to treatment in MetS patients.

scholarly journals Translational Animal Models Provide Insight Into Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) Secretome Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Harman ◽  
Charlotte Marx ◽  
Gerlinde R. Van de Walle
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Mesenchymal Stromal Cell ◽  
Stromal Cell ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Human Medicine ◽  
Secreted Factors ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Individual Donor

The therapeutic potential of the mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) secretome, consisting of all molecules secreted by MSCs, is intensively studied. MSCs can be readily isolated, expanded, and manipulated in culture, and few people argue with the ethics of their collection. Despite promising pre-clinical studies, most MSC secretome-based therapies have not been implemented in human medicine, in part because the complexity of bioactive factors secreted by MSCs is not completely understood. In addition, the MSC secretome is variable, influenced by individual donor, tissue source of origin, culture conditions, and passage. An increased understanding of the factors that make up the secretome and the ability to manipulate MSCs to consistently secrete factors of biologic importance will improve MSC therapy. To aid in this goal, we can draw from the wealth of information available on secreted factors from MSC isolated from veterinary species. These translational animal models will inspire efforts to move human MSC secretome therapy from bench to bedside.

scholarly journals Tipping in Crises: Evidence from Chicago Taxi Passengers during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Conlisk
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Taxi Drivers ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Tipping Behavior ◽  
Theoretical Insight ◽  
Insight Into

In early 2020, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread to the United States and upended normal life. Using trip-level data on over 17 million taxi rides taken in Chicago from 2018-2021, I document how tipping behavior changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. I find that the average non-zero tip increased by almost 2 percentage points, from roughly 26% to 28% of the taxi fare. Meanwhile, the likelihood that a passenger left a tip at all declined by roughly 5 percentage points, down from a pre-pandemic likelihood of 95%. My preferred specification suggests that the effect on the intensive margin dominates that in the extensive margin, leading to an aggregate increase in tipping generosity during the pandemic. I leverage granularity in the data to explore the mechanisms behind these trends and offer two explanations consistent with thedata. First, passengers responded to the two economic shocks of the pandemic – unemployment and savingsoverhangs – by varying their tipping rates accordingly. Second, passengers internalized the increased risk of COVID-19 infection as an additional cost for taxi drivers and increased their tips as compensation. My analysis testifies to the sustainability of tipping in times of crises and offers theoretical insight into what drives tipping behavior.

The Monk

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Lewis
Keyword(s):  
French Revolution ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Young Girl ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Reading Public ◽  
Ghost Stories ◽  
Gothic Fiction ◽  
Black Magic ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Profound Insight

‘He was deaf to the murmurs of conscience, and resolved to satisfy his desires at any price.’ The Monk (1796) is a sensational story of temptation and depravity, a masterpiece of Gothic fiction and the first horror novel in English literature. The respected monk Ambrosio, the Abbot of a Capuchin monastery in Madrid, is overwhelmed with desire for a young girl; once having abandoned his monastic vows he begins a terrible descent into immorality and violence. His appalling fall from grace embraces blasphemy, black magic, torture, rape, and murder, and places his very soul in jeopardy. Lewis’s extraordinary tale drew on folklore, legendary ghost stories, and contemporary dread inspired by the terrors of the French Revolution. Its excesses shocked the reading public and it was condemned as obscene. The novel continues to beguile and shock readers today with its gruesome catalogue of iniquities, while at the same time giving a profound insight into the deep anxieties experienced by British citizens during one of the most turbulent periods in the nation’s history.

scholarly journals Continuous and Cyclic Progesterone Differentially Interact with Estradiol in the Regulation of Alzheimer-Like Pathology in Female 3×Transgenic-Alzheimer’s Disease Mice

Endocrinology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 151 (6) ◽  
pp. 2713-2722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna C. Carroll ◽  
Emily R. Rosario ◽  
Angela Villamagna ◽  
Christian J. Pike
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Transgenic Mouse Model ◽  
Dependent Behavior ◽  
Potential Efficacy ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Neural Interactions ◽  
Β Amyloid ◽  
Insight Into

Depletion of estrogens and progesterone at menopause has been linked to an increased risk for the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in women. A currently controversial literature indicates that although treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone therapy (HT) may reduce the risk of AD, several parameters of HT may limit its potential efficacy and perhaps, even exacerbate AD risk. One such parameter is continuous vs. cyclic delivery of the progestogen component of HT. Recent experimental evidence suggests that continuous progesterone can attenuate neural actions of estradiol (E2). In the present study, we compared the effects of continuous and cyclic progesterone treatment in the presence and absence of E2 in ovariectomized 3×Tg-AD mice, a transgenic mouse model of AD. We found that ovariectomy-induced hormone depletion increases AD-like pathology in female 3×Tg-AD mice, including accumulation of β-amyloid, tau hyperphosphorylation, and impaired hippocampal-dependent behavior. E2 treatment alone prevents the increases in pathology. Continuous progesterone did not affect β-amyloid levels when delivered alone but blocked the Aβ-lowering action of E2. In contrast, cyclic progesterone significantly reduced β-amyloid levels by itself and enhanced rather than inhibited the E2 effects. These results provide new insight into the neural interactions between E2 and progesterone that may prove valuable in optimizing HT regimens in postmenopausal women.

