TNAP as a New Player in Chronic Inflammatory Conditions and Metabolism

This review summarizes important information on the ectoenzyme tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) and gives a brief insight into the symptoms, diagnostics, and treatment of the rare disease Hypophosphatasia (HPP), which is resulting from mutations in the TNAP encoding ALPL gene. We emphasize the role of TNAP beyond its well-known contribution to mineralization processes. Therefore, above all, the impact of the enzyme on central molecular processes in the nervous system and on inflammation is presented here.

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Tissue-Nonspecific Alkaline Phosphatase—A Gatekeeper of Physiological Conditions in Health and a Modulator of Biological Environments in Disease

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom10121648 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1648

Author(s):

Daniel Liedtke ◽

Christine Hofmann ◽

Franz Jakob ◽

Eva Klopocki ◽

Stephanie Graser

Keyword(s):

Alkaline Phosphatase ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Systemic Disease ◽

Loss Of Function ◽

Inorganic Pyrophosphate ◽

Wide Range ◽

Mineralization Processes ◽

Tissue Nonspecific Alkaline Phosphatase

Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) is a ubiquitously expressed enzyme that is best known for its role during mineralization processes in bones and skeleton. The enzyme metabolizes phosphate compounds like inorganic pyrophosphate and pyridoxal-5′-phosphate to provide, among others, inorganic phosphate for the mineralization and transportable vitamin B6 molecules. Patients with inherited loss of function mutations in the ALPL gene and consequently altered TNAP activity are suffering from the rare metabolic disease hypophosphatasia (HPP). This systemic disease is mainly characterized by impaired bone and dental mineralization but may also be accompanied by neurological symptoms, like anxiety disorders, seizures, and depression. HPP characteristically affects all ages and shows a wide range of clinical symptoms and disease severity, which results in the classification into different clinical subtypes. This review describes the molecular function of TNAP during the mineralization of bones and teeth, further discusses the current knowledge on the enzyme’s role in the nervous system and in sensory perception. An additional focus is set on the molecular role of TNAP in health and on functional observations reported in common laboratory vertebrate disease models, like rodents and zebrafish.

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Proliferation of Uterine Natural Killer Cells Is Induced by Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Mediated via the Mannose Receptor

Endocrinology ◽

10.1210/en.2008-1309 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 150 (6) ◽

pp. 2882-2888 ◽

Cited By ~ 92

Author(s):

Nicole Kane ◽

Rodney Kelly ◽

Philippa T. K. Saunders ◽

Hilary O. D. Critchley

Keyword(s):

Natural Killer ◽

Mannose Receptor ◽

Lh Receptor ◽

Uterine Natural Killer Cells ◽

Unk Cells ◽

The Impact ◽

Insight Into ◽

Unk Cell ◽

Uterine Natural Killer

The endometrial lining of the human uterus contains a population of phenotypically distinct (CD56bright, CD16dim), tissue-specific, natural killer [uterine natural killer (uNK)] cells that play a key role in the establishment of a successful pregnancy. An increase in the number of endometrial uNK cells occurs when the conceptus implants, and there is a further increase during the early stages of placentation. Here, we describe studies that have identified human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), a glycoprotein synthesized by the preimplantation conceptus, as a novel regulator of uNK cell proliferation. The impact of hCG on uNK cells was mediated via the mannose receptor (CD206) rather than by the classical hCG/LH receptor that was not expressed. The mannose receptor and hCG were colocalized on the surface of uNK cells, and proliferation did not occur if cells were incubated with deglycosylated hCG or intact hCG in the presence of excess d-Mannose. These novel observations provide new insight into the endocrine-immune dialogue that exists between the conceptus and immune cells within the receptive endometrium, and have implications for the role of uNK cell-trophoblast interactions and pregnancy outcome.

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What makes court-referred mediation effective?

