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Keller SM, Doherty TS, Roth TL. Pharmacological manipulation of DNA methylation normalizes maternal behavior, DNA methylation, and gene expression in dams with a history of maltreatment. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10253. [PMID: 31311968 PMCID: PMC6635500 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46539-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The quality of parental care received during development profoundly influences an individual's phenotype, including that of maternal behavior. We previously found that female rats with a history of maltreatment during infancy mistreat their own offspring. One proposed mechanism through which early-life experiences influence behavior is via epigenetic modifications. Indeed, our lab has identified a number of brain epigenetic alterations in female rats with a history of maltreatment. Here we sought to investigate the role of DNA methylation in aberrant maternal behavior. We administered zebularine, a drug known to alter DNA methylation, to dams exposed during infancy to the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources, and then characterized the quality of their care towards their offspring. First, we replicate that dams with a history of maltreatment mistreat their own offspring. Second, we show that maltreated-dams treated with zebularine exhibit lower levels of adverse care toward their offspring. Third, we show that administration of zebularine in control dams (history of nurturing care) enhances levels of adverse care. Lastly, we show altered methylation and gene expression in maltreated dams normalized by zebularine. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that epigenetic alterations resulting from maltreatment causally relate to behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
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2
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Brown JL, Sones JL, Angulo CN, Abbott K, Miller AD, Boehm U, Roberson MS. Conditional loss of ERK1 and ERK2 results in abnormal placentation and delayed parturition in the mouse. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9641. [PMID: 31270345 PMCID: PMC6610138 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45997-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1 and 2 regulate many aspects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. We sought to understand the role of ERK1/2 signaling in cells expressing a Cre allele regulated by the endogenous GnRHR promoter (GRIC-ERKdko). Adult female GRIC-ERKdko mice were hypogonadotropic and anovulatory. Gonadotropin administration and mating led to pregnancy in one-third of the ERKdko females. Litters from ERKdko females and pup weights were reduced coincident with delayed parturition and 100% neonatal mortality. Based on this, we examined Cre expression in implantation sites as a potential mechanism. GnRHR mRNA levels at e10.5 and e12.5 were comparable to pituitary levels from adult female mice at proestrus and GnRHR mRNA in decidua was enriched compared to whole implantation site. In vivo studies confirmed recombination in decidua, and GRIC-ERKdko placentas showed reduced ERK2 expression. Histopathology revealed abnormalities in placental architecture in the GRIC-ERKdko animals. Regions of apoptosis at the decidual/uterine interface at e18.5 were observed in control animals but apoptotic tone in these regions was reduced in ERKdko animals. These studies support a potential model of ERK-dependent signaling within the implantation site leading to loss of placental architecture and mis-regulation of apoptotic events at parturition occurring coincident with prolonged gestation and neonatal mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Brown
- Department Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer L Sones
- Department Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Cynthia N Angulo
- Department Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Keelin Abbott
- Department Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Andrew D Miller
- Department Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Ulrich Boehm
- Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Molecular Signaling (PZMS), Saarland University School of Medicine, Homburg, Germany
| | - Mark S Roberson
- Department Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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3
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Cejas RB, Ferguson DC, Quiñones-Lombraña A, Bard JE, Blanco JG. Contribution of DNA methylation to the expression of FCGRT in human liver and myocardium. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8674. [PMID: 31209240 PMCID: PMC6572836 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45203-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
FcRn mediates recycling and transcytosis of IgG and albumin in various cell types. The MHC-class-I-like protein of the FcRn heterodimer is encoded by FCGRT. Few determinants of variable FCGRT expression in humans have been identified so far. In this study, we investigated the presence of DNA methylation in regulatory regions of FCGRT in samples of human liver and myocardium tissue, and we examined the impact of FCGRT methylation on FcRn expression in model cell lines. Quantitative DNA methylation analysis of the FCGRT locus revealed differentially methylated regions in DNA from liver and myocardium. Methylation status in individual CpG sites correlated with FCGRT mRNA expression. Data from model cell lines suggest that differential methylation in the -1058 to -587 bp regulatory region of FCGRT contributes to FcRn expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicate that CpG site methylation impacts the binding of the methylation sensitive transcription factors Zbtb7a and Sp1. This study provides a foundation to further define the contribution of epigenetic factors during the control of FcRn expression and IgG traffic in human tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- R B Cejas
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - D C Ferguson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - A Quiñones-Lombraña
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - J E Bard
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - J G Blanco
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA.
