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The neurobiological processes involved in establishing sleep regulation are vulnerable to environmental exposures as early as seven weeks of gestation. Studies have linked in utero pesticide exposure to childhood sleep-disordered breathing. However, the impact of in utero pesticide exposure on the sleep health of adolescents remains unexplored.Data from 137 mother-adolescent pairs from a Mexico City cohort were analyzed. We used maternal urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA, pyrethroid metabolite) and 3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy, chlorpyrifos metabolite) from trimester three to estimate in utero pesticide exposure. Among adolescents, we obtained repeated measures of objectively assessed sleep duration, midpoint, and fragmentation using wrist-actigraphy devices for 7 consecutive days in 2015 and 2017. Unstratified and sex-stratified associations between maternal urinary 3-PBA and TCPy and adolescent sleep measures were examined using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). We also examined the interactive effects of maternal pesticide exposure and offspring sex on sleep outcomes.3-PBA and TCPy were detected in 44.4% and 93% of urine samples, respectively. Adjusted findings demonstrated that higher exposure to maternal TCPy was associated with longer sleep duration and later sleep timing. Findings from interaction tests between maternal pesticide exposure and offspring sex were not statistically significant, although adjusted sex-stratified findings showed that the association between TCPy with duration and midpoint was evident only among female offspring. To illustrate, those in the highest tertile of exposure had a 59 minute (95% CI: 12.2, 104.8) (p, trend = 0.004) longer sleep duration and a 0.6 hour (95% CI: 0.01, 1.3) (p, trend = 0.01) later sleep midpoint. We found no significant associations between 3-PBA and sleep outcomes.Within a cohort of mother-adolescent pairs, we found associations between maternal prenatal pesticide exposure and longer sleep duration and later sleep timing among adolescent offspring. Further, this association may be female-specific.

Le trouble de la consommation d'alcool (AUD) est une maladie chronique et mortelle. Le principal obstacle au traitement par AUD est une forte probabilité de rechute à l'abus d'alcool, même après une abstinence prolongée. Les mécanismes moléculaires de la rechute induite par les signaux ne sont pas bien établis, malgré le fait qu'ils peuvent offrir de nouvelles cibles pour le traitement de l'AUD. En utilisant un modèle animal complet d'AUD, des manipulations génétiques à médiation virale et ciblées sur l'amygdale par la technologie CRISPR/Cas9 et l'électrophysiologie ex vivo, nous identifions un mécanisme qui contrôle sélectivement la rechute d'alcool induite par les signaux et la gravité des symptômes d'AUD. Ce mécanisme est basé sur l'activité régulée de la protéine associée au cytosquelette (ARC)/plasticité dépendante de l'Arg3.1 des synapses de l'amygdale. Chez l'homme, nous avons identifié des polymorphismes mononucléotidiques dans le gène ARC et leur méthylation prédisant non seulement la taille de l'amygdale, mais aussi la fréquence de la consommation d'alcool, même au début de la consommation régulière. Cibler l'arc pendant l'exposition à l'alcool peut donc être un nouveau mécanisme sélectif pour la prévention des rechutes. El trastorno por consumo de alcohol (TCA) es una enfermedad crónica y mortal. El principal impedimento de la terapia AUD es una alta probabilidad de recaída en el abuso de alcohol incluso después de una abstinencia prolongada. Los mecanismos moleculares de la recaída inducida por señales no están bien establecidos, a pesar de que pueden ofrecer nuevas dianas para el tratamiento de la AUD. Utilizando un modelo animal integral de AUD, manipulaciones genéticas mediadas por virus y dirigidas a la amígdala mediante tecnología CRISPR/Cas9 y electrofisiología ex vivo, identificamos un mecanismo que controla selectivamente la recaída de alcohol inducida por señales y la gravedad de los síntomas de AUD. Este mecanismo se basa en la actividad regulada de la proteína asociada al citoesqueleto (ARC)/plasticidad dependiente de Arg3.1 de las sinapsis de la amígdala. En humanos, identificamos polimorfismos de un solo nucleótido en el gen ARC y su metilación prediciendo no solo el tamaño de la amígdala, sino también la frecuencia del consumo de alcohol, incluso al inicio del consumo regular. Dirigirse a Arc durante la exposición al alcohol puede ser, por lo tanto, un nuevo mecanismo selectivo para la prevención de recaídas. