Data Visualization Preferences in Remote Measurement Technology for Individuals Living With Depression, Epilepsy, and Multiple Sclerosis: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Remote measurement technology (RMT) involves the use of wearable devices and smartphone apps to measure health outcomes in everyday life. RMT with feedback in the form of data visual representations can facilitate self-management of chronic health conditions, promote health care engagement, and present opportunities for intervention. Studies to date focus broadly on multiple dimensions of service users' design preferences and RMT user experiences (eg, health variables of perceived importance and perceived quality of medical advice provided) as opposed to data visualization preferences. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore data visualization preferences and priorities in RMT, with individuals living with depression, those with epilepsy, and those with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: A triangulated qualitative study comparing and thematically synthesizing focus group discussions with user reviews of existing self-management apps and a systematic review of RMT data visualization preferences. A total of 45 people participated in 6 focus groups across the 3 health conditions (depression, n=17; epilepsy, n=11; and MS, n=17). RESULTS: Thematic analysis validated a major theme around design preferences and recommendations and identified a further four minor themes: (1) data reporting, (2) impact of visualization, (3) moderators of visualization preferences, and (4) system-related factors and features. CONCLUSIONS: When used effectively, data visualizations are valuable, engaging components of RMT. Easy to use and intuitive data visualization design was lauded by individuals with neurological and psychiatric conditions. Apps design needs to consider the unique requirements of service users. Overall, this study offers RMT developers a comprehensive outline of the data visualization preferences of individuals living with depression, epilepsy, and MS.

Long-term aspartame and saccharin intakes are related to greater volumes of visceral, intermuscular, and subcutaneous adipose tissue: the CARDIA study.

BACKGROUND: Artificial sweetener (ArtSw) intakes have been previously associated with higher BMI in observational studies and may promote visceral and skeletal muscle adipose tissue (AT) accumulation. This study aimed to determine whether habitual, long-term ArtSw or diet beverage intakes are related to greater AT depot volumes and anthropometry-related outcomes. METHODS: A validated diet history questionnaire was administered at baseline, year 7, and year 20 examinations in 3088 men and women enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults cohort (CARDIA), mean age of 25.2 years and mean BMI of 24.5 kg/m2 at baseline. Volumes of visceral (VAT), intermuscular (IMAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were assessed by computed tomography at year 25. Linear regression evaluated associations of aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, total ArtSw, and diet beverage intakes with AT volumes, anthropometric measures, and 25-year change in anthropometry. Cox regression estimated associations of ArtSw with obesity incidence. Adjustments were made for demographic and lifestyle factors, total energy intake, and the 2015 healthy eating index. RESULTS: Total ArtSw, aspartame, saccharin, and diet beverage intakes were positively associated with VAT, SAT, and IMAT volumes (all ptrend ≤ 0.001), but no associations were observed for sucralose intake (all ptrend > 0.05). In addition, total ArtSw, saccharin, aspartame, and diet beverage intakes were associated with greater body mass index, body weight, waist circumference, and their increases over a 25-year period. Except for saccharin (ptrend = 0.13), ArtSw, including diet soda, was associated with greater risks of incident obesity over a median 17.5-year follow-up (all ptrend < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that long-term intakes of aspartame, saccharin, or diet soda may increase AT deposition and risk of incident obesity independent of diet quality or caloric intake. Coupled with previous evidence, alternatives to national recommendations to replace added sugar with ArtSw should be considered since both may have health consequences.

Absence of Depressive and Anxious Behavior with Genetic Dysregulation in Adult C57Bl/6J Mice after Prenatal Exposure to Ionizing Radiation.

The exposure of ionizing radiation during early gestation often leads to deleterious and even lethal effects; however, few extensive studies have been conducted on late gestational exposures. This research examined the behavior al effects of C57Bl/6J mouse offspring exposed to low dose ionizing gamma irradiation during the equivalent third trimester. Pregnant dams were randomly assigned to sham or exposed groups to either low dose or sublethal dose radiation (50, 300, or 1000 mGy) at gestational day 15. Adult offspring underwent a behavioral and genetic analysis after being raised under normal murine housing conditions. Our results indicate very little change in the behavioral tasks measuring general anxiety, social anxiety, and stress-management in animals exposed prenatally across the low dose radiation conditions. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions were conducted on the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of each animal; results indicate some dysregulation in markers of DNA damage, synaptic activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation, and methylation pathways in the offspring. Together, our results provide evidence in the C57Bl/6J strain, that exposure to sublethal dose radiation (<1000 mGy) during the last period of gestation leads to no observable changes in behaviour when assessed as adults, although some changes in gene expression were observed for specific brain regions. These results indicate that the level of oxidative stress occurring during late gestation for this mouse strain is not sufficient for a change in the assessed behavioral phenotype, but results in some modest dysregulation of the genetic profile of the brain.