International Journal of Conflict Management ◽

10.1108/ijcma-09-2012-0071 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 21-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amira Galin

Keyword(s):

Design Methodology ◽

Content Type ◽

Process And Outcome ◽

Refusal To Participate ◽

The Impact ◽

Practical Implications ◽

Theoretical Insight ◽

Insight Into ◽

Low Rate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain insight into court-referred mediation in the Israeli Labor Courts, by analyzing its processes and outcomes, as a function of tactics used by both the disputants and the mediator. Design/methodology/approach – Observation of 103 court-referred mediations, for each of which a detailed process and outcome were documented. Data on disputants' refusal to participate in the mediation was also collected. At the end of each mediation case, disputants were given a questionnaire in which they expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and their evaluation of the mediator's contribution. Findings – A low rate of refusal to participate in court-referred mediation was found. Also, the higher the ratio of soft tactics to pressure tactics employed (by all parties involved) during the process, the higher the rate of agreements. Mediators use significantly more soft tactics than disputants, and are more active in using tactics. The two significant variables that predict the mediation's agreement are the ratio between soft tactics to pressure tactics used by all parties, and mediator contribution to the process. Practical implications – The significant role of soft tactics in the process, outcome, and satisfaction of court-referred mediation may serve as a guideline for disputants and mediators. Originality/value – This unique research, which examines the impact of tactics on court-referred mediation, may provide added and significant theoretical insight into its process and outcome, as well as a better understanding of other “hybrid” (compulsory at the beginning, voluntary at the end) mediations.

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Disrupting Settler-Colonialism or Enforcing the Liberal ‘Peace’? Transitional (In)justice in Palestine-Israel

Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies ◽

10.3366/hlps.2021.0255 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 1-27

Author(s):

Brendan Ciarán Browne

Keyword(s):

Transitional Justice ◽

Settler Colonialism ◽

Status Quo ◽

Violent Conflict ◽

Peace Building ◽

Liberal Peace ◽

The Impact ◽

Liberal Peacebuilding ◽

Insight Into

The growing interest in ‘During Conflict Justice’ (DCJ) in areas experiencing ongoing, sustained violent ‘conflict’ has further demonstrated the confluence between transitional justice and liberal peacebuilding approaches. Nowhere so is this more evident than in the case of Palestine-Israel where an ongoing process of Israeli settler-colonialism in historic Palestine continues, with the further spotlighting of ‘justice’ issues that are longstanding and unresolved. This article critiques the application of TJ/DCJ in Palestine-Israel and calls for a radicalisation of its application so as to ensure a platforming of conversation around decolonisation. It does so by critiquing the impact of discourse, specifically the framing of the ‘conflict’ and focuses on the nefarious role of a liberal peace building agenda in Palestine-Israel, a process that has embedded a deeply unjust and inequitable status quo. An insight into several ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ strategies of TJ/DCJ in Palestine-Israel is provided, with the conclusion reached that; any TJ/DCJ praxis that does not platform meaningful conversation around decolonisation in the region will ultimately amount to the individualisation of ‘justice’ whilst failing to address root causes.

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Evolution in the cold

Antarctic Science ◽

10.1017/s0954102000000316 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 257-257 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Andrew Clarke

