scholarly journals [Mg2+]o/[Ca2+]o determines Ca2+ response at fertilization: tuning of adult phenotype?

Reproduction ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 154 (5) ◽  
pp. 675-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Ozil ◽  
Thierry Sainte-Beuve ◽  
Bernadette Banrezes

Alteration of the postnatal phenotype has sparked great concern about the developmental impact of culture media used at fertilization. However, the mechanisms and compounds involved are yet to be determined. Here, we used the Ca2+responses from mouse eggs fertilized by ICSI as a dynamic and quantitative marker to understand the role of compounds in egg functioning and establish possible correlations with adult phenotypes. We computed 134 Ca2+responses from the first to the last oscillation in media with specific formulations. Analyses demonstrate that eggs generated two times as many Ca2+oscillations in KSOM as in M16 media (18.8 ± 7.0 vs 9.2 ± 2.5). Moreover, the time increment of the delay between two consecutive oscillations, named TIbO, is the most sensitive coefficient characterizing the mechanism that paces Ca2+oscillations once the egg has been fertilized. Neither doubling external free Ca2+nor dispermic fertilization increased significantly the total number of Ca2+oscillations. In contrast, removing Mg2+from the M16 boosted Ca2+oscillations to 54.0 ± 35.2. Hence, [Mg2+]o/[Ca2+]oappears to determine the number, duration and frequency of the Ca2+oscillations. These changes were correlated with long-term effects. The rate of female’s growth was impacted with the ‘KSOM’ females having only half the fat deposit of ‘M16’ females. Moreover, adult animals issued from M16 had significantly smaller brain weight vs ‘KSOM’ and ‘control’ animals. TIbO is a new Ca2+coefficient that gauges the very early functional impact of culture media. It offers the possibility of establishing correlations with postnatal consequences according to IVF medium formulation.Free French abstract: A French translation of this abstract is freely available athttp://www.reproduction-online.org/content/154/5/675/suppl/DC1.

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 342-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Khorram ◽  
T. D. Chuang ◽  
W. J. Pearce

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that excess maternal glucocorticoids in response to maternal undernutrition programs the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) components potentially by miR-29c. We measured the expression of mRNA (qRT-PCR) and protein (Western blot) for collagen 3A1, collagen 4A5 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) in offspring carotid arteries from three groups of dams: 50% food-restricted in latter half of gestation [maternal undernutrition (MUN)], MUN dams who received metyrapone (MET) (500 mg/ml ) in drinking water from day 10 of gestation to term, and control dams fed an ad libitum diet. The expression of miR-29c was significantly decreased at 3 weeks, 3 months and 9 months in MUN carotid arteries, and these decreases in expression were partially blocked by treatment of dams with MET. The expression pattern of ECM genes that are targets of miR-29c correlated with miR-29c expression. Expression of mRNA was increased for elastin (ELN) and MMP2 mRNA in 3-week MUN carotids; in 9-month carotids there were also significant increases in expression of Col3A1 and Col4A5. These changes in mRNA expression of ECM genes at 3 weeks and 9 months were blocked by MET treatment. Similarly, the expression of ELN and MMP2 proteins at 3 weeks were increased in MUN carotids, and by 9 months there were also increases in expression of Col3A1 and Col4A5, which were blocked by MET in MUN carotids. Overall, the results demonstrate a close correlation between expression of miR-29c and the ECM proteins that are its targets thus supporting our central hypothesis.


Author(s):  
Maureen L. Whittal ◽  
Melisa Robichaud

The cornerstone of cognitive treatment (CT) for OCD is based upon the knowledge that unwanted intrusions are essentially a universal experience. As such, it is not the presence of the intrusion that is problematic but rather the associated meaning or interpretation. Treatment is flexible, depending upon the nature of the appraisals and beliefs, but can include strategies focused on inflated responsibility and overestimation of threat, importance and control of thoughts, and the need for perfectionism and certainty. The role of concealment and the relationship to personal values are important maintaining and etiological factors. The short-term and long-term treatment outcome is reviewed, along with predictors of treatment response and mechanisms of action, and the chapter concludes with future directions regarding CT for OCD.


2021 ◽  
pp. 048661342097642
Author(s):  
Juan E. Santarcángelo ◽  
Juan Manuel Padín

Argentina’s right-wing shift in the 2015 presidential election concluded twelve years of center-left rule. The elected president, Mauricio Macri, claimed that the economy would experience normalization of existing imbalances and recover its strength in a “new political era.” However, the new administration quickly restored the dominance of neoliberal economic policies through a comprehensive set of initiatives, which centrally included the return to international financial debt and equity markets and submission to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) rules. This article analyzes Argentina’s external-debt-growth process and discusses its objectives and long-term effects. This paper posits that the indebtedness process carried out by the Macri administration—and its modality—not only increased the relevance of financial capital in the Argentine economy but also structurally conditioned any future nonorthodox alternative path of development. This outcome cannot be understood without taking into account the deliberate role of the United States, the IMF, and the top companies that operate in Argentina, as well as the complicity of many political sectors. JEL Classification: H63, F34, F63


2018 ◽  
Vol 168 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Archer ◽  
Kai-Ti Kao