Cystathionine gamma-lyase/H2 S signaling facilitates myogenesis under aging and injury condition.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) can be endogenously produced and belongs to the class of signaling molecules known as gasotransmitters. Cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE)-derived H2 S is implicated in the regulation of cell differentiation and the aging process, but the involvements of the CSE/H2 S system in myogenesis upon aging and injury have not been explored. In this study, we demonstrated that CSE acts as a major H2 S-generating enzyme in skeletal muscles and is significantly down-regulated in aged skeletal muscles in mice. CSE deficiency exacerbated the age-dependent sarcopenia and cardiotoxin-induced injury/regeneration in mouse skeletal muscle, possibly attributed to inefficient myogenesis. In contrast, supplement of NaHS (an H2 S donor) induced the expressions of myogenic genes and promoted muscle regeneration in mice. In vitro, incubation of myoblast cells (C2C12) with H2 S promoted myogenesis, as evidenced by the inhibition of cell cycle progression and migration, altered expressions of myogenic markers, elongation of myoblasts, and formation of multinucleated myotubes. Myogenesis was also found to upregulate CSE expression, while blockage of CSE/H2 S signaling resulted in a suppression of myogenesis. Mechanically, H2 S significantly induced the heterodimer formation between MEF2c and MRF4 and promoted the binding of MEF2c/MRF4 to myogenin promoter. MEF2c was S-sulfhydrated at both cysteine 361 and 420 in the C-terminal transactivation domain, and blockage of MEF2c S-sulfhydration abolished the stimulatory role of H2 S on MEF2c/MRF4 heterodimer formation. These findings support an essential role for H2 S in maintaining myogenesis, presenting it as a potential candidate for the prevention of age-related sarcopenia and treatment of muscle injury.

Intra- and Inter-Subject Perspectives on the Detection of Focal Onset Motor Seizures in Epilepsy Patients.

Focal onset epileptic seizures are highly heterogeneous in their clinical manifestations, and a robust seizure detection across patient cohorts has to date not been achieved. Here, we assess and discuss the potential of supervised machine learning models for the detection of focal onset motor seizures by means of a wrist-worn wearable device, both in a personalized context as well as across patients. Wearable data were recorded in-hospital from patients with epilepsy at two epilepsy centers. Accelerometry, electrodermal activity, and blood volume pulse data were processed and features for each of the biosignal modalities were calculated. Following a leave-one-out approach, a gradient tree boosting machine learning model was optimized and tested in an intra-subject and inter-subject evaluation. In total, 20 seizures from 9 patients were included and we report sensitivities of 67% to 100% and false alarm rates of down to 0.85 per 24 h in the individualized assessment. Conversely, for an inter-subject seizure detection methodology tested on an out-of-sample data set, an optimized model could only achieve a sensitivity of 75% at a false alarm rate of 13.4 per 24 h. We demonstrate that robustly detecting focal onset motor seizures with tonic or clonic movements from wearable data may be possible for individuals, depending on specific seizure manifestations.

Post-ictal accelerometer silence as a marker of post-ictal immobility.