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary Biology ◽

Antarctic Fish ◽

The Arctic ◽

Polar Regions ◽

Evolutionary Studies ◽

Adaptive Radiations ◽

The Antarctic ◽

The Impact ◽

Insight Into

Theodosius Dobzhansky once remarked that nothing in biology makes sense other than in the light of evolution, thereby emphasising the central role of evolutionary studies in providing the theoretical context for all of biology. It is perhaps surprising then that evolutionary biology has played such a small role to date in Antarctic science. This is particularly so when it is recognised that the polar regions provide us with an unrivalled laboratory within which to undertake evolutionary studies. The Antarctic exhibits one of the classic examples of a resistance adaptation (antifreeze peptides and glycopeptides, first described from Antarctic fish), and provides textbook examples of adaptive radiations (for example amphipod crustaceans and notothenioid fish). The land is still largely in the grip of major glaciation, and the once rich terrestrial floras and faunas of Cenozoic Gondwana are now highly depauperate and confined to relatively small patches of habitat, often extremely isolated from other such patches. Unlike the Arctic, where organisms are returning to newly deglaciated land from refugia on the continental landmasses to the south, recolonization of Antarctica has had to take place by the dispersal of propagules over vast distances. Antarctica thus offers an insight into the evolutionary responses of terrestrial floras and faunas to extreme climatic change unrivalled in the world. The sea forms a strong contrast to the land in that here the impact of climate appears to have been less severe, at least in as much as few elements of the fauna show convincing signs of having been completely eradicated.

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Audio Mining: The Role of Vocal Tone in Persuasion

Journal of Consumer Research ◽

10.1093/jcr/ucab012 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xin (Shane) Wang ◽

Shijie Lu ◽

X I Li ◽

Mansur Khamitov ◽

Neil Bendle

Keyword(s):

Empirical Study ◽

Large Scale ◽

Controlled Experiments ◽

The Core ◽

Content Model ◽

Stereotype Content ◽

Key Indicators ◽

The Impact ◽

Insight Into

Abstract Persuasion success is often related to hard-to-measure characteristics, such as the way the persuader speaks. To examine how vocal tones impact persuasion in an online appeal, this research measures persuaders’ vocal tones in Kickstarter video pitches using novel audio mining technology. Connecting vocal tone dimensions with real-world funding outcomes offers insight into the impact of vocal tones on receivers’ actions. The core hypothesis of this paper is that a successful persuasion attempt is associated with vocal tones denoting (1) focus, (2) low stress, and (3) stable emotions. These three vocal tone dimensions—which are in line with the stereotype content model—matter because they allow receivers to make inferences about a persuader’s competence. The hypotheses are tested with a large-scale empirical study using Kickstarter data, which is then replicated in a different category. In addition, two controlled experiments provide evidence that perceptions of competence mediate the impact of the three vocal tones on persuasion attempt success. The results identify key indicators of persuasion attempt success and suggest a greater role for audio mining in academic consumer research.

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A selective effect of dopamine on information-seeking

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.59152 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Valentina Vellani ◽

Lianne P de Vries ◽

Anne Gaule ◽

Tali Sharot

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Selective Effect ◽

Reward Seeking ◽

The Impact ◽

The Brain ◽

Insight Into ◽

Primary Reward

Humans are motivated to seek information from their environment. How the brain motivates this behavior is unknown. One speculation is that the brain employs neuromodulatory systems implicated in primary reward-seeking, in particular dopamine, to instruct information-seeking. However, there has been no causal test for the role of dopamine in information-seeking. Here, we show that administration of a drug that enhances dopamine function (dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine; L-DOPA) reduces the impact of valence on information-seeking. Specifically, while participants under Placebo sought more information about potential gains than losses, under L-DOPA this difference was not observed. The results provide new insight into the neurobiology of information-seeking and generates the prediction that abnormal dopaminergic function (such as in Parkinson’s disease) will result in valence-dependent changes to information-seeking.

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The gut-microbiota-brain axis in autism: what Drosophila models can offer?

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

10.1186/s11689-021-09378-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Safa Salim ◽

Ayesha Banu ◽

Amira Alwa ◽

Swetha B. M. Gowda ◽

Farhan Mohammad

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Neurological Disorders ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Brain Disorders ◽

Mediated Communication ◽

The Impact ◽

Insight Into ◽

Drosophila Models

AbstractThe idea that alterations in gut-microbiome-brain axis (GUMBA)-mediated communication play a crucial role in human brain disorders like autism remains a topic of intensive research in various labs. Gastrointestinal issues are a common comorbidity in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although gut microbiome and microbial metabolites have been implicated in the etiology of ASD, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In this review, we have summarized recent findings in human and animal models highlighting the role of the gut-brain axis in ASD. We have discussed genetic and neurobehavioral characteristics of Drosophila as an animal model to study the role of GUMBA in ASD. The utility of Drosophila fruit flies as an amenable genetic tool, combined with axenic and gnotobiotic approaches, and availability of transgenic flies may reveal mechanistic insight into gut-microbiota-brain interactions and the impact of its alteration on behaviors relevant to neurological disorders like ASD.