Many mothers can find themselves increasingly isolated and overwhelmed after giving birth to a new baby. This period can be a source of extreme stress, anxiety and depression, which can not only have an economic impact on national health services, but can also have long-term effects on the development of the child. At the same time, social media use among most new mothers has become ubiquitous. This research investigates the role of social media, potentially as a mechanism for social support, among Australian mothers of young children aged from birth to 4 years. The findings indicate that participants had mixed responses to their social media use. While social support was deemed a benefit, there were also some negative aspects to social media use identified. The findings highlight the need to critically interrogate social media’s ability to act as a source of social support for new mothers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 131 ◽  
pp. 105496
Author(s):  
M. Mazzelli ◽  
N. Cattane ◽  
V. Begni ◽  
M. Papp ◽  
M.A. Riva ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Rioja ◽  
Fernando Rios-Avila ◽  
Neven Valev

Purpose – While the literature studying the effect of banking crises on real output growth rates has found short-lived effects, recent work has focused on the level effects showing that banking crises can reduce output below its trend for several years. This paper aims to investigate the effect of banking crises on investment finding a prolonged negative effect. Design/methodology/approach – The authors test to see whether investment declines after a banking crisis and, if it does, for how long and by how much. The paper uses data for 148 countries from 1963 to 2007. Econometrically, the authors test how banking crises episodes affect investment in future years after controlling for other potential determinants. Findings – The authors find that the investment to GDP ratio is on average about 1.7 percent lower for about eight years following a banking crisis. These results are robust after controlling for credit availability, institutional characteristics, and a host of other factors. Furthermore, the authors find that the size and duration of this adverse effect on investment varies according to the level of financial development of a country. The largest and longer-lasting decrease in investment is found in countries in a middle region of financial development, where finance plays its most important role according to theory. Originality/value – The authors contribute by finding that banking crisis can have long-term effects on investment of up to nine years. Further, the authors contribute by finding that the level of development of the country's financial markets affects the duration of this decrease in investment.


10.29007/5xsb ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Martínez-Flor ◽  
Esther Usó-Juan

Studies analysing the positive role of pragmatic instruction in formal settings have increased over the last decades. Within this area of interventional pragmatics, some studies have particularly examined whether the effectiveness of the instruction implemented is sustained over time. In order to shed more light on the long-term effects of instruction, this research investigates English as a Foreign Language learners’ use of complaining formulas not only after immediately receiving instruction, but also two months later. Results show that learners keep using a variety of appropriate complaining formulas two months after having participated in the instructional period. These findings are discussed and directions for future research suggested.


Coronaviruses ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 03 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandkishor Kotagale ◽  
Brijesh Taksande ◽  
Nazma Inamdar

Abstract: The catastrophe of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The respiratory system appears to be ground zero in the majority of the patients. However, many other organs can get infected by cytokines, chemokines and other mediators released in response to the presence of the virus. The neurotropism by the SARS-CoV-2 is established beyond doubt. In addition to non-specific symptoms, the symptoms specific to central and/or peripheral nervous system diseases as well as neuromuscular diseases have been observed in numerous clinical cases. These observations and the experiences with other coronavirus infections earlier and flu pandemics raise concerns not only about the neurological effects in active disease but also about the long-term effects generated by the infection, immune and inflammatory functions. The knowledge of biological actions of agmatine in the backdrop of physiological events instigated by invading SARS-CoV-2 and host’s response, especially in neural events, focuses on the possible overlaps of biomolecular pathways at a number of instances. This is not surprising since the factors stimulated during SARS-CoV-2 infection are the disease-generating neuroinflammatory components altered by agmatine. Hence, we hypothesize the possible beneficial role of agmatine in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Based on a narrative review of the literature, agmatine can be proposed as a plausible beneficial candidate for supporting treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection and for addressing post-infection neurological complications.


Author(s):  
Evelyne París-Oller ◽  
Cristina Soriano-Úbeda ◽  
Ramsés Belda-Pérez ◽  
Lucía Sarriás-Gil ◽  
Jordana S. Lopes ◽  
...  

Abstract The addition of reproductive fluids (RF) to the culture media has shown benefits in different embryonic traits but its long-term effects on the offspring phenotype are still unknown. We aimed to describe such effects in pigs. Blood samples and growth parameters were collected from piglets derived from in vitro-produced embryos (IVP) with or without RF added in the culture media versus those artificially inseminated (AI), from day 0 to month 6 of life. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed on day 45 of life. We show here the first comparative data of the growth of animals produced through different assisted reproductive techniques, demonstrating differences between groups. Overall, there was a tendency to have a larger size at birth and faster growth in animals derived from in vitro fertilization and embryo culture versus AI, although this trend was diminished by the addition of RFs to the culture media. Similarly, small differences in hematological indices and glucose tolerance between animals derived from AI and those derived from IVP, with a sex-dependent effect, tended to fade in the presence of RF. The addition of RF to the culture media could contribute to minimizing the phenotypical differences between the in vitro-derived and AI offspring, particularly in males.


Author(s):  
Andrew E. McKechnie

The direct impacts of higher temperatures on birds are manifested over timescales ranging from minutes and hours to years and decades. Over short timescales, acute exposure to high temperatures can lead to hyperthermia or dehydration, which among arid-zone species occasionally causes catastrophic mortality events. Over intermediate timescales of days to weeks, high temperatures can have chronic sub-lethal effects via body mass loss or reduced nestling growth rates, negatively affecting sev eral fitness components. Long-term effects of warming manifested over years to decades involve declining body mass or changes in appendage size. Key directions for future research include elucidating the role of phenotypic plasticity and epigenetic processes in avian adaptation to climate change, examining the role of stress pathways in mediating responses to heat events, and understanding the consequences of higher temperatures for species that traverse hot regions while migrating.


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