scholarly journals 60 YEARS OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY: The hypothalamo-prolactin axis

2015 ◽  
Vol 226 (2) ◽  
pp. T101-T122 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R Grattan
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Target Tissue ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Current State ◽  
Range Of Functions ◽  
Loop Feedback

The hypothalamic control of prolactin secretion is different from other anterior pituitary hormones, in that it is predominantly inhibitory, by means of dopamine from the tuberoinfundibular dopamine neurons. In addition, prolactin does not have an endocrine target tissue, and therefore lacks the classical feedback pathway to regulate its secretion. Instead, it is regulated by short loop feedback, whereby prolactin itself acts in the brain to stimulate production of dopamine and thereby inhibit its own secretion. Finally, despite its relatively simple name, prolactin has a broad range of functions in the body, in addition to its defining role in promoting lactation. As such, the hypothalamo-prolactin axis has many characteristics that are quite distinct from other hypothalamo-pituitary systems. This review will provide a brief overview of our current understanding of the neuroendocrine control of prolactin secretion, in particular focusing on the plasticity evident in this system, which keeps prolactin secretion at low levels most of the time, but enables extended periods of hyperprolactinemia when necessary for lactation. Key prolactin functions beyond milk production will be discussed, particularly focusing on the role of prolactin in inducing adaptive responses in multiple different systems to facilitate lactation, and the consequences if prolactin action is impaired. A feature of this pleiotropic activity is that functions that may be adaptive in the lactating state might be maladaptive if prolactin levels are elevated inappropriately. Overall, my goal is to give a flavour of both the history and current state of the field of prolactin neuroendocrinology, and identify some exciting new areas of research development.

Enterprise Metadata for Reliable Web Applications

2011 ◽  
pp. 34-82
Author(s):  
R.Todd Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Asset Management ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Web Applications ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Comprehensive Strategy ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Web

This chapter examines the critical task of governing the Web application environment with enterprise metadata methodologies. As organizations move to higher levels of maturity, the ability to manage and understand the entire environment is one of the most critical aspects of the architecture. Metadata can be defined as information pertaining to the Web application environment that the organization defines as critical to the business. Successful metadata management requires a comprehensive strategy and framework which will be presented through historical, current-state, and future perspectives The author expects that by understanding the role of metadata within the Web application environment, researchers will continue to expand the body of knowledge around asset management and overall architecture governance.

scholarly journals Emotionality vs. Other Biobehavioural Traits: A Look at Neurochemical Biomarkers for Their Differentiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina N. Trofimova ◽  
Anastasia A. Gaykalova
Keyword(s):  
Opioid Receptor ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Sensation Seeking ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
The Body ◽  
Receptor System ◽  
Temperament Traits

This review highlights the differential contributions of multiple neurochemical systems to temperament traits related and those that are unrelated to emotionality, even though these systems have a significant overlap. The difference in neurochemical biomarkers of these traits is analysed from the perspective of the neurochemical model, Functional Ensemble of Temperament (FET) that uses multi-marker and constructivism principles. Special attention is given to a differential contribution of hypothalamic–pituitary hormones and opioid neuropeptides implicated in both emotional and non-emotional regulation. The review highlights the role of the mu-opioid receptor system in dispositional emotional valence and the role of the kappa-opioid system in dispositional perceptual and behavioural alertness. These opioid receptor (OR) systems, microbiota and cytokines are produced in three neuroanatomically distinct complexes in the brain and the body, which all together integrate dispositional emotionality. In contrast, hormones could be seen as neurochemical biomarkers of non-emotional aspects of behavioural regulation related to the construction of behaviour in fast-changing and current situations. As examples of the role of hormones, the review summarised their contribution to temperament traits of Sensation Seeking (SS) and Empathy (EMP), which FET considers as non-emotionality traits related to behavioural orientation. SS is presented here as based on (higher) testosterone (fluctuating), adrenaline and (low) cortisol systems, and EMP, as based on (higher) oxytocin, reciprocally coupled with vasopressin and (lower) testosterone. Due to the involvement of gonadal hormones, there are sex and age differences in these traits that could be explained by evolutionary theory. There are, therefore, specific neurochemical biomarkers differentiating (OR-based) dispositional emotionality and (hormones-based) body’s regulation in fast-changing events. Here we propose to consider dispositional emotionality associated with OR systems as emotionality in a true sense, whereas to consider hormonal ensembles regulating SS and EMP as systems of behavioural orientation and not emotionality.