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic and fatal disease. The main impediment of the AUD therapy is a high probability of relapse to alcohol abuse even after prolonged abstinence. The molecular mechanisms of cue-induced relapse are not well established, despite the fact that they may offer new targets for the treatment of AUD. Using a comprehensive animal model of AUD, virally-mediated and amygdala-targeted genetic manipulations by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and ex vivo electrophysiology, we identify a mechanism that selectively controls cue-induced alcohol relapse and AUD symptom severity. This mechanism is based on activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc)/ARG3.1-dependent plasticity of the amygdala synapses. In humans, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ARC gene and their methylation predicting not only amygdala size, but also frequency of alcohol use, even at the onset of regular consumption. Targeting Arc during alcohol cue exposure may thus be a selective new mechanism for relapse prevention. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic and fatal disease. The main impediment of AUD therapy is a high probability of relapse to alcohol abuse even after prolonged abstinence. The molecular mechanisms of cue-induced relapse are not well established, despite the fact that they may offer new targets for the treatment of AUD. Using a comprehensive animal model of AUD, virally-mediated and amygdala-targeted genetic manipulations by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and ex vivo electrophysiology, we identify a mechanism that selectively controls cue-induced alcohol relapse and AUD symptom severity. This mechanism is based on activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (arc)/Arg3.1-dependent plasticity of the amygdala synapses. In humans, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ARC gene and their methylation predicting not only amygdala size, but also frequency of alcohol use, even at the onset of regular consumption. Targeting Arc during alcohol exposure may thus be a selective new mechanism for relapse prevention. اضطراب تعاطي الكحول (AUD) هو مرض مزمن ومميت. العائق الرئيسي لعلاج AUD هو احتمال كبير للانتكاس إلى تعاطي الكحول حتى بعد الامتناع عن ممارسة الجنس لفترات طويلة. الآليات الجزيئية للانتكاس الناجم عن الإشارة ليست راسخة، على الرغم من حقيقة أنها قد تقدم أهدافًا جديدة لعلاج AUD. باستخدام نموذج حيواني شامل من AUD، والتلاعب الجيني بوساطة فيروسية واستهداف اللوزة بواسطة تقنية CRISPR/Cas9 والفسيولوجيا الكهربية خارج الجسم الحي، نحدد آلية تتحكم بشكل انتقائي في انتكاس الكحول الناجم عن الإشارة وشدة أعراض AUD. تعتمد هذه الآلية على البروتين المرتبط بالهياكل الخلوية المنظم للنشاط (ARC )/ اللدونة المعتمدة على Arg3.1 في مشابك اللوزة الدماغية. في البشر، حددنا تعدد أشكال النيوكليوتيدات المفردة في جين القوس وتنبأت مثيلتها ليس فقط بحجم اللوزة، ولكن أيضًا بتكرار تعاطي الكحول، حتى في بداية الاستهلاك المنتظم. وبالتالي، قد يكون استهداف القوس أثناء التعرض للكحول آلية جديدة انتقائية للوقاية من الانتكاس.

Abstract Molten salts-based nanofluids have been widely considered for Thermal Energy Storage (TES) applications due to their enhanced thermophysical properties. However, the application of such fluids faces many challenges, among which are the correct determination of their properties, stability, compatibility with construction materials and the overall environmental impact. In this work, we attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of nanofluids based on nano-alumina and molten carbonate salt for the benefit of next-generation high-temperature TES applications. In particular, considerable statistics, cross-verification, novel preparation and characterization methods were applied to record ~12% increase of thermal conductivity, ~7% increase of heat capacity and ~35% increase of viscosity. It was demonstrated that such nanofluids have poor dispersion stability under static conditions; however, the enhanced thermophysical properties can be maintained by mechanical stimuli, e.g. mixing or redistribution. We show that some nanoparticles interact with typical construction materials such as stainless steel 310 by forming mixed oxides and considerably reducing the corrosion rates. An erosion study has been performed demonstrating negligible effect of nanoparticles even in the case of their strong agglomeration. Finally, life cycle analysis revealed that viscosity and preparation method of such nanofluids must be targeted to minimize the environmental impact.