University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

About: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 14634 authors who have published 19610 publications receiving 1041794 citations.

Perceptual Organization Impairment in Schizophrenia and Associated Brain Mechanisms: Review of Research from 2005 to 2010

Abstract: Perceptual organization (PO) refers to the processes by which visual information is structured into coherent patterns such as groups, contours, perceptual wholes, and object representations. Impairments in PO have been demonstrated in schizophrenia since the 1960s and have been linked to several illness-related factors including poor premorbid functioning, poor prognosis, and disorganized symptoms. This literature was last reviewed in 2005. Since then, electrophysiological (electroencephalographic, event-related potential, and magnetoencephalographic) and fMRI studies in both patient and nonpatient samples have clarified brain mechanisms involved in the impairment, and additional behavioral studies in patients and nonpatients have clarified the computational mechanisms. In addition, data now exist on the functional consequences of PO impairments, in terms of secondary difficulties in face processing, selective attention, working memory, and social cognition. Preliminary data on drug effects on PO and on changes in response to treatment suggest that anomalies in PO may furnish a biomarker for the integrity of its associated biological mechanisms. All of this recent evidence allows for a clearer picture of the nature of the impairment and how it relates to broader aspects of brain and behavioral functioning in schizophrenia.

DNA methylation age is associated with mortality in a longitudinal Danish twin study.

Abstract: An epigenetic profile defining the DNA methylation age (DNAm age) of an individual has been suggested to be a biomarker of aging, and thus possibly providing a tool for assessment of health and mortality. In this study, we estimated the DNAm age of 378 Danish twins, age 30-82 years, and furthermore included a 10-year longitudinal study of the 86 oldest-old twins (mean age of 86.1 at follow-up), which subsequently were followed for mortality for 8 years. We found that the DNAm age is highly correlated with chronological age across all age groups (r = 0.97), but that the rate of change of DNAm age decreases with age. The results may in part be explained by selective mortality of those with a high DNAm age. This hypothesis was supported by a classical survival analysis showing a 35% (4-77%) increased mortality risk for each 5-year increase in the DNAm age vs. chronological age. Furthermore, the intrapair twin analysis revealed a more-than-double mortality risk for the DNAm oldest twin compared to the co-twin and a 'dose-response pattern' with the odds of dying first increasing 3.2 (1.05-10.1) times per 5-year DNAm age difference within twin pairs, thus showing a stronger association of DNAm age with mortality in the oldest-old when controlling for familial factors. In conclusion, our results support that DNAm age qualifies as a biomarker of aging.

Production of nitric oxide and peroxynitrite in the lung during acute endotoxemia

Abstract: Nitric oxide is a short-lived cytotoxic mediator that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of endotoxin-induced tissue injury and septic shock. In the present studies we determined whether this mediator is produced in the lung during acute endotoxemia. We found that intravenous injection of rats with bacterially derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a condition that induces acute endotoxemia, caused a time-dependent increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression in the lung, which reached a maximum after 24 h. This was correlated with nitric oxide production in the lung as measured by electron paramagnetic spin trapping, which was detectable within 6 h. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) and interstitial macrophages (IMs) isolated from rats 6-12 h after induction of acute endotoxemia were also found to exhibit increased nitric oxide production in response to in vitro stimulation with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and LPS measured by nitrite accumulation in the culture medium. The effects of acute endotoxemia on nitric oxide production by these cells were, however, transient and returned to control levels by 24 h in AMs and 36 h in IMs. Interestingly, although nitrite accumulation in the culture medium of IMs isolated 48 h after induction of acute endotoxemia and stimulated with low concentrations of IFN-gamma and LPS was reduced, when compared with cells from control animals, these cells, as well as AMs, continued to express high levels of iNOS protein and mRNA. This was correlated with increased peroxynitrite production by the cells. Peroxynitrite has been shown to act as a nitrating agent and can generate nitrotyrosine residues in proteins. Using a specific antibody and immunohistochemistry, we found evidence of nitrotyrosine residues in sections of lungs 48 h after treatment of rats with endotoxin. These data suggest that nitric oxide produced by IMs and AMs can react with superoxide anion to form peroxynitrite. Taken together, the present studies demonstrate that AMs and IMs are activated following acute endotoxemia to produce reactive nitrogen intermediates and that both cell types contribute to inflammatory responses in the lung.