OBJECTIVE: Movement-based wearable sensors are used for detection of convulsive seizures. The identification of the absence of motion following a seizure, known as post-ictal immobility (PI), may represent a potential additional application of wearables. PI has been associated with potentially life-threatening complications and with sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). We aimed to assess whether wearable accelerometers (ACCs) could be used as a digital marker of PI. METHOD: Devices with embedded ACCs were worn by patients admitted to an epilepsy monitoring unit. Participants presenting with convulsive seizures were included in the study. PI presence and duration were assessed by experts reviewing video recordings. An algorithm for the automatic detection of post-ictal ACC silence and its duration was developed and the linear pairwise relationship between the automatically detected duration of post-ictal ACC silence and the duration of the expert-labeled PI was analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-two convulsive seizures were recorded from 18 study participants. Twenty were followed by PI and two by agitation. The automated estimation of post-ictal ACC silence identified all the 20 expert-labeled PI. The regression showed that the duration of the post-ictal ACC silence was correlated with the duration of PI (Pearson r = .92; P < .001), with the age of study participants (Pearson r = .78; P < .001), and with the duration of post-ictal generalized electroencephalography suppression (PGES; Pearson r = .4; P = .033). SIGNIFICANCE: We highlight a novel application of wearables as a way to record post-ictal manifestations associated with an increased risk of SUDEP. The occurrence of a fatal seizure is unpredictable and the continuous, non-invasive, long-term identification of risk factors associated with each individual seizure may assume a great clinical importance.

Day and night comfort and stability on the body of four wearable devices for seizure detection: A direct user-experience.

PURPOSE: Wearable devices are progressively becoming an available tool for continuous seizure detection. Motivation to use wearables is not only driven by the accuracy and reliability of the performance but also by the form factor, comfort, and stability on the body. We collected direct feedback and device placement-related issues experienced by a cohort of people with epilepsy (PWE) to investigate to what extent available devices are nonintrusive, comfortable, and stable on the body. METHODS: Four models of wearable devices (E4 wrist band, Everion upper arm band, IMEC upper arm band, and Epilog scalp patch electrodes) were worn by PWE who were admitted to two epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs) in London and Freiburg. Participants were periodically reviewed, and accidental displacements of the devices were annotated. Participants' experience was assessed using the Technology Acceptance Model Fast Form (TAM-FF) plus two additional questions on comfort. A thematic analysis was also performed on the free text of the questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred and fifteen participants were enrolled. The devices had a good stability on the body including during seizures. Overall, all the devices were considered comfortable to be worn, including during sleep. However, devices containing wires and patches demonstrated a lesser degree of stability on the body and were judged less positively. Participants age was correlated with TAM-FF mean scores, and older participants judged the devices less favorably compared with younger participants. DISCUSSION: Removable but securely fitted, wireless, and comfortable designs were considered more appropriate for a continuous monitoring aimed at seizure detection. Some caution may be required when patch electrodes and electrodes glued to the skin or to the scalp are used, as those evaluated in the present study demonstrated a lower level of acceptability and a lower degree of stability to the body, especially at night. These factors could limit a continuous monitoring decreasing the device performance for nocturnal, unsupervised seizures which are at higher risk of lethality.

Patients' experience of wearing multimodal sensor devices intended to detect epileptic seizures: A qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: The health management of patients with epilepsy could be improved by wearing devices that reliably detect when epileptic seizures happen. For the devices to be widely adopted, they must be acceptable and easy to use for patients, and their views are very important. Previous studies have collected feedback from patients on hypothetical devices, but very few have examined experience of wearing actual devices. PURPOSE: This study assessed the first-hand experiences of people with epilepsy using wearable devices, continuously over a period of time. The aim was to understand how acceptable and easy they were to use, and whether it is reasonable to expect that people will use them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adults with a diagnosis of epilepsy admitted routinely to a hospital epilepsy monitoring unit were asked to wear one, or more, wearable biosensor devices, tested for seizure detection. The devices are designed to continuously monitor and record signals from the body (biosignals). Participants completed semistructured interviews about their experiences of wearing the device(s). A systematic thematic analysis extracted themes from the interviews, focusing on acceptability and usability. Feedback was organized into (1) participants' experiences of the devices, any support they required and reasons for stopping wearing them; (2) their thoughts about using this technology outside a hospital setting. RESULTS: Twenty-one people with epilepsy wore one, or more, wearable devices for an average of 112.81 (SD = 71.83) hours. Participants found the devices convenient, and had no problem wearing them in hospital or sharing the data collected from them with the researchers and medical professionals. However, the presence of wires, bulky size, discomfort, and need for support, moderated experience. Participants' thoughts about wearing them in everyday life were strongly influenced by how visible and perceived accuracy. Willingness to use a smartphone app to complete questionnaires depended on the frequency, number of questions, and support. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this work provides evidence about the feasibility and acceptability of using wearable devices to monitor seizure activity in people with epilepsy. Key barriers and facilitators to use while in hospital and hypothetical use in everyday life were identified and will be helpful for guiding future implementation.