Governance and the Open Source Repository

2011 ◽  
pp. 480-493
Author(s):  
R. Todd Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Asset Management ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Comprehensive Strategy ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Current State ◽  
Critical Task ◽  
Critical Aspects

This chapter examines the critical task of governing the open source environment with an open source repository. As organizations move to higher levels of maturity, the ability to manage and understand the open source environment is one of the most critical aspects of the architecture. Metadata can be defined as information pertaining to the open source environment that the organization defines as critical to the business. Successful open source governance requires a comprehensive strategy and framework which will be presented through historical, current-state, and future perspectives. The author expects that by understanding the role of open source metadata and the repository within, researchers will continue to expand the body of knowledge around asset management and overall architecture governance.

scholarly journals The role of nutrition in the prevention and therapy of selected skin diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 175-179
Author(s):  
Magdalena Daszkiewicz ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Atopic Dermatitis ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
The Body ◽  
Unhealthy Lifestyle ◽  
Dermatological Diseases ◽  
Poor Diet ◽  
Current State ◽  
Prevention And Therapy

Nowadays it is known that many dermatological diseases are associated with a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle. Some nutrients can exacerbate the disease, while others aid in their treatment. The aim of the study was to present the current state of knowledge on the influence of nutrients on the course of skin diseases such as acne, atopic dermatitis and urticaria. Providing the body with the necessary ingredients and eliminating those that favor the development or worsening of symptoms are an important element in the treatment of many skin diseases.

scholarly journals The Effect of Bacterial Infections, Probiotics and Zonulin on Intestinal Barrier Integrity

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (21) ◽  
pp. 11359
Author(s):  
Paweł Serek ◽  
Monika Oleksy-Wawrzyniak
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Intestinal Barrier ◽  
The Body ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Gut Barrier ◽  
Selective Permeability ◽  
Current State ◽  
Viable Approach ◽  
Systemic Infections

The intestinal barrier plays an extremely important role in maintaining the immune homeostasis of the gut and the entire body. It is made up of an intricate system of cells, mucus and intestinal microbiota. A complex system of proteins allows the selective permeability of elements that are safe and necessary for the proper nutrition of the body. Disturbances in the tightness of this barrier result in the penetration of toxins and other harmful antigens into the system. Such events lead to various digestive tract dysfunctions, systemic infections, food intolerances and autoimmune diseases. Pathogenic and probiotic bacteria, and the compounds they secrete, undoubtedly affect the properties of the intestinal barrier. The discovery of zonulin, a protein with tight junction regulatory activity in the epithelia, sheds new light on the understanding of the role of the gut barrier in promoting health, as well as the formation of diseases. Coincidentally, there is an increasing number of reports on treatment methods that target gut microbiota, which suggests that the prevention of gut-barrier defects may be a viable approach for improving the condition of COVID-19 patients. Various bacteria–intestinal barrier interactions are the subject of this review, aiming to show the current state of knowledge on this topic and its potential therapeutic applications.

The Place of the Body in Resistance to Intimate Partner Violence

2019 ◽  
pp. 468-489
Author(s):  
Valli Rajah ◽  
Meg Osborn
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
The Body ◽  
Current State ◽  
Complex Picture ◽  
Embodied Resistance ◽  
And Control ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence Research

Scholarship presents a complex picture of women’s resistance to male violence and control. Despite its attention to nuance, intimate partner violence research should further investigate the role of the body and embodiment, that is, how our bodies shape the ways in which individuals perceive and act in the world. To gain purchase on existing research and to chart directions for future investigation, the authors conducted a scoping review and textual analysis. The work in this chapter is guided by three questions: (1) What is the current state of knowledge regarding resistance, the body, and embodiment in the context of intimate partner violence? (2) How does this literature discuss and conceptualize embodiment in the context of resistance? (3) What can we learn through a deeper analysis of embodied resistance in the context of intimate partner violence? Implications of the authors’ findings are discussed.