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Drivers of intention to use Murabaha financing: religiosity as moderator

Journal of Islamic Marketing ◽

10.1108/jima-07-2019-0147 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Naqeeb Ullah Atal ◽

Mohammad Iranmanesh ◽

Fathyah Hashim ◽

Behzad Foroughi

Keyword(s):

Social Influence ◽

Reasoned Action ◽

Intention To Use ◽

Content Type ◽

The Impact ◽

Positive Effect ◽

Moderating Role ◽

Insight Into ◽

Religious Obligation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of Muslims’ attitude and intention towards Murabaha financing by considering religiosity as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through a survey of 373 Muslims in Afghanistan and were analysed using the partial least squares technique. Findings The results showed that social influence and religious obligation have a positive effect on attitude towards Murabaha financing. Furthermore, social influence and attitude have a positive effect on the intention to use Murabaha financing. Religiosity moderates negatively the impact of social influence on attitude towards Murabaha financing. Practical implications Managers and marketers of Islamic banks may benefit from the findings of this study, which provide insight into the factors that should be considered to promote Murabaha financing. Originality/value The findings contribute to the literature on Islamic financing products by demonstrating the drivers of attitude towards and intention to use Murabaha financing. The study also extends the literature by testing the moderating role of religiosity. Furthermore, the study extends the theory of reasoned action in the context of Islamic financing by introducing religious obligation as a potential driver of attitude and religiosity as a moderator.

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Morning Sympathetic Activity after Evening Binge Alcohol Consumption

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.00743.2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ian Mark Greenlund ◽

Hannah A. Cunningham ◽

Anne L Tikkanen ◽

Jeremy A Bigalke ◽

Carl A Smoot ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Binge Drinking ◽

Rem Sleep ◽

Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity ◽

Urine Specific Gravity ◽

Total Urine ◽

The Impact ◽

Insight Into

Binge alcohol consumption elicits acute and robust increases of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), yet the impact of evening binge drinking on morning-after MSNA is unknown. The present study examined the effects of evening binge alcohol consumption on polysomnographic sleep and morning-after MSNA. We hypothesized that evening binge drinking (i.e. 4-5 drink equivalent in <2hrs) would reduce sleep quality and increase morning-after blood pressure (BP) and MSNA. Following a familiarization night within the sleep laboratory, twenty-two participants (12 men, 10 women; 25±1 years) were examined after simulated binge drinking or fluid control (randomized, crossover design). Morning MSNA was successfully recorded across both conditions in 16 participants (8 men, 8 women) during a 10-minute baseline and three Valsalva's maneuvers (VM). Binge drinking reduced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (15±1 vs. 20±1%; p=0.003), increased stage II sleep (54±1 vs. 51±1%; p=0.002), increased total urine output (2.9±0.2 vs. 2.1±0.1 liters; p<0.001), but did not alter morning-after urine specific gravity. Binge drinking increased morning-after heart rate (65 (54-72) vs. 58 (51-67) beats/min; p=0.013), but not resting BP or MSNA. Binge drinking elicited greater sympathoexcitation during VM (38±3 vs. 43±3 bursts/min, p=0.036). Binge drinking augmented heart rate (p=0.002), systolic BP (p=0.022) and diastolic (p=0.037) BP reactivity to VM phase IV, and blunted cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity during VM phases II (p=0.028) and IV (p=0.043). In conclusion, evening binge alcohol consumption disrupted REM sleep and morning-after autonomic function. These findings provide new mechanistic insight into the potential role of binge drinking on cardiovascular risk.

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