Ascorbic acid diminishes bone morphogenetic protein 2-induced osteogenic differentiation of muscle precursor cells.

INTRODUCTION: Muscle precursor cells (MPC) are integral to the maintenance of skeletal muscle and have recently been implicated in playing a role in bone repair. The primary objective of this study was to understand better the role of oxidative stress during the osteogenic differentiation of MPCs. METHODS: Muscle precursor cells were treated with various combinations of ascorbic acid (AA), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, and either a superoxide dismutase analog (4-hydroxy-TEMPO [TEMPOL]) or polyethyleneglycol-conjugated catalase. Muscle precursor cell proliferation and differentiation were determined, and alkaline phosphatase activity was measured as an index of osteogenic differentiation. RESULTS: After treatment with 200 µM AA, superoxide was increased 1.5-fold, whereas AA in combination with 100 ng/ml BMP-2 did not increase alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. When cells were treated with TEMPOL in combination with 100 ng/ml BMP-2 and 200 µM AA, ALP activity significantly increased. DISCUSSION: These data suggest that increasing oxidative stress with AA induces sublethal oxidative stress that prevents BMP-2-induced osteogenic differentiation of MPCs. Muscle Nerve 59:501-508, 2019.

Implementing a structured exercise program for persistent concussion symptoms: a pilot study on the effects on salivary brain-derived neurotrophic factor, cognition, static balance, and symptom scores.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Persistent concussion symptoms (PCS) affect 10-30% of individuals after sports-related concussion. This study evaluated the effect of exercise-based rehabilitation on symptom scores, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cognitive functions and static balance in a sample of participants with PCS. RESEARCH DESIGN: One group pre-test post-test pilot study. METHODS AND PROCEDURE: Nine participants with PCS received a structured exercise-based rehabilitation program. Changes in symptom scores, BDNF, cognitive functions and measures of static balance were used to evaluate the utility of the exercise program. MAIN OUTCOME AND RESULTS: The results of this pilot study indicate a significant improvement in symptom scores following treatment, as well as some associated benefits in regards to cognitive function and static balance. BDNF levels in the participants with PCS within this study are notably lower than in a previous study on healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary evidence reported in the current pilot study is clinically relevant as our findings suggest exercise-based treatments may improve PCS outcomes in a more favourable manner than rest-based treatment.

Two common variants of human papillomavirus type 16 E6 differentially deregulate sugar metabolism and hypoxia signalling in permissive human keratinocytes.

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) is responsible for most cancers attributable to HPV infection and naturally occurring variants of the HPV16 E6 oncoprotein predispose individuals to varying risk for developing cancer. Population studies by us and others have demonstrated that the common Asian-American E6 (AAE6) variant is a higher risk factor for cervical cancer than the E6 of another common variant, the European prototype (EPE6). However, a complete understanding of the molecular processes fundamental to these epidemiological findings is still lacking. Our previously published functional studies of these two E6 variants showed that AAE6 had a higher immortalization and transformation potential than EPE6. Proteomic analysis revealed markedly different protein patterns between these variants, especially with respect to key cellular metabolic enzymes. Here, we tested the Warburg effect and hypoxia signalling (hallmarks of cancer development) as plausible mechanisms underlying these observations. Lactate and glucose production were enhanced in AAE6-transduced keratinocytes, likely due to raised levels of metabolic enzymes, but independent of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) activity. The HIF-1α protein level and activity were elevated by AAE6 in hypoxic conditions, leading to a hypoxia-tolerant phenotype with enhanced migratory potential. The deregulation of HIF-1α was caused by the AAE6 variant's ability to augment mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular related kinase signalling. The present study reveals prominent underlying mechanisms of the AAE6's enhanced oncogenic potential.

Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor 1 (LPA1) Antagonists as Potential Migrastatics for Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Metastasis is responsible for about 90 % of cancer deaths. Anti-metastatic drugs, termed as migrastatics, offer a distinctive therapeutic approach to address cancer migration and invasion. However, therapeutic exploitation of metastasis-specific targets remains limited, and the effective prevention and suppression of metastatic cancer continue to be elusive. Lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPA1) is activated by an endogenous lipid molecule LPA, leading to a diverse array of cellular activities. Previous studies have shown that the LPA/LPA1 axis supports the progression of metastasis for many types of cancer. In this study, we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of fluorine-containing triazole derivatives as potent LPA1 antagonists, offering potential as migrastatic drugs for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). In particular, compound 12 f, the most potent and highly selective in this series with an IC50 value of 16.0 nM in the cAMP assay and 18.4 nM in the calcium mobilization assay, inhibited cell survival, migration, and invasion in the TNBC cell line. Interestingly, the compound did not induce apoptosis in TNBC cells and demonstrated no cytotoxic effects. These results highlight the potential of LPA1 as a migrastatic target. Consequently, the LPA1 antagonists developed in this study hold promise as potential migrastatic candidates for TNBC.

Shockwave therapy and fibromyalgia and its effect on pain, blood markers, imaging, and participant experience - a multidisciplinary randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with fibromyalgia experience chronic, widespread pain. It remains a misunderstood disorder with multimodal treatments providing mixed results. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of radial shockwave therapy (RSWT) compared to placebo on pain, pain catastrophizing, psychological indices, blood markers, and neuroimaging. Study-related experiences were also explored qualitatively. METHODS: Quantitative sensory testing (QST), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Beighton Scoring Screen (BSS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), blood biomarker (Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10), and brain fMRI were measured pre- and post-treatment along with a post-treatment survey. The RSWT group received five treatments (one week apart over five-week period) to the three most painful areas (500 shocks at 1.5 bar and 15 Hz, then 1000 shocks at 2 bar and 8 Hz, and finally 500 shocks at 1.5 bar and 15 Hz) versus sham treatment for the placebo group. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the BSS for hypermobility (p = .21; d = .74), PCS (p = .70; d = .22), VAS (p = .17-.61; d = .20-.83) scores, QST for skin temperature and stimuli (p = .14-.65; d = .25-.88), and for the pressure pain threshold (p = .71-.93; d = .05-.21). The VAS scores had clinically significant changes (MCID greater than 13.90) with improved pain scores in the RSWT group. Neuroimaging scans revealed no cortical thickness changes. Post-treatment surveys revealed pain and symptom improvements and offered hope to individuals. CONCLUSION: RSWT was implemented safely, without any negative treatment effects reported, and acted as a pain modulator to reduce sensitivity. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identification number NCT02760212.

Protracted Exposure to a Sub-background Radiation Environment Negatively Impacts the Anhydrobiotic Recovery of Desiccated Yeast Sentinels.

ABSTRACT: Experiments that examine the impacts of subnatural background radiation exposure provide a unique approach to studying the biological effects of low-dose radiation. These experiments often need to be conducted in deep underground laboratories in order to filter surface-level cosmic radiation. This presents some logistical challenges in experimental design and necessitates a model organism with minimal maintenance. As such, desiccated yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) is an ideal model system for these investigations. This study aimed to determine the impact of prolonged sub-background radiation exposure in anhydrobiotic (desiccated) yeast at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Two yeast strains were used: a normal wild type and an isogenic recombinational repair-deficient rad51 knockout strain ( rad51 Δ). Desiccated yeast samples were stored in the normal background surface control laboratory (68.0 nGy h -1 ) and in the sub-background environment within SNOLAB (10.1 nGy h -1 ) for up to 48 wk. Post-rehydration survival, growth rate, and metabolic activity were assessed at multiple time points. Survival in the sub-background environment was significantly reduced by a factor of 1.39 and 2.67 in the wild type and rad51 ∆ strains, respectively. Post-rehydration metabolic activity measured via alamarBlue reduction remained unchanged in the wild type strain but was 26% lower in the sub-background rad51 ∆ strain. These results demonstrate that removing natural background radiation negatively impacts the survival and metabolism of desiccated yeast, highlighting the potential importance of natural radiation exposure in maintaining homeostasis of living organisms.

The Role of Natural Background Radiation in Maintaining Genomic Stability in the CGL1 Human Hybrid Model System.

