Search results for "Planetary Science"
showing 10 items of 4367 documents
Modulating Oxidant Levels to Promote Healthy Aging
2020
Significance: Free radicals although originally thought of as damaging molecules, inevitable side effects of the utilization of oxygen by cells, are now considered as signals that by modifying, among others, the thiol-disulfide balance regulate many cell processes from metabolism to cell cycle. Recent Advances: This review discusses the importance of the modulation of the oxidant levels through physiological strategies such as physical exercise or genetic manipulations such as the overexpression of antioxidant enzymes, in the promotion of healthy aging. Critical Issues: We have divided the review into five different sections. In the first two sections of the article "Oxidants are signals" a…
The Hidden Charm of Life
2019
Synthetic biology is an engineering view on biotechnology, which has revolutionized genetic engineering. The field has seen a constant development of metaphors that tend to highlight the similarities of cells with machines. I argue here that living organisms, particularly bacterial cells, are not machine-like, engineerable entities, but, instead, factory-like complex systems shaped by evolution. A change of the comparative paradigm in synthetic biology from machines to factories, from hardware to software, and from informatics to economy is discussed.
Exercise Biomechanics and Physiology.
2021
Biomechanics was defined by Hatze in 1974 as the study of the movement of living things using the science of mechanics [...]
Hyperalphalipoproteinemia and Beyond: The Role of HDL in Cardiovascular Diseases
2021
Hyperalphalipoproteinemia (HALP) is a lipid disorder characterized by elevated plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels above the 90th percentile of the distribution of HDL-C values in the general population. Secondary non-genetic factors such as drugs, pregnancy, alcohol intake, and liver diseases might induce HDL increases. Primary forms of HALP are caused by mutations in the genes coding for cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), hepatic lipase (HL), apolipoprotein C-III (apo C-III), scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) and endothelial lipase (EL). However, in the last decades, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have also suggested a polygenic inheritance o…
Genomic Imprinting and the Regulation of Postnatal Neurogenesis
2017
Most genes required for mammalian development are expressed from both maternally and paternally inherited chromosomal homologues. However, there are a small number of genes known as “imprinted genes” that only express a single allele from one parent, which is repressed on the gene from the other parent. Imprinted genes are dependent on epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and post-translational modifications of the DNA-associated histone proteins to establish and maintain their parental identity. In the brain, multiple transcripts have been identified which show parental origin-specific expression biases. However, the mechanistic relationship with canonical imprinting is unknown. R…
Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Cardiovascular Health
2018
Abstract Significance: Social and demographic changes have led to an increased prevalence of loneliness and social isolation in modern society. Recent Advances: Population-based studies have demonstrated that both objective social isolation and the perception of social isolation (loneliness) are correlated with a higher risk of mortality and that both are clearly risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Lonely individuals have increased peripheral vascular resistance and elevated blood pressure. Socially isolated animals develop more atherosclerosis than those housed in groups. Critical Issues: Molecular mechanisms responsible for the increased cardiovascular risk are poorly understoo…
Special Issue “Mental Health Issues and Quality of Life in Older Individuals”
2021
There are numerous biological, psychological, and social factors that have a more or less prominent impact on the mental health of older adults [...]
Environmental Factors Such as Noise and Air Pollution and Vascular Disease
2020
Significance: According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases are the globally leading cause of mortality. Recent Advances: About 71% of 56 million deaths that occurred worldwide are due to noncommunicable cardiovascular risk factors, including tobacco smoking, unhealthy diets, lack of physical activity, overweight, arterial hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, which can be either avoided or substantially reduced. Critical Issues: Thus, it is estimated that 80% of premature heart disease, stroke, and diabetes can be prevented. More recent evidence indicates that environmental stressors such as noise and air pollution contribute significantly to the global b…
AMPK phosphorylation modulates pain by activation of NLRP3 inflammasome
2016
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Does Metformin Protect Diabetic Patients from Oxidative Stress and Leukocyte-Endothelium Interactions?
2017
Since metformin can exert beneficial vascular effects, we aimed at studying its effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, antioxidant enzyme expression, levels of adhesion molecules, and leukocyte-endothelium interactions in the leukocytes from type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients. The study was carried out in 72 T2D patients (41 of whom were treated with metformin for at least 12 months at a dose of 1700 mg per day), and in 40 sex- and age-matched control subjects. Leukocytes from T2D patients exhibited enhanced levels of mitochondrial ROS and decreased mRNA levels of glutathione peroxidase 1 (gpx1) and sirtuin 3 (sirt3) with respect to controls, whereas metformin was shown to revert t…