Role of regulatory peptides in parasitic platyhelminths and their vertebrate hosts: possible novel factors in host-parasite interactions

Parasitology ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 102 (S1) ◽  
pp. S93-S105 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Shaw ◽  
C. F. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Regulatory Peptides ◽  
The Body ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Target Tissue ◽  
Original Stimulus ◽  
Classical Work ◽  
Distant Target ◽  
Vertebrate Hosts ◽  
Host Parasite

The study of regulatory peptides has its origins in the classical work of Bayliss & Starling (1902). Their pioneering work on the presence of a factor in intestinal extracts which, when injected into the bloodstream of experimental animals, elicited pancreatic secretion, led to the genesis of the concept of the hormone, i.e. a chemical messenger which is released from one part of the body in response to a stimulus to travel in the bloodstream to a distant target tissue where it would elicit a physiological response appropriate to the original stimulus. In keeping with accepted scientific tradition, this concept had its critics. Pavlov, who had been studying secretory stimulation from a different perspective, concluded from his work on salivation in dogs, that this was mediated via neural pathways. With hindsight, and the benefits of knowledge obtained from nearly a century of scientific research, we now know that these pioneers were in actual fact studying different aspects of the same process and that both theories were complementary. In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ascribe secretory control to either circulating or neuronal factors as both appear to be intimately involved in regulation.

scholarly journals Assessing Lévy walks as models of animal foraging

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (62) ◽  
pp. 1233-1247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex James ◽  
Michael J. Plank ◽  
Andrew M. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Field Data ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Optimal Foraging Theory ◽  
The Body ◽  
Optimal Search ◽  
Current State ◽  
Lévy Walks ◽  
Wide Range

The hypothesis that the optimal search strategy is a Lévy walk (LW) or Lévy flight, originally suggested in 1995, has generated an explosion of interest and controversy. Long-standing empirical evidence supporting the LW hypothesis has been overturned, while new models and data are constantly being published. Statistical methods have been criticized and new methods put forward. In parallel with the empirical studies, theoretical search models have been developed. Some theories have been disproved while others remain. Here, we gather together the current state of the art on the role of LWs in optimal foraging theory. We examine the body of theory underpinning the subject. Then we present new results showing that deviations from the idealized one-dimensional search model greatly reduce or remove the advantage of LWs. The search strategy of an LW with exponent μ = 2 is therefore not as robust as is widely thought. We also review the available techniques, and their potential pitfalls, for analysing field data. It is becoming increasingly recognized that there is a wide range of mechanisms that can lead to the apparent observation of power-law patterns. The consequence of this is that the detection of such patterns in field data implies neither that the foragers in question are performing an LW, nor that they have evolved to do so. We conclude that LWs are neither a universal optimal search strategy, nor are they as widespread in nature as was once thought.

The Role of Polyphenols in the Modulation of Plasma Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity (NEAC)

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Serafini ◽  
Giuseppa Morabito
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Capacity ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dietary Polyphenols ◽  
Enzymatic Antioxidant ◽  
Endogenous Antioxidant

Dietary polyphenols have been shown to scavenge free radicals, modulating cellular redox transcription factors in different in vitro and ex vivo models. Dietary intervention studies have shown that consumption of plant foods modulates plasma Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity (NEAC), a biomarker of the endogenous antioxidant network, in human subjects. However, the identification of the molecules responsible for this effect are yet to be obtained and evidences of an antioxidant in vivo action of polyphenols are conflicting. There is a clear discrepancy between polyphenols (PP) concentration in body fluids and the extent of increase of plasma NEAC. The low degree of absorption and the extensive metabolism of PP within the body have raised questions about their contribution to the endogenous antioxidant network. This work will discuss the role of polyphenols from galenic preparation, food extracts, and selected dietary sources as modulators of plasma NEAC in humans.

The Role of Computer Modeling in Electrocardiography

1990 ◽  
Vol 29 (04) ◽  
pp. 282-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. van Oosterom
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Activity ◽  
Computer Modeling ◽  
Body Surface ◽  
Electrical Current ◽  
The Body ◽  
Volume Conductor ◽  
Current Generator ◽  
Cardiac Electrical Activity ◽  
Source Models

AbstractThis paper introduces some levels at which the computer has been incorporated in the research into the basis of electrocardiography. The emphasis lies on the modeling of the heart as an electrical current generator and of the properties of the body as a volume conductor, both playing a major role in the shaping of the electrocardiographic waveforms recorded at the body surface. It is claimed that the Forward-Problem of electrocardiography is no longer a problem. Several source models of cardiac electrical activity are considered, one of which can be directly interpreted in terms of the underlying electrophysiology (the depolarization sequence of the ventricles). The importance of using tailored rather than textbook geometry in inverse procedures is stressed.

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