Natural background ionizing radiation is present on the earth's surface; however, the biological role of this chronic low-dose-rate exposure remains unknown. The Researching the Effects of the Presence and Absence of Ionizing Radiation (REPAIR) project is examining the impacts of sub-natural background radiation exposure through experiments conducted 2 km underground in SNOLAB. The rock overburden combined with experiment-specific shielding provides a background radiation dose rate 30 times lower than on the surface. We hypothesize that natural background radiation is essential for life and maintains genomic stability and that prolonged exposure to sub-background environments will be detrimental to biological systems. To evaluate this, human hybrid CGL1 cells were continuously cultured in SNOLAB and our surface control laboratory for 16 weeks. Cells were assayed every 4 weeks for growth rate, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (a marker of cellular transformation in the CGL1 system), and the expression of genes related to DNA damage and cell cycle regulation. A subset of cells was also exposed to a challenge radiation dose (0.1 to 8 Gy of X rays) and assayed for clonogenic survival and DNA double-strand break induction to examine if prolonged sub-background exposure alters the cellular response to high-dose irradiation. At each 4-week time point, sub-background radiation exposure did not significantly alter cell growth rates, survival, DNA damage, or gene expression. However, cells cultured in SNOLAB showed significantly higher ALP activity, a marker of carcinogenesis in these cells, which increased with longer exposure to the sub-background environment, indicative of neoplastic progression. Overall, these data suggest that sub-background radiation exposure does not impact growth, survival, or DNA damage in CGL1 cells but may lead to increased rates of neoplastic transformation, highlighting a potentially important role for natural background radiation in maintaining normal cellular function and genomic stability.

The antioxidant resveratrol down-regulates inflammation in an in-vitro model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of lung epithelial cells.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe pulmonary infection in immunocompromized individuals. During the infectious process, P. aeruginosa provokes a potent inflammatory response and induces the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cells undergo oxidative stress when cellular antioxidants are unable to effectively scavenge and detoxify ROS, resulting in lung damage. Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural polyphenolic compound with recognized antioxidant effects. We hypothesized that owing to its antioxidant activities, resveratrol can attenuate an inflammatory response in P. aeruginosa-infected cells. Lung epithelial A549 cells were pre-treated with 100 µmol/L of resveratrol for 5 h, followed by infection with P. aeruginosa. Intracellular ROS generation was used as an indicator of P. aeruginosa-induced oxidative stress, and cell surface expression of Fas receptor and activation of caspases-3 and -7 as indicators of apoptosis. We also measured the surface expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and enzymes related to inflammation and redox signaling. Resveratrol significantly reduced ROS generation, ICAM-1, and human beta-defensin-2 expression, as well as the markers of apoptosis in A549 cells infected with P. aeruginosa, and up-regulated glutathione peroxidase, suggesting its potential therapeutic role in protecting the lungs against the deleterious effects of P. aeruginosa infection.

Overexpression of FRA1 (FOSL1) Leads to Global Transcriptional Perturbations, Reduced Cellular Adhesion and Altered Cell Cycle Progression.

FRA1 (FOSL1) is a transcription factor and a member of the activator protein-1 superfamily. FRA1 is expressed in most tissues at low levels, and its expression is robustly induced in response to extracellular signals, leading to downstream cellular processes. However, abnormal FRA1 overexpression has been reported in various pathological states, including tumor progression and inflammation. To date, the molecular effects of FRA1 overexpression are still not understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the transcriptional and functional effects of FRA1 overexpression using the CGL1 human hybrid cell line. FRA1-overexpressing CGL1 cells were generated using stably integrated CRISPR-mediated transcriptional activation, resulting in a 2-3 fold increase in FRA1 mRNA and protein levels. RNA-sequencing identified 298 differentially expressed genes with FRA1 overexpression. Gene ontology analysis showed numerous molecular networks enriched with FRA1 overexpression, including transcription-factor binding, regulation of the extracellular matrix and adhesion, and a variety of signaling processes, including protein kinase activity and chemokine signaling. In addition, cell functional assays demonstrated reduced cell adherence to fibronectin and collagen with FRA1 overexpression and altered cell cycle progression. Taken together, this study unravels the transcriptional response mediated by FRA1 overexpression and establishes the role of FRA1 in adhesion and cell cycle progression.