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4
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Mamashli F, Hämäläinen M, Ahveninen J, Kenet T, Khan S. Permutation Statistics for Connectivity Analysis between Regions of Interest in EEG and MEG Data. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7942. [PMID: 31138854 PMCID: PMC6538606 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44403-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Connectivity estimates based on electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) are unique in their ability to provide neurophysiologically meaningful spectral and temporal information non-invasively. This multi-dimensional aspect of the MEG/EEG based connectivity increases the challenges of the analysis and interpretation of the data. Many MEG/EEG studies address this complexity by using a hypothesis-driven approach, which focuses on particular regions of interest (ROI). However, if an effect is distributed unevenly over a large ROI and variable across subjects, it may not be detectable using conventional methods. Here, we propose a novel approach, which enhances the statistical power for weak and spatially discontinuous effects. This results in the ability to identify statistically significant connectivity patterns with spectral, temporal, and spatial specificity while correcting for multiple comparisons using nonparametric permutation methods. We call this new approach the Permutation Statistics for Connectivity Analysis between ROI (PeSCAR). We demonstrate the processing steps with simulated and real human data. The open-source Matlab code implementing PeSCAR are provided online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahimeh Mamashli
- Department of Neurology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Matti Hämäläinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jyrki Ahveninen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tal Kenet
- Department of Neurology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sheraz Khan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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5
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Yuan Y, O'Malley HA, Smaldino MA, Bouza AA, Hull JM, Isom LL. Delayed maturation of GABAergic signaling in the Scn1a and Scn1b mouse models of Dravet Syndrome. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6210. [PMID: 30996233 PMCID: PMC6470170 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42191-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Dravet syndrome (DS) is a catastrophic developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by severe, pharmacoresistant seizures and the highest risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) of all epilepsy syndromes. Here, we investigated the time course of maturation of neuronal GABAergic signaling in the Scn1b-/- and Scn1a+/- mouse models of DS. We found that GABAergic signaling remains immature in both DS models, with a depolarized reversal potential for GABAA-evoked currents compared to wildtype in the third postnatal week. Treatment of Scn1b-/- mice with bumetanide resulted in a delay in SUDEP onset compared to controls in a subset of mice, without prevention of seizure activity or amelioration of failure to thrive. We propose that delayed maturation of GABAergic signaling may contribute to epileptogenesis in SCN1B- and SCN1A-linked DS. Thus, targeting the polarity of GABAergic signaling in brain may be an effective therapeutic strategy to reduce SUDEP risk in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukun Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5632, USA
| | - Heather A O'Malley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5632, USA
| | - Melissa A Smaldino
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5632, USA
- Department of Biology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA
| | - Alexandra A Bouza
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5632, USA
| | - Jacob M Hull
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2215, USA
| | - Lori L Isom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5632, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2215, USA.
