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Genetically altered mice bear some hallmarks of human bipolar behavior

Specifically, the mice lacked the protein ankyrin-G, in particular neurons in the brain, a defect that appears to make the animals both hyperactive and less fearful, a behavioral profile suggestive of a mania-like state for a mouse. At the same time, the rodents had an even greater response to social defeat stress than normal mice do, suggesting their brains also are more susceptible to a depressive-like state. Human bipolar disease is characterized by swings in "manic" and "depressive" moods. In a report on the mouse studies, published online Sept. 11 in  PNAS  ( Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ), the investigators say the genetic alteration appears to release the biochemical "brakes" on brain cells involved in body movement, reasoning and perception of the world, triggering over-excited activity and reactions. The results of their work, the researchers say, may advance scientific understanding of how ...

5,000 deaths annually from Diesel-gate in Europe

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This map exhibits the focus of advantageous particulate matter resulting from extra NOx emissions from diesel automobiles, vans and light-weight industrial autos throughout Europe. Blue colours point out low concentrations , orange and crimson signifies excessive additional air pollution. Unit: microgram PM2.5 per cubic metre, annual common 2013. Credit score: Jonson et al 2017 Because the late 1990s the share of diesel automobiles within the EU has risen to round 50% within the fleet, with vital variations between international locations. There at the moment are greater than 100 million diesel automobiles operating in Europe, twice as many as in the remainder of the world collectively. Their NOx emissions are nevertheless four to 7 instan...

American Academy of Pediatrics announces its first recommendations on tattoos, piercings

The AAP recommendations, "Adolescent and Young Adult Tattooing, Piercing and Scarification," will be published in the October 2017 issue of Pediatrics (available online Sept. 18), providing an overview of the types and methods used to perform body modifications. The clinical report details possible medical complications, which, while uncommon, should be discussed with a pediatrician. Lead author Cora C. Breuner, MD, Chair of the AAP Committee on Adolescence, will present the recommendations during a news conference Sept. 18 at the 2017 AAP National Conference and Exhibition at McCormick Place in Chicago. "Tattooing is much more accepted than it was 15 to 20 years ago," Dr. Breuner said. "In many states, teens have to be at least 18 to get a tattoo, but the regulations vary from place to place. When counseling teens, I tell them to do some research, and to think hard about why they want a tattoo, and where on their body they want it." The AAP report...

Vaping doubles risk of smoking cigarettes for teens

The study -- from the University of Waterloo and the Wake Forest School of Medicine -- found that students in grades seven to 12 who had tried an e-cigarette are 2.16 times more likely to be susceptible to cigarette smoking. "Since e-cigarettes came on the market there has been a debate about whether their use may lead to cigarette smoking," said Bruce Baskerville, co-author on the study and a researcher at the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact at the University of Waterloo. "The answer among adolescents is yes." Using data from the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, the study found almost 10 per cent of students in grades seven to 12 reported ever having used e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes can contain nicotine but not many of the harmful substances produced by smoking tobacco, such as tar or carbon monoxide. These products work through an inhalation-activated system that heats a solution to create an inhalable aerosol, often known as v...

Membrane vesicles released by bacteria may play different roles during infection

Together with her research colleagues and in collaborations , doctoral student Svitlana Vdovikova showed that MVs can have varying functions by using two different pathogenic bacteria as examples: Vibrio cholerae and Listeria monocytogenes. Vibrio cholerae causes cholera, a disease taking thousands of lives each year in developing countries. Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, which leads to a deadly infection in one third of the cases and is especially dangerous for pregnant women and their fetuses, newborn children, and immunocompromised people. The researchers found that MVs from both Vibrio cholerae and Listeria monocytogenes transport so-called pore-forming toxins (PFTs). These proteins usually cause a range of toxic effects on the targeted human cells due to the formation of pores in cell membranes. "Pore-forming toxin delivered by Vibrio cholerae MVs activate autophagy, which serves as a cellular defence mechanism. In contrast, we found that the pore-forming to...

HIV-AIDS: Following your gut

This advance, published in  JCI Insight , might well lead to the development of a new therapeutic strategy to supplement antiretroviral therapy (ART), improving the control of viral replication in HIV-infected persons and preventing complications associated with chronic infection. "We have identified a molecule that stimulates HIV replication in CD4 T cells located in the gut," said Petronela Ancuta, a CRCHUM researcher and professor at UdeM. "We have also started testing medications to block this replication and decrease inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. This is a promising new approach to eradicate HIV, or at least to achieve functional cure." The ART used to treat HIV-infected persons can decrease viral loads to often undetectable blood levels, and is effective in preventing evolution of the infection towards acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). But HIV is tenacious. "In spite of the effectiveness of antivirals, it hides in specific immune s...

Congenital hyperinsulinism: A serious yet poorly understood condition

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Hyperinsulinism is linked to the GDH protein. When open (at left), the protein can extra simply connect itself to a molecule that's crucial for its exercise than when it's closed (at proper): this sends a sign instructing the pancreas to provide insulin. A mutation of the GDH protein disrupts this mechanism and retains the protein open, which in flip results in insulin overproduction. Credit score: Pierre Maechler / UNIGE Diabetes is characterised by a deficiency of insulin. The other is the case in congenital hyperinsulinism: sufferers produce the hormone too incessantly and in extreme portions, even when they have not eaten any carbohydrates. For the reason that operate of insulin is to metabolise sugars, extra manufacturing of insu...