Chronic glucocorticoid exposure causes brown adipose tissue whitening, alters whole-body glucose metabolism and increases tissue uncoupling protein-1.

Adipose tissue (AT) has been found to exist in two predominant forms, white and brown. White adipose tissue (WAT) is the body's conventional storage organ, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) is responsible for non-shivering thermogenesis which allows mammals to produce heat and regulate body temperature. Studies examining BAT and its role in whole-body metabolism have found that active BAT utilizes glucose and circulating fatty acids and is associated with improved metabolic outcomes. While the beiging of WAT is a growing area of interest, the possibility of the BAT depot to "whiten" and store more triglycerides also has metabolic and health implications. Currently, there are limited studies that examine the effects of chronic stress and its ability to induce a white-like phenotype in the BAT depot. This research examined how chronic exposure to the murine stress hormone, corticosterone, for 4 weeks can affect the whitening process of BAT in C57BL/6 male mice. Separate treatments with mirabegron, a known ß3-adrenergic receptor agonist, were used to directly compare the effects of corticosterone with a beiging phenotype. Corticosterone-treated mice had significantly higher body weight (p ≤ 0.05) and BAT mass (p ≤ 0.05), increased adipocyte area (p ≤ 0.05), were insulin resistant (p ≤ 0.05), and significantly elevated expressions of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) in BAT (p ≤ 0.05) while mitochondrial content remained unchanged. This whitened phenotype has not been previously associated with increased uncoupling proteins under chronic stress and may represent a compensatory mechanism being initiated under these conditions. These findings have implications for the study of BAT in response to chronic glucocorticoid exposure potentially leading to BAT dysfunction and negative impacts on whole-body glucose metabolism.

Ovariectomized rat model and shape variation in the bony labyrinth.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a serious concern in aging individuals, but has not been explored for its potential to alter the shape of the inner ear by way of increased remodeling in the otic capsule. The otic capsule, or bony labyrinth, is thought to experience uniquely limited remodeling after development due to high levels of osteoprotegerin. On this basis, despite the widespread remodeling that accompanies osteoporosis, we hypothesize that both the shape and volume of the semicircular canals will resist such changes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted three-dimensional geometric morphometric shape analysis on microcomputed tomographic data collected on the semicircular canals of an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. A Procrustes ANOVA found no statistically significant differences in shape between surgery and sham groups, and morphological disparity testing likewise found no differences in shape variation. Univariate testing found no differences in semicircular volume between OVX and control groups. The range of variation in the OVX group, however, is greater than in the sham group but this difference does not reach statistical significance, perhaps because of a combination of small effect size and low sample size. This finding suggests that labyrinthine shape remains a tool for assessing phylogeny and function in the fossil record, but that it is possible that osteoporosis may be contributing to intraspecific shape variation in the bony labyrinth. This effect warrants further exploration at a microstructural level with continued focus on variables related to remodeling.

Identification of Radiation-Induced miRNA Biomarkers Using the CGL1 Cell Model System.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as a potential class of biomolecules for diagnostic biomarker applications. miRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules, produced and released by cells in response to various stimuli, that demonstrate remarkable stability in a wide range of biological fluids, in extreme pH fluctuations, and after multiple freeze-thaw cycles. Given these advantages, identification of miRNA-based biomarkers for radiation exposures can contribute to the development of reliable biological dosimetry methods, especially for low-dose radiation (LDR) exposures. In this study, an miRNAome next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach was utilized to identify novel radiation-induced miRNA gene changes within the CGL1 human cell line. Here, irradiations of 10, 100, and 1000 mGy were performed and the samples were collected 1, 6, and 24 h post-irradiation. Corroboration of the miRNAome results with RT-qPCR verification confirmed the identification of numerous radiation-induced miRNA expression changes at all doses assessed. Further evaluation of select radiation-induced miRNAs, including miR-1228-3p and miR-758-5p, as well as their downstream mRNA targets, Ube2d2, Ppp2r2d, and Id2, demonstrated significantly dysregulated reciprocal expression patterns. Further evaluation is needed to determine whether the candidate miRNA biomarkers identified in this study can serve as suitable targets for radiation biodosimetry applications.