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6
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Park J, Hescott BJ, Slonim DK. Pathway centrality in protein interaction networks identifies putative functional mediating pathways in pulmonary disease. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5863. [PMID: 30971743 PMCID: PMC6458310 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42299-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of functional pathways mediating molecular responses may lead to better understanding of disease processes and suggest new therapeutic approaches. We introduce a method to detect such mediating functions using topological properties of protein-protein interaction networks. We define the concept of pathway centrality, a measure of communication between disease genes and differentially expressed genes. Using pathway centrality, we identify mediating pathways in three pulmonary diseases (asthma; bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD); and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)). We systematically evaluate the significance of all identified central pathways using genetic interactions. Mediating pathways shared by all three pulmonary disorders favor innate immune and inflammation-related processes, including toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, PDGF- and angiotensin-regulated airway remodeling, the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, and interferon gamma. Disease-specific mediators, such as neurodevelopmental processes in BPD or adhesion molecules in COPD, are also highlighted. Some of our findings implicate pathways already in development as drug targets, while others may suggest new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisoo Park
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Benjamin J Hescott
- College of Computer and Information Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Donna K Slonim
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
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7
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Simon JM, Paranjape SR, Wolter JM, Salazar G, Zylka MJ. High-throughput screening and classification of chemicals and their effects on neuronal gene expression using RASL-seq. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4529. [PMID: 30872602 PMCID: PMC6418307 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously used RNA-seq to identify chemicals whose effects on neuronal gene expression mimicked transcriptional signatures of autism, aging, and neurodegeneration. However, this approach was costly and time consuming, which limited our study to testing a single chemical concentration on mixed sex cortical neuron cultures. Here, we adapted a targeted transcriptomic method (RASL-seq, similar to TempO-seq) to interrogate changes in expression of a set of 56 signature genes in response to a library of 350 chemicals and chemical mixtures at four concentrations in male and female mouse neuronal cultures. This enabled us to replicate and expand our previous classifications, and show that transcriptional responses were largely equivalent between sexes. Overall, we found that RASL-seq can be used to accelerate the pace at which chemicals and mixtures that transcriptionally mimic autism and other neuropsychiatric diseases can be identified, and provides a cost-effective way to quantify gene expression with a panel of marker genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Simon
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Smita R Paranjape
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Justin M Wolter
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Gabriela Salazar
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Mark J Zylka
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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8
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Abstract
Colaughter-simultaneous laughter between two or more individuals-allows listeners across different cultures and languages to quickly evaluate affiliation within a social group. We examined whether infants are sensitive to acoustic information in colaughter that indicates affiliation, specifically whether they can differentiate colaughter between friends and colaughter between strangers. In the first experiment, infants who heard alternating trials of colaughter between friends and strangers listened longer to colaughter between friends. In the second experiment, we examined whether infants were sensitive to the social context that was appropriate for each type of colaughter. Infants heard colaughter between friends and colaughter between strangers preceded by a silent visual scene depicting one of two different social contexts: either two people affiliating or turning away from each other. Infants looked longer when the social scene was incongruent with the type of colaughter. By 5 months, infants preferentially listen to colaughter between friends and detect when colaughter does not match the valence of a social interaction. The ability to rapidly evaluate acoustic features in colaughter that reveal social relationships between novel individuals appears early in human infancy and might be the product of an adaptive affiliation detection system that uses vocal cues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory A Bryant
- Department of Communication, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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9
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Okolo FC, Zhang G, Rhodes J, Potoka DA. Intra-amniotic Sildenafil Treatment Modulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype in the Nitrofen Model of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17668. [PMID: 30518769 PMCID: PMC6281652 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34948-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The etiology of pulmonary vascular abnormalities in CDH is incompletely understood. Studies have demonstrated improvement in pulmonary vasculature with prenatal therapy in animal models. We hypothesize that prenatal sildenafil may attenuate defective pulmonary vascular development via modulation of vSMC phenotype from undifferentiated, proliferative phenotype to differentiated, contractile phenotype. We utilized the nitrofen model of CDH to examine the effect of IA sildenafil on pulmonary vSMC phenotype during lung development. Timed-pregnant CD-1 mice were gavage fed 25 mg nitrofen or olive oil (control) at E8.5 of gestation. Single IA injections of Sildenafil (Revatio; 10 µL of 4 mg/4 ml solution) or dextrose control were performed at E12.5. Mice were sacrificed on various gestational days for embryonic lung harvest. Markers of vSMC development of undifferentiated and differentiated phenotypes were analyzed by immunostaining and western blot. Across all time points in gestation, nitrofen-treated embryonic lungs demonstrated increased vSMC expression of NOTCH3, Hes-5, PDGFR-β, desmin and α-SMA and decreased expression of calponin and SMMHC, compared to oil controls. IA dextrose treatment had no effect on expression levels. However, IA Sildenafil treatment resulted in down-regulation of NOTCH3, Hes-5, PDGFR-β, desmin and α-SMA and upregulation of calponin and SMMHC, comparable to oil controls. In the nitrofen model, vSMC express markers consistent with more undifferentiated proliferative phenotype, resulting in hypermuscularization of intrapulmonary arterioles in CDH. A single dose of IA Sildenafil treatment early in gestation, results in sustained normalization of vSMC phenotype. Pharmacologic modulation of the vSMC phenotype at key gestational points may have therapeutic potential.
