Keele University

About: Keele University is a education organization based out in Newcastle-under-Lyme, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Stars. The organization has 11318 authors who have published 26323 publications receiving 894671 citations. The organization is also known as: Keele University.

Iron: The Redox-active Center of Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer Disease

Abstract: Although iron is essential in maintaining the function of the central nervous system, it is a potent source of reactive oxygen species. Excessive iron accumulation occurs in many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, raising the possibility that oxidative stress is intimately involved in the neurodegenerative process. AD in particular is associated with accumulation of numerous markers of oxidative stress; moreover, oxidative stress has been shown to precede hallmark neuropathological lesions early in the disease process, and such lesions, once present, further accumulate iron, among other markers of oxidative stress. In this review, we discuss the role of iron in the progression of AD.

Genetics and sports.

Abstract: Introduction: The limit of each individual to perform a given type of exercise depends on the nature of the task, and is influenced by a variety of factors, including psychology, environment and genetic make up. Genetics provide useful insights, as sport performances can be ultimately defined as a polygenic trait. Sources of data: We searched PubMed using the terms ‘sports’ and ‘genetics’ over the period 1990 to present. Areas of agreement: The physical performance phenotypes for which a genetic basis can be suspected include endurance capacity, muscle performance, physiological attitude to train and ability of tendons and ligaments to withstand injury. Genetic testing in sport would permit to identify individuals with optimal physiology and morphology, and also those with a greater capacity to respond/adapt to training and a lesser chance of suffering from injuries. Areas of controversy: Ethical and practical caveats should be clearly emphasized. The translation of an advantageous genotype into a champion’s phenotype is still influenced by environmental, psychological and sociological factors. Emerging areas for developing research: The current scientific evidence on the relationship between genetics and sports look promising. There is a need for additional studies to determine whether genome-wide genotyping arrays would be really useful and cost-effective. Since exercise training regulates the expression of genes encoding various enzymes in muscle and other tissues, genetic research in sports will help clarify several aspects of human biology and physiology, such as RNA and protein level regulation under specific circumstances.

Evolutionary expansion and anatomical specialization of synapse proteome complexity

Abstract: Understanding the origins and evolution of synapses may provide insight into species diversity and the organization of the brain. Using comparative proteomics and genomics, we examined the evolution of the postsynaptic density (PSD) and membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK)-associated signaling complexes (MASCs) that underlie learning and memory. PSD and MASC orthologs found in yeast carry out basic cellular functions to regulate protein synthesis and structural plasticity. We observed marked changes in signaling complexity at the yeast-metazoan and invertebrate-vertebrate boundaries, with an expansion of key synaptic components, notably receptors, adhesion/cytoskeletal proteins and scaffold proteins. A proteomic comparison of Drosophila and mouse MASCs revealed species-specific adaptation with greater signaling complexity in mouse. Although synaptic components were conserved amongst diverse vertebrate species, mapping mRNA and protein expression in the mouse brain showed that vertebrate-specific components preferentially contributed to differences between brain regions. We propose that the evolution of synapse complexity around a core proto-synapse has contributed to invertebrate-vertebrate differences and to brain specialization.

Annual to sub-annual resolution of multiple trace-element trends in speleothems

Abstract: This study aims to establish evidence for the widespread existence of preserved high-resolution trace element variations in speleothems that may have climatic significance. Ion microprobe analysis of speleothems reveals that annual to sub-annual variations in element chemistry exist at five, shallow western European cave sites (Crag Cave, County Kerry and Ballynamintra, County Waterford, Ireland; Uamh an Tartair, Sutherland, Scotland; Grotte Pere-Noel, Belgium; Grotta di Ernesto, NE Italy) with widely varying climatic, geomorphic and geological settings. The variations are not restricted to species (Mg, Sr and Ba) known to substitute directly for Ca in the calcite lattice, but include H, F, Na and P. Phosphorus (as phosphate) displays the greatest variability and may have the most significance as a proxy for the seasonal temperature cycle because of its role as a nutrient element. The technique allows estimation of growth rate of speleothems at any interval of interest, which is one of several possible uses in palaeoclimatology.

WASP-8b: a retrograde transiting planet in a multiple system

Abstract: We report the discovery of WASP-8b, a transiting planet of 2.25 ± 0.08 MJup on a strongly inclined eccentric 8.15-day orbit, moving in a retrograde direction to the rotation of its late-G host star. Evidence is found that the star is in a multiple stellar system with two other companions. The dynamical complexity of the system indicates that it may have experienced secular interactions such as the Kozai mechanism or a formation that differs from the “classical” disc-migration theory.