scholarly journals Timing of Bisphosphonate Initiation After Fracture: What Does the Data Really Say?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 215145932098036
Author(s):  
David W. Barton ◽  
C. Taylor Smith ◽  
Amit S. Piple ◽  
Sterling A. Moskal ◽  
Jonathan J. Carmouche
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Healing ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Osteoporosis Treatment ◽  
The Body ◽  
Non Union ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Level I ◽  
Timing Of Initiation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Published Research

Introduction: Osteoporosis is often not clinically recognized until after a fracture occurs. Individuals who have 1 fracture are at increased risk of future fractures. Prompt initiation of osteoporosis treatment following fracture is critical to reducing the rate of future fractures. Antiresorptives are the most widely used class of medications for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Many providers are hesitant to initiate antiresorptives in the acute post-fracture period. Concerns include interference with bone remodeling necessary for successful fracture healing, which would cause increased rates of non-union, malunion, and refracture. While such concerns should not extend to anabolic medications, physicians may also hesitate to initiate anabolic osteoporosis therapies due to high cost and/or lack of familiarity. This article aims to briefly review the available data and present a digestible narrative summary to familiarize practicing orthopaedic surgeons with the essential details of the published research on this topic. Results: The results of 20 clinical studies and key pre-clinical studies related to the effect of anti-resorptive medications for osteoporosis on fracture healing are summarized in the body of this narrative review. Discussion & Conclusions: While few level I studies have examined the impact of timing of initiation of osteoporosis medications in the acute post-fracture period, the few that have been published do not support these concerns. Specifically, data from level I clinical trials indicate that initiating bisphosphonates as early as 2 weeks post-fracture does not increase rates of non-union or malunion. By reviewing the available data, we hope to give clinicians the confidence to initiate osteoporosis treatment promptly post-fracture.

scholarly journals Good Idea But Not Here! A Pilot Study of Swedish Tourism Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Halal Tourism

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2646
Author(s):  
Saeid Abbasian
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Target Group ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Swedish Study ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Insight Into

The following study is the first Swedish study on Halal tourism in Sweden. The purpose of this exploratory research is to get insight into the perception of Halal tourism in Sweden among representatives of tourism stakeholders. The overall methodology approach in this research is qualitative, consisting of 25 qualitative questionnaires, 21 short letters, four follow-up interviews, and a web observation, and content analysis was employed. The results indicate that there is a low knowledge of Halal tourism in Sweden including Swedish tourism industry. The concept is very challenging, and profits are low. It might result in problem scenarios such as detrimental effects on non-Halal tourism, cultural difficulties and increased risk of xenophobia, anti-Islamism, and tension in the society. There is low interest for Sweden among Muslim tourists as the interest and priority for Halal tourism is rather low from Swedish tourism industry. Despite Halal tourism’s importance internationally, these representatives are rather cautious and doubtful about promotion of Sweden towards this niche. Still, a majority seems to be positive to a lighter version of Muslim-friendly tourism with secular/moderate Muslims as a target group.

Stanlake Samkange’s Insufferable Zimbabwe: Distanciating Trauma from the Novel to Philosophy

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-176
Author(s):  
Jeanne-Marie Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Trauma Theory ◽  
The Novel ◽  
African Context ◽  
Independence Era ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Fresh Insight ◽  
Insight Into

This article theorizes the Zimbabwean writer Stanlake Samkange’s turn from the novel to philosophy as an effort to circumvent the representational pressure exerted by African cultural traumatization. In breaking with the novel form to coauthor a philosophical treatise called Hunhuism or Ubuntuism in the same year as Zimbabwe achieves independence (1980), Samkange advances a comportment-based, deontological alternative to the psychic or subjective model of personhood that anchors trauma theory. Revisiting the progression from his most achieved novel, The Mourned One, to Hunhuism or Ubuntuism thus offers fresh insight into the range of options available to independence-era writers for representing the relationship between African individuality and collectivity. At the same time, it suggests a complementary and overlooked relationship between novelistic and philosophical forms in an African context.

scholarly journals Preconceptional Resveratrol Supplementation Partially Counteracts Age-Related Reproductive Complications in C57BL/6J Female Mice

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1934
Author(s):  
Marta Ziętek ◽  
Katarzyna Barłowska ◽  
Barbara Wijas ◽  
Ewa Szablisty ◽  
Atanas G. Atanasov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Pregnancy Outcomes ◽  
Pregnancy Complications ◽  
Polyphenolic Compound ◽  
Female Mice ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Anti Oxidant

Aging is associated with a drastic decline in fertility/fecundity and with an increased risk of pregnancy complications. Resveratrol (RES), a natural polyphenolic compound, has shown anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in both human and animal models, thus representing a potential therapeutic and prophylactic anti-aging supplement. Here, we investigated whether preconceptional resveratrol supplementation improved reproductive outcomes in mid-aged (8-month-old) and old (12-month-old) C57BL/6J female mice. Female siblings were cohoused and assigned to either RES or vehicle supplementation to drinking water for 10 consecutive weeks. Subsequently, females were mated with non-supplemented males and their pregnancy outcomes were monitored. RES improved mating success in old, but not in mid-aged females, and prevented the occurrence of delivery complications in the latter. These results indicate that preconceptional RES supplementation could partially improve age-related reproductive complications, but it was not sufficient to restore fecundity in female mice at a very advanced age.

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