University of Louisiana at Monroe

About: University of Louisiana at Monroe is a education organization based out in Monroe, Louisiana, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Liver injury & Cancer cell. The organization has 1551 authors who have published 2244 publications receiving 51546 citations. The organization is also known as: ULM & University of Louisiana-Monroe.

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

Abstract: In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation, it is imperative to target by gene knockout or RNA interference more than one autophagy-related protein. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways implying that not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.

Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common heterogeneous endocrine disorder characterized by irregular menses, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries. The prevalence of PCOS varies depending on which criteria are used to make the diagnosis, but is as high as 15%-20% when the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology/American Society for Reproductive Medicine criteria are used. Clinical manifestations include oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, hirsutism, and frequently infertility. Risk factors for PCOS in adults includes type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Insulin resistance affects 50%-70% of women with PCOS leading to a number of comorbidities including metabolic syndrome, hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, and diabetes. Studies show that women with PCOS are more likely to have increased coronary artery calcium scores and increased carotid intima-media thickness. Mental health disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and binge eating disorder also occur more frequently in women with PCOS. Weight loss improves menstrual irregularities, symptoms of androgen excess, and infertility. Management of clinical manifestations of PCOS includes oral contraceptives for menstrual irregularities and hirsutism. Spironolactone and finasteride are used to treat symptoms of androgen excess. Treatment options for infertility include clomiphene, laparoscopic ovarian drilling, gonadotropins, and assisted reproductive technology. Recent data suggest that letrozole and metformin may play an important role in ovulation induction. Proper diagnosis and management of PCOS is essential to address patient concerns but also to prevent future metabolic, endocrine, psychiatric, and cardiovascular complications.

Toward a contextual theory of leadership

Abstract: We propose moving leadership theory and research to another level—one that recognizes that current leadership scholarship is not invalid but incomplete. Such scholarship needs to be looked at in different ways and with various approaches relevant for different circumstances. Macro views need increasing recognition, but to supplement rather than replace currently emphasized meso/micro perspectives. Also, human agency is not to be replaced with mechanistic prescription, but leadership scholars are in a position to contribute to the strategy and organization theory research that currently minimizes leader influence. This philosophy is illustrated through the interplay of leadership with the four contexts of: stability, crisis, dynamic equilibrium, and edge of chaos; the latter operationalized through a complexity theory/dynamic systems perspective. We discuss each context and leadership, in terms of patterning of attention and network leadership, and conclude with a brief measurement treatment. These contexts encourage researchers to reconsider temporality, causal relations, units of analysis, and dependent variables consistent with the social construction of human agency within the given context, to develop more robust models and leadership understanding.

Organophosphorus pesticides: do they all have the same mechanism of toxicity?

Abstract: Organophosphorus (OP) pesticides are used extensively to control agricultural, household and structural pests. These pesticides constitute a diverse group of chemical structures exhibiting a wide range of physicochemical properties, with their primary toxicological action arising from inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7). Historically, risk characterizations for these toxicants have been based on hazard and exposure data pertaining to individual chemicals. The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 now requires, however, that combined risk assessments be performed with pesticides having a common mechanism of toxicity. It is therefore critical to consider whether OP pesticides all exert toxicity through a common mechanism. This brief review evaluates the comparative toxicity of the 38 OP AChE inhibitors currently registered for use as pesticides in the United States and examines the data which suggest that some OP pesticides have toxicologically relevant sites of action in addition...