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MESH Headings
- Amnion
- Animals
- Female
- Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital/chemically induced
- Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital/drug therapy
- Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital/etiology
- Injections
- Lung/blood supply
- Lung/drug effects
- Lung/embryology
- Mice
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/drug effects
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/embryology
- Phenotype
- Phenyl Ethers
- Pregnancy
- Sildenafil Citrate/administration & dosage
- Sildenafil Citrate/therapeutic use
- Vasodilator Agents/administration & dosage
- Vasodilator Agents/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances C Okolo
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Guangfeng Zhang
- Department of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Julie Rhodes
- Department of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Douglas A Potoka
- Department of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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10
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Dawson G, Campbell K, Hashemi J, Lippmann SJ, Smith V, Carpenter K, Egger H, Espinosa S, Vermeer S, Baker J, Sapiro G. Atypical postural control can be detected via computer vision analysis in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17008. [PMID: 30451886 PMCID: PMC6242931 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35215-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that differences in motor function are an early feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One aspect of motor ability that develops during childhood is postural control, reflected in the ability to maintain a steady head and body position without excessive sway. Observational studies have documented differences in postural control in older children with ASD. The present study used computer vision analysis to assess midline head postural control, as reflected in the rate of spontaneous head movements during states of active attention, in 104 toddlers between 16-31 months of age (Mean = 22 months), 22 of whom were diagnosed with ASD. Time-series data revealed robust group differences in the rate of head movements while the toddlers watched movies depicting social and nonsocial stimuli. Toddlers with ASD exhibited a significantly higher rate of head movement as compared to non-ASD toddlers, suggesting difficulties in maintaining midline position of the head while engaging attentional systems. The use of digital phenotyping approaches, such as computer vision analysis, to quantify variation in early motor behaviors will allow for more precise, objective, and quantitative characterization of early motor signatures and potentially provide new automated methods for early autism risk identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
| | | | - Jordan Hashemi
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Steven J Lippmann
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Valerie Smith
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kimberly Carpenter
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Helen Egger
- NYU Langone Child Study Center, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Steven Espinosa
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Saritha Vermeer
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeffrey Baker
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Guillermo Sapiro
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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11
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Abstract
Humans are driven to pursue and preserve social relationships, and these motivations are reinforced through biological systems. In particular, individual differences in the tuning of biological systems that respond to social threats may motivate individuals to seek out differently structured social environments. Drawing on a sample of adolescent males who underwent fMRI brain imaging (n = 74) and contributed Facebook data, we examined whether biological responses to a common scenario - being excluded from an activity with peers - was associated with their social network structure. We find that neural responses during social exclusion in a priori hypothesized "social pain" regions of the brain (dACC, AI, subACC) are associated with the density and transitivity of core friendship networks. These findings suggest that neural reactivity to exclusion may be one factor that underlies network "safety". More broadly, the study shows the potential of linking social cognitive tendencies to social structural properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B Bayer
- School of Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | | | - Christopher N Cascio
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Emily B Falk
- Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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12
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Mattson WI, Messinger DS, Gangi DN, Myers ND. A break in parental interaction does not affect the temporal dependency of infant social engagement, but disrupts non-social engagement. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15150. [PMID: 30310163 PMCID: PMC6181912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33270-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant looking patterns during interaction offer an early window into social and nonsocial engagement. Recent evidence indicates that infant looks exhibit temporal dependency-one look duration predicts the next look duration. It is unknown, however, whether temporal dependency emerges as infants structure their own looking or whether it is influenced by interaction. We examined whether a perturbation of social interaction affected temporal dependency. Using the Face-to-Face/Still-Face procedure, we compared temporal dependency during parental interaction (the Face-to-Face & Reunion episodes) to parental non-responsiveness (the Still-Face episode). Overall, the durations of successive infant looks were predictable; past behavior constrained current behavior. The duration of one look at the parent (Face Look) predicted the duration of the next Face Look. Likewise, the duration of a look at any place that was not the parent's face (Away Look) predicted the duration of the next Away Look. The temporal dependency of Face Looks (social engagement) was unaffected by the Still-Face perturbation, but the temporal dependency of Away Looks (nonsocial engagement) declined during the Still-Face. Infant temporal structuring of engagement during social looking is not dependent on parental interaction while the disruption of interaction affects infants' structuring of their own non-social engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney I Mattson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America.
| | - Daniel S Messinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Music Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
| | - Devon N Gangi
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Nicholas D Myers
- Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
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Hinkle SN, Tsai MY, Rawal S, Albert PS, Zhang C. HbA 1c Measured in the First Trimester of Pregnancy and the Association with Gestational Diabetes. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12249. [PMID: 30116010 PMCID: PMC6095876 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30833-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to examine the prospective association between first trimester HbA1c and gestational diabetes (GDM) and explore the utility of HbA1c for prediction of GDM. We used data from a case-control study within the prospective NICHD Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort (2009-2013), which enrolled 2,802 women at 12 U.S. clinical centers. HbA1c was measured in GDM cases (n = 107) and matched controls (n = 214) targeted at 8-13, 16-22, 24-29, and 34-37 gestational weeks. We excluded women with HbA1c ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) at enrollment (n = 3) or who had a hemoglobin variant (n = 6). At 8-13 gestational weeks, women who later developed GDM had significantly higher HbA1c (5.3[standard deviation 0.3]%; 34[4]mmol/mol) than women without GDM (5.1[0.3]%; 32[3] mmol/mol) (P ≤ 0.001); this difference remained significant throughout pregnancy. Each 0.1% (1 mmol/mol) HbA1c increase at 8-13 weeks was associated with an adjusted 22% increased GDM risk (95% confidence interval 1.09-1.36). First trimester HbA1c significantly improved GDM prediction over conventional risk factors (AUC 0.59 vs 0.65; P = 0.04). In conclusion, women who develop GDM may have impaired glucose homeostasis early in or prior to pregnancy, as indicated by their elevated first trimester HbA1c. First trimester HbA1c may aid in early identification of at risk women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie N Hinkle
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Michael Y Tsai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Shristi Rawal
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Health Professions, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Paul S Albert
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Cuilin Zhang
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Butera IM, Stevenson RA, Mangus BD, Woynaroski TG, Gifford RH, Wallace MT. Audiovisual Temporal Processing in Postlingually Deafened Adults with Cochlear Implants. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11345. [PMID: 30054512 PMCID: PMC6063927 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29598-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
For many cochlear implant (CI) users, visual cues are vitally important for interpreting the impoverished auditory speech information that an implant conveys. Although the temporal relationship between auditory and visual stimuli is crucial for how this information is integrated, audiovisual temporal processing in CI users is poorly understood. In this study, we tested unisensory (auditory alone, visual alone) and multisensory (audiovisual) temporal processing in postlingually deafened CI users (n = 48) and normal-hearing controls (n = 54) using simultaneity judgment (SJ) and temporal order judgment (TOJ) tasks. We varied the timing onsets between the auditory and visual components of either a syllable/viseme or a simple flash/beep pairing, and participants indicated either which stimulus appeared first (TOJ) or if the pair occurred simultaneously (SJ). Results indicate that temporal binding windows-the interval within which stimuli are likely to be perceptually 'bound'-are not significantly different between groups for either speech or non-speech stimuli. However, the point of subjective simultaneity for speech was less visually leading in CI users, who interestingly, also had improved visual-only TOJ thresholds. Further signal detection analysis suggests that this SJ shift may be due to greater visual bias within the CI group, perhaps reflecting heightened attentional allocation to visual cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliza M Butera
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Ryan A Stevenson
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Brannon D Mangus
- Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and Surgicenter, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - René H Gifford
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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